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32nd out of 134 books
—
187 voters
The Year of Shadows
by
Claire Legrand (Goodreads Author)
Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year.
Her mother left, her neglectful father -- the maestro of a failing orchestra -- has moved her and her grandmother into his dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat.
Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia’s he...more
Her mother left, her neglectful father -- the maestro of a failing orchestra -- has moved her and her grandmother into his dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat.
Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia’s he...more
Hardcover
Expected publication:
August 27th 2013
by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
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All right, so I'm rating my own book again, and as I do so, Olivia is standing behind me, looking over my shoulder, peeking out over her sketchpad.
"You're really gonna do that?" she asks. "Rate your own book?"
(At this point, Victoria, elsewhere in my brain, puffs up indignantly, but I shut her up before she can start ranting.)
"Well, I'm proud of this book," I explain to Olivia. "I think it's okay to say so."
Olivia shifts back and forth. She's very quiet. "It was a hard book to live through."
We s...more
"You're really gonna do that?" she asks. "Rate your own book?"
(At this point, Victoria, elsewhere in my brain, puffs up indignantly, but I shut her up before she can start ranting.)
"Well, I'm proud of this book," I explain to Olivia. "I think it's okay to say so."
Olivia shifts back and forth. She's very quiet. "It was a hard book to live through."
We s...more
I've been dying to read this book for so long. First, because I adore Claire so much. She's just amazing. Second, because her other middle grade book, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, is my most favorite middle grade book. She just writes so perfect. At first I got declined two times. But then today I got accepted for it after all, on Edelweiss. It gave me the happiest feeling. I had to start it right away. And once I started reading The Year of Shadows I could not stop until I had finishe...more
This book was a first for me- it was my first ARC, which stands for Advanced Reading Copy. This means that I got to read Claire’s book before its release to the public! Exciting!
Let me tell you, I was a little unsure how this book would hit me- I mean, Claire’s first book, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, instantly became one of my favorites and I was curious how this one would stack up against it.
I already knew that Claire had a knack for the weird and creepy- her book and her short stor...more
Let me tell you, I was a little unsure how this book would hit me- I mean, Claire’s first book, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, instantly became one of my favorites and I was curious how this one would stack up against it.
I already knew that Claire had a knack for the weird and creepy- her book and her short stor...more
I read an advance copy and it was amazing. The only problem: I have to wait until August to talk excitedly with others who have read it.
Oh, how I love a good ghost story. And this one here is a great ghost story. Perfectly creepy, yet well-suited to the target age group.
I love Olivia, Henry, the ghosts, the hall, Nonnie, even Igor (and I normally do not care for cats).
Well done, Claire.
Hurry August!
Oh, how I love a good ghost story. And this one here is a great ghost story. Perfectly creepy, yet well-suited to the target age group.
I love Olivia, Henry, the ghosts, the hall, Nonnie, even Igor (and I normally do not care for cats).
Well done, Claire.
Hurry August!
This book has all the necessary factors for kids to love. A quirky heroine, a pet cat, a best friend sidekick, ghosts and a haunted hall. Girls will love Olivia and her efforts to save the ghosts. Single parent family is also something many kids have to deal with, and its good to know that many friends help out Olivia and her dad and grandmother.
So, I've been a crazy fan of Claire's since THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (which everyone needs to read like yesterday), and when I got her second book to blurb I basically died of excitement. Read it in two days. Loved it. The main character is a bit prickly and angry (for good reason), but there are so many weird, funny, good-hearted characters to balance her out, and the ghosts are fantastic. It would probably be a spoiler to say why, but they're some of the most unique ghosts I've ev...more
Apr 24, 2013
I Eat Words
added it
After reading CAVENDISH HOME, I knew I was going to read absolutely everything Claire LeGrand wrote. I was not disappointed by THE YEAR OF SHADOWS! Olivia is a bit more of a broken character, but I was rooting for her the entire time. Her and Henry made quite the team, even if they were total opposites. Igor the cat was one of my favs too, and I don't even like cats in real life. Anyway, the story contains ghostly adventures and exciting twists and turns that felt unique and fun. If you love par...more
This book is very VERY dark for the grade range, but the story is highly emotional and relevant.
Review pending.
Review pending.
review to come...
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Claire is a Texan living in New Jersey with a dragon and two cats. She writes fantastical stories, and her daemon is an ocelot but sometimes a unicorn.
blog | tumblr | facebook | twitter | pinterest
Her first novel, THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, out now from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, will probably give you nightmares. Or at the very least make you buy a nightlight.
Her se...more
More about Claire Legrand...
blog | tumblr | facebook | twitter | pinterest
Her first novel, THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, out now from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, will probably give you nightmares. Or at the very least make you buy a nightlight.
Her se...more
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Jan 31, 2013 07:20pm
Feb 01, 2013 10:04am