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The Shadow Girl
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.
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.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2013
19 people are currently reading
3964 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Archer
28 books194 followersJennifer Archer is an award-winning author of eleven novels and three novellas in the young adult, romantic comedy, and women's fiction genres and has co-authored a non-fiction book. Her novels have been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s Rita Award and Romantic Times Bookclub’s Reviewer’s Choice Award. The Texas Library Association selected her debut young adult novel Through Her Eyes for their first Spirit of Texas Reading Program – Middle School and for the TAYSHAS High School reading list. Jennifer also writes and edits for clients through her business, Archer Editing & Writing Services www.archereditingandwriting.com. She lives in Texas with her husband and three dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
April 16, 2013
The Shadow Girl may quite possibly be the most pointless thing I've ever read. In fact, my last three attempts at writing a coherent review were all derailed by just how much I dislike this book, so rather than start fresh with attempt number four, I think I’ll borrow Troy Steele’s psychologist and hopefully we’ll have something.
Doctor: Do you really hate The Shadow Girl that much?
Patient: Yeah...
Doctor: And why is that?
Patient: *gives Doc his best you’ve got to be kidding me look* Well, you see, there is no plot...
Doctor: *sets his pen aside as if genuinely interested in the patient’s answer* Surely you’re kidding. How can a 336 page book not have a plot?
Patient: I guess... *dismissively flips through the book again* I suppose there’s a plot. If by plot you mean a girl named Lily spending the vast majority of the book deciding whether or not she has romantic feelings for new guy Ty, while simultaneously feeling something for best friend slash neighbor Wyatt, but can I really call that a plot? I mean, these characters are so shallow even the ‘romance’ of the most infamous of angel or vampire paranormal looks good in comparison. It’s not even a love triangle! I mean, it’s obvious poor Wyatt doesn’t even stand a chance!
Doctor: *finally skims the summary, half bored* But it says here Lily has a secret named Iris, and her parents are keeping secrets, and she has to find the answers. What’s that about?
Patient: Oh, you mean Lily’s deep, dark secret? The one she doesn’t spend most of the book looking into? *takes deep breath, as if moments away from hyperventilating* Maybe I should ask you a question. Shadow Girl sucks as a paranormal romance. As a thriller, it simply doesn’t work. Who the heck would read this?
Doctor: We’re treating you. Don’t be difficult.
Patient: ...
Doctor: Let’s move on. Why don’t you describe Lily’s secret. The plot?
Patient: No no no. That’s not a plot. Don’t you see how contrived it is? Lily just happens to overhear her parents’ conversation, her father just happens to avoid telling her anything, and then he conveniently just happens to die in an accident? WTF?
Doctor: *waves hand dismissively* That’s just how the author chose to set up her book.
Patient: But it’s so cliche! Fine, maybe, but that’s not all. Lily’s mother knows the secret. The whole time! All she had to do was open her mouth and say three little words! Three little words that explains everything! Here, I'll even say it cause it's not even that hard to figure out from the couple of weak clues Archer drops along the way. Lily's a c-
Doctor: Ah, some of us might still want to read this.
Patient: Hmmm. You sure? Where was I? Oh yeah, the entire plot beyond the romance is just the mom not saying anything! How can that be a plot? It’s just a waste of time!
Doctor: So you have a problem with Lily’s mother?
Patient: Yes! What kind of a mother tells her daughter the truth is not up for discussion? GAAAHHH!!! *takes deep breath* Ok, I got a quote here in my pocket:
That’s in response to Lily asking about what’s wrong with her. What kind of shitty parenting is that?
Doctor: *pointedly ignores the question* But I take it that’s not your only problem?
Patient: Well, no. Should I talk about the fact that Lily’s mom doesn’t even tell Lily the truth even after it’s obvious to everyone what Lily’s secret is? That she has to let Lily find out from someone else? Or the incredibly stupid thing Lily does to find out? Or that nothing of consequence happens after she finds out? So there was no point to Lily’s mom and her stubborn refusal to tell the truth except to drag out the book and conceal the fact that there’s no plot?
Doctor: *arches eyebrow* That’s quite a rant.
Patient: Yeah I know.
Doctor: So you feel better about the book?
Patient: Nah I still hate it. But I think I’m done.
Doctor: You forgot all the references.
Patient: Wrong patient. I don’t do those.
Ok, so I now feel a little better. But I still don’t like The Shadow Girl.
Doctor: Do you really hate The Shadow Girl that much?
Patient: Yeah...
Doctor: And why is that?
Patient: *gives Doc his best you’ve got to be kidding me look* Well, you see, there is no plot...
Doctor: *sets his pen aside as if genuinely interested in the patient’s answer* Surely you’re kidding. How can a 336 page book not have a plot?
Patient: I guess... *dismissively flips through the book again* I suppose there’s a plot. If by plot you mean a girl named Lily spending the vast majority of the book deciding whether or not she has romantic feelings for new guy Ty, while simultaneously feeling something for best friend slash neighbor Wyatt, but can I really call that a plot? I mean, these characters are so shallow even the ‘romance’ of the most infamous of angel or vampire paranormal looks good in comparison. It’s not even a love triangle! I mean, it’s obvious poor Wyatt doesn’t even stand a chance!
Doctor: *finally skims the summary, half bored* But it says here Lily has a secret named Iris, and her parents are keeping secrets, and she has to find the answers. What’s that about?
Patient: Oh, you mean Lily’s deep, dark secret? The one she doesn’t spend most of the book looking into? *takes deep breath, as if moments away from hyperventilating* Maybe I should ask you a question. Shadow Girl sucks as a paranormal romance. As a thriller, it simply doesn’t work. Who the heck would read this?
Doctor: We’re treating you. Don’t be difficult.
Patient: ...
Doctor: Let’s move on. Why don’t you describe Lily’s secret. The plot?
Patient: No no no. That’s not a plot. Don’t you see how contrived it is? Lily just happens to overhear her parents’ conversation, her father just happens to avoid telling her anything, and then he conveniently just happens to die in an accident? WTF?
Doctor: *waves hand dismissively* That’s just how the author chose to set up her book.
Patient: But it’s so cliche! Fine, maybe, but that’s not all. Lily’s mother knows the secret. The whole time! All she had to do was open her mouth and say three little words! Three little words that explains everything! Here, I'll even say it cause it's not even that hard to figure out from the couple of weak clues Archer drops along the way. Lily's a c-
Doctor: Ah, some of us might still want to read this.
Patient: Hmmm. You sure? Where was I? Oh yeah, the entire plot beyond the romance is just the mom not saying anything! How can that be a plot? It’s just a waste of time!
Doctor: So you have a problem with Lily’s mother?
Patient: Yes! What kind of a mother tells her daughter the truth is not up for discussion? GAAAHHH!!! *takes deep breath* Ok, I got a quote here in my pocket:
”I’m your mother. You have to do what I say.”
That’s in response to Lily asking about what’s wrong with her. What kind of shitty parenting is that?
Doctor: *pointedly ignores the question* But I take it that’s not your only problem?
Patient: Well, no. Should I talk about the fact that Lily’s mom doesn’t even tell Lily the truth even after it’s obvious to everyone what Lily’s secret is? That she has to let Lily find out from someone else? Or the incredibly stupid thing Lily does to find out? Or that nothing of consequence happens after she finds out? So there was no point to Lily’s mom and her stubborn refusal to tell the truth except to drag out the book and conceal the fact that there’s no plot?
Doctor: *arches eyebrow* That’s quite a rant.
Patient: Yeah I know.
Doctor: So you feel better about the book?
Patient: Nah I still hate it. But I think I’m done.
