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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
The actual story is deep, emotional, and well-written. However, it is interspersed with portions of a graphic novel, that are integral to the story, but will possibly lure in unsuspecting readers who are not quite ready for the intense content level.
Visually reminds me of Malice by Wooding.
Visually reminds me of Malice by Wooding.
Chicago story, set mostly in Morgan Park. Starts off with a literal bang--a shooting, shown in the graphic panels. I loved having much of the action sequences done graphically. It gave the action real movement. Overall, not necessarily anything new in terms of teenagers coming to terms with their grief, but very well told and not overly sappy or instructive.
Chasing Shadows was really good. I admire how well the psychological issues were presented and how every character had a different response, which when faced in this situation is always seen. I could totally see this as extremely realistic fiction. The graphics were well placed and a great way to describe the inside of Holly 's psychosis. The only reason I only gave it three stars was that it was not the book for me... and I believe it's partially my fault. I started it while stuck in 3 hours of traffic and every time I picked it back up it just made me relive the horrible need to pee and the only view being the side of a ShopRite truck. Otherwise the story was well written and perfect for readers of true crime, that need a break from people in the story still being dead when they stop reading.
I loved how this book blended traditional writing with graphic novel format - it fit the characters and the action of the story. A really touching tale of loss and mental illness/breakdown.
3.5 stars
The first 100 pages of Chasing Shadows were great, I really thought I was on my way to a five star read. The beginning involves such raw emotion and characters which came bursting off the pages that I couldn't help but love it, despite the sadness involved. Unfortunately I felt the last two-thirds of the novel was a bit dulled, especially compared to the beginning emotional turmoil. The rest of the book also suffered, in my opinion, from more POVs from Holly rather than Savitri. Holly is clearly suffering the loss of her twin, but it is not entirely clear if it is a mental illness or a fantasy element thrown in by the author (it becomes clear eventually but not until farther into the story than I would have liked). I think this ruined the dynamic of the book a bit for me, especially after the raw emotion largely shown by Savitri in the beginning. Savitri was the reliable narrator and the one I enjoyed listening to the most and she was overpowered by Holly in the last half, which caused my rating to suffer.
I was not sure how I would feel about the use of incorporating a novel and graphic novel, but I think it worked well. I thought it especially conveyed Holly's emotional burden in the beginning but it quickly spiraled along with Holly's sanity.
Overall I enjoyed Chasing Shadows but I was let down by the last half or so of the novel. I think perhaps the raw emotion of the first third could have been placed further into the novel allowing for a more even read.
The first 100 pages of Chasing Shadows were great, I really thought I was on my way to a five star read. The beginning involves such raw emotion and characters which came bursting off the pages that I couldn't help but love it, despite the sadness involved. Unfortunately I felt the last two-thirds of the novel was a bit dulled, especially compared to the beginning emotional turmoil. The rest of the book also suffered, in my opinion, from more POVs from Holly rather than Savitri. Holly is clearly suffering the loss of her twin, but it is not entirely clear if it is a mental illness or a fantasy element thrown in by the author (it becomes clear eventually but not until farther into the story than I would have liked). I think this ruined the dynamic of the book a bit for me, especially after the raw emotion largely shown by Savitri in the beginning. Savitri was the reliable narrator and the one I enjoyed listening to the most and she was overpowered by Holly in the last half, which caused my rating to suffer.
I was not sure how I would feel about the use of incorporating a novel and graphic novel, but I think it worked well. I thought it especially conveyed Holly's emotional burden in the beginning but it quickly spiraled along with Holly's sanity.
Overall I enjoyed Chasing Shadows but I was let down by the last half or so of the novel. I think perhaps the raw emotion of the first third could have been placed further into the novel allowing for a more even read.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
Chasing Shadows didn’t get any marketing to speak of, and I really didn’t know much about it. What lured me into requesting it was the mixed media element, the combination of a regular novel and graphic novel. Turns out Chasing Shadows is just as unique as that suggests. Despite there being a whole lot to like about it, the book missed worming its way into my heart, and I ended up feeling rather bored a lot of the time.
