April 22, 2013

The Shadow Girl Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway


The Shadow Girl
Author: Jennifer Archer
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
 
Description:

Sometimes I forget for an hour or two that she's with me. Sometimes I convince myself that she was only a dream. Or that I'm crazy.

For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always—but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret.

But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been keeping secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris . . . and Lily's own identity.
  



The Shadow Girl is an enthralling and fully captivating young adult fantasy/mystery novel that follows Lily Winston after the tragic death of her father rips her family apart. After overhearing a strange conversation between her parents and her father's final - and cryptic - words to her, Lily begins to wonder what big secret her parents have been keeping from her. The shadowy figure inside Lily's consciousness and mind - Iris - begins to push Lily to find out what her parent's are hiding. What they discover will completely rock Lily's family, Iris' existence, and Lily's own identity.

This book was a mix of a masterful mystery and a supernatural story. I loved the twists and turns that filled the story - each one pressing me forward alongside Lily on her quest to figure out the big secret her parents have kept from her. The way the mystery is written, with only small snippets of clues and some flashbacks, really engages the reader to unravel the enigma and finally release the secrets that have been locked tightly away. The characters were interesting and quirky, especially the Lily and Iris relationship. Iris was a big part of the mystery and I found her to be fascinating and unnerving at the same time, only because I couldn't fully guess at her role in the book. Lily was a great main character and I immediately liked her and found myself pursuing the truth along with her throughout the novel. There is a bit of a love triangle in the story between Lily, Wyatt - her best friend since forever, and Ty - the mysterious and gorgeous stranger in town. Ty's role is also a bit of a mystery in the novel, at least for a while. It's clear that he somehow plays a bigger role than a love interest and I loved trying to figure out how he fit into the mix. The writing was very well done and the story was fast paced and exciting. The plot was unique and certainly was a breath of fresh air into the YA genre. I don't want to have any spoilers, so suffice it to say that this was a fantastically written, highly addictive supernatural mystery that fans of YA fiction will definitely NOT want to miss. Highly recommended!


At the age of ten, Jennifer Archer made up her mind to become a writer. Then she grew up, became “sensible,” and earned a business degree with a minor in accounting instead. After years of trying to find her way through a confusing maze of debits and credits she realized that, for her, accounting was no more sensible than becoming a World Federation wrestler. So in 1993, she enrolled in a creative writing class, and five years later, sold her first novel. Since then, Jennifer has published several novels for adults, as well as numerous non-fiction works. 

 

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9 comments:

  1. Great review. Thanks for participating! :)

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  2. Thanks for the tour post and giveaway! I already have Shadow Girl on my to read list because it sounds so good. I mean, are we talking split personality, or is Iris real? Sounds so good!

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  3. I've never explicitly seen ti stated somewhere, but 'That Shadow Girl' gives off that psychological thriller vibe to me, and I absolutely adore psychological thrillers, and I don't see nearly enough of them in YA. So... that's the main reason I'd like to read it!

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  4. As one who cut her reading teeth on Nancy Drew, count me in. I'm always open to a good mystery.

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  5. The mystery intrigues me. I like when stories have suspense and based on your review it does. I want to know how it ends! Thanks for the tour and the giveaway!

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  6. I'm curious what kind of secrets her parents were hiding. Sounds interesting! Thanks!

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  7. I just love the idea of having a constant shadow self. Fascinating!

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  8. I love a good mystery and a little intrigue, but can you imagine it? You would never be lonely! And....if you talk to yourself, would you actually get an answer back?

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  9. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have two people in one body. That's what this seems like. It kind of reminds me The Host by Stephanie Meyer.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    mestith at gmail dot com

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