Synopses & Reviews
Corey, Holly, and Savitri are freerunners. They climb buildings, leap between rooftops, and throw moves that would make superheroes jealous. They are fast and strong and invulnerable.
Then a random act of violence shatters their world. A gunman shoots at their car, leaving Corey dead, Holly in a coma, and Savitri the sole witness to the crime.
Savitri just wants Holly to live. To come back to her so they can grieve for Corey together. But when Holly wakes, she's not interested in mourning. She wants to track down Corey's killer. She wants Corey back. And she thinks she knows how to get him.
In this intense and gripping novel, Swati Avasthi is looking at the impact of violence on our lives, and also at the boundaries and elasticity of friendship—how far will we walk with a friend, even when we know they are going down a bad road. She tells the story from two points of view. Savitri—a girl struggling to understand why her friend keeps pushing her away. And Holly—a girl so overcome by the loss of her twin that she invents an alternate reality where she has superheroic powers and can rescue her brother from a shadowy land of the dead.
As Holly slips into madness, her story is told in comic-book panels that show the world as she sees it. It's a brilliant way to let the format reflect the character's state of mind, and marks this book as something special and new.
Synopsis
“A superb novel about grief, friendship, and mental illness, mixing in graphic-novel elements and themes from Hindu mythology.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
Corey, Holly, and Savitri are closer than family until a random act of violence shatters their world. A gunman shoots at their car, leaving Corey dead, Holly in a coma, and Savitri the sole witness to the crime.
When Holly wakes up, she is changed—determined to hunt down Corey’s killer, whatever the cost. Savitri fears that Holly is running wild, losing her grip on reality. Friends should stand by each other in times of crisis. But can you hold on too tight? Too long?
Swati Avasthi delivers a riveting novel that will appeal to fans of Laini Taylor and Laurie Halse Anderson.
“Haunting, mesmerizing and intense.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
“[A] visceral story of love, grief, and madness that is both action-packed and psychologically acute.” —The Horn Book
About the Author
Chasing Shadows is a searing look at the impact of one random act of violence.
Before: Corey, Holly, and Savitri are one unit—fast, strong, inseparable. Together they turn Chicago concrete and asphalt into a freerunner’s jungle gym, ricocheting off walls, scaling buildings, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
But acting like a superhero doesn’t make you bulletproof...
After: Holly and Savitri are coming unglued. Holly says she's chasing Corey's killer, chasing revenge. Savitri fears Holly's just running wild—and leaving her behind. Friends should stand by each other in times of crisis. But can you hold on too tight? Too long?
In this intense novel, told in two voices, and incorporating comic-style art sections, Swati Avasthi creates a gripping portrait of two girls teetering on the edge of grief and insanity. Two girls who will find out just how many ways there are to lose a friend . . . and how many ways to be lost.