This is a bittersweet story about growing up, about learning what to accept and what to try to change. It's something all kids (and some adults!) struggle with. I thought it was well done and original. I would recommend this book for 5th grade and up.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky is the first graphic novel I have read by this author and all I can say is…I am very impressed. I really enjoyed the story. I found the illustrations by Anissa Espinosa good.

Cast No Shadow centers around Greg, a teen age boy dealing with the loss of his mother as well as his father and his new girlfriend. Of note – Greg does not have a shadow. What is that all about, one might ask? His lack of a shadow does play an interesting and integral part in this story, which is revealed as the story is told.

One day Greg and his friend Layla happen across a mansion in the woods, which is inhabited by a teenage ghost named Eleanor. What ensues is a bit of a teenage crush/relationship between Greg and Eleanor. However, Eleanor is not able to leave the mansion, much to Greg’s chagrin.

I found the humor exuded by the shadow quite entertaining and even caustic at times. I also had a big chuckle at the psychic sing-a-long ☺.

Best quote:

“Your home looks like a Halloween store threw up on it. I’m about to throw down with my crazy shadow in or to, hopefully, get you out of here. And if it doesn’t work, the town is probably gonna be destroyed, I’m going to jail, and you’ll be stuck here forever.”

While I really enjoyed the story overall, at times I did find the transitions from one story line to another quite abrupt and had to re-read the previous clip or two to understand that a transition had occurred.

If you like graphic novels with excellent illustrations and an engaging story, then pick up Cast No Shadow for an enjoyable read.

This became one of my favorite graphic novels to read in my library! The art is especially powerful. Thanks for the review copy!

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I don't have a lot to say about Cast No Shadows. The story is very strange and predictable. I just really didn't like it.

This is such a cute ghost love story! The character's sense of humor and development was endearing. A great read for teens!

On the surface, this is stereotypical story about a boy with problems who falls in love with a ghost (it is not unlike the plot of Casper). However the unique aspect of Greg’s missing shadow being this story to the next level and create a metaphor about Greg’s inner turmoil.

For the record:

1. I still LOVE First Second books.
2. I give a one star rating to all of the books that I do not finish.

Initially, I was incredibly confused about who was saying what... and then I figured out there was some unseen narrator. Maybe it was a ghost? I don't know. Because that narrator got in an argument with the characters and said s/he was disappearing for a while.

That's when I was out.

Normally, I love this type of book, but it didn't work for me this time.

Whilst this is a story with a predictable outcome and some flawed character development, it is a wonderful heartwarming story. It is a witty read with gorgeous illustrations.

The bones of a good story, some young readers will enjoy it, but in many ways a predictable tale. I found myself wanting more while I read this book, it left me unsatisfied.

Cast No Shadow is packed with wry humor and cute illustrations. The premise and setup for the book are fascinating and had me hooked from the start. Unfortunately, the ending sequence and character conflict resolution all unfolded rather quickly, I was surprised by how many things suddenly happened all at once. Several complex themes could have been explored more deeply, but the friendships at the heart of this graphic novel remain the most successful aspect of the book. Overall it is a fun, enjoyable book. This is a great graphic novel for younger teens, with many positive characters and relationships.

I didn't know anything about this book when it came across my desk. I opened it, and was immediately drawn in. (get it? drawn in?) Seriously though, this was a good story and the illustrations were good.

I felt the author was trying to do too many things here. It was an interesting story, but I think all the various "issues" tending to overwhelm the plot.

I'm a big fan of graphic novels, but I found this one hard to follow and very disjointed. I honestly didn't finish it, which is also a rarity.

Cute art, cute story, but not super engaging, and some of the plot flowed strangely. A fun read but not something I feel the need to immediately recommend to anyone.

Cute paranormal love story about a boy with no shadow who falls in love with a ghost.

This book had such beautiful illustrations that went well with the excellent storytelling. I look forward to reading other titles by this author.

