Reviews

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

kennisn's review

4.0

A good YA novel with a great, full-developed Afro-Boricua protagonist! Loved the infusion of Puerto Rican and LatinX language and culture. Story was ok but ending came and went so fast, I barely understood how Sierra, the newly minted and titular Shadowshaper, was able to defeat the big baddie! The climactic battle could have been more fully realized, but the spiritual world-building of the Shadowshaper community throughout Brooklyn made it a totally worthwhile read!

millyferg's review

4.0

I really enjoyed the audiobook of this novel and felt it brought the characters to life.

jillianzacchia's review against another edition

3.0

Synopsis:
Sierra learns that she comes from a family of shadowshapers, and that she possesses the ability herself. Friend and crush, Robbie, shows her how to bring her art to life, but not long after discovering the beauty behind her power, she learns that someone has twisted and warped the shadowshaping community, creating dangerous reanimated corpses that are after her.

The story was exciting, and the idea of art coming to life was beautiful, but the best part about this book were the deeper messages buried beneath the relatable dialogue and the cast of friendly characters. This book deals with community, legacy, heritage, gentrification, colonialism, the patriarchy, racism and more! It was a beautiful story featuring a strong Peurto Rican MC.

If you like YA urban fiction, Brooklyn comes alive in Older’s novel!

allysonbogie's review

2.0

I didn't finish this book because it just wasn't capturing my attention enough. I wanted to love it because it is an "urban" fantasy with artist characters of color. It has mysterious elements and maybe a middle or high school student would be more captivated by the story. I read about half of it and just didn't find the mystery part compelling enough to finish. The other aspects--romance, family issues, friendships--were part of the background, as the true bulk of the novel seems to be the fantasy/mystery story. The main character was well-developed, as were a few others, but this didn't carry the book well enough. I'm disappointed as I wanted to like it more.

erstreetman's review against another edition

5.0

loved it. read it straight through on an airplane. can't wait to read the sequels.

robynjhip's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-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

4.0

zaporiah's review against another edition

2.0

I love magical realism, magic, etc. but I did not like this book. This book was just not for me. I’ve tried to read it before and decided that 2019 is the year I’d power through. I spent so much time re-reading the same pages because it was so uninteresting that what was read simply would not stick in my mind. Not for me but probably magical for another.

cajesp's review

emotional funny informative lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

tcdancer4u's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

adrzeck's review

3.0

Interesting series. Curious where it's headed.
Sierra's heritage has been hidden from her and the power of women's roles as Shadowshapers obscured by her grandfather and a painful family moment.
Villainy abounds and for a moment you're left with questions on who to trust and who has your back.