SHADE
by Mere Joyce
Genre: YA Paranormal
Cover Designer: Molly Phipps of We Got You Covered Book Design
7 Sisters Publishing, LLC
April 10th, 2018
Fourteen-year-old Callum Silver sees dead people. It’s not a gift. His family thinks he’s crazy. Sometimes he thinks he’s crazy. He has no friends. He’s forced to live his life surrounded by nothing but the searing pain, sickening smells and desperate moans that accompany the murdered ghosts who seek him out.
When he’s offered a place at Camp Wanagi, the ten weeks in the French countryside isn’t a vacation, it’s a lifeline. A way to meet others like himself and prove his ability can offer more than years of loneliness and expensive therapy bills.
Run by a mysterious group known as the Oracle of Senders, Camp Wanagi brings together teens from around the globe who all possess the unique ability to see the dead. While Cal is relieved to find others like him, he learns quickly that not everybody experiences the spirits as he does. Some of the campers revere their abilities and don’t understand his hesitation, while others—like quiet bookworm Meander Rhoades—have good reason for wishing they could get rid of their ‘gifts’.
While researching their final project, Cal and Meander find an unmarked grave which reveals aspects of their abilities neither knew existed, forcing Cal to decide if the torture of seeing ghosts is worthwhile and, more importantly, if being a part of the Oracle of Senders is necessary, dangerous…or both.
A haunting read packed with mystery, uncertainty, action and facing unexpected decisions.
Callum, aka Cal, sees ghosts of those who have been murdered since he was a little child. His parents have thrust him in therapy for years, but now, he finds himself invited to a camp in France, where supposedly people with his abilities learn not only to work with them, but hopefully, join a force of specialists who help spirits find a release to the other side. But the camp holds many more surprises, especially when he discovers another with similar abilities. And these abilities hold more than either of the two might be willing or able to handle.
What a creepy and enticing read! Cal is a wonderful character. A little sarcastic, not Mr. Sunshine, but ready to bend and very down to Earth. He acts older than fourteen (most of the characters do) but otherwise, he is very easy to connect to and empathize with. The others around him are intriguing and add the right amount of personality and bite. The entire group comes across very natural and believable, even when they each have their own paranormal abilities.
The paranormal abilities aren't played up as in many pieces of literature in so far that the characters deal with them on a very natural level. Some of the abilities are stronger than others, but never do they come across as a super power. Instead, the powers mold perfectly in with a modern world. And they keep the creepy factor high.
This is about ghosts, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The author does a great job at keeping even this aspect fairly grounded, letting the haunting atmosphere ease in. It's spooky, but not a horror. Creepy but more of a mystery. In other words, it's a wonderful mixture with a taste of teen camp as these kids learn to deal with who they are and try to find their place in the world—or even if they want to face it. And all of this in a nice paced read with surprises around every corner. . .most of them being of the very chilling sort.
Fans of YA Paranormal and slightly spooky reads are sure to devour this one.
MY TIDBITS
A haunting read packed with mystery, uncertainty, action and facing unexpected decisions.
Callum, aka Cal, sees ghosts of those who have been murdered since he was a little child. His parents have thrust him in therapy for years, but now, he finds himself invited to a camp in France, where supposedly people with his abilities learn not only to work with them, but hopefully, join a force of specialists who help spirits find a release to the other side. But the camp holds many more surprises, especially when he discovers another with similar abilities. And these abilities hold more than either of the two might be willing or able to handle.
What a creepy and enticing read! Cal is a wonderful character. A little sarcastic, not Mr. Sunshine, but ready to bend and very down to Earth. He acts older than fourteen (most of the characters do) but otherwise, he is very easy to connect to and empathize with. The others around him are intriguing and add the right amount of personality and bite. The entire group comes across very natural and believable, even when they each have their own paranormal abilities.
The paranormal abilities aren't played up as in many pieces of literature in so far that the characters deal with them on a very natural level. Some of the abilities are stronger than others, but never do they come across as a super power. Instead, the powers mold perfectly in with a modern world. And they keep the creepy factor high.
This is about ghosts, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The author does a great job at keeping even this aspect fairly grounded, letting the haunting atmosphere ease in. It's spooky, but not a horror. Creepy but more of a mystery. In other words, it's a wonderful mixture with a taste of teen camp as these kids learn to deal with who they are and try to find their place in the world—or even if they want to face it. And all of this in a nice paced read with surprises around every corner. . .most of them being of the very chilling sort.
Fans of YA Paranormal and slightly spooky reads are sure to devour this one.
Mere Joyce is a Canadian author of books for young adults. Her writing includes contemporary tales, high-action mysteries, and her personal favourite—ghost stories. When she's not writing, Mere can be found recommending books as a librarian or spending time at home with her husband and two sons. She's also been known to be a selective, yet highly enthusiastic fangirl.
Author Links:
Website: http://merejoyce.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MereJoyceWrites
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Fl6KWM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merejoyce/
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2E2ugSN
1 comment:
Congratulations to Mere on her latest book!
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