Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older ~ Tour Review & Giveaway by Jaime!
By Daniel Jose Older
Published on June 30, 2015
Published by Arthur A Levine Books
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Published by Arthur A Levine Books
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Cassandra Clare meets Caribbean legend in SHADOWSHAPER, an action-packed urban fantasy from a bold new talent.
Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "No importa" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.
Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future.
And the verdict is.....
This was definitely one of the most unique and interesting and DIVERSE books that I have read in all of my 32 years. And it was truly an impressive work of art! Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this incredible tour!
Sierra Santiago is an artist. She loves working on her latest piece, the current being on a huge tower in the middle of the "Junklot". She knows how to draw, what she wants to draw, and that she WILL draw. But she has no idea what she is truly capable of. At home one day, her normally incoherent abuelo starts talking to her, in full sentences, telling her that he is sorry. Sierra has no idea what he is talking about, but soon she finds out. And holy cow, what a turn her life will take!
This book is so interesting, so unique (as I think I may have mentioned!), that I do not want to spoil it for you. It makes it incredibly hard to write this review, because I want to mention all of the things that made this book so special. But I think it is definitely best to go into this urban fantasy blind. Isn't it always?! I can however tell you that Sierra is a wonderful MC. Smart, funny, snarky! She has an amazing group of friends surrounding her, willing to help her, no matter the danger. Bennie, Tee, Nydia, Jerome and Izzy, her brother Juan and her mom Maria. There is also Robbie, the nerdy guy who loves to draw, who turns out to be someone that Sierra can count on, to protect her, make her laugh. There friendship turns into a romance, but it is not the focus of the story. It is a fantastic side-story though!
I really and truly enjoyed Shadowshaper. I think it is a great book for teens, and the not-so-teens like myself. Its very clean, and nothing but fun! I love the different cultures and races represented! My only issue, and it is minor, is that I had to look up some of the words because I don't speak the language. Totally worth it!
Two final things: If the Cassandra Clare reference scares you, DON'T let it. I didn't get the reference, personally. And two, THAT COVER! :)
That is all! An easy 4 stars!
About the Author
Daniel
José Older is the author of the upcoming Young Adult novel Shadowshaper (Arthur
A. Levine Books, 2015) and the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, which
begins in January 2015 withHalf-Resurrection Blues from Penguin’s Roc
imprint. Publishers Weekly hailed him as a “rising star of the genre” after the
publication of his debut ghost noir collection, Salsa Nocturna. He co-edited the
anthology Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History and guest edited the music
issue of Crossed Genres. His short stories and essays have appeared
in Tor.com, Salon, BuzzFeed,
the New Haven Review, PANK, Apex and Strange Horizons and the anthologies Subversion and Mothership:
Tales Of Afrofuturism And Beyond. Daniel’s band Ghost Star gigs regularly
around New York and he facilitates workshops on storytelling from an
anti-oppressive power analysis. You can find his thoughts on writing, read
dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music
atghoststar.net/ and @djolder on twitter.
Giveaway
3 Winners will receive a finished copy of Shadowshaper. US Only!
Tour Schedule
Week One
7/3/2015- Bookhounds ya- Interview
Week Two
7/10/2015- RhiReading- Excerpt
