Wonderfully Weird
I received this book for free from GrownUp Fangirl Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Initial Reaction...
Okay, so at first, Book of Shade was weird and I didn't know what to make of it. But by the end, I couldn't put it down. K C Finn has created a fascinating fantasy world, filled with people and creatures I can't wait to know better!
The Characters...
Lily, from whose point of view Book of Shade is told, is a girl after my own heart. When we meet Lily she's moving into the dorms at University and preparing for her first semester. She's studious and smart, and I loved that she was a history major (since I'm an Historian). I think what I liked most about Lily was the way she grew throughout the novel. She starts off a bit awkward and just trying to find her way in university life, but as she grows to know more about herself and who she really is, she changes into a much stronger, more self-aware person.
Right off the bat we meet Lilly's roommate, Jazzy, who happens to be my favorite character in Book of Shade. Jazzy is so incredibly selfless and sweet - it shows through in everything she does. Her parents are wealthy and support Jazzy so well - but rather than being snobbish, Jazzy uses the overflow to help out (and often feed) Lilly. I would have liked to see more of her and hope we do in future novels
And then there's Lemarick Novel. Like his name, this guy is weird. And I grew to love him. We first meet him when Lilly and Jazzy go to Theatre Imaginique with the club they've newly joined, the Illustrious Minds Literary Society. Novel is one of the stage performers and everything about that carnival-esque show is a bit off, in a really wonderfully imaginative way - including him. Like Lily, Novel changes and grows throughout the novel and I really enjoyed seeing (and hoping for) changes in him.
The supporting characters hit the perfect balance - you know just enough about them for their interactions to matter, but they don't overwhelm the story with side-plots. I really enjoyed the two sides of Lily's life - the University world and the Theatre Imaginique world - and how well K C Finn was able to craft them.
The Story...
If I'm 100% honest, Book of Shade took me a while to get into and in the first bit I worried that I wasn't going to get into it. And as an American reader, it took me a little bit to get comfortable with the English lingo. But, that aside, I'm so glad I gave it a real chance. The world that Finn created is so wonderfully weird you can't help but adore it. There's a lot of mystery and there's just enough clues for you to take a stab at figuring things out, but you're never quite sure until the big reveals, which is exactly what I love I also really enjoyed the many relationships in Book of Shade - I'm not talking just romantic relationships, but parent-child and friend relationships that really enriched the story.
Since Finn has created a magical world with creatures that I've never seen - and the ones I have seen wonderfully remade - I can't even begin to guess what's coming next. The last 25% was pretty non-stop intensity for me and I will it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger. Not the kind that leaves you desperate for the next move, but the kind where just enough has been resolved that you are content for now, but definitely want a bit more.
Concluding Sentiments...
I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to read Book of Shade and can't wait to get to know these characters and the wonderfully weird world a bit better. Don't let the slow-start trip you up, this is worth every minute!
