Shadows

Shadows by Amy Meredith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Shadows, Amy Meredith

Fifteen-year-old Eve Evergold is cute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is that someone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat. She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because although there's something very attractive about the dark side...dating a demon? Pure hell!

The first thing that intrigued me was the cover. Judging from the blurb,(above)I had low expectations of this book. But the cover what what actually made me open the book and start reading.I really thought this book would be just like every other pre-teen fantasy novel; full of puppy love, a little mystical magic here and there, and boom! guy gets with girl and they all live happily-ever-after.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.The first couple of pages were a bit slow, I have to admit.I mean, being excited about starting high-school is all very well, but, as an avid reader, there's only so much lipgloss admiration I can take. I really don't get what the whole buzz about 'OMG I'm starting HIGH SCHOOL!'If they lived in England, they would be going into year 10, and, let me tell you, they'd be wayyyy less excited about that. The thing is, this would no way work in the UK. If they were as rich as they are in the book, they'd be going to boarding school which means uniforms. And if not, they'd be going to private or state schools, which also have uniforms. I wonder just how I can manage getting through an entire week without complementing my 'BFF' on her 'cute top'.

Things only really start to get interesting when Luke and Mal are introduced as new guys. Oh, and when Evie starts switching lights on with a snap of her fingers.

Honestly, could they think up a more naive answer to this unanswerable question? Oh, yes, a poltergeist is causing you to shoot lightning bolts from your fingers and switch on the TV when the remote is lost (not too hard, if you have a TV that you turn on from the set.) I don't think Any Meredith thought this out when she wrote it, and it really feels just like a chapter filler.

However, mixed in with the shopping, boys, and 'poltergeists' is a darker element. Girls start going mad, and it is only after finding out that, co-incidentally, Evie is actually the descendant of a long line of witches, a demon is stealing people's souls. OMG!!!!! This calls for a comparison of matte and high-gloss nail polishes! (Can you actually get matte nail polish?)The really annoying thing about this whole situation is that all of the characters go: "Oh, I'm actually a witch. Now, where was that copy of Teen Vogue I bought yesterday?" It's infuriating! If I was in that situation, I would freak out, as I'm pretty sure everyone else would do! How are they so calm about it all?????

Aside from this, Luke turns into a man-slut and a attraction develops between Mal and Evie, who amuses herself by trying to guess his full name. In retrospect, she should have run a mile form someone with the name mal, which in most European languages means bad.


As much as some of the sickening fashion addiction detracts from the overall effect, this is actually a well-written novel. The lightheartedness is laced with danger, and shock-horror! some serious moments.

This is a definite read for those who are just dipping into the dark fantasy genre, but I think younger teens would enjoy it more. The preconceived ideas of what high school is like is very much present in this book, and it alternates from ooh! scary to all sweetness and light. For older teens (anything from 14-up), read it with a pinch of salt.



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