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Throw Down Your Shadows

Deborah Hemming (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 28 ratings · 7 reviews

Sixteen-year-old Winnie is a creature of habit, a lover of ritual and stability. If she had her way, not much would change. But when a new family moves to town, Winnie and her three best friends—all boys—find themselves changing quickly and dramatically to impress Caleb, their strange and charismatic new companion. Under Caleb's influence, Winnie and her friends test bound

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Paperback, 272 pages

Published June 30th 2020 by Vagrant Press

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Jun 25, 2020 Chloe Lowenna rated it really liked it

This book follows the coming of age of Winnie, whose everything is nestled in Annapolis Valley. This is Winnie's childhood haven, rural and riverside, but where she also navigates the many tributaries of young adulthood along with three others: stargazer Tom, compass Jake and follower Sam.

Each one of their summers is spent doing the same things in the same places. But new and dangerous things arrive in the form of one more- manipulator Caleb (picture seventeen-year-old Iago with less … murdero This book follows the coming of age of Winnie, whose everything is nestled in Annapolis Valley. This is Winnie's childhood haven, rural and riverside, but where she also navigates the many tributaries of young adulthood along with three others: stargazer Tom, compass Jake and follower Sam.

Each one of their summers is spent doing the same things in the same places. But new and dangerous things arrive in the form of one more- manipulator Caleb (picture seventeen-year-old Iago with less … murderous motives), and the balanced rhythms of the quartet are ever changed…

I had a wonderful time with Throw Down Your Shadows - its retrospective and alternating chronology give the reader an opportunity to piece together the narrative timeline in an unconventional yet compelling manner. Anchoring each chapter to either ‘before’ or ’after’ the central, smouldering plot point immediately hooked my attention and continued holding it throughout. Moreover, even though I was always aware of this plot anchor whilst reading, the whole truth of it still managed to catch me off guard when it was revealed in its entirety. I also enjoyed how far ‘after’ we travel with Winnie, following her through her late teens through to her late twenties.

Because of this narrative pacing, I found myself easily immersed in both setting and story. I’ve never stepped foot in Canada however I feel as though I’ve lived a lifetime there because of the short time I’ve shared with Winnie. Not only does the environment often feel like a character itself, but because of the unique narrative structure through which it is built, you become very connected to Winnie. Her personality shines through the use of parenthesis (quirky) and her succinct yet beautiful observations of characters and context. This fleshed out a curious, yet confident female protagonist whose strength and solitude I grew to admire.

When reading this novel, I couldn’t think of one particular book that I could exactly parallel it with, which speaks volumes to its originality and how much I valued this. If you combined together Jim Crace’s Harvest with dashes of Gilmore Girls and Stiefvater’s Raven Boys you can begin imagining the atmosphere of this book. Although Throw Down Your Shadows stands strong as a new, highly recommended favourite of mine, it if you did enjoy any of these any I highly suggest picking it up! ...more

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Jun 27, 2020 Brooke rated it really liked it

*ARC provided via #netgalley⁣
⁣
Winnie is a high schooler who lives in a small town nestled in the Nova Scotian valley. She has three best friends-Tom, Sam, and Jake. They are a close group who do everything together and feel superior to their fellow classmates, and everyone seems to be satisfied with this arrangement. When an alluring new student moves to town and befriends their group, Winnie struggles to deal with the growing fissures in her relationship with the boys. ⁣
It’s not always easy for ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Ian rated it liked it

What does it mean, to do the wrong thing for the right reasons? 16-year-old Winnie, the self-reliant narrator of Deborah Hemming’s taut novel Throw Down Your Shadows, is about to learn that painful lesson. It’s summer, 2005. Winnie lives with her artist mother, Ruth, in Gaspereau, a small rural community next door to Wolfville, in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley: wine and apple country. Winnie, something of a tomboy, regards girls her age as shallow and uninteresting and wants nothing to do with What does it mean, to do the wrong thing for the right reasons? 16-year-old Winnie, the self-reliant narrator of Deborah Hemming’s taut novel Throw Down Your Shadows, is about to learn that painful lesson. It’s summer, 2005. Winnie lives with her artist mother, Ruth, in Gaspereau, a small rural community next door to Wolfville, in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley: wine and apple country. Winnie, something of a tomboy, regards girls her age as shallow and uninteresting and wants nothing to do with them. Instead, her best friends are Tom, Jake and Sam, three boys with whom she spends most of her time, biking around, swimming, or just hanging out in each other’s company. An exclusive group, they are also honest, responsible and community minded. She and Tom work summers at a U-Pick. Jake helps his father on the family farm. But this is the summer when everything is about to change. Winnie’s relationship with her three friends becomes strained when Caleb’s family settles in Gaspereau, having moved across country from Vancouver. The boys invite Caleb into the group, and immediately Winnie finds herself witnessing a gradual shift in the balance of power. Accustomed to being in control and getting her way, Winnie discovers that she is helpless to counteract Caleb’s slow and sneaky seduction of her three friends. Caleb, with his personal magnetism, air of mystery, big-city smarts and blasé contempt for authority, draws Winnie and the others into a petty crime spree. It all seems like harmless fun. After all, the losses are minor, and nobody’s being hurt. But then, to her horror, Winnie realizes that a profound physical attraction to Caleb is changing her. Not only does she tremble at his touch, seek his glance, and agonize over whether or not he feels the same way, a relentless and powerful craving for his approval is blinding her to his true nature. Confused by the emergence of these new feelings, annoyed that Caleb seems to be toying with her affections, she finds reasons to excuse his behaviour and resists clear evidence that he poses a genuine danger, not just to her and her friends, but to the entire community. But Winnie is also pragmatic, cautious and observant, and as the summer passes and school starts again, she can no longer deny that the threat is real and imminent. Deeply ashamed of her failure to protect her friends, she decides that drastic action is needed. In her debut novel Deborah Hemming has written a deliberately paced and gripping story of adolescent angst. Throw Down Your Shadows is a psychologically probing and morally complex novel, one that also displays patience and a deep sympathy for adolescent states of mind. Winnie’s voice is convincing, her dilemma heart-rending as she leaves innocence behind and her eyes are opened to unwelcome truths. Does she make the right decision? In the end, is the pain she causes worth an uncertain victory? Writing with admirable restraint, Deborah Hemming leaves it to the reader to answer these questions. ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Enid Wray rated it did not like it

