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When I Cast Your Shadow
Dashiell Bohnacker was hell on his family while he was alive. But it’s even worse now that he’s dead�
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 Dashiell’s 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�
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 Dashiell’s 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�
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2017
28 people are currently reading
1,917 people want to read
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Sarah Porter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 25, 2017
2.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
When I Cast Your Shadow is a very different kind of story about a haunting. In it, we follow teenagers Ruby and Everett Bohnacker, twins who are still grieving for their older brother Dashiell following his tragic drug overdose. In life, Dash had been a popular, handsome, and charming young man, but underneath that perfection was also a cruel and manipulative side. Now not even death can stop him, as his devious spirit returns to the world of the living in order to coerce his siblings into helping him finish what he started.
First, Dash sets his sights on Ruby, knowing that her love for him would make her a malleable and compliant target. He invades her mind while she sleeps, convinces her to let him drown her in her dreams, which would then allow Dash to possess her waking body like a puppet. Not content with just having his little sister under his thumb though, Dash does the same thing to Everett next, using the boy’s concern for his twin as a weapon. With the ability to possess both his younger siblings, Dash proceeds to drag his family into a dangerous game, involving Ruby and Everett in his battle against some powerful dark forces in the Land of the Dead.
On paper, this book sounded awesome. The premise hinted at a possible new twist on ghosts and had the potential to be a creepy YA horror. Unfortunately though, the story ended up falling short of my expectations due to poor execution, as well as an overall sense of “strangeness� about it that just didn’t really sit well with me.
First were the unlikeable characters. Dash, whose role made him something of a trickster, was obviously meant to be unpleasant, but instead of making me feel more sympathetic towards Ruby or Everett, this only made me grow more frustrated with both of them. The twins are naïve and exasperating in their own ways. Totally blinded to Dash’s faults and unable to see him for the toxic influence he is, Ruby’s hero-worship of him made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, especially with the strong implications that her love for him went beyond the sisterly-brotherly type. Everett was also infuriating with his tunnel vision and complete lack of agency or ability to make any meaningful impact for most of the story, which is a shame because this was due to his character being treated like a footnote for the first half of the book.
On top of that, it was difficult to form any lasting connection with any of the characters because of how utterly bizarre and unrelatable they were. Most of what they said and did struck me as either strange, silly, or lacked common sense. Character development for Ruby and Everett wasn’t so much as non-existent as it was a complete mess, as they seemed to be always flip-flopping on their motivations or feelings. The worst was Dr. Bohnacker, who would be a loving father one moment, but in the next he would be spouting off some of the vilest, most spiteful things that not even a parent in their darkest moments of grief should ever say—especially in front of their surviving children. Speaking of which, a lot of the dialogue was also clunky and awkward, which often made me cringe and think, “No one actually talks like that.� The less said about the cloying nicknames Dash has for Ruby and Everett the better, and their annoying constant repetition.
To the novel’s credit, the plot was actually quite imaginative, though it would have been better if it hadn’t been so confusing. While I enjoyed the concept behind the Land of the Dead and thought that many of the ideas regarding the spirits and possession were creative and suitably chilling, I was disappointed in the lack of explanation into Dash’s conflict with the story’s main antagonist, Aloysius. He was just the “bad guy�, with no context to justify his endgame.
The result was this muddled narrative punctuated with brief periods of brilliance and clarity—because to be fair, the story here did have some outstanding moments. I just don’t want to make this sound like a terrible book with no redeeming qualities as that is simply not the case, though my ambivalence after finishing this novel did prevent me from giving it more than a mediocre star rating. Ultimately the story, characters, and writing all fell short of my expectations, but hopefully others drawn to this book will end up enjoying it more than I did.
When I Cast Your Shadow is a very different kind of story about a haunting. In it, we follow teenagers Ruby and Everett Bohnacker, twins who are still grieving for their older brother Dashiell following his tragic drug overdose. In life, Dash had been a popular, handsome, and charming young man, but underneath that perfection was also a cruel and manipulative side. Now not even death can stop him, as his devious spirit returns to the world of the living in order to coerce his siblings into helping him finish what he started.
First, Dash sets his sights on Ruby, knowing that her love for him would make her a malleable and compliant target. He invades her mind while she sleeps, convinces her to let him drown her in her dreams, which would then allow Dash to possess her waking body like a puppet. Not content with just having his little sister under his thumb though, Dash does the same thing to Everett next, using the boy’s concern for his twin as a weapon. With the ability to possess both his younger siblings, Dash proceeds to drag his family into a dangerous game, involving Ruby and Everett in his battle against some powerful dark forces in the Land of the Dead.
On paper, this book sounded awesome. The premise hinted at a possible new twist on ghosts and had the potential to be a creepy YA horror. Unfortunately though, the story ended up falling short of my expectations due to poor execution, as well as an overall sense of “strangeness� about it that just didn’t really sit well with me.
First were the unlikeable characters. Dash, whose role made him something of a trickster, was obviously meant to be unpleasant, but instead of making me feel more sympathetic towards Ruby or Everett, this only made me grow more frustrated with both of them. The twins are naïve and exasperating in their own ways. Totally blinded to Dash’s faults and unable to see him for the toxic influence he is, Ruby’s hero-worship of him made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, especially with the strong implications that her love for him went beyond the sisterly-brotherly type. Everett was also infuriating with his tunnel vision and complete lack of agency or ability to make any meaningful impact for most of the story, which is a shame because this was due to his character being treated like a footnote for the first half of the book.
