Synopses & Reviews
Paint a mural. Start a battle. Change the world. Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her friends. But then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep real tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a thrilling magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one -- and the killer believes Sierra is hiding their greatest secret. Now she must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.
Full of a joyful, defiant spirit and writing as luscious as a Brooklyn summer night, Shadowshaper introduces a heroine and magic unlike anything else in fantasy fiction, and marks the YA debut of a bold new voice.
Review
Praise for
Shadowshaper :
* "Sometimes funny and sometimes striking, Older's comfortable prose seamlessly blends English and Spanish. Warm, strong, vernacular, dynamic—a must." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Excellent diverse genre fiction in an appealing package." -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "What makes Older’s story exceptional is the way Sierra belongs in her world, grounded in family, friends, and an awareness of both history and change." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Smart writing with a powerful message that never overwhelms the terrific storytelling." -- Booklist, starred review
“The strength of Older's tale is in his meticulous attention to the details of the life of a brown-skinned, natural-haired Puerto Rican teenage girl. Older's storytelling is rich enough to warrant such treatment, because this is a world that will stay with readers long after the last page.” -- Los Angeles Times
“Shadowshaper’s Sierra Santiago is the type of character we’ve all hoped we could have in YA.” -- Bustle.com
“Infused with a plethora of imagination, Shadowshaper has an intriguing supernatural premise wrapped in rich cultural details. Older not only gives readers a diverse cast, but he stays true to their background, language and community, lending an authenticity to his work. The supernatural art and mythological elements are interestingly woven and add multiple layers to the story. If you’re a YA urban fantasy reader looking for something creative and different, try Shadowshaper on for size.” -- Romantic Times Book Review
"I love this book for the richness of its culture, the strength of the characters, the humor and the truth of its language. Sierra is the heroine we've been waiting for -- a pretty, brown-skinned Latina artist who is smart, strong, inventive, and unsure, all the while being heroic. Daniel José Older is one of my favorite new voices, and I can't wait to see what he (and Sierra) come up with next.” -- Anika Noni Rose, star of Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog
“In Shadowshaper, Daniel José Older has created a YA novel that is exciting, absorbing, funny, creepy, and above all, absolutely fresh. One of the best YAs I've read this year.” -- Delia Sherman, author of The Freedom Maze
"Nothing is what it seems in Daniel José Older's dazzlingly inventive reimagined Brooklyn, where shadows turn to wraiths and graffiti comes alive. Funny, frightening, and always surprising, Shadowshaper is a spellbinding delight for readers of all ages." -- Sarah McCarry, author of All Our Pretty Songs and About A Girl
Praise for Daniel José Older and Salsa Nocturna :
"It's funny and wise and keeps you turning pages and the prose is truly fresh. It's so rare to read something that doesn't sound like anything you've read before, and so invigorating." -- John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns
"In Older's stories, the dead are as much a part of life as the living. The language is playful and Older's love for storytelling comes through on every page." -- Roxane Gay, author of An Untamed State and Bad Feminist, in The Nation
"Simply put, Daniel José Older has one of the most refreshing voices in genre fiction today." -- Saladin Ahmed, author of Throne of the Crescent Moon
Synopsis
The joyful, bold New York Times bestseller. Look for the sequel, Shadowhouse Fall, out 9/12/2017
-Magnificent.- --Holly Black, New York Times Book Review
* -A must.- --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* -Exceptional.- --Publishers Weekly, starred review
Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her friends. But then a corpse crashes their first party. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one. Now Sierra must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.
Synopsis
The joyful, bold New York Times bestseller. Look for the sequel, Shadowhouse Fall, out 9/12
"Magnificent." --Holly Black, New York Times Book Review
"A must." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Exceptional." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging with her friends. But then a corpse crashes their first party. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing non-stop. And when the murals in her neighborhood start to weep tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one. Now Sierra must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.
Synopsis
The joyful, bold New York Times bestseller. Look for the sequel, Shadowhouse Fall, out 9/12 "Magnificent." --Holly Black, New York Times Book Review"A must." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Exceptional." --Publishers Weekly, starred review Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging with her friends. But then a corpse crashes their first party. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing non-stop. And when the murals in her neighborhood start to weep tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on. With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one. Now Sierra must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.
Synopsis
Magnificent. -- Holly Black, New York Times Book ReviewCome to the crossroads, to the crossroads come Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging with her friends. But then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep real tears . . . Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.
Where the powers converge and become one
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a thrilling magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one -- and the killer believes Sierra is hiding their greatest secret. Now she must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for herself and generations to come.
Full of a joyful, defiant spirit and writing as luscious as a Brooklyn summer night, Shadowshaper introduces a fantasy heroine and magic unlike any you've ever seen before, and marks the YA debut of a brilliant new storyteller.
About the Author
Daniel José Older is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, workshop facilitator, and composer. His band Ghost Star gigs regularly around New York, and you can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic, and hear his music at ghoststar.net and @djolder.