A review by bunnieslikediamonds
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
3.0
A charming historical YA novel set in San Diego in 1918, a piece of crap year where those who weren't off getting killed in the war were dropping dead from the Spanish influenza. Now, imagine being sixteen, lovelorn and having to bathe in onion water, eat onion paste and chew onion gum while trying to stay clear of corpses in the streets. Add to that a tormented ghost boyfriend and his spiritualist brother who wants to exploit your ghost friendly nature, and you have kind of a miserable set up.
Luckily, our heroine is the stoic kind not much intrested in self-pity. It doesn't seem entirely realistic that a girl in those times would speak her mind so freely and act quite so fearlessly as Mary Shelley does, but I sure liked it. Her investigation into the boyfriend's fate kept me interested, there's a nice sense of place and some genuinely creepy moments. Occasionally, the history lessons overshadow the story, but the young adults this book is meant for probably won't mind. Kids need history lessons!
3,5.
Luckily, our heroine is the stoic kind not much intrested in self-pity. It doesn't seem entirely realistic that a girl in those times would speak her mind so freely and act quite so fearlessly as Mary Shelley does, but I sure liked it. Her investigation into the boyfriend's fate kept me interested, there's a nice sense of place and some genuinely creepy moments. Occasionally, the history lessons overshadow the story, but the young adults this book is meant for probably won't mind. Kids need history lessons!
3,5.