Chasing Shadows has a great hook. The first couple of chapters are incredibly intense. Holly, Corey and Savitri are free running through the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, doing flips and handstands. Holly and Corey are twins, daring and willing to take risks. Savitri’s the careful one, the one who might be heading off to Stanford in the fall and leaving her best friend and boyfriend behind. As they’re confronting this fact, a shooting comes out of nowhere, killing Corey and sending Holly into a coma.
Basically, my jaw was on the floor. Before you get on me about spoilers, this all happens before page 20. It’s intense and terrifying and random. I thought this was going to be totally my thing, but then the book got weird. The graphic novel sections then often show Corey in death, where Holly’s trying to save him from Kortha, an evil snake man. Apparently this mixes a lot of Hindu mythology, learned from Savitri, but it was a bit much for me. Every time that happened, I was thrown out of the book and going “REALLY?” It’s a unique idea, and I do like the way that Avasthi blended in Hindu mythology, so I think it will work for some readers more than it did for me.
Savitri is definitely the best character. She works really hard to be a good friend to Holly, who’s going off her rocker, while also trying to deal with the death of the boy she loved. For once, a book depicts a POC character without making a HUGE deal out of her or having her end up being a terrible person. Savitri’s the one who’s got it all together. She’s smart, she’s a planner, and she’s a really good person. There is mention of her heritage and it’s obviously important to her, but Savitri is also very blended into American culture.
Chasing Shadows is often startling and terrifying. If you connect emotionally to the characters, events will probably ruin you. On the one hand, I did love the subject matter, dealing with grief in the wake of Corey’s death, but I just wasn’t sure if Holly’s reaction was realistic or not. Her insanity after such a tragedy, particularly knowing he was right next to her when he died and probably saved her life, does seem possible, but the whole thing with Kortha and the Leopardess, her favorite superhero, was so ridiculous I had trouble taking it seriously.
I also ended up struggling with the graphic novel sections. They always happened in Holly’s point of view, but she also had prose POV too. It seems like the graphic novel bits are meant to represent her madness, but it’s stated at one point that she’s very visual, and that’s not a crazy thing to be. It would have worked better for me if Holly were ALL graphic novel, not just when she’s going off the rails, because I don’t like the comments that makes on a visual thinker.
Ultimately, I think Chasing Shadows has a lot of draws: free running, mental health, and diversity. Though I didn’t love it, I would definitely recommend it to the right reader.
For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
Chasing Shadows didn’t get any marketing to speak of, and I really didn’t know much about it. What lured me into requesting it was the mixed media element, the combination of a regular novel and graphic novel. Turns out Chasing Shadows is just as unique as that suggests. Despite there being a whole lot to like about it, the book missed worming its way into my heart, and I ended up feeling rather bored a lot of the time.
Chasing Shadows has a great hook. The first couple of chapters are incredibly intense. Holly, Corey and Savitri are free running through the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, doing flips and handstands. Holly and Corey are twins, daring and willing to take risks. Savitri’s the careful one, the one who might be heading off to Stanford in the fall and leaving her best friend and boyfriend behind. As they’re confronting this fact, a shooting comes out of nowhere, killing Corey and sending Holly into a coma.
Basically, my jaw was on the floor. Before you get on me about spoilers, this all happens before page 20. It’s intense and terrifying and random. I thought this was going to be totally my thing, but then the book got weird. The graphic novel sections then often show Corey in death, where Holly’s trying to save him from Kortha, an evil snake man. Apparently this mixes a lot of Hindu mythology, learned from Savitri, but it was a bit much for me. Every time that happened, I was thrown out of the book and going “REALLY?” It’s a unique idea, and I do like the way that Avasthi blended in Hindu mythology, so I think it will work for some readers more than it did for me.
Savitri is definitely the best character. She works really hard to be a good friend to Holly, who’s going off her rocker, while also trying to deal with the death of the boy she loved. For once, a book depicts a POC character without making a HUGE deal out of her or having her end up being a terrible person. Savitri’s the one who’s got it all together. She’s smart, she’s a planner, and she’s a really good person. There is mention of her heritage and it’s obviously important to her, but Savitri is also very blended into American culture.
