Many begin college with hopes of personal reinvention, and Alex Blackwood and Molly Parker are no exception.Īpparently opposite in every way, both girls nevertheless arrive for their freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh with the same goal in mind: to fundamentally change the way others perceive them and get their dream girls. The main characters are light-skinned there is some racial diversity in the supporting cast.Ī gripping, thought-provoking, and inventive dark fantasy. Although it feels predictable, the slow-burn romance relies on building mutual trust and support. The plot twists are equally gripping and manage to balance grim moments with lighter, uplifting interactions. Tamsin’s character arc, particularly her views on friendship, love, found family, and trust, is slow, believable, and satisfying. The blend of horror, urban fantasy, and Arthurian lore is intriguing and original, and the fast pacing and humor entertain. The discussions of familial bonds, including feelings of belonging and loyalty, are realistic and depicted well throughout. Tamsin vows to save him, leaving on a quest that takes her to a twisted version of Avalon. But when the siblings are offered a huge bounty for a legendary item, Cabell loses control of his own curse and becomes a monstrous hound. While Tamsin lacks the One Vision, or the ability to see magic, her encyclopedic knowledge, preparedness, and suspicious nature balance her brother’s approachability, humor, and rare abilities as an Expeller who can deflect curses. Through mythology and despite the dangers, a teen seeks the cure to her brother’s curse.Įver since their guardian disappeared 7 years ago, Tamsin and Cabell have been Hollowers, adventurers who recover magical artifacts for fame and fortune. An adolescent-seeming effort that may well please many adolescents, which is fine.

She doesn’t build suspense, merely throwing it on the page, and indulges in some odd imagery-“He smelled comforting, like grapefruit and leather”-and frequently clunky writing. Indeed, the author portrays all characters as extreme and keeps them static. Hopcus spends time with student romance, music, fashion and gossip, often abruptly jerking the narrative into the next scary scene with another dream or an ultra-villain. Zach and the rest of the “townies” are genetic mutants with supernatural powers, and Phe herself has ties to a chthonic Greek goddess. Phe has dreams that tie her to the town and meets an elderly lady who personally knew Phe’s previous incarnation in the 1730s. She meets Zach, an impossibly handsome boy to whom she’s instantly attracted.

Fifteen-year-old Persephone (“Phe”) attends an exclusive New England prep school with a secret past. I am a young adult author and my first novel, Shadow Hills, is coming out Summer 2010 from Egmont.This hefty supernatural debut thriller has many elements of commercial success but few of the literary kind.

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus