A spellbinding, edge-of-your-seat thriller of a tale of magic, shadows, secrets and lies.

I'd have to say that of all the middle-grade/YA books I've been reading lately, this one stood out, and is perhaps the most distinctive and original story I've read this year. It was quite simply magnificent.
From the very first opening words, where you meet Emmeline, you are hooked, like a hand to the throat and you are not let go. There's something deliciously dark about this story, and so atmospheric, MarcyKate Connolly masterfully weaves a tale that transports the reader to another realm, where shadows have substance, and speak and sometimes go against us.

The character of Emmeline was fantastic, I felt so much sympathy for her, and I felt like I was there, experiencing all her emotions, and her doubts about her beloved, best-friend, her shadow, Dar.

I also loved the metaphors between light and dark - when we meet Lucas, and how the two are often what make life complete. All in all a fantastic story, that when it came to an end I had a genuine howl of no, though I am so thrilled that there will be a sequel!

True to form, MarcyKate offers another edge of your seat dark fantasy. The world is vivid and well realized. Once we are introduced to Emmaline and have our bearings, every single page is nail-bitingly good. The worst thing about reading this story is waiting for the next one.

This is a dark fantasy/fairy tale about Emmeline, a girl who can weave shadows. She's lived a solitary life on her parent's estate with no real friends except her shadow, Dar. She runs away from her home when she learns her parents are going to sell her to someone to "cure" her magic. She meets another magical family and an adventure ensues. This book is definitely for kids who like creepy and dark stories. There is an evil presence in this book that I found both unsettling and potentially conversation sparking for kids about not letting others control you or your choices. The pace of the story was a bit slow at first for me but picked up when Emmeline leaves home. I would hand this book to select readers if they could handle this level of darkness.

Mini review:

DNF

I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I saw this book on Netgalley one day and decided to request it. I enjoy Middle Grade and thought it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.

Something about this read very shallow. The writing style wasn't any good. And the main character was really annoying me.

As this was a personal thing I still recommend. Others might enjoy this.

I am in love with this cover! I have to admit that I am excitable over a pretty cover, but will be thoroughly entranced if such book holds a world of wondrous possibilities that captivate and ensue new ways of thinking. I personally found this book within the normal realm of ideas but it did find it refreshing in a new exciting way of dealing with transitions from adolescence to young adulthood. The captivating way of addressing pressures that middle graders will face in such a fantasy driven book was splendidly entrancing and emerging. I feel this is a wonderful book to include in a middle graders to read list since it teaches fundamental ways of coming into our own by learning ourselves and being okay with who you are even though society might find you different or threatening.
I would like to point out that I do rate this book in regards to age appropriate reading and is at a different rating than what I would assess in an adult reading. With that said I feel that a five star rating is acceptable because of content being relatable and enjoyable for a middle grader.

This was a fun beginning to a Juvenile Fiction series. I loved the shadow weaving and magic in this book. The characters were interesting and endearing. Can't wait to get to know them better in the next book. Left off with more to be resolved, so we'll see what happens!

Shadow Weaver, by MarcyKate Connolly, a fantasy for middle-grade readers that reads like a deliciously dark fairytale. Spinning a web around her readers just as protagonist Emmeline crafts her shadows, Connolly has created a world where darkness shines and light is hidden, along with secrets that make the truth hard to distinguish from lies. At the heart of this tale is Emmeline's ever-evolving sense of self and her connections, both good and bad, with others.

Emmeline lives in a castle that is remote; her parents have hidden her from society because of her special talent: shadow weaving. We meet her where she has alway felt most at home, in the woods, playing with her shadow, Dar. Dar has long been Emmeline's best - and nearly only - friend. But when visitors come to the castle promising Emmeline's parents a "cure" for her talent, that friendship is threatened. Rather than be sent away, Dar convinces Emmeline to run away into the woods. But what they find in the woods is more than the comforting darkness. They find that there is light there, too, and Emmeline begins to doubt whether everything Dar has told her is the truth. But her love and loyalty for her best shadow friend is strong, and guides her towards a decision that will change everything.

The strengths of this story are many, with characters whose voices are strong or gentle, soft or harsh, immediately recognizable for their goodness or their flaws. Readers are challenged to question whom or what they believe, and friendship is tested in this fantasy just as it is in real life. Goodness and light are combined with evil and darkness in a way that make both equally compelling, and there are times when the language of each have the beauty of poetry.

Shadow Weaver is the first book in a duology, and the ending promises that Emmeline's journey will continue. With gorgeous prose, characters sparkling with life and deliciously dark adventure sprinkled with light, I inhaled this story in what felt like a single breath. For fans of fantasy and dark fairytales (whether kids or big kids like myself) this tale is a must read. Read it on a dark night under the stars, and I promise you'll shiver with fear and delight.

