Review: In the Shadows by Kiersten White and Jim DiBartolo

In The Shadows

By: Kiersten White and Jim DiBartolo

Pub. Date: April 29, 2014

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 384

Source: Netgalley

From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures.

Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch.

Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.

 I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. 

Oh my god! This was the most interesting, different and original book I have read in a very long time! Two stories are being told at the same time. The first is a regular story, written by Kiersten White. The second is a story told through art work, illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo. I loved this concept so much! When I first heard about this book, I thought the pictures were just illustrating the first story. It was so interesting when I realized how wrong I was! It took me a long time, almost about 85% of the book before I realized how the stories were connected, but once I realized that, BAM, everything made sense!

In the Shadows is told in third person, in way of five different characters, sisters, Minnie and Cora, brothers, Thomas and Charles, and Arthur, a young man boarding at the sisters home. I really loved each one of the characters. They were all written so well. For such a short book, its shows how talented White is to make us feel connected to five different characters, and still be able to tell a complete story.

The artwork is absolutely stunning. I was reading an eARC copy and I was so impressed! As soon as it came out, I had to buy myself a finished copy, and the artwork was just as gorgeous!

The story was so interesting and dark. There are witches, spells and family secrets. I was enthralled the entire time and had to know what was going to happen. In the Shadows is a fast, quick and refreshing read and I will be recommending it to every person that I know!