*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher (Macmillan-Tor/Forge) for providing a copy in exchange for a review. My opinions are honest and my own.

I LOVED Vassa in the Night, so was so excited for this, but unfortunately, I was disappointed with this one. I couldn't connect with the characters and while I expected to be uncomfortable in this book, I was just consistently put off.

Cute, but over-written with shallow characters. There are better YA Horror books out there. I can see it's appeal to some readers, however.

This is very mysterious and dynamic! I appreciate the strange darkness of this one. There's an excellent amount of tension building dread as she unravels what exactly is going on in this story.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

If I could give this book 0 or minus starts I would, it was really that bad.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book I have actively hated so much. I’m all for diving into dark fiction every now and then but this book was one of the worst, most absurd things I have ever read. It made no sense whatsoever.

Normally I would just say to hell with it if I don’t like it and DNF, which made it all the more irritating because even though I hated the story and loathed the characters, I wondered if A) it would get any better or B) I would be able to work out what the fuck was going on.

Unfortunately, neither of these things happened.

The premise was what caught my attention, I’ve read a previous book by the same author, which was a little weird, but I liked it. As I said, I do like dark fiction every now and then. So why not try it? The story follows New York based teenage twins Everett and Ruby whose eldest brother Dashiell died recently of an overdose.

Ruby was completely besotted with Dashiell to something boarding on reverence. (I’m half convinced there was something else going on there as well.) They were both totally obsessed with each other. Ruby was completely blind to Dashiell’s flaws. He was an addict, charming and manipulative and could convince her to do anything, long after he’d been thrown out of the house. The father was a workaholic, their mother left years ago. Ruby was an idiot. A sycophantic moron who couldn’t see the danger around them. Her brother Everett was possibly the only remotely likeable character in this. The more straightforward, sensible of the pair.

Something seems to allow Dashiell to come back from the dead in a spirit form where he can possess a body if he murders it and can live in it’s skin. At least that was my understanding. So naturally Ruby is the first person he goes to. Which is squicky enough in itself. Yet when Everett notices something off about Ruby and when she’s not possessed she tells him Dash came back he thinks she’s lot the plot. And before long Dashiell has convinced Everett whilst possessing Ruby that he could possess him instead. He can have one or the other.

And does some pretty vile things whilst wearing Everett – including visiting his old girlfriend whilst in Everett’s body and getting her into bed. She doesn’t know Everett is possessed, of course. Which is pretty much rape – she consented to Everett, not Dashiell. If she doesn’t know Dashiell is the one riding the front she gets no say in that. And that’s pretty fucking disgusting.

On top of all this there’s some of sort Land of the Dead plot where other ghosts are walking around, and Dashiell has pissed off the Big Bad who runs the show. And comes after him for revenge.

The whole thing was bizarre, twisted. Way too many characters, all of whom had no personality and were just pretty horrible people. It was beyond fucked up and just an awful, awful novel. Nothing made sense and it was pretty much one of the worst things I have ever read.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for approving my request to view the title.

Whilst I enjoyed Sarah Porter's writing style, I found this book quite difficult to get in to. The plot felt a little messy in places with character motivations feeling quite questionable most of the time.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

IN WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW, A TEENAGE GIRL CALLS HER BELOVED OLDER BROTHER BACK FROM THE GRAVE, WITH DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES....
RUBY
Haunted by her dead brother, unable to let him go, Ruby must figure out whether his nightly appearances in her dreams are the answer to her prayers—or a nightmare come true…
EVERETT
He’s always been jealous of his dashing older brother. Now Everett must do everything he can to save his twin sister Ruby from his clutches.
DASHIELL
Charming, handsome, and manipulative, Dash has run afoul of some very powerful forces in the Land of the Dead. His only bargaining chips are Ruby and Everett. At stake is the very survival of the Bohnacker family, bodies and souls...

Sadly, this falls into the "What Did I Just Read?" category of books. I should have realised from the blurb that it was going to be somewhat horrendous - usually when the main characters are described but not the plot, then you know you are in trouble...

I really don't know what to say about this: a confusing, empty plot that just seems to be about people possessing other people's bodies for no particular reason. No reason that makes sense, any way; characters that infuriate you within minutes of starting the story - ridiculous actions and reactions...and the incest/rape stuff was just too much...as was the fact that the character was cool with the rape; and the "show, don't tell" motto of just about every other writer in the world was largely ignored here - much to my disappointment.

And all of that is a shame as I thought there was so much potential in this story - but it just went for the safe and, let's face it, boring options...


Paul
ARH

This one was a ilttle too scary for my tastes, but if you like spooky tales, this is definitely a must-read for you! There is a lot going on, and it's pretty intense material too, so be sure that you can handle it before you start reading. There were definitely moments I had to put the book down for a while and go do happy things because I was getting very depressed. But Porter is such a talented writer, and this is a very compelling book. Her prose will carry you through to the final page!

That a teenage girl might be able to use her dreams to accidentally travel to the underworld is interesting enough, but that she might be able to share her body to bring back the soul of her dead brother makes for a very wild story.

