This was just so great! I don't get why not a lot of people liked it. There were some things that were a bit cheesy, but I didn't mind. I think there were certain things people might have taken the wrong way, but I think everything made sense and fit with how the story went. Everything was perfect and loveable. This might be a favorite of mine. I also think Marie Rutkoski could have definitely made this into a series by setting more books into this interesting world she created. She might in the future, but I think all of the characters' stories wrapped up wonderfully. You couldn't help but love them all! ( Jims, especially!) Now I'm off to read more by this author!

The Shadow Society... I don't know where to start with this book. It's completely different than anything I've ever read. I've never had the pleasure of reading anything with dimensions and Shades. I won't tell you what Shades are because it would ruin all the mystery. I could not wrap my head around what was going on with Darcy and why Conn was interested and yet angry that she was walking around with her friends one day at school.

"Silly. I made myself drop the stylus to the table. You're acting crazy, I told myself. Loony, loopy, mad as a hatter. So a boy had stared at me. It didn't happen often, but it wasn't earth-shattering either. It was stupid to feel vulnerable. And if I had met him before and forgotten, no big deal. Still, how can you trust your memory when it has so many holes? How can you interpret the behavior of others when you're a mystery to yourself?"

Darcy is very intrigued by Conn's presence. She can't understand him and the way he sort of fakes his way into being a certain type of teenager - one who doesn't really care about anything. She also notes the way he moves as being very deliberate as well as his fascination towards her.

Darcy has lived in many different foster homes throughout her life after she was left off at the Chicago firehouse with no memory of her past - not even her name. No one really has liked her since she's moved with her new foster parent whose a little bit kooky but let's her stay in her home. She's also never had friends like the ones she had. Lily, Raphael, and Jims are all very protective over Darcy which at times had my thoughts varying from sweet to suspicious (courtesy of my buddy reading this with me). Now Conn comes in and upsets the balance. It's when they become involved in a school project about a poem by J. Alfred (I seriously need to read it) that she starts getting to know Conn more.

"Have you ever read Sherlock Holmes?" I asked Conn.
"Yes... although I'm having some difficulty figuring out what he has to do with the topic at hand."
"He once said that, when solving a mystery, you have to consider all the possibilities and eliminate them one by one. Whatever's left, no matter how strange it seems, must be your answer. What makes more sense? That all eighteen adults vetted and trained by the DCFS to be foster parents were awful people, or that there is something wrong with me? Something deep inside. Something they didn't notice right away, but eventually couldn't live with."

I really liked Darcy. She feels real and unreal if that makes sense. I like her boldness and cared deeply about her well being as I came to know her through her voice in the story. I loved her passion with art and reading about what she drew and the way she drew. I always like when I get to read about a character with a passion because the author always showcases it so well. I loved the quietness of her and the writing. It suited her well.

"I thought of J. Alfred walking on the beach with the bottoms of his trousers rolled, and how these lines of the poem weren't the last, but might as well have been:

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me."

"He's lonely," I said. "And he's given up."

Darcy becomes involved in a love triangle which doesn't sound as bad as you would think although, I would have liked a little more emotions between the love interests. Although, everything about Darcy and the writing felt quiet and contemplative which made the way the romance grew make sense.

Darcy's choices in love and life were commendable even though she was afraid. Her life completely changes when she goes to another dimension which has Shades who are rivals of humans. That whole different dimension was so fascinating. It mirrored our world a lot with the struggles we deal with as a society. I was immersed into this world so fully. I loved the mystery and science fiction elements of this book. Darcy was a splendid character and I enjoyed the new concept of Shades. There were a couple of things that I would have liked done differently or known. I felt like the ending wrapped up a tiny bit fast and there is one aspect of the Shades, their strength, that was never explained. There is also something I hope she tells a certain someone in the future because it would be truly worth reading their reaction. Other than that I really enjoyed The Shadow Society and look forward to reading more by this author.

I really really really want to like this book because I really really really like the characters. But I just couldn't finish it. Even with 3/4 already read. I think I hate time/dimension travel. Anyway, it's probably really good and I was in a cranky place when I stopped. I may try again one day, when time travel doesn't irk me so much.

This review originally appeared HERE on my blog My Life is a Notebook.

Lately, I’ve been very lucky to get my hands on books that started out mediocre but redeemed themselves in the end.

This is not one of those books.

In fact, the first part of this book was hankering for a higher rating. I’ll admit, there was nothing entirely compelling about the characters from the get go, but the world and the plot was engrossing despite myself. I was sucked in and had a hard time finding stopping points for when I had to do things like school and work. This is always a very, very good sign.

I’ve mentioned that I dislike when books start at this really crucial point, only to back up at the beginning of the real first chapter–and that’s what happened here. Still, I soldiered on and was rewarded. I’m an English major (well, that’s half a double major, but I digress), so the whole theme of T. S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock caused serious love from me. That was a touch I totally wasn’t expecting from this paranormal romance. I was actually really surprised by the plot and the way that twisted, too, but … well, I have a confession:

I totally forgot to reread the blurb before I read it. So, yeah. The whole Shade thing? BLEW MY MIND. (Remind me to never, ever get this backed up on reviews again.)

