Author: Cat Winters
Pages: 387
Published: April 2, 2013
Obtained: Purchased off Amazon ($3.99)
Started: June 17, 2013
Finished: June 18, 2013
Summary (Courtesy of Goodreads):
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13112915-in-the-shadow-of-blackbirds
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
Cover: The cover is beyond beautiful. Upon first seeing it, it intrigued a curiosity in me. The ghost luring behind a beautiful, defiant looking girl with googles. The girl's stare made me want to read her story. Though I do find myself wishing it was the photograph she took with Stephen...
Plot: The plot completely threw me out of the water. I've always loved stories about the beginning of the 20th century, especially when it involves a supernatural element. The plot was so captivating and I hung on to every word. I felt every raw emotion just as if I were the one living it. Mary Shelley Black is the perfect protagonist as she leads us through the dark year of 1918.
Winters was so descriptive about the sights and the panic of WWI, extreme patriotism, and especially the Spanish Influenza. Dear god was she descriptive with the smells. In attempts to ward off the flu, people boiled onions, bathed in onions, chewed on onions, wore onions. And Garlic. I can still smell all of the onions. I passed on them for dinner the other day. I'm not quite ready to consume them again. Just give me a couple of weeks.
The title is pure genius. I will not ruin this for you. I found this to be one of the most interesting concepts of the book and I want you to take your own journey with it as I did. In this way, you'll have your own special understanding.
This whole book was just secret upon secret leading to more secrets. Absolutely captivating. I loved the communications and flashbacks through letters. It felt so personal and so real. Mrs. Winters also added photographs to her work. The photographs gave an insight and a guide to better imaging Mary Shelley's world.
Everything ties together in the end expect for her father. I long to know what will become of him. I hate that we don't hear more form him. BUT THAT ENDING. Cat Winters once said that she loved Alfred Hitchcock's work, especially since he always had an ending that you never saw coming. Well, Mrs. Winters, you accomplished that with this book. I. NEVER. SAW. THAT. COMING. It was so much sadder than I expected... I've cried so many tears.
Characters: Her character's were masterly written and extremely well developed.
Mary Shelley Black - She's so strong. I wish I could be half as brave as she is. Her relationship with Stephen is so beautiful and heart-breaking. She's been through so much and she's a hell of a fighter. She's loyal, outspoken, and independent. She's completely unique to her time period. She's enjoys science and technology. She breaks things down and figures out how they work. This is a quality Stephen loved about her. Overall, she's an honest, stubborn, but witty girl who I long to be like.
Stephen Embers - He's a beautiful man inside and out. It's been days since I've finished the book and the idea of him still brings tears to my eyes. I have never mourned for so long and so completely over a character. I ached for him to be alive. Like the episode of Supernatural where Dean is a spirit, but he's not really dead. I wanted Mary Shelley and Stephen to be in each other's arms away from way, plague, and disaster. Stephen is the type of man who wasn't meant for war. He's witty, intellectual, and creative. He's a photographer who captures the beauty in the world and brings to light the true intentions of people. We do not experience Stephen alive except through flashback. Otherwise, he is a lost ghost, torturing over what has happened to him. It is painfully sad to see the struggle of someone as loving as Stephen. Winters wrong their love story so beautifully and so purely. He was truly my favorite character in this book. Excuse me while I cry profusely.
Aunt Eva - She's Mary Shelley's maternal aunt. I have mixed feelings about her. Sometimes I like her, but other times she pissed me off beyond belief. But I imagine it was the same for Mary Shelley and in this way, Cat Winters succeeded. She's a parent figure to Mary Shelley and even though I don't always agree with her (usually never agree with her), I'm happy that Mary Shelley has someone in her life presently who loves her so much.
Julius Embers - He's Stephen's older brother. He's an arrogant prick. He's a spiritualist photographer. Stephen calls him a fake and tells Mary Shelley that Julius scams poor, desperate people out of their money. Not to mention he's an opium user. Julius seems to be extremely jealous of his brother. Julius would beat on Stephen and burn Stephen's photographs. If it was up to me, Julius and Stephen would change states of living pretty quickly. I desperately wanted to believe he was a deep down a good person, especially once he found out Stephen died. But nope. He's still a dick.
Mr. Darning - Along with being a photographer himself, he also exposes fake Spiritualist photographers so that they cannot hurt anyone else. Mr. Darning swears up and down that he cannot find evidence that Julius photographs are fake. His voice reminds Mary Shelley of her own father who is imprisoned for war crimes. He is a very trusting character who seems to have Mary Shelley's best interest in mind.
Series: This is bittersweetly a stand-alone book. I desperately want to know what becomes of her father, but I don't think I can stand to read about Mary Shelley without Stephen. He truly was my favorite.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
One of my favorite books now. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
I really hope I didn't leave anything out. My brain is over-flowing with emotion and my fingers can barely keep pace. (And as you can probably tell, I do my BookTube review while flowing my written review ;) )
I'm also trying out a new rating system. In my opinion, if a book is good enough to make you cry then the author succeed in make you, the reader, emotionally invested. This new rating system is based off tears. 5 tears being a real tear-jerker. WELLLLLLL.
Tear Rating: This was totally 5 out 5 tears. I sobbed like I stepped on a Lego.
BTW, here's my BookTube review on this book if you haven't watched that already:
GUYS, you have to read this book. Go. Purchase. It. Now.
My next review will be on Cinder by Marissa Meyer. This time I'll swear my heart on it. Though that's not a solid promise seeing that this book crumbled my heart and it blew away like ashes in the wind.
*begins weeping once again*
Happy Reading!
VF, xoxo
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