Reviews

Shadows by Robin McKinley

aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

gingernutpup's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I hate to give this rating to a Robin McKinley book but argh, this book!!!! Maggie as a narrator quickly becomes annoying with her teenage monologue in her head. The world is confusing and feels like you were just dropped into it with pieces of information drip fed occasionally meaning you never really understand the whole. Not a book I will read again compared to the author's other books.

eletricjb's review against another edition

2.0

Two and a half. I have been cursed recently with reading books that have a fine idea and terrible execution. The narrative flow of this novel was non-existent. I couldn't follow the timeline of the story at all until we finally got into the present exclusively, and also Maggie's voice was just a terrible storyteller. I feel like McKinley is trying to get too modern with her YA approach, and that is sad, because what I wouldn't have given for this to be written in the third person at the very least.

I'm so over first person narrators, man.

vorsoisson's review against another edition

3.0

A pale imitation of [b:Sunshine|8088|Sunshine|Robin McKinley|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309203987s/8088.jpg|2321294]; still McKinley and therefore a thousand times better than the truly bad fantasy novels out there, but not up to her usual standards. Loose ends aren't tied up, characters aren't fully fleshed out, and the world never entirely makes sense. I wish she had either expanded it further or condensed the action into a novella or short story; there are some neat images in here, but a lot of filler that just isn't what I expect from McKinley.

southerngirlinexile's review against another edition

2.0

I have NEVER felt this way about one of McKinley's works, but I just ... don't care what happens in this book. I'm 85% of the way in, and should be caught up in the rising action. And I just don't care.

McKinley herself once wrote that she recognized that every author might have one story in them, and for her it was Beauty and the Beast - and she retold that beautifully in Beauty, Spindle's End, Sunshine, and even Deerskin (my official All Time Favorite Book).

But. I am tired of the magical groups of animals obliquely coming to the aid of the heroine who manages to vanquish the bad guy ... some how. I may be too old for this particular story, but I don't care about the 17 year old heroine/narrator, I'm not invested in her friendships or relationships, and I am SO over the packs of semi-magical creatures suddenly coming to her aid.

cmbohn's review against another edition

Wasn't liking the writing style.

mamap's review against another edition

3.0

Ok, I was a little disappointed. I know Robin McKinley likes a younger audience, but I expected a little more intelligent book.

It's well written for a teenage book - a sci-fi world where banned magic returns - but a little too "cotton-candy" for my tastes.

I don't know - maybe nothing really makes me happy.

o_ambrogio's review against another edition

3.0

very engaging but reads like the first half of a novel.

laurasullivan's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

jlh7739's review against another edition

5.0

Fantastic. But then I think most stories written by Robin McKinley are.