Book Review + Intl. Giveaway : In The Shadow Of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In The Shadow Of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

My Rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

Publication date:  April 2nd 2013 by Amulet Books 

 Blurb:  In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

My Review:

**I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from Abrams And Chronicle Books U.K in exchange for an honest review.**

Words CANNOT explain how I felt while reading In The Shadow Of Blackbirds.It is quite a unique novel of the YA historical fiction genre,I'll hand you that.But the entire story is like a bumpy roller-coaster ride,with its sharp turns and frequent highs and lows.After finally being able to put down the book,my mind was all jumbled up with my mixed thoughts.There were parts where the story did not proceed the way I wanted it to,but were good nonetheless.But my possessiveness got the better of me and during those parts I felt like taking control of the plot and guide it the way I wanted it to go.

But even then I felt that the author did a wonderful job in writing the book,despite the fact that some things did not turn out the way I wanted them to be.With black and white photos from around the same era the story was set in at the beginning of each chapter,this author really knows how to bring a story to life.

So overall,after considering both the pros and cons of my mixed feelings,I've decided to rate this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.Mixed feelings equals a mixed rating! :)

But one thing's for sure.This book will definitely win the hearts of fans of YA historical novels like The Diviners or The Masque Of The Red Death. I just hope that there's a sequel to this book with an ending which will satisfy my disappointment of the ending in this one.

Giveaway:

Abrams U.K has generously offered a copy of In The Shadow Of Blackbirds for me to give away to one INTERNATIONAL winner.Enter via the form below and please check the TERMS AND CONDITIONS on the form.Giveway starts at 15:58 EST time (New York)

Good Luck!!! :)