Chasing Shadows is often startling and terrifying. If you connect emotionally to the characters, events will probably ruin you. On the one hand, I did love the subject matter, dealing with grief in the wake of Corey’s death, but I just wasn’t sure if Holly’s reaction was realistic or not. Her insanity after such a tragedy, particularly knowing he was right next to her when he died and probably saved her life, does seem possible, but the whole thing with Kortha and the Leopardess, her favorite superhero, was so ridiculous I had trouble taking it seriously.
I also ended up struggling with the graphic novel sections. They always happened in Holly’s point of view, but she also had prose POV too. It seems like the graphic novel bits are meant to represent her madness, but it’s stated at one point that she’s very visual, and that’s not a crazy thing to be. It would have worked better for me if Holly were ALL graphic novel, not just when she’s going off the rails, because I don’t like the comments that makes on a visual thinker.
Ultimately, I think Chasing Shadows has a lot of draws: free running, mental health, and diversity. Though I didn’t love it, I would definitely recommend it to the right reader.
Chasing Shadows really surprised me with how enveloping the story turned out to be and left me with chills. Centering around two high school seniors who must deal with the aftermath of the death of someone very near and dear to them, Chasing Shadows spins a fast paced and unique story of loss, recovery, and mental illness.
The backdrop of Chasing Shadows is Chicago which Holly, Corey, and Savitri have turned into their freerunning haven. This is the first book I have read with freerunning incorporated and now I need more. The passages where Savitri and Holly are sprinting and leaping are so much fun to read, even when it’s in the middle of something heavy. When I first started this novel I had no idea that it was going to have graphic novel type sections, and I must say I loved it’s incorporation. It is used during Holly’s chapters and sort of marks her slow decent into mental illness, but I think being able to see what she was seeing made her pov seem more ‘real’ even though it’s clearly unreliable. The whole journey that Avasthi takes us on is full of emotion, ranging from exhilaration and love to panic and fear.
The friendship between Holly and Savitri is at the forefront of this novel. It focuses on how close they were, how the death of Corey begins to tear them apart and glue them back together into something else entirely. It touches on how sometimes friendships become bad for you, and how even though it hurts letting go might be for the best.
Overall Chasing Shadows was a pleasant surprise that left me wanting more from this author. I loved the setting, the incorporation of mental illness, and even though parts of this tore my heart out I enjoyed seeing how Savitri and Holly dealt with their grief.
The backdrop of Chasing Shadows is Chicago which Holly, Corey, and Savitri have turned into their freerunning haven. This is the first book I have read with freerunning incorporated and now I need more. The passages where Savitri and Holly are sprinting and leaping are so much fun to read, even when it’s in the middle of something heavy. When I first started this novel I had no idea that it was going to have graphic novel type sections, and I must say I loved it’s incorporation. It is used during Holly’s chapters and sort of marks her slow decent into mental illness, but I think being able to see what she was seeing made her pov seem more ‘real’ even though it’s clearly unreliable. The whole journey that Avasthi takes us on is full of emotion, ranging from exhilaration and love to panic and fear.
The friendship between Holly and Savitri is at the forefront of this novel. It focuses on how close they were, how the death of Corey begins to tear them apart and glue them back together into something else entirely. It touches on how sometimes friendships become bad for you, and how even though it hurts letting go might be for the best.
Overall Chasing Shadows was a pleasant surprise that left me wanting more from this author. I loved the setting, the incorporation of mental illness, and even though parts of this tore my heart out I enjoyed seeing how Savitri and Holly dealt with their grief.
The feels in this are gut-clenchingly intense, and not overly positive. What doesn't kill you may make you stronger but it leaves deep scars behind.
Lots of ups and downs with this one. I liked the pacing, the vivid descriptions of freerunning, the interactions with Indian comics and the very deep exploration of how incredibly important the friendships these three had together were. The way comics were interspersed in the prose was interesting but there weren't many of them in the end, and I was a bit disappointed; I think the visuals were underused. I'd definitely recommend this to kids who are into parkour.