I did find the concepts of the two different Chicagos difficult to understand, and yeah that was after I figured out what was going on. I felt like I needed a little bit more explanation there. However, the Shade v. humans thing was really well established–as was the Shades themselves–so I didn’t really mind as much because man Shades are COOL.

Given the clarity of the whole Shade thing, I was really invested in the plot, even if the characters were fairly one-dimensional. The romance wasn’t overly terrible or overly exciting, but it fit into the plot nicely and didn’t overpower it. I was humming along, ready to give this sucker about four stars or so.

Then some things right before the ending happened. And my suspension of disbelief was broken and I was tossed from the story, quite rudely.

The problem is, I can’t tell you what happened.

The point of the matter is, though, that some fairly improbable things occurred towards then end, and then things fell together far too easily. The ending was confusing and entirely unrealistic. There is no WAY Darcy and Co could have what happened to them after all the tension and fighting in the rest of the book. There is just NO. WAY. After the seamless run of the rest of the book, I was greatly disappointed and the rating of the book dropped an entire star. I don’t even understand if the ending was setting up for a sequel or not. Goodreads certainly doesn’t have any information on such a thing, though that certainly isn’t gospel. All in all, the ending turned an enjoyable book into a confusing one and left me with a very different impression than the one I had for most of the book.

Depending on who you talk to, this might be listed as YA paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy, YA SF, etc. It's an interesting story set in a world with alternate universes linked via Chicago monuments, and although the world-building is very good, it's very much character-driven (which I thoroughly enjoy). And I really like the cover. Can't quite figure out why it has so many so-so reviews.

At first, I thought this book was going to be another cliche supernatural romance but it ended up surprising me. It's well written and from an interesting and mysterious POV--a orphaned teenager named Darcy. While Darcy has a foster mother, she's been through several homes and schools and can't seem to remember what happened to her as a child aside from the moment she was taken into the system. Darcy has a pretty interesting back story but you'll have to read to almost the end of the book to discover what it is. I'm also a sucker for any character, particularly a main character, who has love for art.

The side characters were pretty awesome, too. Darcy has this great group of friends who really come to life. And while it took at least half of the book, I eventually warmed up to and learned to like the love interest. You'll see why. I enjoyed the relationships in this story, too. Not just with the love interest, but also between Darcy and her friends as well as her foster mother. Also Savannah and Uncle "Bear."

The plot was fast-paced, mysterious, and fun. The settings were also pretty awesome. I'm a bit surprised that this isn't a series, but at the same time I feel it wrapped itself up pretty well. While not perfect, this was a very good read. Will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

I picked this up after falling massively in love with Rutkoski's other series The Winner's Curse.

This book follows Darcy Jones, an artistic teenage orphan with a charming tight knit group of friends. Darcy who was abandoned at the age of five, cannot recall any memories before that moment. After moving from foster home to foster home she has finally found a home where she is happy and loved. Her life is turned upside down when the mysteriously handsome new guy, Conn Mcrea shows up at school. After spending time with Conn on a school project secrets from Darcy's own mysterious past come to light.


Honestly I didnt really know anything about this book going into it. I wasnt really sure if it was just going to be a straight contemporary or if there was going to be some fantastical element. From the very beginning I felt the story grounded in a unique reality. The characters populating this world felt real and this book could have easily been just a regular contemporary. Darcy is a very likable heroine and I cared about what was happening to her. I really appreciated despite falling for Conn very early on there was a sense of unease I felt for Darcy while she was getting to know him. I found this a refreshing change as it didnt feel like blind instalove.

I had a few moments reading where I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief. Particularly when it came to her friends after they found out her secret. It was nice but also quite unlikely what unravelled with them. I also found the ending a tad bit rushed but not enough to take away from the story as a whole. Overall I really enjoyed this book and wouldnt have minded reading a sequel.

Loved it! Better than expected a.k.a. I WANT NEED MORE.

The Shadow Society is unique in that I haven’t really read any other books that take place across multiple dimensions.

I liked Darcy and enjoyed her friends, yet at one point her friends fall off the radar once Darcy gets wrapped up with Conn. It felt like a good majority of the books is just about Darcy and Conn doing not very exciting things.

I appreciated how Darcy didn’t immediately forgive Conn when he betrays her. (I promise this is not a spoiler! It is written in the summary.) Conn was one moody character. He went through some personality changes throughout the whole book. Sometimes I couldn’t take him seriously.

For example: “He clapped a hand over his mouth. ‘I did not just say that.’” - Conn, page 277

To be honest, I just sat laughing after reading that quote. He’s supposed to be some super tough guy, yet his actions don’t match that description.

Overall, The Shadow Society is enjoyable, but not a book that I think I will be reading again.

4.25