Doctor: You forgot all the references.
Patient: Wrong patient. I don’t do those.
Ok, so I now feel a little better. But I still don’t like The Shadow Girl.
April 4, 2013
3.5 stars
My grandmother makes the best bean stew. (I realize this is an unusual review opener, but bear with me just a little while.) Yes, my grandmother’s bean stew is quite the celebrity in my family. I don’t know how she does it, but it’s not like she’s keeping it a secret… quite the opposite, in fact. She shared her recipe and showed me how it’s done many, many times. But although I’m a pretty decent cook (if I do say so myself), I always end up with something else entirely. A pretty good bean stew, yes, but the magic is simply not there. In truth, if you give five cooks the exact same ingredients, they’ll each come up with a different meal, and no more than one, if that, will be truly unforgettable.
These days, books aren’t all that different, really. No matter how many times a certain recipe is used and reused, the end result is never the same. Ten authors can use all the same tropes, and they’ll each end up with a different story. Eight out of ten resulting books won’t be worth your time, one will be moderately enjoyable, and one will shine like a comet. There’s always an author capable of making even the most (ab)used tropes work.
Jennifer Archer is one of those authors. On the surface, The Shadow Girl is really and truly a cliché fest. A recently deceased parent. A best friend in love with the heroine. A mysterious new boy in town. An agonizing (read: annoying) love triangle. A secret waiting to be revealed. I see you all waving your heads in disgust, but I promise you, aside from the horrible and unnecessary love triangle, The Shadow Girl is a great and exciting read.
I pride myself on the fact that I can guess pretty much everything these days. (Sometimes I curse myself for it, too.) But with The Shadow Girl, I made all the wrong assumptions. Despite all the foreshadowing, my guess was nowhere near the truth. Honestly, I was lucky to go into this book knowing next to nothing about it. Everything is a spoiler with The Shadow Girl, even mentioning the genre it belongs to. I strongly recommend avoiding anything even remotely spoiler-ish.
This whole experience would have been much better without the love triangle. Even I, a well known hater of divided hearts, have to admit that there are love triangles that work. However, Jennifer Archer wrote hers almost as an afterthought, a painfully predictable and tragically unnecessary thing. Let’s not kid ourselves, Lily’s best friend Wyatt never really stood a chance. Their sudden forced attraction was explained with their fear of separation, of going to college and losing each other, but while that certainly makes sense, it should have stopped the second Ty Collier showed up. It was always clear who Lily would choose, which made her constant wavering all the more aggravating.
But that is one flaw in an otherwise excellent book. Lily’s relationship with her other, Iris, was a true delight to read. This concept is perhaps not the most original, but as I wrote earlier, Archer made the best of it. Lily also struggled with her mother’s strange behavior, especially after her father died, and as the story progressed, their relationship increased in complexity, and as frustrating as it was at times, it was an essential part of the book.
I’d hate to spoil even the smallest thing for you guys, so I’ll stop here. I’d recommend downloading a sample to see if it works for you like it did for me. The first 20% should make it clear enough.
My grandmother makes the best bean stew. (I realize this is an unusual review opener, but bear with me just a little while.) Yes, my grandmother’s bean stew is quite the celebrity in my family. I don’t know how she does it, but it’s not like she’s keeping it a secret… quite the opposite, in fact. She shared her recipe and showed me how it’s done many, many times. But although I’m a pretty decent cook (if I do say so myself), I always end up with something else entirely. A pretty good bean stew, yes, but the magic is simply not there. In truth, if you give five cooks the exact same ingredients, they’ll each come up with a different meal, and no more than one, if that, will be truly unforgettable.
These days, books aren’t all that different, really. No matter how many times a certain recipe is used and reused, the end result is never the same. Ten authors can use all the same tropes, and they’ll each end up with a different story. Eight out of ten resulting books won’t be worth your time, one will be moderately enjoyable, and one will shine like a comet. There’s always an author capable of making even the most (ab)used tropes work.
Jennifer Archer is one of those authors. On the surface, The Shadow Girl is really and truly a cliché fest. A recently deceased parent. A best friend in love with the heroine. A mysterious new boy in town. An agonizing (read: annoying) love triangle. A secret waiting to be revealed. I see you all waving your heads in disgust, but I promise you, aside from the horrible and unnecessary love triangle, The Shadow Girl is a great and exciting read.
I pride myself on the fact that I can guess pretty much everything these days. (Sometimes I curse myself for it, too.) But with The Shadow Girl, I made all the wrong assumptions. Despite all the foreshadowing, my guess was nowhere near the truth. Honestly, I was lucky to go into this book knowing next to nothing about it. Everything is a spoiler with The Shadow Girl, even mentioning the genre it belongs to. I strongly recommend avoiding anything even remotely spoiler-ish.
This whole experience would have been much better without the love triangle. Even I, a well known hater of divided hearts, have to admit that there are love triangles that work. However, Jennifer Archer wrote hers almost as an afterthought, a painfully predictable and tragically unnecessary thing. Let’s not kid ourselves, Lily’s best friend Wyatt never really stood a chance. Their sudden forced attraction was explained with their fear of separation, of going to college and losing each other, but while that certainly makes sense, it should have stopped the second Ty Collier showed up. It was always clear who Lily would choose, which made her constant wavering all the more aggravating.
But that is one flaw in an otherwise excellent book. Lily’s relationship with her other, Iris, was a true delight to read. This concept is perhaps not the most original, but as I wrote earlier, Archer made the best of it. Lily also struggled with her mother’s strange behavior, especially after her father died, and as the story progressed, their relationship increased in complexity, and as frustrating as it was at times, it was an essential part of the book.
I’d hate to spoil even the smallest thing for you guys, so I’ll stop here. I’d recommend downloading a sample to see if it works for you like it did for me. The first 20% should make it clear enough.
March 13, 2013
The mystery behind the story is so interesting--but unfortunately, it actively only takes up maybe 10% of the story. (The subject that is key to the mystery has also been explored much better in numerous recent YA books, including some exceptionally good ones from the same publisher.)The rest of the book focuses on an utterly predictable and annoying love triangle, as well as an assortment of half-hearted connections with other characters that never really go anywhere.
A bit more of a review to come.
A bit more of a review to come.
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August 2, 2016
Just really bad. Predictable and hackneyed and the plot-advancing events are clunky and the plot-retarding devices are idiotic and god, you guys, just really bad.
September 14, 2012
I got to read this in the early phases and it's so good. An emotional thrill ride of self-discovery through the eyes of a teenage girl whose own shadow holds the key to her purpose and place in the world. There's a great twist at the end that when I looked back made perfect sense -- yet I never saw it coming. One part haunting mystery, one part soft sci-fi, the only thing this book will leave you wanting for is more of Ms. Archer's beautiful prose and vivid imagination.
February 26, 2013
RATING: 5/5 STARS
First of all, I would like to say thank you to A.G. Howard for sending me a signed ARC (This comes out on April, BTW.) of The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this one when I found out that I won it from A.G. Howard's giveaway so I didn't really know what I was getting into. I did read the synopsis on Goodreads but for some reason it was still a bit vague for me so I was pretty much intrigued and excited at the same time. Anyway, the novel is told in Lily's POV.
