Shadows Author: Robin McKinley | Language: English | ISBN:
B00BPDN2SI | Format: EPUB
Shadows Description
A compelling and inventive novel set in a world where science and magic are at odds, by Robin McKinley, the Newbery-winning author of
The Hero and the Crown and
The Blue Sword, as well as the classic titles
Beauty,
Chalice,
Spindle’s End,Pegasus and
Sunshine Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie’s great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago.
Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.
In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.
- File Size: 1343 KB
- Print Length: 367 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0399165797
- Publisher: Penguin Books (September 26, 2013)
- Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00BPDN2SI
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,901 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #27
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Stepfamilies
- #27
in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Stepfamilies
Robin McKinley's new book Shadows is classed as fantasy, yet is a world apart from anything else in the genre.
Fans of McKinley will recognize the key elements of her works in Shadows, a writing quality that immerses readers in the place and thoroughly into the mind of the main character. Another McKinly trait is that faint `fairytale' influence; Both the sense of whimsy in that comes through in so many fairy tales, as well as the oft-grim underpinnings that are so often the dark side of fairytales.
We are at once plunged into the world and life of a teen girl, in a town that is not-quite the norm. It's not a magical world, but only because magic has been banned.
However, Maggie's problems are typical enough: she doesn't care for her step father. She has a strong memory of her love for her own father, so we can understand that she might not take to Val right off. Then there there are the less typical problems, like the fact that his shadow doesn't seem to fit him very well...and in fact, sometimes appears to be doing its own thing entirely. It's creepy, there's no getting around it. And, the primary dangers within the community (cobeys) seem to be occurring closer and closer these days, for no good reason. Although there are official precautions one can take to remain safe, Maggie suspects these are not always effective. She doesn't quite believe in `the authorities."
She's got the typical issue of really being attracted to such a nice looking guy, while wondering what that really means in terms of her long-time best friend, who happens to be male. He is also a bit more than simply human, but she doesn't realize that for ages, and it's hardly his fault, anyway.
Charm always infuses McKinley's works, and Shadows is no slouch in that department.
I'm giving this book 3 stars. It was good, but felt incomplete and frustrating.
I had hoped and suspected that "Shadows" might be connected somehow to McKinley's "Sunshine" book, and it does feel as if it's in the same world, but on a different continent. We have 17 year old Maggie, our hero. Instead of baking at a coffee shop like Sunshine, she volunteers/ works at an animal shelter. Her family (mom, aunts, sisters, step-dad) are somehow magically talented. So is she, and she's clueless. Her personal failure at Algebra in school seems to have infected her with generally low self-esteem. I'm honestly rather tired of the teen girl heroine with magical powers who just can't bring herself to open her mouth, ask useful questions of more experienced adults or people, and take some control of her direction. Maggie just seems so hapless and squeamish and sure, she's brave when she decides there's nothing else for it, but she never seems to grasp her own worth.
I'm sure I feel the same as many other McKinley fans. Whatever happened to Sunshine and Con? Will we ever get the rumored sequel to Pegasus, which cut off in an amazingly cliff-hanger season finale type way? And I'm just now recalling 'Chalice,' yet another McKinley story with a hapless young woman who muddles through with no real grasp of her own powers. It would be easier as a reader to forgive the whole helpless confused girl character if we ever got a sequel where she's grown into her powers and changed the world for the better. But it doesn't seem like that will happen.
Overall, I'm disappointed in this book.
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