On top of that, it was difficult to form any lasting connection with any of the characters because of how utterly bizarre and unrelatable they were. Most of what they said and did struck me as either strange, silly, or lacked common sense. Character development for Ruby and Everett wasn’t so much as non-existent as it was a complete mess, as they seemed to be always flip-flopping on their motivations or feelings. The worst was Dr. Bohnacker, who would be a loving father one moment, but in the next he would be spouting off some of the vilest, most spiteful things that not even a parent in their darkest moments of grief should ever say—especially in front of their surviving children. Speaking of which, a lot of the dialogue was also clunky and awkward, which often made me cringe and think, “No one actually talks like that.� The less said about the cloying nicknames Dash has for Ruby and Everett the better, and their annoying constant repetition.
To the novel’s credit, the plot was actually quite imaginative, though it would have been better if it hadn’t been so confusing. While I enjoyed the concept behind the Land of the Dead and thought that many of the ideas regarding the spirits and possession were creative and suitably chilling, I was disappointed in the lack of explanation into Dash’s conflict with the story’s main antagonist, Aloysius. He was just the “bad guy�, with no context to justify his endgame.
The result was this muddled narrative punctuated with brief periods of brilliance and clarity—because to be fair, the story here did have some outstanding moments. I just don’t want to make this sound like a terrible book with no redeeming qualities as that is simply not the case, though my ambivalence after finishing this novel did prevent me from giving it more than a mediocre star rating. Ultimately the story, characters, and writing all fell short of my expectations, but hopefully others drawn to this book will end up enjoying it more than I did.
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September 12, 2017Just getting started with this one and not sure how long I'll be able to stick with it.
Ruby's parents' firstborn is a drug addict (who eventually dies of an overdose), but he's "so beautiful and enchanting" that Ruby believes she and her equally "podgey, unattractive, and socially helpless" twin brother are disappointments, despite Parents having been so desperate for more children that they invested in IVF. Ruby even blames their divorce on said disappointment.
Not her addict brother. Not even his death. Herself and Twin. B/c average looking and socially awkward.
😑
And that's just the obnoxious. I'm not getting into the disturbingly darrrrrrk and somewhat uncomfortable relationship Ruby has with dead elder brother . . .
Ruby's parents' firstborn is a drug addict (who eventually dies of an overdose), but he's "so beautiful and enchanting" that Ruby believes she and her equally "podgey, unattractive, and socially helpless" twin brother are disappointments, despite Parents having been so desperate for more children that they invested in IVF. Ruby even blames their divorce on said disappointment.
Not her addict brother. Not even his death. Herself and Twin. B/c average looking and socially awkward.
😑
And that's just the obnoxious. I'm not getting into the disturbingly darrrrrrk and somewhat uncomfortable relationship Ruby has with dead elder brother . . .
September 14, 2017
I want to thank NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review
This is the kind of book you love or hate, and although I really wanted to like it, it wasn't like that. I ended up struggling to finish it, and although it has moments in which I thought it would improve, I really think it was bored and problematic
1/5 Stars
You can find this one and more of my review on my blog
The story follows the Bohnacker family after the death of the oldest son, Dashiell. One of his sisters Ruby misses him so much that she begins to dream about him, but what begins as an innocent dreams due to a great and difficult loss, becomes something more and Ruby begins to be possessed by the spirit of his late brother, at this way he tries to return to finish his unfinished busines, but after a while his other brother Everett, after talking with Dash through Ruby realizes that the objectives of his brother are much darker than they imagined
I know that sounds incredible and in fact, the idea is great, but I feel that it hasn't been well executed, I can see the concept and I get it, but it hasn't worked for me
I had many difficulties with the characters, I feel that everyone has something that makes me feel uncomfortable or just doesn't make me understand their actions or their thoughts. Ruby is extremely naive and somewhat silly at times, I don't think she adds much to the story to be honest. We have Dash, he's nasty and his "purposes" weren't enough to convince me otherwise, I couldn't stand his presence and lastly we have Everett who was the character that I liked the most, but unfortunately his POVs are focused on his sister, so I feel that I haven't been able to get to know him more deeply, at least he's the least psychopath in the family.
I feel that the way in which the characters react to the paranormal facts is too fake, it's like they experience that kind of thing every day or something, it hasn't felt real for me
It's supposed to be the story of a family that goes through a great loss and we're also supposed to see how they deal with that, which I found deep , interesting and I thought that could give the book a very good complement. That never happened, I didn't find a well-assembled family but I found very different individuals from each other living under the same roof. As they relate to each other is so weird and has made me feel chills, in fact, there's something very incestuous happening here, which has made me feel really uncomfortable.
The father of these guys is so creepy, and maybe it's the idea, but even so, that didn't work for me, I think if there was something that had to be solid in a plot like this was the family unit but I didn't find that
Leaving the negative aside, the idea itself and the paranormal fact it's good, I feel that the author had a brilliant idea but I couldn't say that it was well executed. Even so, if I finished the book, miraculously, it was thanks to the author's writing style, although it is not of my favorites, it is quite fluid
Finally, I think that when situations are happening there has to be a justification for them. Things happen all the time in this book, without explanation. I need to know why or what has led them to make those decisions, but I still don't know
In short, if I would have to describe this book in one word it will be uncomfortable or strange. It's a shame that I didn't like it, I thought I would find a great mystery book with a paranormal touch, I thought it would be worth it, because I've heard great things about the author but maybe it just not for me, so being honest, I would not recommend it, except that you're looking for a book with a very disturbing family dynamics or something like that.
