The Seer of Shadows

by Avi

Horace Carpetine does not believe in ghosts. Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. Then he becomes an apprentice photographer and discovers an eerie—and even dangerous—supernatural power in his very own photographs. When a wealthy lady orders a portrait to place by her daughter's gravesite, Horace's employer, Enoch Middleditch, schemes to sell her more pictures—by convincing her that her daughter's ghost has appeared in the ones he's already taken. It's Horace's job to create images of the girl. Yet Horace somehow captures the girl's spirit along with her likeness. And when the spirit escapes the photographs, Horace discovers he's released a ghost bent on a deadly revenge. . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Paranormal, Fiction

202 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2008

About the author

Avi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing but the Truth, and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, really. Parts of it were really interesting (if you like photography, anyway, which I do) and parts were really creepy, but parts were also kind of annoying. Like ending all the early chapters with those super obnoxious, "But I never guessed what would happen next!" lines, or the ending that created a new story without an ending. Characterization could have been deeper, the ghosts/belief in them could have been delved into a little more and the climax could have been less rushed, but I thought the setting and atmosphere were well done.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drăguță...

[Abbi Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool ghost story with a cool early-photography period twist! There isn't actually much from the ghost, the focus being more on the main character and his friendship with Peg, but I still enjoyed it.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This book starts off slowly, as we spend a bit of time being introduced to Horace - a boy raised by parents who believe in logic and reason, and who is apprenticing to the photographer, Middleditch - and a good deal more time learning about the technical specifics of making a photograph in 1872.

Since this is a middle-grade book, I'll say that while some children might be interested in the technical details, several will probably gloss over it a bit more than I did, since I, at least, had a passing interest.

Anyway -

While Horace does much to "assist" Middleditch, he has not yet been allowed to take a photograph, but that changes when Middleditch needs him to aid in a scheme.

It was interesting the way the story touches on the history of spirit photographs - the many frauds perpetuated with double exposures as a way to capitalize on the rising Spiritualism movement and the grief of those who had lost loved ones both within and without the Civil War.

Speaking of the Civil War, the story also touches on race relations. Horace is remarkably progressive, being raised in such a family, but the Von Machts' and Middleditch have less enlightened viewpoints. While this aspect plays an important role in setting up the story, I felt it was handled a touch lightly - but, then, it is a book aimed for younger people, so perhaps the author wished to focus primarily on the message of equality.


But I digress -

When Horace takes his pictures, he sees something odd in the negative - a picture he didn't take. And the more pictures he takes, the more real the image becomes, as he pulls the ghost Eleanora, the departed daughter, back into the world.

But there is more to Eleanora's death than the Von Machts' claim - and Eleanora wants revenge!

Duh duh DUH!!!


Sounds like it should be a thrilling story, and it has it's moments... but the characters aren't really very developed, and Avi spends more time detailing the techniques of preparing and taking photographs than he does in setting up the ambience of the story.

Then, when we do get to the crux of the story, a lot of it is drawn out needlessly by making Horace and Pegg unable to talk to each other except in drips and drabs, so Eleanora's story comes out in chapters when it could've easy been pages.


A slow* build wouldn't have been bad if there was a big payoff at the end, but the climax was a bit rushed and seemed a bit too easy.

Also, I didn't care for the epilogue at all. It simultaneously manages to make things too pat, and yet to leave an unnecessary open-ended ending relating to Horace's child. (I'm being a bit coy so as not to leave spoilers, though I'm not sure why I'm bothering since several other reviews have sort of given it away. Ah well.)


Anyway -

It might work for its targeted age-group, at least if they don't get bored before the ghost stuff really starts, but I wouldn't say it has much crossover appeal.