I found many parts of this story intriguing, but had just as many parts make me incredibly unsettled. I went back and forth between not being able to put it down and wanting to put it down forever, which I think is why this has so many mixed reviews.

This story was a lot different than normal ghost stories about haunting and possessions, which is why I picked it up in the first place. Then it took me about 4 months to actually finish reading this book. It took not having TV and wifi for me to be bored enough to tackle this book.
What I thought and what we got were almost two completely different things. I thought we were going to get a very different take on a ghost story, and on that aspect I was right. What we got was a dysfunctional family who for some reason love Dashiell even with all of his faults. Honestly, I don't know what they all see in him. Everyone and their mother seems to be in love with him, and all he did was used people and did drugs until he died and then continued to use people even in death. I couldn't find a single trait that made me like him as a character. He was, I think 20, or so and talked to his siblings like they were 5. His siblings didn't help their cause, because they acted like they were 5 as well.
What made this book hard to read was that I did not like any of the characters. Dashiell, I already mentioned above, but to go into further detail he was just one of those characters that you dislike in the beginning and then you were supposed to like by the end but it never happened. Everett and Ruby were not much better, like most everyone else, I had high hopes for Everett but he was on a one track mind and never really grew as a character. Actually, none of the characters actually grew. Ruby, I thought, was the most annoying character in the entire book. It seemed as if she whined over every single thing, and took everything as a personal attack against her and Dashiell. Speaking of that, they had the weirdest relationship no siblings should ever have. It almost bordered on incestuous (with a scene that was and then was never brought up again like it didn't even happen). That right there almost made me stop reading, but I was almost to the end and I had suffered so much already I figured I might as well finish.
Ok, I think I'll leave the characters alone now and talk about something else. The plot. This book had the potential to be very good and original, but it was seriously lacking. First, the beginning moved agonizingly slow. Then, when new characters were introduced, I had no idea how they fit in or what their role was in the overall scheme of things. Okay, he is the bad guy. Why is he the bad guy? For about 95% of the book, I never really understood Dashiell's motivation for anything until the big scene at the end. Everything else had moved so slow, I thought the big finale would take up some time but no it seemed as if it was over in a page or two. Then it was like everything went back to normal. It was strange. Very strange.
Overall, this book was not my favorite of Porters. I loved her Vassa in the Night and the writing style was pretty much the same in both books. I think if I liked just even one character in this book I would have enjoyed it much more.

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this book and despite how good the summary sounds, I had to put it down.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Wonderful blend of horror, paranormal, and contemporary. Couldn't put it down!

Check out author's other books? Yes
Recommend this book? Yes

Notes and Opinions: Sarah Porter brings us another out of this world book! This one is much darker than your normal young adult and that just made it even better! The plot was very unique, creepy, and very shocking at times and I couldn't put it down! It was like nothing that I have read since and this by far is my favorite book of 2017! I could see this one becoming a movie very easily and be fantastically creepy!! This is another title where all of the characters were fantastic! The main ones and the side ones were out of this world! They each had their own flaws, strengths, and weaknesses and it made them feel real and made you feel for them. Thier relationships really made this book full of emotions. The writing style was amazing! So many authors try to do multi POVs and fail but Porter did an outstanding job with it. I was never lost on who's POV I was in and I just couldn't get enough. This horror/paranormal story was out of this world and I can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next! (Keep up the creepy!!)

Go Into This One Knowing: Drug Use, Multi POVs

I tried to read this but I just could not get into it. I also read Sarah's other book 'Vassa in the Night' and I had the same issue, so I think that this author is just not for me.

I really didn’t like this book and I struggled to finish it. It took me ages to read as well, simply because I never felt like reading it.

The writing style wasn’t really to my liking. There were way too many points of views and sometimes I found myself lost on whom exactly we were following. The dialogs were especially bad. They felt really juvenile and cheesy. Ruby and Everett, two of the main characters, didn’t seem like they were sixteen. If it wasn’t specified in the book I would have thought them much much younger.

I didn’t like any of the characters. Every single one had something about them that made me uncomfortable. There were many times where I didn’t understand their thought process and actions at all. There was always something off about all of them. Their reaction to the supernatural was beyond weird. They acted as if that sort of thing happened everyday. There was no disbelief about that fact. It made it very difficult for me to actually believe the supernatural stuff.

I completely hated Dash, especially when in Ruby’s point of view as she kept on romanticising him. Everett was the most likeable one, but most of his perspective was spent on Ruby and that ruined that. (As he didn’t get much personality while focused on his sister.) Ruby was too naive and stupid, I didn’t think it humanly possible to be that naive. She is also too obsessed with her brother Dash. Don’t get me even started on their relationship, it was beyond messed up and toxic. To round up the family picture, their father was very creepy and psychopathic as well.

I don’t know what to say about the plot. Sometimes it felt like there was none, probably because the book got really slow and confusing at times. The possession wasn’t explained and it seemed really random until half-way through the book, as there was no explanation to Dash being there. There was a villain there as well, though I have no idea what his motives were, as they ended up being really muddled up. I was just really confused with this whole story.