PS: I want to clarify that as always, the idea is not to offend those who have enjoyed the book (in fact it makes me very happy if you liked it), but it's just to express my opinion as honestly as possible, with respect guys, thanks for reading
This is the kind of book you love or hate, and although I really wanted to like it, it wasn't like that. I ended up struggling to finish it, and although it has moments in which I thought it would improve, I really think it was bored and problematic
1/5 Stars
You can find this one and more of my review on my blog
The story follows the Bohnacker family after the death of the oldest son, Dashiell. One of his sisters Ruby misses him so much that she begins to dream about him, but what begins as an innocent dreams due to a great and difficult loss, becomes something more and Ruby begins to be possessed by the spirit of his late brother, at this way he tries to return to finish his unfinished busines, but after a while his other brother Everett, after talking with Dash through Ruby realizes that the objectives of his brother are much darker than they imagined
I know that sounds incredible and in fact, the idea is great, but I feel that it hasn't been well executed, I can see the concept and I get it, but it hasn't worked for me
I had many difficulties with the characters, I feel that everyone has something that makes me feel uncomfortable or just doesn't make me understand their actions or their thoughts. Ruby is extremely naive and somewhat silly at times, I don't think she adds much to the story to be honest. We have Dash, he's nasty and his "purposes" weren't enough to convince me otherwise, I couldn't stand his presence and lastly we have Everett who was the character that I liked the most, but unfortunately his POVs are focused on his sister, so I feel that I haven't been able to get to know him more deeply, at least he's the least psychopath in the family.
I feel that the way in which the characters react to the paranormal facts is too fake, it's like they experience that kind of thing every day or something, it hasn't felt real for me
It's supposed to be the story of a family that goes through a great loss and we're also supposed to see how they deal with that, which I found deep , interesting and I thought that could give the book a very good complement. That never happened, I didn't find a well-assembled family but I found very different individuals from each other living under the same roof. As they relate to each other is so weird and has made me feel chills, in fact, there's something very incestuous happening here, which has made me feel really uncomfortable.
The father of these guys is so creepy, and maybe it's the idea, but even so, that didn't work for me, I think if there was something that had to be solid in a plot like this was the family unit but I didn't find that
Leaving the negative aside, the idea itself and the paranormal fact it's good, I feel that the author had a brilliant idea but I couldn't say that it was well executed. Even so, if I finished the book, miraculously, it was thanks to the author's writing style, although it is not of my favorites, it is quite fluid
Finally, I think that when situations are happening there has to be a justification for them. Things happen all the time in this book, without explanation. I need to know why or what has led them to make those decisions, but I still don't know
In short, if I would have to describe this book in one word it will be uncomfortable or strange. It's a shame that I didn't like it, I thought I would find a great mystery book with a paranormal touch, I thought it would be worth it, because I've heard great things about the author but maybe it just not for me, so being honest, I would not recommend it, except that you're looking for a book with a very disturbing family dynamics or something like that.
PS: I want to clarify that as always, the idea is not to offend those who have enjoyed the book (in fact it makes me very happy if you liked it), but it's just to express my opinion as honestly as possible, with respect guys, thanks for reading
August 15, 2017
This review and more can be found on Living for the Books
This was nothing like what I was expecting. At all. I can't emphasize that enough. I thought this would be an interesting story about ghosts and new take on what happens when someone dies. At the very least, I thought there would be a kind of family theme going on since the blurb leads me to believe it's going to be all about family. If I could sum up this book, I would have to just say that it's weird. I don't know what else I could possibly say because honestly I'm not sure what I just read.
One of the most confusing things about this book is definitely the plot. For the first half of the book, it's entirely Dashiell possessing Ruby and Everett for what seems like no reason at all. There's no explanation for why any of this is happening. There's also a villain of the story, but his motives are really muddled and ultimately don't make that much sense. Why bother going through so much trouble over one family? What was the goal of possessing Everett and Ruby? Just to possess them? Yeah Aloysius was evil and a bad person, but his character lacked any depth or emotion. There's no story to why he's bad, he's just that way because he's the villain.
The characters felt like a mess to me, primarily because they lack human reactions and reasoning skills. None of the characters really seemed that surprised that it's possible for a ghost to possess a living body. Everett does at the beginning, but it doesn't last very long. Not only is there a lack of surprise or disbelief from any of the characters, but all of them fail to have the normal reaction of running away screaming when you hear a dead man talking through a sixteen year old girl or at least trying to commit said girl to an insane asylum. I felt no connection to them. I didn't care if they lived or died because they weren't realistic enough. There were many different points of view and characters thrown into the story, but the side characters felt like props and I didn't understand why there were so many points of view. Two or three max would have worked better in my opinion.
