The truth can sometimes sound like a lie because we're too afraid to believe it.

After falling in love with Marie Rutkoski's [b:Winner's Curse trilogy|16069030|The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)|Marie Rutkoski|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377023523s/16069030.jpg|21861552], I was anxious to read more of her lyrical writing and meet more of her brilliant heroines. Unfortunately, however, The Shadow Society feels rather mediocre. It's an entertaining novel, but it doesn't add much to the genre that hasn't already been written about.

When Darcy Jones was five, she was left abandoned at a firehouse without any memory of how she got there. Now sixteen, Darcy is determined to find out the truth about her past, not knowing that what she will learn will turn her world upside down.

Darcy is a decent protagonist. She's easy to like, but there's nothing about her that differentiates her from any other protagonist in the YA genre. She's rather typical and I just wish there was something more to her character to make her stand out.

There is romance here, and it felt a bit standard for YA literature as well. I appreciate the fact that Darcy and the love interest, Conn, talk and spend time with each other before they fall in love. Ultimately, though, while their relationship was sweet I never truly felt the spark between them.

Unless you're a huge fan of books with parallel universes, I'd recommend reading Marie's other book, [b:The Winner's Curse|16069030|The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)|Marie Rutkoski|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377023523s/16069030.jpg|21861552], instead. It is much better and doesn't feel like quite as run-of-the-mill.