* Slow, of course, is relative. It's a very short book, and I read it in a few hours. Still, one reviewer said it felt like it could've been better as a short-story, because much felt like filler, and I agree with this. It could've either been more deeply developed, or cut down.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

In nineteenth century New York, 14 year old Horace has been raised to think scientifically and logically. So what is he to do when he is apprenticed to a photogapher who fakes "spiritual" pictures of his clients' deceased loved ones and real ghosts start to appear in the photographs that Horace takes?
This was a quick, informative ghost story meant for 8-12 year olds. Although it is filled with historical facts, the story is mysterious and thrilling enough to hold their attention. The vocabulary is somewhat lofty for this age range, so I'd reserve this one for strong readers - but I think that's true of many Avi books. It would be particularly good in the classroom for students studying this time frame (1872).

[Brooke Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book it was really good.Its about a girl named elenora she dies from getting abandon from the vonmashes they didnt feed her and stuff and they were only watching her and taking care of her because elenora was rich and all they wanted was her money they didnt care if she was sick or anything.
And elenora attends to show up i every picture that the peopple have taken and it turns out that elenora wants to get a seeking revenge on the vonmashes.I recomend this book to anyone its a really good book so read it to find the real memory. :))))))))))))))))))))!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steven Boyer is the narrator for this audiobook. 3.5 stars

[Nathalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Este libro habla sobre varios temas:
-Fotografía antigua.
-Espírtus.
-Desigualdad.

Es una novela histórica y social con trama de misterio paranormal.

A través de un relato paranormal que por momentos nos puede causar un escalofrío, el autor nos transporta a la Nueva York de un momento histórico de cambio, donde la sociedad estaba todavía muy dividida y no terminaba de establecerse la equidad legal de los antiguos esclavos, ahora libres.

Lejos de ser solo un libro paranormal para asustarnos, esta novela me gustó mucho porque coloca lo paranormal como excusa para hablarnos de un montón de temas más importantes. Ahora bien, eso no quiere decir que los elementos extraordinarios sean apenas un “extra”, sino que forman parte de un todo.

Este no es un libro escrito solo para darnos miedo, solo para que nos asustemos. Es un libro que narra una historia paranormal colmada de misterios en la que es muy importante el escenario social. Esto, claro, es algo que quizá un lector muy joven no notaría, pero que está presente con suficiente intensidad como para volverse indivisible.

El eje central gira en torno a la niña que murió y a sus circunstancias. Esto abre la puerta a un montón de misterios que el lector deberá descubrir: ¿en qué sentido miente su madre? ¿Por qué lo hace? ¿Qué es lo que mantiene al espíritu en nuestro mundo? ¿Cuáles son sus objetivos? ¿Por qué Horace puede capturar en su cámara lo imposible? ¿Qué es un Seeker?

Las respuestas, obviamente, no se las daré yo. Tendrán que descubrirlas ustedes.

Ahora bien, tengo mis quejas, y no puedo dejarlas fuera.

Los primeros capítulos son un tanto tediosos. El lector puede predecir la base de lo que ocurrirá en apenas unas páginas, pero la narrativa se toma su tiempo con nimiedades antes de llegar a ello. Además, por algún motivo, todos los primeros capítulos terminan con un cliffhanger barato del estilo: “o eso es lo que creía”, “pero el resultado no fue lo que esperaba" y demás. Por fortuna, luego desaparecen cuando la historia comienza a trazar su rumbo.

Otra cosa. Yo estudié bastante sobre fotografía antigua en la universidad, pero, para el lector que no sabe nada del tema (o no le interesa), sobran elementos técnicos y explicaciones sobre química, cualidades de los metales y similares que pueden resultar muy confusos y aburridos para algunas personas. Ciertas cosas son necesarias para la trama, pero otras sobran y estorban más de lo que aportan. Creo que la pasión del autor se pasó un poco de la raya acá.

Por último, siento que el final fue un poquitín absurdo. No fue malo, pero no me convenció. Y creo que a la explicación sobre por qué Horace muestra espíritus en sus fotos podría haberse ampliado. Daba pie para mucho más. Y no, no hay segunda parte. Respeto la decisión del autor de dejar espacios en blanco (porque yo también lo hago en mis novelas), pero me quedé con ganas de un poquitín más.