The romance was cringe worthy and not just because there was some incest going on. Everett and Ruby both have terrible self images. Neither believes that anyone pays any attention to them, Everett even more than Ruby. But wait, turns out that a girl that Everett likes has been secretly in love with him for what seems to be no reason at all, other than to make him feel good about himself. There's also a very weird scene, that could possibly be considered rape because the woman involved thought she was having sex with someone, but that person was being possessed. This is discussed very briefly by the person who's body was used by the ghost, but eventually it's pushed to the side. I found the whole situation quite uncomfortable. Then there's the incest that I had mistaken for sibling love, but oh was I wrong.
One of my biggest issues when it comes to writing is when an author tells instead of shows. I felt like there was a lot of that in this book. It made it difficult to imagine certain scenes and characters. The reader is told that Dash is loved by everyone and basically perfect, aside from his drug addiction. I didn't see a reason for Ruby to trust or love Dash as much as she does. I actually thought there were more reasons for her to do the exact opposite. I would have liked to see more descriptions and maybe some more flashbacks to good times with Dash and his siblings in order for me to become invested in the story.
I thought the idea behind this book was really interesting and that's why I wanted to read this in the first place, but the execution was all off. This just wasn't for me. It was too weird and for a primarily character driven novel, the characters weren't likable.
*I received this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This was nothing like what I was expecting. At all. I can't emphasize that enough. I thought this would be an interesting story about ghosts and new take on what happens when someone dies. At the very least, I thought there would be a kind of family theme going on since the blurb leads me to believe it's going to be all about family. If I could sum up this book, I would have to just say that it's weird. I don't know what else I could possibly say because honestly I'm not sure what I just read.
One of the most confusing things about this book is definitely the plot. For the first half of the book, it's entirely Dashiell possessing Ruby and Everett for what seems like no reason at all. There's no explanation for why any of this is happening. There's also a villain of the story, but his motives are really muddled and ultimately don't make that much sense. Why bother going through so much trouble over one family? What was the goal of possessing Everett and Ruby? Just to possess them? Yeah Aloysius was evil and a bad person, but his character lacked any depth or emotion. There's no story to why he's bad, he's just that way because he's the villain.
The characters felt like a mess to me, primarily because they lack human reactions and reasoning skills. None of the characters really seemed that surprised that it's possible for a ghost to possess a living body. Everett does at the beginning, but it doesn't last very long. Not only is there a lack of surprise or disbelief from any of the characters, but all of them fail to have the normal reaction of running away screaming when you hear a dead man talking through a sixteen year old girl or at least trying to commit said girl to an insane asylum. I felt no connection to them. I didn't care if they lived or died because they weren't realistic enough. There were many different points of view and characters thrown into the story, but the side characters felt like props and I didn't understand why there were so many points of view. Two or three max would have worked better in my opinion.
The romance was cringe worthy and not just because there was some incest going on. Everett and Ruby both have terrible self images. Neither believes that anyone pays any attention to them, Everett even more than Ruby. But wait, turns out that a girl that Everett likes has been secretly in love with him for what seems to be no reason at all, other than to make him feel good about himself. There's also a very weird scene, that could possibly be considered rape because the woman involved thought she was having sex with someone, but that person was being possessed. This is discussed very briefly by the person who's body was used by the ghost, but eventually it's pushed to the side. I found the whole situation quite uncomfortable. Then there's the incest that I had mistaken for sibling love, but oh was I wrong.
One of my biggest issues when it comes to writing is when an author tells instead of shows. I felt like there was a lot of that in this book. It made it difficult to imagine certain scenes and characters. The reader is told that Dash is loved by everyone and basically perfect, aside from his drug addiction. I didn't see a reason for Ruby to trust or love Dash as much as she does. I actually thought there were more reasons for her to do the exact opposite. I would have liked to see more descriptions and maybe some more flashbacks to good times with Dash and his siblings in order for me to become invested in the story.
I thought the idea behind this book was really interesting and that's why I wanted to read this in the first place, but the execution was all off. This just wasn't for me. It was too weird and for a primarily character driven novel, the characters weren't likable.
*I received this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
August 21, 2017
DNF @ 14%
I wanted to like this, I really did. I was excited for the gritty mystery and dark paranormal elements to the story, but I did not like the characters or the writing - specifically the dialogue. I found the dialogue to be very juvenile. For me, it didn't fit with the tone of the story and the harsh threats that were present. I also didn't like any of the characters.
Ruby is incredibly naive, frustratingly so, and is completely blinded by her brother, only seeing him through rose-color glasses where he was a misunderstood genius, who was thoughtful and more lovable than she could ever hope to be. Her father is also kind of a psychopath, who readily admits he wish that Dash had died as an infant to prevent the taint of his influence from reaching Ruby and Everett. Everett was probably the most likable, but it seemed like even his chapters were focused on Ruby, not on his feelings or mindset.
This book just wasn't for me. I liked the idea of the books more than the actual book itself. The characters, Ruby especially, made it difficult to get into. I couldn't appreciate the dark elements of the story because of Ruby's personality and the dialogue's immaturity.
Hopefully other's will love this book, but it wasn't for me.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
"People almost never believe things because they're objectively true. They just believe in whatever made-up reality hurts them the least."
I wanted to like this, I really did. I was excited for the gritty mystery and dark paranormal elements to the story, but I did not like the characters or the writing - specifically the dialogue. I found the dialogue to be very juvenile. For me, it didn't fit with the tone of the story and the harsh threats that were present. I also didn't like any of the characters.
