LS 5623 Advanced Literature for Young Adults

Avi. 2008. THE SEER OF SHADOWS. New York: Harper Collins.
ISBN 9780060000165


Review:
The Seer of Shadows tells the story of a teen named Horace who is an apprentice to a photographer in New York circa 1872. When asked to take a portrait of a wealthy woman to place hanging in her deceased daughter's tomb, strange things begin to happen. Each time Horace snaps a picture, the deceased Eleanora appears in the photo looking angry. With the help of the wealthy family's servant, Horace discovers what really happened to Eleanora and learns the power he has when he aims the camera.

This story is extremely easy to read and captures the details of life in New York without bogging the reader down in details. Children today, who are accustomed to instant digital photos will enjoy reading about the complicated process it took to produce a single portrait. The supernatural element of the ghost of Eleanora slowly materializing to take revenge on her killers will be a good draw for young readers who like their books a little spooky. That the novel concludes with Horace (a white male) eventually marrying the black servant girl, Pegg, speaks more to today's social standards than those of that time period when such a union would be looked down upon. In no way in the novel however, is this marriage inflected as being against social norms. A good read filled with intrigue, a few ghosts, and a story that could take place today, but just happens to be set in a historical era.



Awards/Reviews:
Great Stone Face Children's Book Award  (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2010
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009
School Library Journal: "Boyer captures the moods of all the characters and the tension of the tale."
Voice of Youth Advocates: "Avi's rich language evokes images and speech patterns of a bygone era, and his careful chronicling of early photography's art and science make this novel a pleasure to read."
Publisher's Weekly: "Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book's somber ending will leave spines tingling."
Booklist: "Avi's latest is a fast-paced, yet haunting portrayal of an upright boy trying to make his way in a world that has suddenly gone strange and dangerous."

Connections:
Could be used to begin a discussion on the methods of photography or the status of blacks in America at the time.

Other books by Avi:
Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. ISBN 9780689837777
Avi. The Escape From Home. ISBN 9780380728756

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