To start with, Lily is a 17-year-old girl who has been hearing another voice, Iris, in her head since she was 4. She's pretty much normal except for the voice thing. Honestly, this voice thing kept me thinking the entire time I was reading the novel. I didn't know whether she's supposed to be insane, a clairvoyant, a ghost or whatever. I pretty much wanted to spoil myself by reading the ending the entire time. Haha. Anyway, I did like the fact that she didn't doubt her sanity in the story. Plus, the fact that she didn't exactly exhibit any signs of abnormality in the entire novel is just awesome. I really felt bad for her though. She lost her dad and her mom just kept on lying to her. I get that she was just scared of losing her girl and everything. I was just a bit disappointed in her. I think she should have believed in her daughter's love a bit more. Anyway, I loved Lily. She wasn't the typical whiny teenager with all these angst. And the fact that she wanted to find out everything even if it meant searching for the truth on her own makes her all the more awesome. She didn't really depend on anyone. She was pretty much independent even if she was sheltered her entire life. I think she is one of those well-written characters that I just can't hate. And I have to be honest, I'm biased when it comes to female characters. It's very rare for me to like heroines for some reason.
Moving on to Ty Collier. The boy who suddenly came into Lily's life. He's pretty much a mystery up until the last half of the novel. He is actually another one of the reasons that kept me hooked. I wanted to find out how he was connected to everything. Anyway, I liked the mystery surrounding this character. I know mysterious guys are pretty much cliche in novels but I think sometimes a good book just needs a good mystery guy. I don't want to delve too much into his character since I might end up spoiling the novel. Just read the novel when it comes out. Haha.
Lastly, there's Wyatt. Wyatt is Lily's best friend but he does not know anything about Iris. I liked Wyatt. I was rooting for him the entire time (not that I wasn't smitten by Ty) since he reminded me so much of my best friend. I have a guy best friend and he's very protective. I loved the fact that he was there for Lily whenever she needed her. I think he's very real as a character. Guy best friends are supposed to be like him in real life not just someone who happens to be the female character's best friend who ends up becoming her boyfriend just because he's a guy. Again, I don't want to say more because I might end up spoiling the novel. Ugh! I suck at reviewing books especially the ones I liked. I hope I give justice to this one though.
Anyhow, I'm so happy I got to read this before it came out. I think it was well-written. It's not exactly something you'd call fast paced but it wasn't slow either. I think the pacing of the novel was just right for this type. I was expecting a typical paranormal YA novel but it was more than that. It was more paranormal/sci-fi/mystery/drama. I was seriously hooked. I liked the fact that the mystery behind Lily and Iris' existence was not revealed until the very end. I was biting my nails the entire time I was reading. I ended up finishing this at 5am because I seriously needed to find out the Why's, What's and How's of everything. Anyway, if you're looking for a paranormal/sci-fi/drama/mystery novel then you should definitely read this. This is my first Jennifer Archer novel and I must say that I would definitely read her other works as well. It kept me hooked and intrigued the entire time I was reading. It was like I badly needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. And something like that is definitely A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
Novelissima and
Tumblr
First of all, I would like to say thank you to A.G. Howard for sending me a signed ARC (This comes out on April, BTW.) of The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this one when I found out that I won it from A.G. Howard's giveaway so I didn't really know what I was getting into. I did read the synopsis on Goodreads but for some reason it was still a bit vague for me so I was pretty much intrigued and excited at the same time. Anyway, the novel is told in Lily's POV.
To start with, Lily is a 17-year-old girl who has been hearing another voice, Iris, in her head since she was 4. She's pretty much normal except for the voice thing. Honestly, this voice thing kept me thinking the entire time I was reading the novel. I didn't know whether she's supposed to be insane, a clairvoyant, a ghost or whatever. I pretty much wanted to spoil myself by reading the ending the entire time. Haha. Anyway, I did like the fact that she didn't doubt her sanity in the story. Plus, the fact that she didn't exactly exhibit any signs of abnormality in the entire novel is just awesome. I really felt bad for her though. She lost her dad and her mom just kept on lying to her. I get that she was just scared of losing her girl and everything. I was just a bit disappointed in her. I think she should have believed in her daughter's love a bit more. Anyway, I loved Lily. She wasn't the typical whiny teenager with all these angst. And the fact that she wanted to find out everything even if it meant searching for the truth on her own makes her all the more awesome. She didn't really depend on anyone. She was pretty much independent even if she was sheltered her entire life. I think she is one of those well-written characters that I just can't hate. And I have to be honest, I'm biased when it comes to female characters. It's very rare for me to like heroines for some reason.
Moving on to Ty Collier. The boy who suddenly came into Lily's life. He's pretty much a mystery up until the last half of the novel. He is actually another one of the reasons that kept me hooked. I wanted to find out how he was connected to everything. Anyway, I liked the mystery surrounding this character. I know mysterious guys are pretty much cliche in novels but I think sometimes a good book just needs a good mystery guy. I don't want to delve too much into his character since I might end up spoiling the novel. Just read the novel when it comes out. Haha.
Lastly, there's Wyatt. Wyatt is Lily's best friend but he does not know anything about Iris. I liked Wyatt. I was rooting for him the entire time (not that I wasn't smitten by Ty) since he reminded me so much of my best friend. I have a guy best friend and he's very protective. I loved the fact that he was there for Lily whenever she needed her. I think he's very real as a character. Guy best friends are supposed to be like him in real life not just someone who happens to be the female character's best friend who ends up becoming her boyfriend just because he's a guy. Again, I don't want to say more because I might end up spoiling the novel. Ugh! I suck at reviewing books especially the ones I liked. I hope I give justice to this one though.
Anyhow, I'm so happy I got to read this before it came out. I think it was well-written. It's not exactly something you'd call fast paced but it wasn't slow either. I think the pacing of the novel was just right for this type. I was expecting a typical paranormal YA novel but it was more than that. It was more paranormal/sci-fi/mystery/drama. I was seriously hooked. I liked the fact that the mystery behind Lily and Iris' existence was not revealed until the very end. I was biting my nails the entire time I was reading. I ended up finishing this at 5am because I seriously needed to find out the Why's, What's and How's of everything. Anyway, if you're looking for a paranormal/sci-fi/drama/mystery novel then you should definitely read this. This is my first Jennifer Archer novel and I must say that I would definitely read her other works as well. It kept me hooked and intrigued the entire time I was reading. It was like I badly needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. And something like that is definitely A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
Novelissima and
Tumblr
April 10, 2013
Though The Shadow Girl has a potentially hard-hitting premise, the end result doesn't really wow. I feel like I probably should have disliked this, but I didn't really; instead I feel largely ambivalent towards it. I've got a fair amount of criticisms to deliver, but, overall, this was a nice easy read, and wasn't a struggle to get through.
On the plus side, there's the concept of Lily having this other person in her brain, Iris. At the beginning the reader doesn't know why Iris is in her head or if Iris is a sign of Lily's insanity, but the idea is still a compelling one. Such concepts appear fairly frequently in YA, I think because there's something about the idea of hearing voices, whether real or imagined that calls to the human imagination. Do we all inherently both fear and desire such a voice? Also, given the popularity of the themes covered, I do think Archer considers them in a slightly different way, a less harried, action-packed way, that is refreshing. Though The Shadow Girl does briefly appear to be heading for a climactic showdown, there's really nothing of that sort here; it's a mental journey for Lily, and that's it.
Sadly, I figured out what was going on early on in the book, and I do not think I was especially clever to have done so. In fact, I think that the 'twist' is glaringly obvious. Lily does not really think there's anything weird about some of the facts she's uncovering when they should have been setting off immediate warning bells. Archer implies that this is because Lily doesn't want to believe what's going on, but that's a bit far-fetched for a girl as well-educated as Lily.
Perhaps my favorite part involves the Stradivarius violin that Lily locates in the garage in the wake of her father's death. Now, I can't delve into this because of spoilers, but I'll do my best. Archer weaves the power of music into her story, and I just love the idea she puts forth. I would have liked to see her do more with that, since it takes a backseat to the investigation plot line, which, again, was heading for a super obvious conclusion.