Ruby is incredibly naive, frustratingly so, and is completely blinded by her brother, only seeing him through rose-color glasses where he was a misunderstood genius, who was thoughtful and more lovable than she could ever hope to be. Her father is also kind of a psychopath, who readily admits he wish that Dash had died as an infant to prevent the taint of his influence from reaching Ruby and Everett. Everett was probably the most likable, but it seemed like even his chapters were focused on Ruby, not on his feelings or mindset.
This book just wasn't for me. I liked the idea of the books more than the actual book itself. The characters, Ruby especially, made it difficult to get into. I couldn't appreciate the dark elements of the story because of Ruby's personality and the dialogue's immaturity.
Hopefully other's will love this book, but it wasn't for me.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2017
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!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2017
You can find this review and others on my blog
Well� take a seat and grab a snack because I feel this is going to be a pretty long review (we’ll see about that). I was really anticipating this book because it seems like a pretty creepy read now that fall is almost here and, yes, you guessed right, Halloween. So I was super excited to read it and love it so I could recommend it for Halloween. But unfortunately, this was a total no for me.
I haven’t read anything by Sarah Porter before, though I own her previous book Vassa In The Night. So when I read the synopsis, it sounded like something creepy but not too scary for a little nugget like me. And, though the premise was pretty interesting, I had mayor problems with the story and the characters, and unfortunately for me, it wasn’t as creepy or horror-y as I wanted it to be.
The characters were a mayor turn off to me. I hated all of them. When I started the book I didn’t hate them but didn’t like them either, but as I continued reading they started doing things that didn’t make sense and it was a “no� to me. Ruby was incredibly naive and stupid, and she was one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read from. Her way of thinking made no sense at all to me, and sometimes I felt she was acting like a twelve-year-old little girl instead of her actual age.
And oh, man, the relationship she had with her brother Dashiell was so messed up and toxic. If I was a bit upset before, this made me salty, guys. It was so toxic and problematic and she made it feel like it wasn’t like that at all, and he loved her. And yeah, he might, but the things he did to her and the way Dashiell treated her was so bad and just because he needed something of hers and his younger brother, Everett, that nope.
The only one I felt I didn’t hate as much was Everett. Of course he wasn’t perfect and there were plenty of things he did I didn’t agree with, but if I have to choose one of the sibblings, I would choose him. He wasn’t my cup of tea, but out of all of them, he made the most sense to me, and I liked his development.
The story had that dark and eery vibe I wanted it to have, but having so many POVs was another mayor turn off to me. I didn’t get why there were so many and not the three of the sibblings, because they only confused me even more and came out of nowhere.
I’m so sad about the whole story because usually I really love books that are so confusing and twisted, but I considered multiple times DNFed it, but I pushed myself to conitnue just to see if the ending would compensate the whole story. And guess what? It did not. It wasn’t as mindblowing as I hoped, and to be honest, I didn’t like the ending, maybe because by that time I was pretty salty with the characters and the whole story. But oh, well.
Another thing I noticed was that sometimes I felt like there was no plot at all. Maybe it was because the story was so slow and confusing and there weren’t many things you understood, but at times I was thinking “okay, but what’s the whole plot in this book???�.
So overall, even though at first I thought this book was totally right of my alley and a perfect Halloween read, the story ended up disappointing me and the characters were incredibly problematic (yes, I’m talking to you, Dashiell!).
I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.
“I’ve been waking up every morning gasping and sobbing, my hands thrashing at the air as I try to grab him, stop him, before it’s too late. That nightmare is bad enough, but this was so much worse.�
Well� take a seat and grab a snack because I feel this is going to be a pretty long review (we’ll see about that). I was really anticipating this book because it seems like a pretty creepy read now that fall is almost here and, yes, you guessed right, Halloween. So I was super excited to read it and love it so I could recommend it for Halloween. But unfortunately, this was a total no for me.
I haven’t read anything by Sarah Porter before, though I own her previous book Vassa In The Night. So when I read the synopsis, it sounded like something creepy but not too scary for a little nugget like me. And, though the premise was pretty interesting, I had mayor problems with the story and the characters, and unfortunately for me, it wasn’t as creepy or horror-y as I wanted it to be.
“People almost never believe things because they’re objectively true. They just believe in whatever made-up reality hurts them the least.�
The characters were a mayor turn off to me. I hated all of them. When I started the book I didn’t hate them but didn’t like them either, but as I continued reading they started doing things that didn’t make sense and it was a “no� to me. Ruby was incredibly naive and stupid, and she was one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read from. Her way of thinking made no sense at all to me, and sometimes I felt she was acting like a twelve-year-old little girl instead of her actual age.
And oh, man, the relationship she had with her brother Dashiell was so messed up and toxic. If I was a bit upset before, this made me salty, guys. It was so toxic and problematic and she made it feel like it wasn’t like that at all, and he loved her. And yeah, he might, but the things he did to her and the way Dashiell treated her was so bad and just because he needed something of hers and his younger brother, Everett, that nope.
The only one I felt I didn’t hate as much was Everett. Of course he wasn’t perfect and there were plenty of things he did I didn’t agree with, but if I have to choose one of the sibblings, I would choose him. He wasn’t my cup of tea, but out of all of them, he made the most sense to me, and I liked his development.
