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    In the Shadow of Blackbirds
    In the Shadow of Blackbirds
    In the Shadow of Blackbirds
    Audiobook10 hours

    In the Shadow of Blackbirds

    Written by Cat Winters

    Narrated by Angela Goethals

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    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 sEances 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateOct 25, 2013
    ISBN9781470383213
    Author

    Cat Winters

    Cat Winters's debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, was released to widespread critical acclaim. The novel has been named a finalist for the 2014 Morris Award, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013, and a Booklist 2013 Top 10 Horror Fiction for Youth. Winters lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children.

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    Reviews for In the Shadow of Blackbirds

    4.5/5

    20 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I love historical fiction, it is by far my favorite genre, but sadly, it is the genre I read the least. I think part of the problem is that far too many historical fiction novels take place in a historical time period, but read like contemporaries. In the Shadow of Blackbirds stays true to the social and political aspects of the the early Twentieth century, creating an intriguing look into into the past of a hugely devastating epoch in American history. Everyone has a general idea of what happened during World War I. Similarly, most people have at least heard of the Spanish Influenza outbreak. However, what many people failed to realize is that these two catastrophes were existing at the same time. Not only were young men being sent off to fight in foreign lands and returning in coffins, but people were no longer safe in their own homes. People feared the Germans, but at least with the war, people had a tangible enemy to point to. The flu was unpredictable, it was in the air, and science was not advanced enough to significantly stop the epidemic from spreading; they just had to let it run its course. With death bombarding individuals at every moment of the day, it is no surprise that they started to feel a need to find proof of an afterlife. They needed clear, scientific evidence, that their loved ones have passed on to somewhere else and have not just ceased to exist. They needed comfort in knowing that if - or when - the flu takes them, they will pass on to this new plain too. In the Shadow of Blackbirds puts an emphasis on the spiritual effects of these two coinciding terrors. From spiritual photography and seances, to controversial experiments, Winters gives readers a taste of the absolute desperation and consuming need to prove the unknown. Historical photographs and propaganda are woven throughout the novel to fully immerse the reader into the terror and desolation the generation had to face. Yes, this novel does have pictures, but that does not put it in some lesser category. Pictures does not equal simplification and it does not equal less words. These images instead serve an emotional purpose that words cannot describe. Reading about characters clenching their face masks, hovered around tables calling out to ghosts, or seeing propaganda guilting people into joining the war efforts create one type of emotional response. However, putting historically correct photographs alongside these descriptions create an unparalleled depth to the emotional experience. These images are a huge strength of the novel. My only criticism is that there were some times when I found myself pulled out of the story by a word or sentence that sounded a bit too contemporary. This is a silly example, but at one point the main character relates something to the feeling you get on a Ferris Wheel. The Ferris Wheel (the original design which held over 2,000 people) was invented in 1893 for the World Fair in Chicago and was destroyed in 1906. That same year, the Eli Bridge Company started to distribute a smaller, more effective version of the wheel to other places around the country. The book takes place in 1919. I do not think that at this point in history, the feeling you get on a Ferris Wheel would have been a commonly understood concept. Like I said, this is silly and pretty much inconsequential, but there were little moments when it felt like I was being addressed as a contemporary audience, rather than a reader in 1919. However, this was not a big problem in the text. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was not exactly what I was expecting it to be, which was interesting as it made the plot unpredictable. Also, I clearly have illogical responses to things, because the constant mention of onions (which were thought to ward off the flu) made me really want to make some French onion soup. Anyone else? No? Just me? Oh... okay.
    • 4/5
      Very solid YA historical fiction standalone novel with paranormal aspects. The pacing is slow but it works for this novel. In the year 2020, reading the story about influenza stricken world in the middle of the war feels unfortunately too timely and too close to home. The writing is good and the mystery aspect managed to surprise me.
    • 5/5
      4.5/5 stars!WOW. This book so wasn't what I thought it was going to be - and that's not a good or a bad thing, just a "what the hell did I just read? And can I have some more?" thing. It's rare that I get books that confuse, bemuse, and dazzle me, and "In the Shadow of Blackbirds" is definitely one of those books. If you're looking for something fresh and new within the YA paranormal department that has a firm foot in reality and history, definitely check out "In the Shadow of Blackbirds".To say that "nothing is what it seems" in this book is a total understatement. I was totally unprepared going in, and this was a good thing - especially considering that ending (which I won't be spoiling). I did NOT see that coming, and honestly, I didn't see most of what was coming in the big reveals or major plot twists department. Which made me cheer - because it feels like there's getting less and less of actual mystery to be kept in one's arcs and plots in YA as of late. There's so many twists and turns in this one, there was only one plot twist I could even vaguely see coming down the road (because it was an inevitability more than anything else), but everything else, especially the ending, really had me gasping for breath. No pun intended.I'm also happy to see that Winters really did her research when it came to all of the major areas of the plot of this book - WWI, Spanish Flu, and the last gasp of the American Spiritualism movement, which I had no idea had lasted so late into the Edwardian age. This book is thick with realistic history overlaid with a sinister feel of fear and paranoia that was authentic to that year, that age with both the flu and the war bearing down on the US. The atmosphere to the book felt genuinely authentic, and seeing as I'm a SoCal resident myself (and have been in San Diego/around Coronado before), she got everything right. And that always makes me happy.So with the combination of good research and knowledge of the area of which she was writing about, Winters creates a marvelous world for all of us to play in. The worldbuilding and character building are top notch, and definitely impressed me for a debut. It's all very thorough, and all of the characters (even the most minor bits of the main cast) are very sturdy and 3D. All can hold water (as it were) and are complex, all with their own motives on how to survive both the war and the pandemic (and in some cases, even to thrive, or come out on top of both). They're all deliciously layered, and just when you think you have the antagonist figured out? BAM, said the lady, it all turns around on you.Also, I love how this is a semi-retelling of "Frankenstein". Semi-retelling. Not entirely, but it took me awhile to actually see it. I see what you did there, Winters. Very, very clever, and it'll have you asking (just like in the original "Frankenstein") - who are the real monsters? Who are the real enemies? Who can we really trust?What I loved the most is that this is not the feel good read of the year - but it is one of the more important ones. It'll show you how far humans will sink (even as Mary Shelley says in the book) to survive. Conversely, it'll also show you hope and strength in the absolute worst of times, and is almost a Darwinian tale of survival, as the real 1918 flu was. So yeah, you might need to curl up with your blankie and favorite stuffed guy after this one, because it's not happy. But all in all? I adored this book. Definitely one of my favorite debuts of 2013 so far, "In the Shadow of Blackbirds" is out now through Amulet/Abrams in North America, so definitely be sure to check it out when you get the chance!(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
    • 5/5
      You know what I love? Books that are wholly unique among all the ones I've read. Though In the Shadow of Blackbirds does remind me of a couple other books, it is clear and distinct and beautiful in a way all its own. Cat Winters' debut blew me out of the water, teetering on the edge between realistic historical fiction and paranormal in a startling and compelling tale.