I've been picking this up and putting it down for days now. Not my cup of tea.

Generally a Before/After structure is fine - except that much of Winnie’s self-reflection happens in the ‘Before’ sections. I also found the whole novel to be very preachy… I felt like I was getting a lesson about the history - social and economic - of the region.

One of the things that bothered me throughout the book was it not being firmly grounded in time. I deduce that the ‘action’ takes place around 2010… the fir ...more

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Sep 29, 2020 Sarah Butland rated it it was amazing

A book I would have loved to read in high school but, who am I kidding, long out of high school this story still rings true and sheds light where darkness tends to be.

Having a group of four good guy friends and no real girl friends, Winnie thought her life was complicated but somewhat predictable. With many traditions including a trip to the market with her single mom and nights alone while her mother tried to find ‘the one’, lazy summers with her friends who were dependable and didn’t always ne ...more

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Oct 18, 2020 Ramona Jennex rated it really liked it

A marvelous debut by a Nova Scotian author! Deborah weaves a profound coming of age story that will probably evoke teenage memories and high school experiences. The story is authenticly set in the rich agricultural and beautiful Gaspereau Valley and the small university town of Wolfville. (Nova Scotia, Canada)
I really like how the story moves back and forth from the "Before" and "After" the winery fire. This book has all the elements for an extremely satisfying reading experience including a com ...more

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Mar 19, 2020 Read with Kaylie Seed rated it it was amazing

Deborah Hemming’s debut novel Throw Down Your Shadows, which is scheduled to released in July of this year, is a breathtaking tale of finding out who you are, learning lessons, and realizing that we truly never stop growing up. Hemming’s main character Winnie brings the reader through one of the biggest moments of her life and reveals how that experience shaped her into becoming who she is today, while also having Winnie remind the reader that growing up never truly ends.

Winnie is a sixteen year Deborah Hemming’s debut novel Throw Down Your Shadows, which is scheduled to released in July of this year, is a breathtaking tale of finding out who you are, learning lessons, and realizing that we truly never stop growing up. Hemming’s main character Winnie brings the reader through one of the biggest moments of her life and reveals how that experience shaped her into becoming who she is today, while also having Winnie remind the reader that growing up never truly ends.

Winnie is a sixteen year old girl in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Canada. She lives with her mom Ruth where farmland is abundant and so is the possibility of getting away with some lighthearted mischief. Winnie spends her summer before eleventh grade with her three friends: Tom, Sam, and Jake, when a new impish boy named Caleb from Vancouver, British Columbia joins the four outcasts and quickly changes the dynamics of the group of friends. Winnie realizes that having a rotten apple amongst her and her friends truly does spoil the bunch as Caleb creates havoc throughout the Annapolis Valley.

In addition to the distinctive characters that Hemming has created, she also uses her home as inspiration for the setting of Throw Down Your Shadows. Rich detail can be seen throughout Hemming’s prose as she describes the valley and the vineyards that surround it and it is easy for the reader to picture the lush vineyards as they read along. One of the main settings in Throw Down Your Shadows is a vineyard where Winnie spends her summer working and learning about the art of wine. This plays a huge role throughout the storyline as well as in Winnie’s life as she grows up.

Deborah Hemming has created an exquisite piece of art that shows the beauty and pain in growing up, and that we truly are never done learning and growing. Throw Down Your Shadows is a wonderful Young Adult book with an enticing coming-of-age story that Hemming has created that is sure to inspire others to follow their dreams. Hemming’s characters and setting are truly memorable and will leave the reader wondering where life has taken these fictional characters long after the story ends. Throw Down Your Shadows is a wonderful debut novel and Hemming has proved that she has a gift in writing to share with the world. We are hoping to see more from this talented author in the future!

*Throw Down Your Shadows has been pushed back to July for publishing due to the COVID-19 pandemic currently sweeping our continent. I highly recommend pre-ordering this novel because it is truly the perfect summer read while you enjoy a glass of your favourite wine.*

Thank you to Nimbus Publishing for providing Cloud Lake Literary this book to review. Note that while the book was gifted, our reviews are independent and unbiased.

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Originally published on Cloud Lake Literary’s website. Link above.
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