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A review by vale15
The Shadow Thieves, Volume 1 by Anne Ursu
3.0
I really struggled to rate this book. I was tempted to give it two stars and here is why.
The authors writing style pretty much misses the mark for me. It’s repetitive in the extreme and it diminishes the enjoyment I get from the story. This book could probably be pruned down by half and be a wonderful story. The beauty and value of a story is not defined by length, rather the intentional use of words by the author. The book did not feel intentional. It was more like becoming very tipsy and trying to relay a story to someone who then transcribed it. The story nearly becomes lost under the amount of unnecessary words forced into the book.
The second issue is poor little Charlotte. I’m afraid I must agree with her teachers; she had potential. This may be my issue because I find that if the main character isn’t interested or invested in her surroundings and the story then neither am I. She felt very flat and one dimensional especially next to characters like Zee and Grandmother Winter. This characters show me that the author can write good characters. I think Charlotte’s crappy attitude and general dullness only really shines in the Underworld. I have read other characters that excel in sarcasm and dry wit in dark and stressful situations without being annoying and boring. A swing and a miss on that one.
And here is why I gave it three stars.
Firstly I remember enjoying this story 10+ years ago when I read it. I think this is truly a book for middle schoolers and maybe that’s partly why adults might struggle with this book. This might be a strong example of writing for your target audience and no one else.
Secondly there are some serious redeeming elements. As mentioned above Zee and Grandma are absolutely awesome and I would happily read an entire book just about them hanging out and baking cakes. I absolutely love those two and feel like they saved the book.
The plot line buried underneath all of the extra wordage isn’t that bad. The concept is cool albeit flimsy in some places. (If Phil was collecting blood for so many years then surely he would have encountered a kid during his time in the Upperworld so I don’t buy that he only noticed the shadow opportunity when he saw Zee.) But I enjoyed the international aspect, the spread of the “illness”, the time in the Underworld and the budding friendship between the cousins. Those elements were well done in my opinion.
I will return this book back to its place amongst the literature my youth and keep it for my nephews once they are older.
The authors writing style pretty much misses the mark for me. It’s repetitive in the extreme and it diminishes the enjoyment I get from the story. This book could probably be pruned down by half and be a wonderful story. The beauty and value of a story is not defined by length, rather the intentional use of words by the author. The book did not feel intentional. It was more like becoming very tipsy and trying to relay a story to someone who then transcribed it. The story nearly becomes lost under the amount of unnecessary words forced into the book.
The second issue is poor little Charlotte. I’m afraid I must agree with her teachers; she had potential. This may be my issue because I find that if the main character isn’t interested or invested in her surroundings and the story then neither am I. She felt very flat and one dimensional especially next to characters like Zee and Grandmother Winter. This characters show me that the author can write good characters. I think Charlotte’s crappy attitude and general dullness only really shines in the Underworld. I have read other characters that excel in sarcasm and dry wit in dark and stressful situations without being annoying and boring. A swing and a miss on that one.
And here is why I gave it three stars.
Firstly I remember enjoying this story 10+ years ago when I read it. I think this is truly a book for middle schoolers and maybe that’s partly why adults might struggle with this book. This might be a strong example of writing for your target audience and no one else.
Secondly there are some serious redeeming elements. As mentioned above Zee and Grandma are absolutely awesome and I would happily read an entire book just about them hanging out and baking cakes. I absolutely love those two and feel like they saved the book.
The plot line buried underneath all of the extra wordage isn’t that bad. The concept is cool albeit flimsy in some places. (If Phil was collecting blood for so many years then surely he would have encountered a kid during his time in the Upperworld so I don’t buy that he only noticed the shadow opportunity when he saw Zee.) But I enjoyed the international aspect, the spread of the “illness”, the time in the Underworld and the budding friendship between the cousins. Those elements were well done in my opinion.
I will return this book back to its place amongst the literature my youth and keep it for my nephews once they are older.