This dark tale deftly takes on the universal insecurity of children and many adults, as well, of whether we are liked, let alone loved, for who we really are inside.The author weaves a whimsical tale of mystery and adventure which carried this reader to magical, yet familiar lands filled with interesting characters and a young heroine easy to root for and understand.

Poor Emmeline has no one but her shadow, Dar, to keep her company throughout her lonely days on her estate where her parents keep her sequestered for fear that others may discover Emmeline's unique shadow weaving talent. Dar, who has a mind of her own, keeps Emmeline content with their situation until one day a group of strangers visit the estate that Dar fears. Then everything changes.

I can recommend this title to my advanced readers in elementary school, though the themes may be more accessible and suitable for kids in 4th grade and up. A highly engaging read for those who like a touch of creepiness in their fantasy, which I do!

I am not quite done with this book - currently half way through.
This is the book I am choosing to place in my January book box. Absolutely fantastic, and SO well done.
Kudos to the author. The book has held my attention since page 1.
It's well written, I LOVE the idea behind it - very unique. I love the world building. I do not have a single bad thing to say about this so far other than it's going to give me a tough time picking some bookish goodies to go along with it!
I will come back and update once I have completely finished the book as well as post my review on Goodreads and Amazon

A little girl, an outcast in her own home, can bend shadows to her will. She can hide herself, make her own toys, and even has a friend that speaks to her and only her. He own shadow can shopaholic directly to her mind. Because of this, her parents seek to rid her off her magic and so she runs away. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of her saga and she is pursued. Although she does find a friend, the friends is also in danger and she must find a way to protect them all, including her shadow that's been her friends ever since she can remember.

I quite enjoyed this read. I love the magic and whimsy the author manages to bring to the characters while at the same time foreshadowing scarier things to come. I don't want to say anything else on that front as it's a story that needs to be read. I'm glad this is a series as I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly is all about a young girl named Emmeline who has the power to manipulate shadows. She can form them into toys and even use them to hide herself, so that she can eavesdrop on people, because that's her favorite thing to do. Emmeline can also talk to her shadow, named Dar. One day these people come to visit her parents and the promise they can cure Emmeline of her magic. Dar convinces Emmeline that they need to run away, or they'll be separated. What if they really can cure her magic? Dar is her best friend. Her only friend, and the only person who understands her. So they set off into the woods, with a small army of soldiers looking for them. Dar tell Emmeline that she used to be a person, and that there is a ritual that will turn her Flesh-and-blood once again. So they begin to gather the ingredients so that on the next full Blood Moon, Emmeline can help her friend have her body back. While in the woods, Emmeline meets a boy who has powers too. He can sing and the light does his bidding. The boy takes her home and his family cares for her. Little does she know that she's putting him and his family in danger, because the soldiers are still after her, and they won't stop until they find her.

I really enjoyed the magic in this book, being able to physically play with shadows and light like tangible objects is immensely intriguing. The story kept pulling me along, wanting to know what happened next. It was fast paced and thus a very quick read. And while I could kind of guess what was going to happen after a time, I certainly didn't expect things to turn out exactly as they did. The book is set up in the end, to possibly lead to a next book for the series, and I'll definitely pick it up to continue the story!

Shadow Weaver is an original story with lots of feeling. A young girl, Emmeline, has the ability to control shadows. This power is feared by most and cherished by some. Growing up with only her own shadow for a friend, she is lonely yet loyal. Trying to save her shadow and her power, she runs from home, and befriends a family in the woods. Can she trust them? Can they trust her? Anticipation mounts throughout the story to find out what will happen with her shadow. Shadow Weaver is about friendship, honesty, and special talents. There is plenty of room for another book about Emmeline and the powers of those blessed by the Cerelia Comet.

Another great read from Marcykate Connolly! I'm just disappointed I have to wait so long to purchase and add it to my school library's collection! Looking forward to the sequel and seeing what Emmeline can do to stop Lady Aisling.

Amazing! I loved it so much I stayed up just so I could finish it. This was a well written book that really dealt with a lot of common coming of age issues. This wil definitely draw my students into reading. Thank you!

I quite enjoyed this book. It was a little juvenile at times, and some of the main plot points are quite obvious, and when the big "turnaround" comes about at the end, it is no shock because it was quite predictable.

However, despite those flaws, the book was a lot of fun to read. The basic premise is that there are people in the world who have been blessed with special powers by a magical comet that only flies by once every generation. One of these people is a young girl who was blessed with the power to "weave shadows." She can take shadows from anywhere and mold them into anything she chooses -- play things, animals, tools, etc. Only, her parents do not see her "gift" as a blessing or a gift. They see it as a curse.

