Review: The Shadows

The Details

Title: The Shadows

Author: Jacqueline West

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade

Length: 272 pages

Release Date: June 14, 2011

Medium: E-book (Library)

Rating: 4/5

Pace: Fast

Stand Alone or Series: Book #1 of The Books of Elsewhere series

“Ms. McMartin was definitely dead.”

The Synopsis

This house is keeping secrets . . .

When eleven-year-old Olive and her parents move into the crumbling mansion on Linden Street and find it filled with mysterious paintings, Olive knows the place is creepy—but it isn’t until she encounters its three talking cats that she realizes there’s something darkly magical afoot. Then Olive finds a pair of antique spectacles in a dusty drawer and discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside the house’s spooky paintings to a world that’s strangely quiet . . . and eerily sinister. But in entering Elsewhere, Olive has been ensnared in a mystery darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined, confronting a power that wants to be rid of her by any means necessary. With only the cats and an unusual boy she meets in Elsewhere on her side, it’s up to Olive to save the house from the shadows, before the lights go out for good.

The Review

Classic outcast child with no friends and not very close to her family takes on the spooky new house she moved into. I listened to this book due to a recommendation from a friend of mine. I love listening to middle grade books when working as they are easier to follow.

I loved Olive’s adventures into the paintings throughout her house. The fantasy of living in a haunted house with the ability to enter paintings using the old glasses Olive found provides an adventure unlike others I have read personally. Olive becomes friends with talking cats and a boy within the paintings. Without giving away too much, I loved the adventure and fantasy aspects of this story.

The Characters

Olive, the main female character, moved into a new house on the street where the previous owner was found deceased. She is a very lovable and spunky character. She provides some great real-life experiences.

Morton, the character within the painting world, was also a lovable character. I loved learning about his life and seeing the relationship with Olive.

The cats were fantastic. I loved their attitudes and ability to talk. I am a cat lover and it really hit home for me.

The Style

I listened to the audio book from my local library. The narrator, Lexy Fridell, did a wonderful job and was an excellent choice for narration. She had the right voice tone for the vision I saw when listening to the book. I felt the book was fast paced and didn’t really have any dull moments. Even when the story line slowed down and there wasn’t as much action, I felt like it kept the pace.

The Recommendation

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light fantasy with a fun story line. There may be some dark scenes for younger readers (under 8), but I think it’s a great introduction to fantasy for middle grade readers. I am not the typical audience for this book, but I enjoyed it none the less. I look forward to reading the next book in The Books of Elsewhere series.