Shadows

 By Robin McKinley

Young Adult Fiction

Reviewed by Linda from the Winkler Branch

    Maggie's new stepfather is freaking her out.  Not that there's anything wrong with him precisely, nothing she can explain anyway.  If she says the shadows around him move on their own, she's going to sound crazy.  magic has been more or less stamped out in Newworld, and Maggie doesn't need a foreigner bringing it back, never mind actually living in her house and being married to her mother.  But magic is really hard to eradicate, and Stepfather Val may just be the start of a bigger magic outbreak that will suck Maggie in.

    Full disclosure: I am a fan of Robing McKinley and I've enjoyed everything she's written.  Shadows is no exception.  I love McKinley's worldbuilding, which is detailed down to the Newworld slang.  her characters feel real and I love that Maggie is strong without being perfect, and has the courage to step up even when she's very uncertain of the outcome.  Add in a good-sized handful of colorful animal characters, a few secrets, and government of coverup, and you've got Shadows: a book worth reading, and then re-reading.

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