Scan barcode
carolined314's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Brooklyn, family, friends, magic, and an evil white guy twisting shit up badly. Fun.
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Violence, Dementia, Misogyny, and Murder
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
SHADOWSHAPER blends real and fantastical elements, grounding it in specific locations in Brooklyn, NY. I'm unfamiliar with that city and I don't know which ones were real and which were made up for the setting. The characters share a local culture but late in the book they have a conversation about how their backgrounds differ even within this one place.
The details about the Shadowshapers as a group are revealed agonizingly slowly. It's a pace where Sierra was more stressed than I was because what I took as a slow burn, Sierra (rightfully) understood as actively being denied a piece of her culture and knowledge of a massively influential force within her family because she's a girl. She ends up feeling like an outsider in her own family, needing help from a boy who happens to know more because he was given access to this knowledge when she was kept out. I felt her frustration at the exclusion, and her determination to keep going with whatever she had.
I read this as an audiobook, and the narrator's performance helped with my immersion into the story. The ending works well, tying off this story while leaving room for more as the series continues. I'm interested in what's next for the Shadowshapers and I plan to keep reading the series.
The details about the Shadowshapers as a group are revealed agonizingly slowly. It's a pace where Sierra was more stressed than I was because what I took as a slow burn, Sierra (rightfully) understood as actively being denied a piece of her culture and knowledge of a massively influential force within her family because she's a girl. She ends up feeling like an outsider in her own family, needing help from a boy who happens to know more because he was given access to this knowledge when she was kept out. I felt her frustration at the exclusion, and her determination to keep going with whatever she had.
I read this as an audiobook, and the narrator's performance helped with my immersion into the story. The ending works well, tying off this story while leaving room for more as the series continues. I'm interested in what's next for the Shadowshapers and I plan to keep reading the series.
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Death
Minor: Sexual content, Ableism, Car accident, and Alcohol
maggie_atwood's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Racism, and Violence
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Sexism, and Misogyny
More...