El libro me dejó con muchas ganas de leer más obras del autor. Su narrativa no es espectacular en calidad, pero atrapa. La historia está bien planeada y logró mantenerme interesada de principio a fin.

En resumen, lo recomiendo. Es una buena historia en su contexto y construcción social. Los aspectos paranormales están muy buenos, aunque no apuntan a darnos un gran susto. Hay misterio y alguna que otra escena que nos da un pequeño escalofrío a los lectores miedosos como yo. Lo único malo es que solo está en inglés. El ebook no es costoso, lo encuentran en Amazon y en otros lados.

Pueden leer la reseña completa en mi blog: http://pardonmispanglish.blogspot.com...

[Mike Mullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterfully written novel. I found myself paying particular attention to Avi's chapter endings. He uses them to propel the reader into the next chapter, raising questions or suspense with nearly every one. His plotting is also excellent. For a while, I thought the ending would be too predictable. And it did end in roughly the way I predicted, but Avi threw in a surprising twist. Also, the final chapter, which is sort of an epilogue, adds another satisfying dimension to the ending. I'd highly recommend The Seer of Shadows to other writers interested in learning from Avi's expert plotting and use of chapter breaks.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best book I've read so far it was great!!!!This book had good detail also it had happy and scary parts!!I would recomend this book to people who are ok with being freaked out before I forget DONT READ UNDER THE COVERS IN THE DARK!!!!!!

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Seer of Shadows from a thrift store in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico a couple of years ago because I was familiar with the Poppy stories written by the author, Avi. My oldest son always had a thing for the Scholastic monthly book sales at his school, and his mom and I would support that wish, as often as possible.

Seer of Shadows is a middle-grade, gothic, ghost story. Our main character, Horace Carpetine, works for a photographer as his apprentice. An affluent lady enters the studio, tells Horace's boss that she would like to memorialize a deceased daughter via a photo portrait, and would like them to shoot it at her Fifth Avenue home in New York City. That same afternoon, they arrive to make preparations for the following day. Horace meets Pegg here, a black servant girl who is the deceased daughter's bestie/non-blood sister.

Pegg makes Horace aware that the Von Macht's essentially killed Eleanora, that he should not be helping the Von Macht's who stole Eleanora's inheritance. The portrait is designed to play on the sympathies of their high society acquaintances in order to extort money from those "friends." Somewhere along the line, Horace realizes that by taking pictures, Eleanora has found a doorway from death and into reality.

Pegg realizes immediately that Eleanora has returned for one reason, and one reason only: to get revenge on her killers. The story is well-told, interesting, with some nonfictional information about the chemical process of photography. The characters are strong with an excellent wrap-up and biographical information that is fine editorial content. Good story, maybe a little too pedagogical.

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this well enough, but it lost me a lot as it went on. The ghost part is the most interesting aspect particularly as it leaned into the spirit photography movement in American history, but the ghost herself was boring.

She didn't have much to do and her backstory was so easily sympathetic that I did not care to see Horace or Pegg actually stop her. Like I'm not saying murder is okay in a real sense, but I also don't think Avi did enough to inspire a real nuanced conversation about justice, revenge or retribution in this context. I was disconnected and that made me apathetic; a real problem, when the entire conceit of the story hinges on you being afraid of what Eleanora will do next.

The historical accuracy also was definitely a little loosey goosey. Like Pegg tells Horace that the only reason the Von Macht's keep her employed is because they're afraid she'll go blabbing about what secrets she knows. It is 1872. Absolutely no one is going to care what a poor orphan Black girl has to say about her former rich white employers. It would not only harm her future job prospects, it would be actively risking her life as the Von Macht's had the means to disappear her if it really came to that.