“Nothing here is real, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a dangerous place for you. Unreality can follow you out of here by circuitous routes, Ruby-Ru, and dreams can have consequences years after you think they’re long gone.�
The story had that dark and eery vibe I wanted it to have, but having so many POVs was another mayor turn off to me. I didn’t get why there were so many and not the three of the sibblings, because they only confused me even more and came out of nowhere.
I’m so sad about the whole story because usually I really love books that are so confusing and twisted, but I considered multiple times DNFed it, but I pushed myself to conitnue just to see if the ending would compensate the whole story. And guess what? It did not. It wasn’t as mindblowing as I hoped, and to be honest, I didn’t like the ending, maybe because by that time I was pretty salty with the characters and the whole story. But oh, well.
Another thing I noticed was that sometimes I felt like there was no plot at all. Maybe it was because the story was so slow and confusing and there weren’t many things you understood, but at times I was thinking “okay, but what’s the whole plot in this book???�.
So overall, even though at first I thought this book was totally right of my alley and a perfect Halloween read, the story ended up disappointing me and the characters were incredibly problematic (yes, I’m talking to you, Dashiell!).
I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.
September 18, 2017
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I was a fan of Porter's debut, Vassa in the Night, and immediately knew I wanted to read this book. I found her writing to be quite captivating, and although her style leaned darker than my norm, I found that I enjoyed her storytelling and wanted more. When I Cast Your Shadow is a ghost story that involves possession, but it is also a story about a family that is grieving, about family dynamics, about trust, about penance.
The supernatural aspects of the story were quite intriguing and also quite macabre. The descriptions of the dead lands and how the possessions were accomplished made my mouth both cringe and form an "O". Porter's writing really flourished in these parts, and there were definitely a few times that I got a little spine tingle.
I thought Porter did a great job exploring this family from all sides. First there was the relationship between Dash and each member of the family. In life, Dashiell was a difficult son and brother to love. He was an addict, who exhibited many of the standard addict behaviors. The lies and the manipulations left his brother and father with quite an unfavorable opinion of him, but Ruby was always and remained enchanted by him. There was also the relationship between Ruby and Everette. Everette was the brother who loved Ruby with no strings. He was willing to do anything to protect her, but I could not say the same for Dash. The entire family was under a cloud of grief over Dash's untimely death, while kind of still dealing with their abandonment issues, and this created some very complicated emotions within their home.
I liked seeing how each character changed and grew over the course of this book. The changes were not immediate, but everyone experienced positive growth -- even Dash. The very last chapter of the book was from Dash's POV, and it took us into the future. I was really happy that Porter included this chapter, because it showed the outcome of all of this for Ruby, Everett, their dad, and even Dash's girlfriend. You could even say it told us how this entire incident changed Dash, and I always need that closure that it provided.
After finishing my second Porter book, I can say that she has a dark and twisted style, which may not be for everyone. However, I loved how her books were a break from my norm and challenged me as a reader.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
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I was a fan of Porter's debut, Vassa in the Night, and immediately knew I wanted to read this book. I found her writing to be quite captivating, and although her style leaned darker than my norm, I found that I enjoyed her storytelling and wanted more. When I Cast Your Shadow is a ghost story that involves possession, but it is also a story about a family that is grieving, about family dynamics, about trust, about penance.
"it's up to me to remember him the way he really was. To fight for his memory."
The supernatural aspects of the story were quite intriguing and also quite macabre. The descriptions of the dead lands and how the possessions were accomplished made my mouth both cringe and form an "O". Porter's writing really flourished in these parts, and there were definitely a few times that I got a little spine tingle.
"Dashiell is all over this house: the walls are made of his laughter, he permeates our skin, and the breath inside my lungs has the same wave as his hair."
I thought Porter did a great job exploring this family from all sides. First there was the relationship between Dash and each member of the family. In life, Dashiell was a difficult son and brother to love. He was an addict, who exhibited many of the standard addict behaviors. The lies and the manipulations left his brother and father with quite an unfavorable opinion of him, but Ruby was always and remained enchanted by him. There was also the relationship between Ruby and Everette. Everette was the brother who loved Ruby with no strings. He was willing to do anything to protect her, but I could not say the same for Dash. The entire family was under a cloud of grief over Dash's untimely death, while kind of still dealing with their abandonment issues, and this created some very complicated emotions within their home.
"Reality exists somewhere, maybe, but it's not where everybody thinks it is. Not in this kitchen. Not in my bowl of yogurt and granola. Not in this family."
I liked seeing how each character changed and grew over the course of this book. The changes were not immediate, but everyone experienced positive growth -- even Dash. The very last chapter of the book was from Dash's POV, and it took us into the future. I was really happy that Porter included this chapter, because it showed the outcome of all of this for Ruby, Everett, their dad, and even Dash's girlfriend. You could even say it told us how this entire incident changed Dash, and I always need that closure that it provided.
"And you'll be going home, to find out who you are without me, and who you can love instead. I think you'll know both those things soon."
After finishing my second Porter book, I can say that she has a dark and twisted style, which may not be for everyone. However, I loved how her books were a break from my norm and challenged me as a reader.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
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April 11, 2019
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.
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.
May 18, 2019
No, no, no.
I do not need to read about sisters infatuated with brothers in ways that are entirely not ok and yet weirdly dwelled upon and definitely not questioned enough. I do not need to read scenes where consent is blurry at absolute best and this is commented upon but not condemned.
