Skip to main content

Seer of Shadows by Avi


As a child I loved to read those deliciously spine-tingling ghost stories that kept me up all night if I read them after dark. Stories like Wait Till Helen Comes, Dollhouse Murders and The House on Hackman's Hill. As a librarian, I still read lots of ghost stories, but much to my disappointment I find most of these books predictable and not that scary anymore. Seer of Shadows not only put a few chills in my spine, but it was the most original ghost story I’ve read in a long time.

The year is 1872 and Horace, a photographer’s apprentice, finds himself in something of a moral dilemma when his master decides to make some money for himself by creating photographs with fake ghosts in them. To say any more about the plot would spoil it.

Dark and deadly secrets hidden in the shadows of a sprawling mansion, a graveyard visit on a stormy night, this book has all the elements to draw a reader in and scare them silly. Put this book on hold right away—if you DARE.

Comments

Lee Family said…
What an interesting book! I can take or leave Avi...but I'm glad I read this book...a very different way to look at pictures and photography.
curlyq said…
I thought this was an excellent book, too. I loved the new take on a ghost story and enjoyed the combination of the art of traditional photography as well as the very spooky feel of the book. Great read!

Popular posts from this blog

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

From Story Time: The Letter "W"

  Preschool Time Something Wild By Molly Ruttan New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022. Picture Book. Hannah's performance jitters about her violin recital lead to some imaginative what ifs before she finds her confidence. --Editor Preschool Time There's a Dodo on the Wedding Cake Written by Wade Bradford Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2021. Picture Book. For his return visit to the wacky Sharemore Hotel, Mr. Snore will be playing his violin at a fancy wedding. As he waits for his cue to join the ceremony, he admires the wedding cake . . . and notices that he's not alone in ogling that tower of frothy perfection. Is that a dodo, eating one of the frosting roses? As more and more creatures enter the scene--including two beavers, a boa constrictor, and a bunch of bats--it's hard to tell who's a guest and who's a pest. But Mr. Snore, rushing the cake trolley from room to room, is going to do his heroic best to save that prize from sure d

Five Faves: Women of Wonder Books

 March is Women's History Month! I think a perfect way to celebrate all the women who have changed the world because of their dreams and ambitions is to read about the lives and accomplishments of these women of wonder. Their stories may inspire you to change the world in your own way. Here is a list of five women of wonder books that inspired me.  Comet Chaser: The True Cinderella Story of Caroline Herschel, the First Professional woman Astronomer Written by Pamela S. Turner Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC. 2024. Informational. Once upon a time there was a girl who was expected to wait on and serve her family every day. One day an  invitation came from her brother, not to a royal ball, but to a new country with a new life. Caroline saw her chance to leave her life of servitude and she took it. She went to England with her brother to help him with his household and to perform music with him. They worked together and began to chart the night