In the Shadow of Blackbirds

IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS is a rich YA historical novel. The story is engaging and transports you to a time of uncertainty, war, sickness and grief. Mary Shelley Black is charming and quirky, strong and courageous, and I liked her a lot. Her romance with Stephen is touching and beautiful. IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS is haunting, thrilling and very emotional. The presentation of the book is also impressive and unique - historical photographs and an eerie, striking cover. Gorgeous debut.

I could fill one hundred pages with the word Wonderful and it wouldn't even come close to describing how wonderful this book really is.

Not only is it the best historical fiction I have EVER read, (and believe me, I've read a lot, at least 50) but the book's heroine, Mary Shelley Black is now my favorite heroine of all time, surpassing even Hermione. Sorry J.K..

Not only is Mary Shelley living in a time of war and disease, but she also has to deal with her father being thrown in prison, for nothing more then not conforming his morals to what the government says is right and wrong, the boy she loves dying, and his tortured spirit that haunts her, trying to escape from monsters he thinks are killing him.

Through all this, she never breaks down, never loses hope, and never gives up.

She is brutally honest, even with herself. When a heroine in a book is trying to solve some horrible mystery, they usually, near the end, break down, say it's too much, and do something to distract themselves, because don't they deserve a break? The one time Mary Shelley finds herself straying off the path of helping Stephan (the boy she loves) find peace, she gives it to herself straight up:

"Why would he pose for a photograph when he's suffering? You're wasting your time trying to satisfy your own curiosity.

Stop playing.


Go help him figure out what's wrong."

And she never strays from helping him again. In fact, she throws herself with full body force into helping him.

Another pleasant surprise in the book was that I didn't guess the culprit. I almost always guess whodunit before they are revealed. Only in this book, I kept changing my mind. It's that person right? It has to be them. I know it's them! Oh, but now I don't know. Maybe not. I was guessing until they were revealed, which NEVER happens. I truly didn't know who it was until Mary Shelley said: It was you!

The photos in the book made it a million times better. They helped bring Mary Shelley's world alive. It felt real, which is good, because it was.

I also LOVE the fact that Mary Shelley solves the mystery on her own. Of course she gathers helpful information and clues from various people, but she figures it out by herself. Well, she had some help from Stephen in the end there, thanks to his memories. But she had no sleuthing partner, and no mysterious, handsome, new love interest to mend her broken heart and help her put to rest her dead boyfriend so he could make out with her at the end. THANK YOU CAT WINTERS.

This is a truly astounding, historical, girl empowering, make you think about life, and the kindness and cruelty human beings can deliver punch to the stomach that you won't ever forget. This will be a book that I will keep forever and when I look at it on my shelf I'll think: Wow. There it is. It's real. I read that. I can't believe something that good actually exists. But it is real, I did read it, and there is something that good. And I write this because when you find something really and truly good, you need to share it with the world.

SO GO READ. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

“…between the war and the flu, no one’s going to escape being haunted. We live in a world so horrifying, it frightens even the dead.”

The thought of a widespread health disaster is enough to terrify me, even today, where medicine and science is at its most advanced. Cat Winters’ debut standalone is set during 1918, the year of the infamous influenza outbreak, and the final moments of the First World War. It is a horrific period of time – one that is difficult to truly forget, despite having taken place nearly a century ago – and an aptly atmospheric setting for In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

It is evident that Winters did her research here (as consolidated by the brilliant author’s note). With gauze masks covering three quarters of the face, public health warnings and signs littering the streets, and coffins spilling out of undertakers’ homes, the so-called Spanish Flu is disturbingly ever-present throughout this book. It’s a time when crowds were to be avoided, spitting was unacceptable, and coughing and sneezing were sure signs of something awful. Even kissing was discouraged, lest any level of intimacy or physical contact aid in the spread of the disease. Winters uses this setting wonderfully and with skill to build together a vivid picture of the paranoia and fear heightened during this time. There is a distinct and fitting bleakness to the story, further aided by the war effort and its contribution to the death toll.

It’s in this time of confusion and sickness that we meet our young protagonist, Mary Shelley Black. Her childhood friend and sweetheart is the latest victim of the war, with his death and unexpected appearance in a spirit photograph creating the basis for the plot. Séances, unexplained phenomena and ghostly apparitions flit in and out of the reality of Mary Shelley’s life, adding an appropriately chilling paranormal edge to the story. It is not too difficult to empathise with Mary Shelley – to fall in love with her, even – and understand her frustration with the war and appreciate her resilience in a time that no sixteen-year-old should have to endure. She is an admirable heroine, believable and compassionate, but not startlingly radical. Cat Winters is clever to subtly weave in contemporary views that a modern audience will undoubtedly agree with, without having to make Mary Shelley a walking piece of symbolism.

My affection for the characters in this book is not limited to the protagonist; Aunt Eva and Stephen create just as much of an impression, and both in very different ways. Eva is an anxious young adult, with folk remedies – think onions, onions and more onions – constantly on her mind. Her relationship with her niece is a beautiful thing, almost heart-breaking, and more than enough to make up for her nearly irritating nervousness. Stephen… Oh, Stephen. There is little that I can truly put into words here, but the romance, although not a truly emphasised part of the story, is wonderfully emotional and real. These are characters that are given perfect care and attention – characters that I will remember and cherish for several years.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds is more of an experience than it is a book. It’s haunting, emotional and wonderfully written, but it’s also educational and thought-provoking. Some striking photographs from this historical period feature throughout, adding an extra special touch to this remarkable debut novel.