Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Shadow Collector’s Apprentice


Gordon, Amy       The Shadow Collector’s Apprentice          
Holiday House     2012 202p   $16.95      978-0-8234-2359-0   VG-BN    ms/jr       Fantasy    

Cully is a sympathetic and well-drawn character in his young teens whose father has recently disappeared and who finds himself living with his three eccentric aunts on an apple orchard.  He takes a job at the local junk shop, but soon finds that Mr. Bates, the proprietor, is a shadow thief who is working with some unsavory characters.  They strip people of their shadows, which is something like stealing their souls, so that they can then convince them to buy things they don’t need.  There are several themes at work here ... the evil quest for money at other people’s expense, the enduring love of family members, and loss.  Pulling them all together is an adventure that is unusual, action packed, and filled with surprises.  Readers will connect with Cully and his odd assortment of friends and family in this fast-paced novel.     
     
VG-BN             Carol Kennedy          Adventure, Fantasy, Family, Friendship

 

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