I obviously recognize it was a construct to involve her in the story, I am simply pointing it out because I prefer more stringent historical fiction. Overall, this book is good in that regard but there were points when it felt a little under-researched or that Avi was writing under the principle of 'don't look too hard'.

I liked the bittersweet ending. It matched the somber tone of the novel as a whole and retroactively explained it in a reasonable way.

Not bad, not great, just fine and life goes on.

[StarMan]

[YA/juvenile book, Adult reviewer]

VERDICT: Passing grade, if you're in school grades 4-7.

Does the ghost of young Eleanora have a scientific explanation, or are true paranormal events afoot? Read and see, especially if you have interest in photography (circa 1872)--or ghosts.

I wouldn't call this horror, but younger kids may find some parts a little scary.

[Kim Brosius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was a kid and have been looking for the title for so long!! 5 stars cause I remember LOVING it and being so scared.

[David Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Sunshine State Book that I wanted to revisit, as it had stuck with me for over a decade. It holds up pretty well, and its a nice gothic story for early readers. The horror elements are tense but suitable for the audience, and its a great introduction into the genre. The added element of photography was also very fun, and the setting was well created.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

To my disappointment, this book did not help me unlock the esoteric mysteries of the universe, nor did it enlighten me to an elevated state of consciousness, nor did I have visions and speak with the spirits of my ancestors. But, hey, I learned a little bit about old fashioned photography, so there's that.

An aspiring young photographer, Horace Carpetine, gets apprenticed to an experienced, but unscrupulous professional, the dastardly Enoch Middleditch! Predictably, Mr. Middleditch plays the cliched trope of the lazy, dishonest taskmaster who's perfectly happy to scam people to make a few extra bucks. One day he gets visited by a wealthy socialite, Mrs. Von Macht, who would like a portrait of her family taken. She tells the sad tale that her daughter, Eleanora, had recently passed away. Well, that crook Mr. Middleditch hatches an evil plot to take advantage of the spiritualism craze that was sweeping through society at the time, and make it appear that the Von Macht's dead daughter is captured in the photograph he takes. Only a capitalist would think of such a horrible thing. I digress. He hatches a plan that involves Horace violating his own ethics to help perpetrate the hoax, and hopefully gain Mr. Middleditch fame as a "spirit photographer." Before long, though, Horace learns some unsettling things about Eleanora's life from her best friend, the Von Macht's servant, Pegg. Horace comes to discover that this hoax has unexpected ramifications, and its up to him to make things right again.

The book was just ok. The overall plot has real potential. Avi could have really explored the spiritualism craze of the late 19th century and come up with a fascinating story. Instead, he spends about half of the book describing boring, early photography techniques in tedious and repetitive detail, and spends an exorbitant amount of time having Horace and Pegg wandering around an old mansion without anything of much interest happening. I've read better. I've read worse. This is a middle-of-the-road story, with weak, undeveloped characters. If he had put Harry Houdini in it, then he'd have something. Houdini is well-known for debunking fraudulent spiritualists and mystics. I wanted Harry Houdini to show up to debunk Horace Carpetine's claim of being a "seer of shadows." Maybe Horace would try to capture him, but duh, it's Houdini.

[Eshusdaughter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've heard really good things about Avi and the premise of the book was intriguing so I decided to give it a try. The writing was competent if lack-luster and the plot plodded along. The descriptions are okay, the dialogue decent but the characters have no depth and there just ins't much to this book. It's easily forgettable and not something I'd pick up again. I also disagree with the ending as the two characters that get together are highly unlikely given the prevailing prejudices of the times. Then again, plausibility didn't seem to be a highpoint with this book.