Otherwise, all that's really going on in this book is romance, which is pretty unfortunate. There is yet another love triangle, and there's instalove, or at least insta-serious-feelings. As ever, the two players for Lily's affections are her best friend Wyatt and the mysterious newcomer Ty. Lily is torn between the two, finding both physically attractive, nice, and eminently kissable. Now, on the one hand, I don't have a big issue with her being torn between the two guys; she's not made a commitment to either one, and she's welcome to make out with whoever she wants to. However, she's a total dick to her best friend in the process. While she's not unfair to Wyatt as a dating prospect, she's a horrid friend, and never fully apologizes for that.
Further, Lily's crush on Ty boggles my mind. She essentially discovers that he's been stalking her family for reasons that are basically insane. Lily, however, is totally okay with this and still deems him totally datable. Even better, having stalked her and lied to her makes him a great candidate for a road trip buddy. Apparently, attending Columbia makes you totally respectable no matter what the circumstances. In real life, this would have ended with her death, as would that whole thing with Jake. This girl has NO survival skills at all. Well, actually, she does have one that puts her above most YA heroines, the ability to realize when she's holding her breath.
Then there's Lily's relationship with her mother, or lack of relationship. Even though it's obvious all of the information is coming out, the mom freaking refuses to say a single thing to Lily about what exactly is going on. This pushes Lily to ask other people. Why was the mother so against explaining? Why did she cave so easily once Lily left? Was her daughter driving across country with a possible serial killer really the only catalyst to push her to admit she has a problem and get over herself?
I realize that based on this review, it sounds like The Shadow Girl should have a lower rating, but I honestly didn't dislike it. Nor did I exactly like it. Meh.
On the plus side, there's the concept of Lily having this other person in her brain, Iris. At the beginning the reader doesn't know why Iris is in her head or if Iris is a sign of Lily's insanity, but the idea is still a compelling one. Such concepts appear fairly frequently in YA, I think because there's something about the idea of hearing voices, whether real or imagined that calls to the human imagination. Do we all inherently both fear and desire such a voice? Also, given the popularity of the themes covered, I do think Archer considers them in a slightly different way, a less harried, action-packed way, that is refreshing. Though The Shadow Girl does briefly appear to be heading for a climactic showdown, there's really nothing of that sort here; it's a mental journey for Lily, and that's it.
Sadly, I figured out what was going on early on in the book, and I do not think I was especially clever to have done so. In fact, I think that the 'twist' is glaringly obvious. Lily does not really think there's anything weird about some of the facts she's uncovering when they should have been setting off immediate warning bells. Archer implies that this is because Lily doesn't want to believe what's going on, but that's a bit far-fetched for a girl as well-educated as Lily.
Perhaps my favorite part involves the Stradivarius violin that Lily locates in the garage in the wake of her father's death. Now, I can't delve into this because of spoilers, but I'll do my best. Archer weaves the power of music into her story, and I just love the idea she puts forth. I would have liked to see her do more with that, since it takes a backseat to the investigation plot line, which, again, was heading for a super obvious conclusion.
Otherwise, all that's really going on in this book is romance, which is pretty unfortunate. There is yet another love triangle, and there's instalove, or at least insta-serious-feelings. As ever, the two players for Lily's affections are her best friend Wyatt and the mysterious newcomer Ty. Lily is torn between the two, finding both physically attractive, nice, and eminently kissable. Now, on the one hand, I don't have a big issue with her being torn between the two guys; she's not made a commitment to either one, and she's welcome to make out with whoever she wants to. However, she's a total dick to her best friend in the process. While she's not unfair to Wyatt as a dating prospect, she's a horrid friend, and never fully apologizes for that.
Further, Lily's crush on Ty boggles my mind. She essentially discovers that he's been stalking her family for reasons that are basically insane. Lily, however, is totally okay with this and still deems him totally datable. Even better, having stalked her and lied to her makes him a great candidate for a road trip buddy. Apparently, attending Columbia makes you totally respectable no matter what the circumstances. In real life, this would have ended with her death, as would that whole thing with Jake. This girl has NO survival skills at all. Well, actually, she does have one that puts her above most YA heroines, the ability to realize when she's holding her breath.
Then there's Lily's relationship with her mother, or lack of relationship. Even though it's obvious all of the information is coming out, the mom freaking refuses to say a single thing to Lily about what exactly is going on. This pushes Lily to ask other people. Why was the mother so against explaining? Why did she cave so easily once Lily left? Was her daughter driving across country with a possible serial killer really the only catalyst to push her to admit she has a problem and get over herself?
I realize that based on this review, it sounds like The Shadow Girl should have a lower rating, but I honestly didn't dislike it. Nor did I exactly like it. Meh.
May 10, 2013
When Harper sent Shadow Girl to us to review, I was completely stoked. The blurb sounded so intriguing. I have always loved to get my hands on a good suspense book. And once I grabbed Shadow Girl, tragedy opened the book. It was the Lily's birthday and in a freak accident her father dies. That's where everything begins. Where the mystery starts. I started immediately thinking "Was that 'accident' really an accident"?
From the beginning of the book, you know there's a big secret and I couldn't wait to get to the revelation. But then the accident happened and the revelation came to a halt. And that's where I got a bit frustrated. There was a lot of build up before the whole climax. Which is good, but I wanted to find out what's the big secret her mom and dad was keeping. But it took entirely too long to find out for my liking.
Since I am impatient, the only thing that kept me from throwing this book at the wall was Ty. I felt from the beginning there was something he was not saying. That he's up to something and everything that happened was linked to him somehow. So when the revelation came into play, so many more questions came to my mind. And I'm left wondering if there's going to be a sequel. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole book, the characters were well written and the author gave us a well invested story line. I give Shadow Girl a 4 stars and a Good Choice for Reading!
From the beginning of the book, you know there's a big secret and I couldn't wait to get to the revelation. But then the accident happened and the revelation came to a halt. And that's where I got a bit frustrated. There was a lot of build up before the whole climax. Which is good, but I wanted to find out what's the big secret her mom and dad was keeping. But it took entirely too long to find out for my liking.
Since I am impatient, the only thing that kept me from throwing this book at the wall was Ty. I felt from the beginning there was something he was not saying. That he's up to something and everything that happened was linked to him somehow. So when the revelation came into play, so many more questions came to my mind. And I'm left wondering if there's going to be a sequel. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole book, the characters were well written and the author gave us a well invested story line. I give Shadow Girl a 4 stars and a Good Choice for Reading!
to-read-or-not-to-read
March 30, 2013The writing in the first paragraph of the blurb is gorgeous. Excited! :D
March 15, 2013
Frustratingly delightful, The Shadow Girl masterfully leaked out hints at life-changing secrets and sinister intentions, all while keeping the reader in the dark for most of its duration. With a headstrong and confident heroine, who spends much of The Shadow Girl confused yet determined, and an interesting twist to explain Iris’ existence, The Shadow Girl is a must read for all science fiction and paranormal fans!
Told from Lily’s PoV, The Shadow Girl succeeded in keeping me in constant suspense by keeping Lily from uncovering the truth to her parents’ past too quickly. With Lily’s mother being completely unwilling to answer any of her questions, Lily is forced to sneak around to discover the truth. Finding her mother’s sketches that hinted at a past Lily couldn’t remember, a trunk full of old clothes that Lily didn’t recognize but that looked to be designed just for her, and a music box that stirred up thoughts of a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy, Lily grew curiouser and curiouser; which, of course, meant I also grew curiouser and curiouser. As Iris grew more agitated, and foreign memories began to flood into Lily with growing intensity, Lily couldn’t help but question Iris’ existence – something she had always just taken for granted. Was Iris just a part of her, or had Iris somehow had a life prior to Lily? This constant state of confusion created such an intense level of suspense that I grew frustrated – in the best way – with the amount of clues that were piling up that didn’t result in answers! The Shadow Girl’s deliciously slow reveal of the truth made for great pacing as I was constantly trying to piece together the latest clue with everything else Lily had learned in an attempt to come up with the larger picture.