My first inclination is to call this a horror book, though it's not particularly horrifying. A little spooky, perhaps. Visually a little scarier than the actual plot. I loved the shadow's red, pointed eyes, the sharp edges where everything else was soft. In the end, though, it's a fairly low impact story. More surface explorations of themes than anything of depth.

Greg is dealing with a lot--the loss of this mother, his best friend liking his enemy, and his lack of a shadow casting him as an outsider. On top of everything else, he has a new crush...on a ghost. Cast No Shadow is a quirky, heartfelt graphic novel about letting go and finding yourself.

Greg's mother passed away and his father has moved on and invited his significant other to move in. Greg is having a hard time accepting this on top of so many other changes in his life. His best friend, Layla, has started hanging out with the bully from Greg's past and he's feeling left out. When Greg and Layla go to an old abandoned house, Greg finally finds his own new beginning in the form of a teenage ghost named Eleanor. Grief and regret are perfectly captured in the bond that Greg and Eleanor share.

There were several competing storylines that didn't always seem to flow together. Greg's lack of shadow seems pretty forgotten and unimportant at the beginning of the book. This part of the story seems superfluous compared to the rest, even though it does become important later on. However, it's a solid paranormal teen love story that will attract a lot of readers. The black and white pictures and text are easy to read and understand. The story moves along at a nice pace and keeps you interested in how Greg will help Eleanor. There are serious moments nicely interrupted by typical funny ghost shenanigans.

This graphic novel seems suited especially suited for younger teens who are moving into the YA genre as it has a budding romance and deals with tougher issues. Readers of Anya's Ghost will like this book.

Cast No Shadow, written by Nick Tapalansky and illustrated by Anissa Espinosa, is a mostly muddled graphic story that mixes the paranormal, teen romance/angst, and coming of age in a blend that never really coheres.

Greg Shepard is a boy born without a shadow in a small town whose mayor regularly tries to rejuvenate the town via a string of cheap tourist-trap draws (The World’s Biggest fill-in-the-blank). Being without a shadow is the least of his issues though: his mother died when he was young, his father has a new girlfriend (Ruth) whom Greg refuses to engage with, he’s regularly annoyed by the mayor’s son, and adding insult to injury, his best friend Layla is dating said annoyance. When he and Layla visit the town’s abandoned and decrepit mansion, Greg meets Eleanor, the ghost of a former resident whom only Greg can see, and who is trapped in the house she haunts. As some of Greg’s life spirals into more misery and some is brightened by the budding romance with a dead girl, his missing shadow suddenly appears as a chaotic, destructive force acting out Greg’s darker feelings/impulses.

As I wrote the summary I realized that I was thinking this sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, it’s in the execution, not the premise, that things fall short. The lack of Greg’s shadow is important for its later arrival, but the absence is mostly oddly unremarked upon otherwise. I’m never a fan of insta-love, and that problem is exacerbated when half the love is dead. The shadow as unrestrained id is a nice idea, but it’s never clear why it appears now and it becomes far too cartoony too quickly. Other elements also happen too fast or with little explanation—Greg’s changing relationship with his stepmother, Layla’s with the stereotypical annoying jock, everyone sort of just nodding along with the “oh, a crazy giant dangerous shadow is wreaking havoc on all of us” concept, and more. There’s little development and little fluidity and too many characters are presented too flatly. An added narration and clunky start don’t help with regard to clarity or flow.

On the positive side, there is a strong sense of emotionality in places, such as Greg’s sense of loss with his mother’s death, but this subtle, poignant note is outweighed by the more cartoonish aspects. Another plus is the diversity of ethnicity and body type, conveyed clearly by Espinosa’s simple black and white art. Otherwise the art was hit and miss for me, at times I quite liked its soft edges and greyscale tone and other times my reaction was less positive, though I’d say art appreciation in graphics is more subjective than story/text, so I’ll leave readers to look at the images and decide for themselves. Although Cast No Shadow has its positive elements as noted, they’re unfortunately outweighed by the negatives, making it a non-recommendation from me (2.5/5)