[Esther Duhigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1872 and Horace Carpetine is the appretice of a photographer. Horace was raised to belive in science and reason, NOT ghosts and superstitions like that. But, when a whelthy lady orders a picture of her to be put at her daughters grave, Horace's empolyer decides to sell her more then just a picture... a picture with her daparted daughters ghost. Then when Horace takes the picture of Elenora's portrait, Elenora starts to come back to life. And sometimes when ghosts come back they can be bent on deadly revenge.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ghost story that is a little more scary than I would have expected. A boy apprentice finds that he can capture ghosts in his photographs and finds one particularly angry ghost girl who is out for revenge. With the help of the servant girl in the family she seeks revenge on, the boy tries to stop what could be murder.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. That was just great. I'm not actually much of an Avi fan, but I do love a good ghost story once in a while. This book definitely creates shivers up ye olde spine. Two thumbs way way up over here.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won't say this book had no good elements, but if I were to only judge the author by this book, I'd have to assume that being a Newbury Award winning author does not require being very good at writing.

[E.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 / 5 stars)

Do you ever see weird images in photographs? Especially in old ones from many years ago? Horace Carpetine, a photograph apprentice from the 1800s, indeed saw a strange image in one of the photographs he took. At first, he thought his eyes deceived him, but soon he discovered that he photographed a ghost with a vengeance. Can he overcome his own logic, with the help of servant girl Pegg, and stop this ghost before she wreaks havoc on the Van Macht family?

In an interesting take on a ghost haunting, we enter the historical world of photography, and the way it can be manipulated. In this case though, while there is sinister human made manipulations at work, a deeper force is at work. When Horace takes a picture, suddenly the ghost of Eleanora – an abused adopted daughter of the Von Macht family – comes to life. This is done with suspense, and just like a developing photograph, the revelations come slowly, first viewed with skepticism, then astonishment.

While Avi is no doubt a fantastic storyteller, the ending of this book was somewhat unsatisfactory for me. Rather than the winding problem solving ability that Horace displayed throughout the tale, the story ends with a bang, leaving a dark and sinister plume looming over Eleanora and her past. For a girl who Horace and Pegg wanted to help find peace, instead they are just witnesses of her ultimate vengeance upon her abusers. Also, for a children’s book, this is somewhat dark and foreboding.

But the story is still extremely unique; we’ve heard about images of ghosts appearing in photographs at haunted homes before. But what if there was someone out there, a seer perhaps, who could call upon the ghosts through photography? Than it itself is an idea that pulls at realism and the imagination, whether you believe in ghosts or not.

It’s actually amazing that this is one of the first books by Avi I ever read. I grew up seeing his books, but never picked them up. And while the ending of Seer of Shadows missed the mark for me, it was still an engaging tale that adults and children alike will enjoy. I will definitely be picking up another Avi book in the future.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a thrift store. The cover was intriguing, as was the title. I did not realize this was a Scholastic Book, geared more for teens. The story itself was good, as well as the subject of photography in 1870's. I'd rate this three stars, but it's not the author's fault I didn't realize this was more of a teen book. The story held my attention, hence the 4 stars.

[Elly Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not super impressed. 1, not super comfortable with the idea of vengeful spirits and all that rubbish. 2, not terribly well written, rather boring. Wouldn't recommend. Had some interesting stuff about old photography.

[Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choice book #3 Quarter #2 The Seer of Shadows by Avi is a historical fiction, and mystery book which takes place in New York. The book The Seer of Shadows follows a boy called Horace Carpentine as he joins Mr.Middleditch a photographer and struggles with what he sees in the images and a dead girl.

The main characters in the story are Horace, Mr.Middleditch,and Peg.

Horace:
Horace is the main character in this story. Horace is Mr.Middleditch's apprentice, Mr.Middleditch is a photographer that wanted s young boy to help him and learn the ways of photography. Mr.Middleditch asked Horace's dad if Horace wanted to be his apprentice and Horace agreed to work for Mr.Middleditch in exchange for money to help his family with financial problems. Horace liked photography he was learning about some of it at school. Horace helps Mr.Middleditch a lot they got this one customer that asked them if they can take a picture of her to put it on her daughters grave to remind her daughter of her. Mr.Middleditch asked Horace to take secret photos of Elenora's pictures (Elenora is the customers daughter) and attach it to the photo of the lady, Mrs.Von Macht, to make a spirit photograph and possibly bring joy to Mrs.Von Macht. Horace is a very obedient boy and does almost anything you ask him to do.
When Horace goes to Mrs.Von Macht's house he finds a black servant girl who he soon became friends with and she explained everything about Elenora, the Von Macht's and how Elenora died.Soon enough as Horace started taking pictures him and Peg realized Horace could capture Elenora's spirit or ghost that came back for revenge on the Von Macht's