Enter the evil baddie who, for reasons I will not name due to spoilers, is "collecting" these children under the guise of "healing them" of their abilities. The parents of this young Shadowweaver, Emmaline, turn to these "healers" to "fix" their daughter. She, however, does not want to lose her abilities so she runs away from home. She finds another family to take her in; this family has a son who has the ability to "sing light". The family is good to her and takes her in with kindness and love -- the first she's seen in her entire life -- but she is being a little less than honest with them. Unlike other people with abilities, she has a special secret -- her shadow is actually alive. It talks to her and has been her best friend for as long as she's been old enough to have friends, and her shadow wants to become a real girl again. There is a ritual that can make that happen, but in order to perform it, Emmaline has to do things she is not always comfortable with doing.

I don't want to go on much more because I don't want to spoil anything, but the book is, overall, quite good, and I highly recommend it to those who love young adult or fantasy novels. It is full of beautiful imagery, a good storyline, and interesting, relatable characters.

I was quite taken with it.

Give it a shot. I think you will enjoy it.

I haven't read a middle grade novel in a long time, that was so unique. This is a book where shadows are GOOD and how friendship is not always what it seems. This is a hauntingly beautiful book that kids and adults alike will enjoy! And it is a book that you CAN read in the dark!

My goddaughter, Sidda, and I read this one together and we both loved it!

Emmeline is a shadow weaver, a girl blessed with the mysterious ability to turn shadows into tangible things. Unfortunately for Emmeline, no one in the giant estate she lives in appreciates her ability and she lives almost completely separately from the people around her. The only company she’s ever had was her own shadow- a creature named Dar that speaks to Emmeline and encourages her to do things that further ostracizes Emmeline from her parents.

When a neighboring dignitary comes from a visit and convinces Emmeline’s parents to let him take her back for “treatment”, Dar does something unspeakable and Emmeline and her shadow are forced to run for their lives. While escaping through the woods, Emmeline runs in Lucas, a light weaver, and his family who are working hard to make sure that no one discovers Lucas’s power.

As Lucas and Emmeline become friends, Dar becomes increasingly agitated and distant from Emmeline. When the shadow starts insisting that they must perform a ritual to make her human, Emmeline has to figure out who is really her friend and who is using her.

I think the thing I liked most about this story, aside from the amazing writing and characters, was the moral that it brought: just because someone claims they are your friend doesn’t mean that they are. It was interesting to see how this book handled abusive friendships. Dar continuously reminds Emmeline of all the things she has done for the little girl in the past and regularly claims that she (the shadow) is the only one who truly cares about Emmeline. It opened up a really great conversation with Sidda about how gaslighting and emotional abuse works between friends.

I definitely recommend this to fairy tale lovers of all ages but especially for young readers! This is a great lesson on friendship, family, and realizing when someone just isn’t good for you.

As always the author does a perfect job weaving together a great story. Love the characters and plight they go through. Look forward to her next novel.

I am always on the look out for good middle grade reading material for my students. When I saw Shadow Weaver on Netgalley, I fell in love with the cover. Look how spooky it is! The claws on the shadow grabbed my attention right away. I don't know about you, but my students LOVE a good spooky read, so I decided to check this out.


I felt that the pacing was a bit awkward in a few places because it seemed to lull then rocket forward, but overall it was easy to breeze through the pages to see what would happen next. Most chapters ended with great cliff hangers that made you want to keep going, so that will be a plus for younger readers.


The plot is pretty solid as well. Lonely girl feels like an outcast, discovers that her only "friend" isn't much of a friend, takes advice from a really bad influence out of desperation and a sense of loyalty (plus having too good of a heart for her own good), meets new friend, makes a few poor choices but redeems herself in the end, and then finds herself in a big mess that needs fixing. Obviously, there is a bunch of fun magical things occurring in between, but that's the gist of it.


Emmeline is a little bit gullible and too trusting, which made her a perfect protagonist. How many young readers find themselves with those character traits? It's not that she was dense or anything; it's just that she's been sheltered for various reasons and hasn't had a chance to really experience the world. That lack of experience adds a lot to the plot of the story as Emmeline has to learn to stand on her own and think for herself. As a subtle theme running throughout the novel, I could easily pick out examples of true friendship and accepting yourself as Emmeline, Dar, and Lucas navigate this magical world.


There was also a pretty solid plot twist at the end that I think was great! Such a surprise and it will make young readers want to keep reading the series so they can find out what happens next.


The writing style was accessible and not too difficult. Some parts might be confusing or too wordy in the descriptions, but I think it's manageable for all reading levels. Having short chapters and lots of action will help keep readers interested.