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Book Review: Shadow School: Archimancy (Shadow School #1) by J. A. White

Shadow School: Archimancy (Shadow School #1) by J. A. White

Katherine Tegen Books, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-0062838292

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

Cordelia didn’t want to move from sunny California and away from her friends, but her dad’s new job is in New Hampshire,  so now she’s stuck in freezing New Hampshire at creepy Elijah Z. Shadow Middle School, a confusing maze of a building that looks more like a haunted mansion than a public school.  The truth is, it’s both,  Elijah Z. Shadow, the son of freed slaves who became a famous architect, was obsessed with capturing ghosts, and studied the construction of haunted houses in order to build one that would attract and trap ghosts– a process he described as “archimancy” . Only Cordelia and one other kid, Benji, can see the ghosts in the school. Aided by their scientifically-minded friend Agnes, Cordelia and Benji must decide what to do about the ghosts. Should they ignore them, fear them, help them move on, or let the school’s ghost catchers drain them into nothingness? Their adventuring is taking them into dangerous situations.

This is a nicely-done coming of age story tinged with an intriguing mystery, conflicted feelings about friendship, and nods to the horror genre (with teachers named Machen, Derleth, and Aickman– horror loving adults will probably appreciate them more than children). I haven’t seen the idea of studying haunted houses with the intent to trap ghosts elsewhere, although strange architecture certainly does seem to be a feature in many fictional and reputed haunted houses (such as Hill House and the Winchester mansion) and the convoluted piecing together of the story is interesting to see.  In many ways, though, this is more of a story about adjusting to moving, letting go, and building new friendships in middle school than it is about scaring the readers. Although there are a few genuinely scary incidents, White’s previous book, Nightbooks (reviewed here last year as part of this booklist), was far scarier and more disturbing. This is an original take on and loving homage to the haunted house genre, with diverse characters (Cordelia is half-Chinese and Benji is Peruvian) and would likely work well as a relatively gentle introduction to the horror genre for upper elementary and middle school students trying it out for the first time.

Highly recommended.

 

Contains: some violence

 

 

 

Posted on May 19, 2020 by , Reply

Book Review: Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2) by Justina Ireland

Balzer + Bray, 2020

ISBN-13: 9780062570635

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, MP3 CD

 

Deathless Divide is the sequel to Dread Nation (reviewed here).  The story is told through both Jane and Katherine’s points of view.

After the fall of the Survivalists’ community of Summerland, Jane McKeene thought her journey would be easier—  better somehow– but nothing is ever easy for a Miss Preston’s girl. She prepares to leave the ruins of Summerland behind and head west to California. However, she doesn’t go alone. She is joined by her friend Jackson, his sister Lily, the Duchess and her girls, and Katherine Deveraux.

The first half of the book focuses on the journey to Nicodemus,  a community where Black and Native American peoples are not seen as less than. Before the group arrives in Nicodemus, Jane is faced with a loss that is more than she can bear, and one that will haunt her throughout her new path. Nicodemus also is not what it seems. It appears to have a well-protected wall, with some kind of railgun contraption that runs continuously, and was clearly created by someone scientifically minded. Upon their arrival, the team is met with survivors from Summerland who recognize Jane, and call for her to hang for the murder of a prominent figure in their former community. Jane is taken into custody by Daniel Redfern, now sheriff, and what follows helps Jane determine her next move, for good or ill.

Katherine and Jane have always had a contentious relationship, so when it comes to joining Jane and the others, she strives to do her best to be cordial and ladylike. However, Jane’s decision-making causes Katherine some worry, and their verbal sparring between them takes its toll. At one point, Jane’s mood becomes so unbearable to Katherine that she encourages the wagons to move on ahead while Kate and Jane trade fisticuffs to help Jane work out her emotions. It is clear that the women need each other now more than ever. Their relationship is tested, however, on more than one occasion.

I am loathe to discuss more of the content as it will give away a lot of the twists and turns this novel takes, and there are quite a few. Thankfully, they don’t feel forced or cheap. Ireland weaves a great tale and has a way of writing that keeps the reader’s attention from the first page. This book evoked so many emotions. Jane and Katherine were incredible characters in Dread Nation, but they seem to have so much more depth in this book. Seeing the story from both points of view provided an excellent way to establish them further as their own characters and see how they each handle difficult situations and process emotions and hardships. The development of their friendship throughout the book is beautiful and realistically portrayed. Of course, the scenes where they both put down the shamblers are fantastic.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoyed the first book. I would recommend both books for anyone who likes alternative historical fiction and a good zombie story. Anyone looking for #ownvoices stories should pick this one up. We also see LGBTQ+ themes as Jane is involved a loving relationship with another female character, and Katherine is a great depiction of an ace character. Deathless Divide is suitable for young adult audiences.

Contains: blood, gore, murder, racial slurs, slavery, torture, violence

Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on May 18, 2020 by , Reply

Musings: Super Scary Haunted Homeschool, Episode 1: Vampire Geography by Grady Hendrix

Super Scary Haunted Homeschool, Episode 1: Vampire Geography by Grady Hendrix

Available: Spotify, Podcast Addict, Listen Notes, Podchaser, Deezer, RSS Feed

 

I don’t usually have the attention span for podcasts, but Grady Hendrix’s Super Scary Haunted Homeschool was recommended to me by someone I trust. In Episode 1, Hendrix gave a very entertaining travelogue on vampires around the world, with characteristics, legends, and historical descriptions of vampires through the years. He was funny enough to make me laugh out loud, but there was also some pretty gross stuff (complete with sound effects) and some horrific stories.  He’s a great storyteller, and even if you haven’t read his work, it’s easy to see that Hendrix is an effective writer.

The reason this podcast is getting a mention here, though, is because it did something remarkable in my house: it got my daughter, age 12, to sit down and listen. She wandered into the room about ten minutes in, and was fascinated by the history and the stories. In fact, she did not want me to turn it off. She is not a fan of horror at all, so this is remarkable. These days, grabbing her attention with anything for any amount of time is something special.

If you are looking for great, attention-getting storytelling, I highly recommend this. If it continues in the same manner, I think it will appeal to readers of historical fiction and nonfiction who aren’t typically interested in horror, and to tweens and young teens as well as fans of Hendrix and horror-related nonfiction.

For more information on Grady Hendrix, visit gradyhendrix.com.

Posted on May 14, 2020 by , Reply
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