Mr.Middleditch:
Mr.Middleditch is Horace's boss he hired Horace to become his helper and assistant in exchange for money. Mr.Middleditch is a man that gets what he wants. Like for example he asked Horace to take secret pictures of Elenora Von Macht to make a spirit image and even though he knew that if Horace or him get caught he would put his reputation on the line Mr.Middleditch still made Horace take the pictures anyway though. Another example is when Horace was telling the real story about Elenora that Peg had told him earlier but Mr.Middleditch said she is just a black servant and she isn't worth believing. This example also shows Mr.Middleditch is racist. Mr.Middleditch charges much money in exchange for a photograph being taken. Mr.Middleditch seems like a person who is really interested in money or you could say a gold digger, i think this because Mr.Middleditch kept telling Horace how rich Mrs.Von Macht looked and seemed. He also told Horace the most pictures they take and the better the more they can charge Mrs.Von Macht.

Peg:
Peg may just seem like the servent of the Von Macht household but she is so much more than that. When Peg tells her story and Elenora's to Horace she Explains much of what happened in her life also. Poor Peg had gone through so much. She lost both her biological parents. When Elenora's real father died the mom which is Mrs.Von Macht's sister believed in equality for all skin colors and half adopted peg. Peg and Elenora became step-sisters. Soon enough they moved closer to the Von Macht's and Elenora's mother passed away before finishing adopting Peg.So the Von Macht's took both of them in but they treated them like trash. They treated Peg like a servant or slave and they treated Elenora badly she starved to death. Since the Von Macht's wanted Elenora's money they starved here to death and would have done the same to Peg if Elenora's mom had fully adopted her because she would have had half of the money from Elenora's mom.

I think the main problem in the book is that Horace and Peg are scared of what might happen to the Von Macht's if Elenora's ghost came back. Before Elenora could die she said if she died she would find a way to come back and have revenge on the Von Macht's for what they did to her and how they treated her. They are also worried of what might happen to them if Elenora's ghost is still extremely furious with the Von Macht's.

The author believes that the way you treat a person or do something that is encountered as bad it will lead up to who you are and how your future will turn out to be. In other words I believe that any life choice you make will follow you and will make you who you are and will change your future. I think this because Mr and Mrs Von Macht made choices that lead up to their future. Another Example is how Elenora was treated it changed her way of being. this also goes along with how Mr.Middleditch treated Peg and Horace.

I think the book The Seer of Shadows is my favorite book of all tine and has a lot of meaning. I also really enjoyed the book because I have never experienced so much emotion and way of telling a book like that until I read this one. The book was so creative especially the author for making this book I thank her for making this wonderful book. the book gave me mixed emotions many times like sometimes I didn't know exactly how to feel about a character or the situation because there was so many parts to it, like sometimes I felt sad or angry or scared depending on which part of the book I was on.

[anjali]

read this book in elementary school and thought about it at least once a year in the decade since but could not recall the title for the life of me... but after two straight hours of searching and a draft email I was ready to send to my elementary school librarian I FOUND IT and now it will live on my goodreads so I never forget

[Vickie Brannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb! I loved the element of suspense, the history of photography, and the ending!

[Brody Mcknight]

it is a good book but it is confusing

[What April's Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun, spooky read-aloud book. Perfect for October or fall.

I recommend for older elementary or middle school. My kids requested that I read it during the day. Lol

[Georgann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and not too scary ghost story for middle grades.