Overall, I really didn’t like this book. No, I wouldn’t recommend you to pick this book up.

Such an interesting concept. Totally something I'd recommend to my students.

This book was creepy and chilling which scores points with me. As I try to review this book I am realizing I cant say enough good things about it. This book was a book that made me lose sleep and trust me I like my sleep. Highly recommend.

I will admit that I had completely different expectations going into this book. I was expecting more of a paranormal haunting, but When I Cast Your Shadow was more of a fantastical read. Regardless, I loved everything about this book and it kept me hooked from page one. Can't wait to read more from this author.

When I Cast Your Shadow is by far one of the most unique and imaginative books I've ever read. Even now, trying to write this review, my mind continues to reel. This is going to be one of the types of reviews where I don't make much sense and I ramble if I'm not careful. I don't want to do that, so I'll just break down the major points that I loved.

Plot: Completely original and nothing short of awesome. Unlike anything I've ever come across. It's a really complex blend of contemporary and paranormal that twists you up inside throughout the entire novel. I absolutely love anything supernatural - the weirder, the better. I haven't really read anything concerning ghosts or possession (at least not in a long time), so this was fresh and new for me. I adored every creepy and twisted aspect of the plot - from the ghosts possessing bodies, to visiting the borderlands and the Land of the Dead, to the battle of spirits and everything in between. There isn't enough room for me to list and explain each thing I loved and why, but I can honestly say that every single part of this novel had me captivated from the opening lines to the last word.

Characters: Each of the major characters - Ruby, Everett, and Dash - were all complex and well rounded. They were all very different from one another, yet all were realistic in their own ways. I loved getting to know each of them - seeing their emotions, fears, hopes, memories, and everything in between. There were definitely interesting secondary characters we meet too - Aloysius, Mabel, Paige, Dr. Bohnacker - each with their own interesting personalities and stories. I really loved seeing the characters' different relationships with one another and how complicated they were on so many levels. It made the story not just creepy, but also heartbreaking at the same time.

Writing Style: I have to mention this, mainly because the author did a wonderful job in my opinion. She chose to write the book in the first person, but from several different point of view. The majority of the story is told from Ruby's and Everett's perspective, but we also get portions from Dashiell, Mabel, Aloysius, and Paige. The first person is by far my favorite writing style because of the incredibly personal level the reader connects with the narrator. The fact that the author chose to write the book this way was fantastic, but when she mixed in not two or even three - but several - narrators, it blew the story out of the park (at least for me). It gave it a whole new depth that wouldn't have been there otherwise, and it was so much more powerful and intense this way. I couldn't have loved the writing any more. It was a perfect fit for the story and what needed to be told.

Overall, this was an amazing book that still has my mind spinning. I'll definitely be re-reading it some point soon, just to see what else I can pick up on. I very highly recommend this for fans of YA paranormal, horror, fantasy, and even contemporary!

I had to DNF this. I was really sad because Vassa in the Night was one of my fav books of 2016 & I was really excited for this author's new book. But I just could not get into this. The dialogue was so weird & the nicknames were driving me crazy.

When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Porter (September 12th): A dark, brooding sibling haunting his surviving siblings… perfect for a pre-Halloween read. While I didn’t exactly love Vassa in the Night, I'm glad I gave Sarah Porter another chance. (3 Stars)

A big thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-arc of When I Cast Your Shadow in exchange for an honest review.

Before I begin my review, I would like to mention that When I Cast Your Shadow is very strange and sort of unreal/ real all at the same time. But those aspects are what I loved about it. Let’s get into it!

LIKES:

Multiple POVs. As you can see from the synopsis above, When I Cast Your Shadow had multiple POVs (there were a few more that I’m not going to mention). I loved being able to see through all the perspectives. While some downright creeped the hell out of me, I found that they each POV was essential to the story.

The characters. When I Cast Your Shadow was full of very interesting characters. My favorite character? Well, I would have to say Dashiell. You see, I really didn’t like him in the beginning of the story. All I kept thinking was: Ruby and Everett, STAY AWAY!!! By the end of the story, Dash definitely proved to be a very complex, flawed, and realistic character.

The writing. The writing in When I Cast Your Shadow was incredible. It completely sucked me into the story. The most surprising aspect of the writing was it’s very dream-like qualities. It was absolutely lovely and nerve-wracking all at once.

My reading experience. Okay, this is something I never mention within my reviews (which I totally should from now on), but I felt like I really need to with When I Cast Your Shadow. Here goes. Apart from all of the feelings and opinions I stated above, I felt off while reading When I Cast Your Shadow, yet it wasn’t a bad thing at all. I actually look for books that take me out of my “every day zone.” There were moments in the story that were uncomfortable to me. Again, although I felt that way, I’m happy that I got to experience those feelings while reading the novel.

There’s my review! When I Cast Your Shadow was absolutely awesome. Sarah Porter has definitely become one of my favorite writers. I can’t wait to read Tentacle & Wing by Sarah Porter, as well as her Lost Voices series.