Series: Ravenborn
(bk. 1)
Genera(s): Mystery/Paranormal
Subjects: boarding
schools, artists, death, supernatural, mythology
Setting: At a
boarding school called Islington Arts Academy in northern Michigan, based off
Interlochen Arts Academy outside Traverse City
POV/Tense:
Age/Grade
Level: Teen
Length: 294 pgs.
HC/PB:
Hardcover
List Price: $17.99
Publisher: Simon
& Schuster: Simon Pulse
Summary/
product description:
“Islington Arts Academy is not an average high school. Nestled in the forests
of Michigan, surrounded by trees and nature and virtually no evidence of
civilization, it is an oasis for those looking to get away. Perfect for a
student like Kaira Winters, who wants nothing more than to put her past behind
her and focus on the present…and her looming graduation, just a few months
away.
But
the past has a way of returning when least expected.
Kaira
knows that what happened before, at her old school, wasn’t normal. She knows
that what happened to her ex-boyfriend wasn’t natural. But she refuses to
believe that the recent death on campus, the one that left everyone on edge,
has anything to do with her. She refuses to believe that she could be at fault
again.
But
just as the past always returns, the truth can never stay hidden for long.
Even
if Kaira didn’t cause the first death at Islington, or the second, or the
third, she has the ability to find out who did. She has the obligation to stop
whatever is coming to campus. To end the darkness that is falling with the same
snow that once blanketed the woods in beauty.
But
to embrace this power—to relinquish herself to the ancient entity that has been
lurking in the corners of her mind–is to let go of her humanity…and Kaira
doesn’t know how far she can go before she loses herself completely.”
My Review: Shades of Darkness is a pretty interesting
read, but super exciting. I think the best part of it is the setting. It set at
an art boarding school called Islington Arts Academy in northern Michigan,
based off Interlochen Arts Academy outside Traverse City, an art school that
the author attended. I actually camped at a KOA campground not to far from it,
and of course I’ve been to Traverse City a few times. While I was reading the
book I though maybe it was supposed to be in the Upper Peninsula, near
Houghton, off Lake Superior. The specific location is never specified in the
book, just “in the wood of northern Michigan, beside a lake.” It’s almost
always snowing in the book. It’s true they get lots of snow up there.
I think it
would be cool to attend a boarding school that’s art focus. I myself an in the
school of art at NIU, getting my degree in Visual Communications (Graphic
Design). I’ve taking some studio classes. I love painting, be I only use
watercolor, gouache and sometimes acrylic. Kaira, the book’s main character, is
an oil painter. She’s taking other studio classes, like silver-smithing too.
She’s working on her senior thesis, which consists of paintings of tarot cards.
Kaira is kind of quirky and dresses kind of strange, has magenta highlights,
talks weird. She’s of Native American descent, but she was adopted. Her best
friend is a gay guy named Ethan. He’s very sweet and funny and also an artist.
He’s dating a bass player named Oliver. Ethan is the character that I believe
the author based off himself.
There’s this
guy named Chris, who likes Kaira, but she refuses to date since something bad
happened to the last guy she dated. Chris is also a painter and is a truly nice
guy. Kaira keeps seeing crow flocking around campus. She sees them a an omen
for bad things. A student dies, and she believes something supernatural is
going on. There’s a touch of Norse mythology woven in to the story that doesn’t
become important till the end.
The story is
kind of slow and repetitive. The word “gay” is over-used and I feel like we
don’t need to be reminded of a character’s sexual identity constantly. Also,
Kaira keeps saying she’s going to get a complex from something, or talking
about how she came to the school to escape and that she’s used the workload as
a distraction. It just gets so repetitive. There is a lot of humor and
interesting dialogue though.
I recommend
this series to fans of the House of Night series, Hex Hall, Vampire Academy,
The Dark Elite series and any other boarding school books with supernatural
elements of mystery.
Cover Art
Review: I love this cover! I love any cover with the watercolor look. I tried
painting like this before, but could never get this style of water color/ink
down. The type treatment of the title is lovely too.
