Shadows
by Robin McKinley
Kailey (Luminous Libro)‘s reviewOct 28, 2021  ·  edit
really liked itbookshelves: owned-books, books-read-in-2021

Maggie lives in an urban society that has outlawed the use of magic. When the fabric of the dimensions begins to collapse, and holes in reality start to appear, the government tries to use science to deal with the problem.
When Maggie meets her new stepfather for the first time, she knows he is involved in some kind of powerful magic, because he is surrounded by wisps of shadow that loom in the darkness. The shadows seem to move about on their own, wiggling and changing with every mood.

I loved the magical urban setting in this book! It’s very modern, with cars and cellphones, but the history of the world includes magic, passed down by genetics through certain families. The world-building has such great depth, and it was so interesting learning all about the magic system.

Maggie is such a great main character! She is complex and emotional, and I loved seeing how she gradually discovers her own hidden powers. It was so interesting to see how she reacts when her stepfather is around, and the complexity of that new family dynamic when her mother marries this man Maggie barely knows. And I really liked the sibling dynamic between Maggie and her little brother. So cute and fun!

I loved the supporting characters! Maggie’s best friends at high school and the new people she meets all have some good backstories and depth.

The plot is really exciting and I was riveted with every chapter! I finished this book in only a couple of days, because I couldn’t put it down. I was glad to see that this book isn’t scary. The shadows are a bit ominous, but there is nothing actually frightening in this book.
The writing style really pulls you into the story, into Maggie’s thoughts, and then you are swept along for the adventure. However there is a little bit of profanity. Not very much though, and nothing too bad. It didn’t bother me very much.