The only thing I really had an issue with in The Shadow Girl was its inclusion of a love triangle. Considering everything going on in Lily’s life – her father’s death, her mother’s failing health and emotional distance, her depressed dog, and her questions about Iris and her parents’ big secret – I really didn’t think that The Shadow Girl needed a romantic element. And considering her friend Sylvie pretty much nails her feelings for one of the guys on the head, I didn’t think it needed to be drawn out for as long as it was.
So I think a big reason why I enjoyed The Shadow Girl so much had to do with how much I liked Lily. She was courageous and spunky, but vulnerable and naive at the same time. The loss of her father was something that was felt throughout the entire book, during moments when her grief would just overwhelm her for a moment, but she was always able to get past it in order to move forward. Several times she lashed out in anger because of her grief, but always recognized that she was hurting others because she was hurting, so she’d apologize for her behaviour. I loved that Archer was able to weave such an emotionally heavy event into The Shadow Girl’s plot, without incapacitating Lily because of it or using it as the thing which defined her. The other big thing that I loved about Lily was that she never questioned her sanity. As much as she recognized that having Iris was abnormal, she never worried that it meant that something was wrong with her; it was merely something she knew she should keep to herself in order to keep everyone happy. While I personally would have appreciated a psychological twist to The Shadow Girl’s plot, it probably would have been a little too much considering everything else that was going on!
There’s definitely more I could say, like certain ethical questions that were raised, but I don’t want to get into spoilers. Thanks to a relatable and headstrong heroine, and enough mystery and suspense to keep me on edge for most of its pages, The Shadow Girl is a must read!
Told from Lily’s PoV, The Shadow Girl succeeded in keeping me in constant suspense by keeping Lily from uncovering the truth to her parents’ past too quickly. With Lily’s mother being completely unwilling to answer any of her questions, Lily is forced to sneak around to discover the truth. Finding her mother’s sketches that hinted at a past Lily couldn’t remember, a trunk full of old clothes that Lily didn’t recognize but that looked to be designed just for her, and a music box that stirred up thoughts of a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy, Lily grew curiouser and curiouser; which, of course, meant I also grew curiouser and curiouser. As Iris grew more agitated, and foreign memories began to flood into Lily with growing intensity, Lily couldn’t help but question Iris’ existence – something she had always just taken for granted. Was Iris just a part of her, or had Iris somehow had a life prior to Lily? This constant state of confusion created such an intense level of suspense that I grew frustrated – in the best way – with the amount of clues that were piling up that didn’t result in answers! The Shadow Girl’s deliciously slow reveal of the truth made for great pacing as I was constantly trying to piece together the latest clue with everything else Lily had learned in an attempt to come up with the larger picture.
The only thing I really had an issue with in The Shadow Girl was its inclusion of a love triangle. Considering everything going on in Lily’s life – her father’s death, her mother’s failing health and emotional distance, her depressed dog, and her questions about Iris and her parents’ big secret – I really didn’t think that The Shadow Girl needed a romantic element. And considering her friend Sylvie pretty much nails her feelings for one of the guys on the head, I didn’t think it needed to be drawn out for as long as it was.
“Whenever Wyatt and I are together, I notice things about him I never did before, and I start wondering how it would be if we were more than friends [...] He’s so sweet, and nobody makes me laugh like he does. Plus, we know pretty much everything about each other, so I don’t have to worry about what he thinks.”That being said, I didn’t dislike the love triangle either. It wasn’t over the top, there wasn’t any instalove, and it didn’t overwhelm the plot; it was more of a background thing really, that popped up from time to time. And I actually really liked both boys, though neither of them truly blew me away or stole my heart. I just didn’t think it was necessary.
“He’s safe, you mean.” Sylvie casts me a disappointed look. “Safe is a cop-out reason for being with someone.”
So I think a big reason why I enjoyed The Shadow Girl so much had to do with how much I liked Lily. She was courageous and spunky, but vulnerable and naive at the same time. The loss of her father was something that was felt throughout the entire book, during moments when her grief would just overwhelm her for a moment, but she was always able to get past it in order to move forward. Several times she lashed out in anger because of her grief, but always recognized that she was hurting others because she was hurting, so she’d apologize for her behaviour. I loved that Archer was able to weave such an emotionally heavy event into The Shadow Girl’s plot, without incapacitating Lily because of it or using it as the thing which defined her. The other big thing that I loved about Lily was that she never questioned her sanity. As much as she recognized that having Iris was abnormal, she never worried that it meant that something was wrong with her; it was merely something she knew she should keep to herself in order to keep everyone happy. While I personally would have appreciated a psychological twist to The Shadow Girl’s plot, it probably would have been a little too much considering everything else that was going on!
There’s definitely more I could say, like certain ethical questions that were raised, but I don’t want to get into spoilers. Thanks to a relatable and headstrong heroine, and enough mystery and suspense to keep me on edge for most of its pages, The Shadow Girl is a must read!
April 3, 2013
Mysterious and moving, I got sucked into this book REAL fast. I can’t pinpoint it, but this book had me really thinking…
The plot of the book is really gripping. Lily has never been along. Hidden away from the world, Lily lives in secluded place knowing very few trusted people. But why??? That is question. When her fathers dies, Lily is asking questions about his last statement to her. I have to admit that when her dad muttered those words, hook…line…sinker… I sat down, devour the book page and page and finding myself anxious just to KNOW! What was the secrets? What is so different about Lily? And why??? The plot is good and moved at a pace the is torturing That is good! I love that the author didn’t spill the beans right away but let the reader slowly come to the knowledge with the character.
There are two love interest but it never really gets into this whole complicated love triangle. Thank God. Love triangles that get so complicated raise my blood pressure and that folks is bad. I like that even though there are potentially two guys, you know where she stands. She does leans into both mostly cause they each have a part of her. Her past and her future. Still, I like how it ended.
Let me put it this way. Read it. It’s awesome and amazing. It leads you so deep into the story that the ending is just mind blowing. The Shadow Girl is a deeply mysterious read that keep you on the edge of your seat.
The plot of the book is really gripping. Lily has never been along. Hidden away from the world, Lily lives in secluded place knowing very few trusted people. But why??? That is question. When her fathers dies, Lily is asking questions about his last statement to her. I have to admit that when her dad muttered those words, hook…line…sinker… I sat down, devour the book page and page and finding myself anxious just to KNOW! What was the secrets? What is so different about Lily? And why??? The plot is good and moved at a pace the is torturing That is good! I love that the author didn’t spill the beans right away but let the reader slowly come to the knowledge with the character.
There are two love interest but it never really gets into this whole complicated love triangle. Thank God. Love triangles that get so complicated raise my blood pressure and that folks is bad. I like that even though there are potentially two guys, you know where she stands. She does leans into both mostly cause they each have a part of her. Her past and her future. Still, I like how it ended.
Let me put it this way. Read it. It’s awesome and amazing. It leads you so deep into the story that the ending is just mind blowing. The Shadow Girl is a deeply mysterious read that keep you on the edge of your seat.
