Wednesday, December 18, 2013

ARC Review: Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi


Title: Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: September 24th, 2013 
Genres: Action, Romance, Drama, Comic Book
Medium: ARC Paperback, Received For Review

Chasing Shadows was an unbelievably refreshing read. It tells the story of two best friends Savi and Holly who lose their close friend Corey (Holly is his sister and Savi is his girlfriend.) He is murdered on the street while with his sister, who is seriously injured, and are both rescued by Savi. Corey dies but Holly miraculously recovers, but now hears a voice in her head, convincing her she is her favorite comic book's heroine. And with this voice, she strives to avenge her brother and searches for his killer. The action in this story was page-turning and nail-biting-inducing. It was edgy, emotional, and raw, and I loved every bit of it.

The book is perfect for those who love novels written in different kinds of prose. This novel is creatively written with sections of comic book between every few chapters. These magnificent artist drawings give insight into what Holly is going through and thinking. They are majestic and very insightful, and were a delight to read; so much, that I looked forward to them. They were great little breaks to stop at and perfect for building action and very perfectly align with the theme of comic books in the novel. Another theme in this novel was that of free running, which I had heard of but had never read a book about. It was a very interesting topic to explore and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The writing was great. Detailed and thought provoking, it features the themes of murder, coping, death, relationships, friendships, and the wonderful maze that is the human mind. Not only does she write with enchanted voices of characters you wish to know, but also that of creepy nonexistent third person characters, that portray the emotions of a guilt-ridden, angry, grieving girl.

Although the ending with both the writing and the comic part left you wanting more and even left you with an ending that didn't seem acceptable to end with, it was still a terrific read. I definitely recommend this novel to lovers of graphic novels and comic books, as well as anyone interested in an emotion-packed action-thriller that makes you think. A great novel for boys and girls alike. Four stars.

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