I can barely even say I finished this, it was so skimmed through. I can't believe this is by the writer of Vassa in the NIght, which I loved for all its eerie darkness. This was just a big N.O.
I do not need to read about sisters infatuated with brothers in ways that are entirely not ok and yet weirdly dwelled upon and definitely not questioned enough. I do not need to read scenes where consent is blurry at absolute best and this is commented upon but not condemned.
I can barely even say I finished this, it was so skimmed through. I can't believe this is by the writer of Vassa in the NIght, which I loved for all its eerie darkness. This was just a big N.O.
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September 12, 2017
Actual rating: 5 (like, one tiny sliver under, if we're being entirely honest! Like, that teeny, tiny sliver of a number between 4.XXXX and 5). Full review available at:
� I adored most things about this book, but the way it’s written is just so wonderful and so very lyrical and magical in places, whilst being utterly raw and hard in others, and both these styles really shouldn’t go together so well � and yet they do. Part of that makes this book so very, very delightful is the strangeness of it. This book is strange and unusual and I, myself, am strange and unusual � so we got along just fine.
� Honestly, I don’t even know what to tell you guys about this book. It’s so � *gestures vaguely yet expansively*. When I Cast Your Shadow is just so utterly yes, filled with heart and darkness and so much unyielding truth, that I couldn’t help but completely fall in love with it. It is like no book I have ever read before and the prose, guys, the prose just delighted and thrilled me and I adored Dashiell, the hurting, broken, wonderful thing that he is. I loved absolutely everything about this book and absolutely wish I could re-read books (I can’t), because this is one I want to read again and again and again.
� I adored most things about this book, but the way it’s written is just so wonderful and so very lyrical and magical in places, whilst being utterly raw and hard in others, and both these styles really shouldn’t go together so well � and yet they do. Part of that makes this book so very, very delightful is the strangeness of it. This book is strange and unusual and I, myself, am strange and unusual � so we got along just fine.
� Honestly, I don’t even know what to tell you guys about this book. It’s so � *gestures vaguely yet expansively*. When I Cast Your Shadow is just so utterly yes, filled with heart and darkness and so much unyielding truth, that I couldn’t help but completely fall in love with it. It is like no book I have ever read before and the prose, guys, the prose just delighted and thrilled me and I adored Dashiell, the hurting, broken, wonderful thing that he is. I loved absolutely everything about this book and absolutely wish I could re-read books (I can’t), because this is one I want to read again and again and again.
August 10, 2017
Huge thank you to the lovely people at Tor for allowing me the opportunity to read this on NetGalley!
I absolutely LOVED Vassa in the Night so of course I was super excited about this new Sarah Porter book! I was not disappointed one bit! Sarah Porter still remains, in my mind, probably the most original and inventive YA author writing at the moment. Her work is definitely not for everyone since it is soooo dark and creepy, but if you can handle that kind of thing, I highly highly recommend her work.
When I Cast Your Shadow is extremely dark, and it deals with super twisted relationships between characters, both alive and dead. It is told from multiple perspectives, and the plot, such as it is, is very scattered (but not in a bad way). I thought the multiple perspectives were done extremely well, and each character had something to add to the story. The relationships between characters were delightfully twisted, and the scattered nature of the plot worked well for the story being told.
Highly highly recommend!!
I absolutely LOVED Vassa in the Night so of course I was super excited about this new Sarah Porter book! I was not disappointed one bit! Sarah Porter still remains, in my mind, probably the most original and inventive YA author writing at the moment. Her work is definitely not for everyone since it is soooo dark and creepy, but if you can handle that kind of thing, I highly highly recommend her work.
When I Cast Your Shadow is extremely dark, and it deals with super twisted relationships between characters, both alive and dead. It is told from multiple perspectives, and the plot, such as it is, is very scattered (but not in a bad way). I thought the multiple perspectives were done extremely well, and each character had something to add to the story. The relationships between characters were delightfully twisted, and the scattered nature of the plot worked well for the story being told.
Highly highly recommend!!
October 11, 2017
This book is a surreal, beautiful fever dream. The prose was so gorgeous it made me ache—every sentence as lovingly handcrafted as a wrought iron bed frame. I loved the imaginative descriptions of the "borderlands," the shadowy world between life and death, and the thought and world-building that went into explaining how someone from the borderlands can come to possess a living person, and what they can and cannot do with them when this happens.
The action kept me up too late reading for several nights in a row. I cared about these characters, who seemed to me both real and charmingly flawed. I liked the multiple points of view, some of whom were delightfully vile. Most of all, I wanted to see Ruby and Everett triumph in the end. I was touched by the depth of this family's love for each other; even in death, even after betrayal.
Read this book if you love gorgeous prose and want to spend some time in a cold and shadowy Brooklyn where nothing is what it seems. My inner teen goth loved this book. Yours may, too.
The action kept me up too late reading for several nights in a row. I cared about these characters, who seemed to me both real and charmingly flawed. I liked the multiple points of view, some of whom were delightfully vile. Most of all, I wanted to see Ruby and Everett triumph in the end. I was touched by the depth of this family's love for each other; even in death, even after betrayal.
Read this book if you love gorgeous prose and want to spend some time in a cold and shadowy Brooklyn where nothing is what it seems. My inner teen goth loved this book. Yours may, too.