May 27, 2016
I'm not sure I even know where to start with this book. One of the biggest complaints I’ve read about this book are the romantic interests. Main character shows interest in two people. Honestly, this doesn't bother me much most of the time in books; it’s teenagers. High Schoolers tend to ‘crush’ on more than one person. Though, I will say,the focus of this book was wrong. It should have centered completely on the plot and left out the romance all together, it would have made for a much better read.
I think what bothered me most about this book was the relationship between the mother and the daughter. I hope as a mother to a daughter I never utter the words, “You do what I say because I’m your mother.” As a mother I think explanation and honesty go a lot further than “because I said so.” Personal opinion here.
As far as Lily’s secret, I couldn’t figure out exactly ‘why’ it was so important that it be kept away from her. There weren’t any consequences, that I could tell, as a result of said secret being figured out by Lily. The plot fell a bit flat for me.
I think what bothered me most about this book was the relationship between the mother and the daughter. I hope as a mother to a daughter I never utter the words, “You do what I say because I’m your mother.” As a mother I think explanation and honesty go a lot further than “because I said so.” Personal opinion here.
As far as Lily’s secret, I couldn’t figure out exactly ‘why’ it was so important that it be kept away from her. There weren’t any consequences, that I could tell, as a result of said secret being figured out by Lily. The plot fell a bit flat for me.
March 28, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I was so excited to read it once I got it it only took a week to read. It was one of the best books I read in the past couple of months. I loved the mystery of it! It was not like some books were I can predict what will happen next. I had know idea of what to expect! The romance was predictable but, I loved the characters so it made the love triangle enjoyable!
March 17, 2013
Well i received The Shadow Girl book from a GoodReads giveaway and i start reading is right away. It was so easy to read and so hart to leave it. You like to know more and more what is going on. I hope there will be part 2 cause there are so many anfinihed staff leaved at the the end. But great book i will recommended to everyone.
March 3, 2013
I truly enjoyed reading Shadow Girl. It is a medley of mystery/suspense, romance and adventure. I liked Lily's romance triangle: choice of mysterious newcomer vs. the familiar boy-next-door. Shadow Girl is worth reading.
April 13, 2013
This book captured me from page one and didn't let go. The premise is original and suspense carries the reader to a surprise ending. This book may be considered YA, but this adult loved Lilly and Iris. Highly recommend.
Audrey Streetman, poet and author.
Audrey Streetman, poet and author.
June 7, 2013
Review at readforyourfuture.blogspot.com :)
April 9, 2013
Real rating 4.5 stars
For more reviews on MANY YA novels check out my review site Zach's YA Reviews (Zach's YA Reviews)
Protagonist: All her life Lily has had a special friend who whispers inside her, Iris is her name. Throughout this book Lily and Iris have to discover how it is that they're linked and who or what exactly Iris is. During the story they find clue after clue that begins to shake Lily to her core. She's confused and without her father's comfort, and with her mother being so distant and locking herself away Lily has a tough time getting the truth revealed. Though Lily grows as a character over the course of this book it's less a maturity or deeper understanding of the world, but a deeper understanding of herself and who she is as a person.
Romance: The romance in this book is very clearly a love triangle, and I have to say one of the most infuriating ones I've ever read, though not necessarily in a bad way. While I don't normally like to pick teams as I feel it's awkward rooting for a game that is essentially (in the author's mind) over. I do have to say that Wyatt, Lily's best friend, started of being a superb character, but after their relationship started to bloom he totally killed it for me by pushing way too hard and being overly jealous. There were many times when I stopped reading to tell Wyatt to shut up. Ty, on the other hand, while there were times when I should have been wary of him I never was, he was always calm and never disrespectful, or talked out of line.
World-Building: I have to say the world-building for this was amazing, not just in the way the author described the world but how the characters developed and how the backstories and secrets were revealed was perfect and came at just the right time to help move the story along. How everything turns out seems so logical and made me feel as though I should have seen it from the beginning but it's presented in a way that made me second-guess both the genre and why certain things were happening.
Predictability: When approaching the overall predictability of this book I have to say that for the most part I was shocked at the different twists and turns, while there were some givens, such as the best friend being a love interest, there were other things such as who or what Iris is, that totally threw me. I was approaching this book as if it were another genre which is probably what threw me off, which is great because I was so surprised when I found out the large secret that it made the book so much more enjoyable than if I knew from the first few chapters.
Ending: I have to say I wish the ending was longer, it felt like there were a few things that needed closure and a few more pages would have been great to tidy everything up. That being said the ending that was resented was very bittersweet, it's full of all the warm fuzzy feelings that a great ending has but it also gives off a sad one as it poses a realistic ending and in life there aren't always happy ending.
Rating:
This book is amazing, even though there were a few things that would have made this a bit better it's still a fantastic read. It comes out today so go pick up/order a copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, and sorry hardcover lovers but this book only comes in paperback, but trust me its worth it.
For more reviews on MANY YA novels check out my review site Zach's YA Reviews (Zach's YA Reviews)
Protagonist: All her life Lily has had a special friend who whispers inside her, Iris is her name. Throughout this book Lily and Iris have to discover how it is that they're linked and who or what exactly Iris is. During the story they find clue after clue that begins to shake Lily to her core. She's confused and without her father's comfort, and with her mother being so distant and locking herself away Lily has a tough time getting the truth revealed. Though Lily grows as a character over the course of this book it's less a maturity or deeper understanding of the world, but a deeper understanding of herself and who she is as a person.
Romance: The romance in this book is very clearly a love triangle, and I have to say one of the most infuriating ones I've ever read, though not necessarily in a bad way. While I don't normally like to pick teams as I feel it's awkward rooting for a game that is essentially (in the author's mind) over. I do have to say that Wyatt, Lily's best friend, started of being a superb character, but after their relationship started to bloom he totally killed it for me by pushing way too hard and being overly jealous. There were many times when I stopped reading to tell Wyatt to shut up. Ty, on the other hand, while there were times when I should have been wary of him I never was, he was always calm and never disrespectful, or talked out of line.
World-Building: I have to say the world-building for this was amazing, not just in the way the author described the world but how the characters developed and how the backstories and secrets were revealed was perfect and came at just the right time to help move the story along. How everything turns out seems so logical and made me feel as though I should have seen it from the beginning but it's presented in a way that made me second-guess both the genre and why certain things were happening.
Predictability: When approaching the overall predictability of this book I have to say that for the most part I was shocked at the different twists and turns, while there were some givens, such as the best friend being a love interest, there were other things such as who or what Iris is, that totally threw me. I was approaching this book as if it were another genre which is probably what threw me off, which is great because I was so surprised when I found out the large secret that it made the book so much more enjoyable than if I knew from the first few chapters.
Ending: I have to say I wish the ending was longer, it felt like there were a few things that needed closure and a few more pages would have been great to tidy everything up. That being said the ending that was resented was very bittersweet, it's full of all the warm fuzzy feelings that a great ending has but it also gives off a sad one as it poses a realistic ending and in life there aren't always happy ending.
Rating:
This book is amazing, even though there were a few things that would have made this a bit better it's still a fantastic read. It comes out today so go pick up/order a copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, and sorry hardcover lovers but this book only comes in paperback, but trust me its worth it.
April 15, 2013
Giveaway on the blog (US) http://somelikeitparanormall.blogspot...
Since Lily was little she remembers Iris. Another girl in her head that speaks to her and has become an important part of her. The night before her birthday, she hears her parents talking about a secret that they will finally reveal to Lily. Her dad dies in a tragic accident the next day and her mom closes herself and refuses to answer any of Lily's questions about what they were going to tell her. Iris is slowly remember things about what might be her former life and pushes Lily to investigate her dad's shed. Lily begins questioning how Iris came to be. Is she a ghost haunting her or is Lily just crazy? The new guy in town, Ty, came searching for help for his brother. He knows more about Lily's dad's past than he is letting on.
