Shadowshaper (Shadowshaper Cypher, #1) in Overdue Podcast

Mar 14, 2016 Asanté rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, would-never-read-again, teen

I've been a fan of Older's for a while now, but I never picked up one of his books.

I wish I kept it that way.

Shadowshaper is definitely original. Set in a magical, but still-gentrifying Brooklyn, he gives readers a taste of the real New York. Not the one you see on television or in movies, where it’s mainly middle- or upper-class white people who are finding their way in life or love or happiness. Mixed with all the fantastical, magical elements, Older’s Brooklyn has all the hodgepodges of cultu I've been a fan of Older's for a while now, but I never picked up one of his books.

I wish I kept it that way.

Shadowshaper is definitely original. Set in a magical, but still-gentrifying Brooklyn, he gives readers a taste of the real New York. Not the one you see on television or in movies, where it’s mainly middle- or upper-class white people who are finding their way in life or love or happiness. Mixed with all the fantastical, magical elements, Older’s Brooklyn has all the hodgepodges of culture, ethnicity, and simple neighborhood quirks that gives the real borough life.

But with all of that said and done, Shadowshaper doesn’t hold up in pretty much any other aspect. In its 297 pages, it leaves a lot to be desired. I finished the novel, looked up at the poster of Nancy Drew on my wall, and said, “That’s it?!” It lacks in many, very important aspects. The character development staggers toward a suddenly very empowered Sierra, who previously was stuck in the dark (or should I say, “shadows”) on everything happening with her family and powers; the history and purpose of the titular shadowshapers is never fully delved into and is given half-baked explanations; the romantic subplot Older was going for is dropped for much of the novel and then suddenly brought back up in the final act; the villain is such a lump and ends up a massive disappointment after all this build-up and hype; and I'll just say it, the writing wasn’t particularly entertaining or enjoyable.

I feel like people are giving this book too much credit. While the book does some admittedly decent work on diversity, it doesn't handle other issues well at all. Older's black characters shake off centuries’ worth of Eurocentric beauty standards after, you know, just a few days of thinking about it. I can say as a young black woman like Sierra, it's not that freaking easy trying to combat those feelings of ugliness and undesirability imposed by Eurocentrism. The book paints over that issue very liberally as to make way for the suddenly empowered Sierra mentioned above. And another thing, police brutality is brought up a few times. But it's only used as a throw away line here and there that basically says, “Oh yeah, Bennie’s brother was killed by the police three years ago. Anyways!” I get that Older wanted to comment on social and cultural issues facing black people and PoC, but he didn't seem to think about how he was handling those issues. Just because he mentioned them, doesn't mean he did a good job. If I can't get away with that in a college paper, he shouldn't get away with it in a novel he's making who knows how much money off of.

I'm sure Shadowshaper would be more enjoyable to someone who's younger and haven't had people like themselves to connect to or look up to, but it just ended up a very unsatisfying, but quick toe-dip into Older's literary career. ...more

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Jul 27, 2016 tysephine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, young-adult

I really enjoyed this one! The characters, the setting, the action scenes, the realness, everything was just so on point.

The way the scenes are written and the concept of embuing art with spirits is so visual - I can see the actions so clearly in my head. I want this made into a movie so badly.

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