Shada

by Craig Hansen

If you could speak to the dead, anyone at all, who would it be? When Jeni asked this question, Shada Emery figured it was a joke. So both she and Willow joined in the fun, naming their favorite dead celebrities. And then there was Ember Cole. Ember wants one more talk with her Grandpa Normie, whose death a year ago began a year of tragedy. So when Jeni suggests a camping trip into the dense woods of northwestern Wisconsin to hold a seance, Shada and Willow put off their misgivings and agree for the sake of their friend. Ember hopes to find the answers she seeks among the dead. But sometimes the dead have their own agenda. Shada is Book 1 of the Ember Cole series. A young adult paranormal suspense novella, it runs about 32,500 words in length. Early Praise for "This is a great book … I enjoyed Shada very much. It's got that spine tingling fun while drawing you into the characters and their lives." —Victorine E. Lieske, NYT bestselling author of Not What She Seems "Shada drew me in, left me wanting more, and made me a little afraid to go outside after dark." —T.L. Haddix, author of the Secrets/Leroy series of romantic suspense novels

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2011

About the author

Craig Hansen wrote his first SF published short story, “The S.S. Nova,” when he was fourteen. It was published in the Minnesota Writers in the Schools COMPAS program’s 1981 anthology of student writing, When It Grows Up, You Say Goodbye To It. That was when he decided to dedicate himself to writing.
Hansen earned two degrees at Minnesota State University at Mankato under the mentorship of young adult novelist Terry Davis. In the years that followed, Hansen worked a variety of jobs, including five years in journalism in northwestern Wisconsin, where he earned several state awards for his writing and editing.
His work has appeared in the Meadowbrook Press anthology, Girls to the Rescue, Book 1, as well as the true crime journal, Ripper Notes, in volume 28.
His first novel, Most Likely, was released in May 2011. Shada, the first installment of the Ember Cole series of young adult paranormal suspense books, was published in September 2011. Under Contract followed in the spring of 2012. The Devohrah Initiative appeared in August 2013. Nice Girl Like You appeared in June 2014, and Spoiled in September 2014. The Woodsman is his most recent work.
Hansen remains hard at work on several projects that will be announced when they are close to release, on his author website.
Hansen lives in Oregon with his wife, a dog, two cats, and his 92-year-old father, a World War II veteran.
Craig’s interests include the music of Johnny Cash, reading the novels of other independent authors, blogging, and the study of Messianic theology.
On his website, you can sign up to receive a periodic email newsletter that will notify you when he releases new books.
 
Connect With Me Online At:
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http://www.craig-hansen.com/
 
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Email:
craig@craig-hansen.com

Reviews

[Laurie Treacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shada was an absorbing read about friendship, letting our friends make decisions for us and then having to deal with the fallout. Shada and her three friends--the strong-willed Jeni, the melancholy Ember, and science nerd Willow--are close and Jeni invites them to a sleepover in the woods for a seance. Jeni lives on Reservation lands and when the girls trudge out to the camp site, they soon learn about the history of the place. Shada, like Jeni, is Native American, and understands Jeni when she speaks in Lakota, really putting on a show for her friends. But when a cool breeze starts up and twigs begin snapping in response to questions, the girls have to wonder what is really going on?

This novella is a fast read and the author handles the dialogue of seventh graders quite well (Willow is a year younger than her friends). There were a few instances when I thought Shada, our first-person narrator, sounded older when she used worn expressions. The story had an endearing charm about it--a combination of the feel of old-fashioned ghost stories combined with the complexities of modern day friendship in a technological age. The girls were not the usual norm, they were unique individuals and I especially enjoyed their camaraderie. It was touching to see the three friends want to help Ember smile again after she witnessed the death of her Grandpa Normie (not an actual relation, a friend of her grandmother's) a year before, then watched as her beloved grandmother fell into depression and suffered from Alzheimer's.

Holding a seance on ancient burial grounds was incredibly spooky and Craig Hansen skillfully crafted these chilly scenes, especially when one of the girls wanted to speak to Johnny Cash and when Jeni pulls out a Ouija board. I would have liked a tiny smattering of ominous descriptions during these dialogue-heavy scenes simply to create more suspense, but then I enjoy creepy stories.

Shada asks the question of what happens when fake becomes true. By the mysterious way this novella ended, I am curious to see what happens between her and Ember after Shada has to move away. Will the Shoshoni word Sacagawea's ghost utters through Jeni--"pakuitah--somehow play a greater role? I'll have to wait and see next year when the next story, Ember, is published. (My complete review: http://readergirls.blogspot.com/2011/...)

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Angie

This novella was a great quick-read. It is written from the perspective of a 14 year old girl and includes many timely references to Twilight, Facebook, Twitter and Harry Potter. But where other adults fail miserably at trying to capture the young culture, Hansen blends these references in seamlessly.

This story was promoted as a young girl’s quest to speak with her dead grandfather, but it was so much more. It’s about that unique bond that we feel with childhood best-friends and we’re sure that it will never be broken by time or distance.

I really enjoyed the book, but just when I felt that I was going to get a little deeper explanation of a character or an event it was off on to something else. I had to continually remind myself that this was a YA novella. I was left a little flat at the end of the story. The entire book had been leading up to the seance to communicate with Ember’s grandfather, and that was wrapped up in just a few paragraphs. This is the only reason I rated it a 3 star rather than a 4.

There were several ‘threads’ that could certainly be explored in the second book in the series, Ember, the most mysterious of which would be the sudden and unexplained disappearance of Willow. I look forward to reading the next installment.

http://openbooksociety.com/article/sh...

[Michael Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a little of "The Body" (Stand by Me) by King. It wasn't the story itself that was similar, but rather it was the way that the author so effectively conveyed what it's like to be a kid. I felt like I really got to know the young characters in the story.

The plot was solid and kept me engaged, although I will say that it was not primarily a "scary" story. Rather, this was a coming of age, loss of innocence, kind of tale that touched me more than it frightened me. Although, once the author unleashed his "supernatural" scenes, they were really well done and had the desired effect.

The strongest part of this story, however, was the dialog. Spot on and natural.

All I know is that I had three different novels going at the same time, counting this one, and "Shada" is the story I kept coming back to until I had finished it. Kudos to the author. Looking forward to reading more from him and about these characters!

[Ami Blackwelder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shada is a novella, kind of in the spirit of Stand-By-Me, but for girls, in the modern age, with a twist of slightly-maybe-going-to-be-paranomral feel to it. The writing style was fluid and the story logical, which with many books I read isn't always the case. There was a lot of dialogue, and not as much narrative/description. I like narrative and description and so missed that, but for those who enjoy mostly dialogue…you might like this more. I am going it 3 stars, because it was a good story. I would have liked more on the eerie side though and more descript/narrative.
I think people who enjoy coming-of-age stories would like this. It is also about 100 plus pages, so you can finish this quickly.