Although I had a good guess as to what was going on with Lily and Iris I really enjoyed Lily uncovering each clue. I was really annoyed and angry with her mom for not just telling Lily the truth. For making her go behind her back and search through her father's things. I didn't understand why she wouldn't just be honest. When it was all revealed I sort of understood but a secret like that could have never stayed hidden forever. I enjoyed the relationship between Lily and Iris. I would think having another person inside your head would drive someone crazy, but like in other books such as The Host and What's Left of Me, Lily and Iris have a special friendship. Lily often depends on Iris.
My favorite character was Lily's best friend Wyatt. Lily lives in a secluded area and is home schooled but Wyatt is a nearby neighbor and life long friend. He was very sweet and loyal. I was disappointed and most annoyed that Lily begins to have feelings for Ty while developing more than friendship feelings for Wyatt. I felt like she lead Wyatt on and hurt him. It became a love triangle with jumping back and forth between the boys. The ending was open so I still don't even know for sure where her heart truly laid but I preferred Wyatt. Ty's secrets didn't seem the best way to build a relationship. The ending was left a bit more open that I would have liked. The lead up to the big reveal fell a little short for me. There were some scary characters mentioned that I thought maybe would have showed up or had a bigger impact but they didn't. Lily handles everything really remarkably and it does end with all major questions answered.
---
Wyatt slides his hand to the back of my head and brings our faces so close that our noses touch. "I'd never lie to you. I'd never try to hurt or confuse you."
But he is confusing me. As our mouths meet, and I taste his lips and our breaths mingle, I can't understand what's happening to me. How can this be Wyatt who is turning my body to liquid heat? How can I be kissing him back as if I'm starving for him?
---
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Since Lily was little she remembers Iris. Another girl in her head that speaks to her and has become an important part of her. The night before her birthday, she hears her parents talking about a secret that they will finally reveal to Lily. Her dad dies in a tragic accident the next day and her mom closes herself and refuses to answer any of Lily's questions about what they were going to tell her. Iris is slowly remember things about what might be her former life and pushes Lily to investigate her dad's shed. Lily begins questioning how Iris came to be. Is she a ghost haunting her or is Lily just crazy? The new guy in town, Ty, came searching for help for his brother. He knows more about Lily's dad's past than he is letting on.
Although I had a good guess as to what was going on with Lily and Iris I really enjoyed Lily uncovering each clue. I was really annoyed and angry with her mom for not just telling Lily the truth. For making her go behind her back and search through her father's things. I didn't understand why she wouldn't just be honest. When it was all revealed I sort of understood but a secret like that could have never stayed hidden forever. I enjoyed the relationship between Lily and Iris. I would think having another person inside your head would drive someone crazy, but like in other books such as The Host and What's Left of Me, Lily and Iris have a special friendship. Lily often depends on Iris.
My favorite character was Lily's best friend Wyatt. Lily lives in a secluded area and is home schooled but Wyatt is a nearby neighbor and life long friend. He was very sweet and loyal. I was disappointed and most annoyed that Lily begins to have feelings for Ty while developing more than friendship feelings for Wyatt. I felt like she lead Wyatt on and hurt him. It became a love triangle with jumping back and forth between the boys. The ending was open so I still don't even know for sure where her heart truly laid but I preferred Wyatt. Ty's secrets didn't seem the best way to build a relationship. The ending was left a bit more open that I would have liked. The lead up to the big reveal fell a little short for me. There were some scary characters mentioned that I thought maybe would have showed up or had a bigger impact but they didn't. Lily handles everything really remarkably and it does end with all major questions answered.
---
Wyatt slides his hand to the back of my head and brings our faces so close that our noses touch. "I'd never lie to you. I'd never try to hurt or confuse you."
But he is confusing me. As our mouths meet, and I taste his lips and our breaths mingle, I can't understand what's happening to me. How can this be Wyatt who is turning my body to liquid heat? How can I be kissing him back as if I'm starving for him?
---
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
April 24, 2013
This is the story of Lily and Iris. Lily lives a fairly normal life, except for one thing---she has always had a voice in her head, a consciousness inside her apart from her own. For the most part, she thinks nothing of it, it's all she's ever known. They support eachother, cheer eachother; it's a second opinion, another idea. It's Iris.
But what is Iris, really? And what is this big mysterious danger that her parents seem to think she needs protecting from? That's where the real story lies. I enjoyed watching this intriguing plot unfold so much. While I admit that once I hit a certain point, I got a pretty strong inkling of what was really going on, but the exact details always escaped me until I watched the secrets completely unravel into Lily's lap.
The only thing I didn't absolutely love about this one was the love story. Unfortunately, the triangle really plays a bigger part in the story than I think it needed to. While they both could have been two people in her life helping her through an incredible tough time and helping her find out what really happened, as love interests both Ty and Lily's best friend, Wyatt, became petty little boys. I couldn't get behind Ty---he is kind, but you know from the very beginning that he is just hiding way too many secrets. Even if his intentions were good, he just went about them in such a backward and shady way. And Wyatt---loved him as Lily's friend, but once they start toward something more, he just got whiney and overprotective and surprisingly insensative toward the fact that his best friend's dad just died. They both have their good moments, but they both definitely also have their bad ones.
BUT love story aside, the concept and mystery of Lily and Iris was strong enough on it's own to really keep me enthralled with this story. I love fact that until almost the end, you really don't know if you're reading a psychological thriller, a ghost story, a sci-fi, a paranormal---it really could have gone any direction. It really compells you to need to hear the truth. And when the ball finally dropped, I was completely satisfied with the direction the story took and how it ended: with Lily really making peace with the truth and using it in the best way she could. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it!
But what is Iris, really? And what is this big mysterious danger that her parents seem to think she needs protecting from? That's where the real story lies. I enjoyed watching this intriguing plot unfold so much. While I admit that once I hit a certain point, I got a pretty strong inkling of what was really going on, but the exact details always escaped me until I watched the secrets completely unravel into Lily's lap.
The only thing I didn't absolutely love about this one was the love story. Unfortunately, the triangle really plays a bigger part in the story than I think it needed to. While they both could have been two people in her life helping her through an incredible tough time and helping her find out what really happened, as love interests both Ty and Lily's best friend, Wyatt, became petty little boys. I couldn't get behind Ty---he is kind, but you know from the very beginning that he is just hiding way too many secrets. Even if his intentions were good, he just went about them in such a backward and shady way. And Wyatt---loved him as Lily's friend, but once they start toward something more, he just got whiney and overprotective and surprisingly insensative toward the fact that his best friend's dad just died. They both have their good moments, but they both definitely also have their bad ones.
BUT love story aside, the concept and mystery of Lily and Iris was strong enough on it's own to really keep me enthralled with this story. I love fact that until almost the end, you really don't know if you're reading a psychological thriller, a ghost story, a sci-fi, a paranormal---it really could have gone any direction. It really compells you to need to hear the truth. And when the ball finally dropped, I was completely satisfied with the direction the story took and how it ended: with Lily really making peace with the truth and using it in the best way she could. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it!
April 22, 2013
4.5 Stars
'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!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'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!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2016
Originally on Fable's Library
This book held so much promise maybe my expectations were way to high but I did not enjoy this book at all. I'm not even sure why I bothered finishing it. I expected a heart pounding thriller that chilled you to the bones but I got a love story.