      In the Shadow of Blackbirds is one of those books that will be first up on my list of young adult books to recommend to those who look down on teen books. Cat Winters' debut has so much depth and heart. Winters writes beautifully, and I marked any number of passages that really moved me as I read. Nor is the subject matter in any way juvenile, as Mary Shelley Black, though but 16, is, in a lot of ways, on her own.

      Just the other day, I read a post by Winters on a blog about how she started out writing adult fiction and why she made the switch to YA. She mentioned that seeing through a child's eyes can offer an openness and honesty that you won't find in adults. It's a wholly different lens through which to view tragedies, like war and plagues. This sense that a youth's perception is in no way less valuable or meaningful than an adult's really comes through, and is quite empowering. Winters highlights the things that a younger person can see that an adult might miss, all without talking down to her intended audience.

      The historical elements are brilliantly done. Reading In the Shadow of the Blackbirds, I felt steeped in another time and place, California in 1918. Though World War II is a looming shadow in the background, the real horror in her life is the epidemic of the Spanish flu. People are dying left and right, and indulging in outlandish, superstitious methods to prevent catching the illness, like eating endless amounts of onion or burning sulfur (which smells like rotten eggs). Winters also, through the distant character of Mary Shelley's father, shows the darker side of the patriotism of the era. He tried to help save young men from going to fight in battle, and is branded a traitor.

      Winters delves deeply into the spiritualism of the time. As young men died on battlefields in Europe, desperate family members turned to the occult in their desire to communicate with their lost loved ones: mediums, spirit photographers. Mary Shelley's love interest, Stephen, believes that ghosts are not real, merely a hoax perpetuated by dishonest men like his brother, Julius. Mary Shelley has no interest or belief in it, but her Aunt Eva, who she is staying with since her father is now in prison, subscribes to it and drags her along, with the promise of hearing news of Stephen, off fighting in Europe. Since I do not want to spoil anything, I'll just say that there's some awesome, ghosty paranormal things that make the reader question just what is or is not happening to Mary Shelley.

      Mary Shelley is a vibrant, headstrong, powerful heroine. She fights for others as hard as she can, working to unravel the mystery that becomes apparent to her. In the face of the often fatal flu, she does not take insane risks, but she also refuses to lock herself up inside out of fear. She even volunteers her time to help wounded soldiers. I really love this girl, and the way that she chooses to live, and I feel bad for all of her struggles in a society that doesn't appreciate a woman being as forward-thinking as she is.

      In the Shadow of Blackbirds is a masterfully-crafted debut. Those who enjoyed Libba Bray's The Diviners will most definitely want to try Winters' book, which has a similar powerful blend of history and paranormal elements.
    • 4/5
      Read the ebook. Enjoyed it more than I thought. It gets difficult to read at times but stick with it. It's worth it.