First of all when it says that Iris begins pushing Lily more then ever that doesn't really happen. It's more of Iris just saying, "Hey Lily do this please. I almost remember something." But Lily doesn't do it she does what she wants searching for answers only when its necessary.
The story sounded good, I mean come on, who wouldn't like a book with a mystery and possessing ghost like person? It's just not what I really got. It took a good 200 pages for the story to start getting good and even then it was not interesting at all. Most of it was just Lily being sad over her fathers death, which is understandable, then the rest of it is her being attracted to a mysterious guy named Ty and her friend Wyatt being jealous at their moments together (yeah there's a love triangle.) Then Ty messes up once by not telling Lily something she thinks is important, Lily gets mad and runs back to Wyatt. That is basically it my friends, Lily, Ty, and Wyatts love triangle, and a somewhat present Iris all together. Fighting, loving one another, accepting each other. For a whole 325 pages. Of course there is a mystery to who Iris is but it was really obvious, in my opinion, almost too obvious.
If you expect that heart pounding thriller that chills you to the bone, you won't really get that here. If you want a love story, with the ever popular love triangle, or a mystery this is the book for you.
This book held so much promise maybe my expectations were way to high but I did not enjoy this book at all. I'm not even sure why I bothered finishing it. I expected a heart pounding thriller that chilled you to the bones but I got a love story.
First of all when it says that Iris begins pushing Lily more then ever that doesn't really happen. It's more of Iris just saying, "Hey Lily do this please. I almost remember something." But Lily doesn't do it she does what she wants searching for answers only when its necessary.
The story sounded good, I mean come on, who wouldn't like a book with a mystery and possessing ghost like person? It's just not what I really got. It took a good 200 pages for the story to start getting good and even then it was not interesting at all. Most of it was just Lily being sad over her fathers death, which is understandable, then the rest of it is her being attracted to a mysterious guy named Ty and her friend Wyatt being jealous at their moments together (yeah there's a love triangle.) Then Ty messes up once by not telling Lily something she thinks is important, Lily gets mad and runs back to Wyatt. That is basically it my friends, Lily, Ty, and Wyatts love triangle, and a somewhat present Iris all together. Fighting, loving one another, accepting each other. For a whole 325 pages. Of course there is a mystery to who Iris is but it was really obvious, in my opinion, almost too obvious.
If you expect that heart pounding thriller that chills you to the bone, you won't really get that here. If you want a love story, with the ever popular love triangle, or a mystery this is the book for you.
February 14, 2018
3.5 stars
Authors need to learn one thing. My emotions are not to be played with. They are not play-toys, they are not playable, they are not rattles for your babies or chew toys for your toddlers.
On hindsight the books would suck if you didn't play with my emotions so... Guess we're stuck in a paradox, let's move on.
After the worst ever intro to a review let's see what this book was about. A mountain girl Lily Winston is living a normal life till she hears her parents talking about something suspicious. Her Dad dies before he gets a chance to explain. Lily who has kept a voice inside her head aka Iris secret all her life is now intrigued and wants some answers. She realizes that her parents' secrets not only explain her past but Iris' too.
So this book was wonderful, it was beautiful and special. The whole concept of it was interesting and new but the "new" concept was never there in the books. It actively made up a very small portion of the entire book. I would have liked it to be a little more of thriller in this book. The mystery she was seemingly solving was not a mystery and I figured half of it 25% through and all of it 50% through.
This will be a good light read for YA readers but people looking for a good thriller or mystery please don't pick it up. Back to the emotions I was talking about. Despite of the lack of events or plot-twists I believe that this book was amazingly written and that it had the potential of being so much more. Lily's emotions were vividly and rightfully expressed and I felt her pain, exhaustion and love.
In the end this was not a bad read. Definitely would recommend it to YA fans for a fun mix of sci-fi and thriller.
Authors need to learn one thing. My emotions are not to be played with. They are not play-toys, they are not playable, they are not rattles for your babies or chew toys for your toddlers.
On hindsight the books would suck if you didn't play with my emotions so... Guess we're stuck in a paradox, let's move on.
After the worst ever intro to a review let's see what this book was about. A mountain girl Lily Winston is living a normal life till she hears her parents talking about something suspicious. Her Dad dies before he gets a chance to explain. Lily who has kept a voice inside her head aka Iris secret all her life is now intrigued and wants some answers. She realizes that her parents' secrets not only explain her past but Iris' too.
So this book was wonderful, it was beautiful and special. The whole concept of it was interesting and new but the "new" concept was never there in the books. It actively made up a very small portion of the entire book. I would have liked it to be a little more of thriller in this book. The mystery she was seemingly solving was not a mystery and I figured half of it 25% through and all of it 50% through.
This will be a good light read for YA readers but people looking for a good thriller or mystery please don't pick it up. Back to the emotions I was talking about. Despite of the lack of events or plot-twists I believe that this book was amazingly written and that it had the potential of being so much more. Lily's emotions were vividly and rightfully expressed and I felt her pain, exhaustion and love.
In the end this was not a bad read. Definitely would recommend it to YA fans for a fun mix of sci-fi and thriller.
June 6, 2013
WOW. I really enjoyed this book and didn't see the twist coming. Archer has written a fantastically creepy, suspenseful read. It's a fairly slow book though, building up to the climax steadily. What kept me going was Lily's voice and the need to figure out who Iris was.
I also liked Lily's interactions with Ty and seeing that relationship develop and also seeing her friendship with Wyatt and how Ty's presence created a rift between them. Watching Lily's mom do a little descent into madness (or is it?) was an interesting aspect to see too.
Overall, a really well-written sophomore YA effort from Archer- let's hope a third book doesn't take so long to release!
I also liked Lily's interactions with Ty and seeing that relationship develop and also seeing her friendship with Wyatt and how Ty's presence created a rift between them. Watching Lily's mom do a little descent into madness (or is it?) was an interesting aspect to see too.
Overall, a really well-written sophomore YA effort from Archer- let's hope a third book doesn't take so long to release!
May 31, 2013
Just finished reading Shadow Girl. I have read a few other of Jennfer's book and I think this is by far her best one yet. I loved the chemistry between Lily and her mother, lily and her best friend Wyatt, and the mysterious new boy in town.
I couldn't put the book down after starting it. It kept me guessing until the end.
the only disappointment was that the book ended. I have to admit I fell a little bit in love with Wyatt, and want to see what happens next. And now that Lily knows the truth about Iris, I wouldn't mind reading more about the two of them!
I couldn't put the book down after starting it. It kept me guessing until the end.
the only disappointment was that the book ended. I have to admit I fell a little bit in love with Wyatt, and want to see what happens next. And now that Lily knows the truth about Iris, I wouldn't mind reading more about the two of them!
June 28, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of The Shadow Girl. While it took me a while to find the time, once I started to read it was a quick read. The Shadow Girl is a book with some mystery and some predictability. While it was not my favorite read, I thought it raised an interesting issue about a current issue. I enjoyed the creative perspective provided by the author!
March 14, 2016
I really liked this book! It was great for me to read to help move through the reading slump I've been in lately! It was deep but not TOO deep and really only skimmed the surface with a lot of aspects. I think this book is definitely lacking in many ways, but I was happy with it because I didn't need all of that right now.
3.5/5
3.5/5
April 6, 2013
Just finished this book with tears streaming down my face. What an incredible story that kept me guessing throughout most of the book. Beautifully written, I feel like I got to know Lily. The concept is fascinating, and I believe one day may not be fiction anymore.
June 24, 2013
This book is AMAZING. So intense. I love it. I could read it again and again and I'm not one to like much books but I love this one , I could feel as if I was there and connecting to each character. Amazing book!
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