September 18, 2017
Thanks to TorTeen for the copy in exchange for my honest review!
Paranormal stories are something I've always loved. Give me the creepiest horror stories you've got! So when I read the premise for WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW by Sarah Porter, I was excited to get it started. However, this definitely wasn't the creepy paranormal story I was anticipating. It was a much lighter version.
We follow a family that is dealing with grief. There were three siblings - one deceased and the twins (with only one mourning the loss of their older brother). Ruby is mourning the loss of Dashiell and has been having nightly visits from him in her dreams. Everett never liked his older brother, and now he must do all that he can to save his twin sister from Dashiell's grasp.
I won't deny that the writing in this book is fantastic. I love Porter's writing style - it was witty and intense. The dark history of the Bohnacker family was interesting to read and the concept of the spirit of the horrible brother trying to take Ruby was great. She weaved a gripping story, but what lost me were the characters.
I understand having flawed characters - makes them more human - but having such horrible characters was crazy. Horrible as in morally and every other sense of the word. Dashiell was an awful human being and definitely deserved to die, like some other readers have said, he was basically the devil incarnate for how he treated his siblings. Ruby was a lost little girl and Dashiell easily got his hold on her after he died. What lengths will he get her to go to be with him again? Everett wasn't awful, he was just trying to save his twin sister from his evil older brother.
Overall, I really liked the writing. I'll definitely be picking up more of Sarah Porter's books after this. However, where I was lost on this story were the characters. It was definitely a lighter paranormal story, but if that's what you're after, and you don't mind hating the characters, then you should pick up WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW.
I give this 3/5 stars!
Paranormal stories are something I've always loved. Give me the creepiest horror stories you've got! So when I read the premise for WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW by Sarah Porter, I was excited to get it started. However, this definitely wasn't the creepy paranormal story I was anticipating. It was a much lighter version.
We follow a family that is dealing with grief. There were three siblings - one deceased and the twins (with only one mourning the loss of their older brother). Ruby is mourning the loss of Dashiell and has been having nightly visits from him in her dreams. Everett never liked his older brother, and now he must do all that he can to save his twin sister from Dashiell's grasp.
I won't deny that the writing in this book is fantastic. I love Porter's writing style - it was witty and intense. The dark history of the Bohnacker family was interesting to read and the concept of the spirit of the horrible brother trying to take Ruby was great. She weaved a gripping story, but what lost me were the characters.
I understand having flawed characters - makes them more human - but having such horrible characters was crazy. Horrible as in morally and every other sense of the word. Dashiell was an awful human being and definitely deserved to die, like some other readers have said, he was basically the devil incarnate for how he treated his siblings. Ruby was a lost little girl and Dashiell easily got his hold on her after he died. What lengths will he get her to go to be with him again? Everett wasn't awful, he was just trying to save his twin sister from his evil older brother.
Overall, I really liked the writing. I'll definitely be picking up more of Sarah Porter's books after this. However, where I was lost on this story were the characters. It was definitely a lighter paranormal story, but if that's what you're after, and you don't mind hating the characters, then you should pick up WHEN I CAST YOUR SHADOW.
I give this 3/5 stars!
September 4, 2017
*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 really wanted to love this book, but try as I might I didn’t. In the beginning, I even forced myself to laugh and tear up where I knew I should be laughing and tearing up. In the end, too many things went wrong for me to enjoy it.
Firstly, the characters are written very young. If Ruby and Everett’s age hadn’t been explicitly stated, I would have pegged them for 12 years old at the maximum, and 6 years old at the minimum. I think Ruby and Everett were supposed to come off as super innocent, but they ended up sounding far too young for their age instead. I was a really innocent 16 year old surrounded by other innocent 16 year olds, so I know what an innocent 16 year old sounds like. Dashiell’s voice also reads more like a 17 year old than a 22 year old. It didn’t help that the Bohnacker siblings called each other Dash Dot Dot, Ruby Slippers/ Ruby Ru, and Never Ever far more than they used their actual names.
This book tends to ramble. The characters will be having a conversation, and the conversation will go another direction. Then, they will return to the previous topic for no reason. This made it difficult to follow. The chapters also seemed to share every thought that went through that character’s head. There are some thoughts that are just unnecessary to include. I’m not sharing every thought I had while reading When I Cast Your Shadow, because some of my thoughts are not necessary to indicate to someone whether or not they should read it.
There also isn’t much of a plot. Dashiell basically just poses Ruby for no reason. We find out later that there was technically a reason, but the book itself makes a case for why it is a terrible one.
The villain is not only basically non-existent for the majority of the book, but he also isn’t very well done. We are told that they can feel how evil he is, but there is nothing in this book that actually proves it. “I feel his badness� (not an actual quote) is not a good enough reason.
Ruby and Dashiell have a weird relationship. Ruby is infatuated with Dashiell in a really un-sibling like way. It’s actually kind of disturbing to read from her POV because she is so infatuated with her brother.
The romance on Everett’s side wasn’t much better. It’s one of those “she would never notice me, since she’s amazing and I’m a geek�, “I’ve always noticed you, Everett� deals. That’s not even the best part; this ridiculous romance is crucial to the “plot�. It dictates not only Everett’s decisions throughout the novel, but the love interest’s as well.
Overall, I wanted to love When I Cast Your Shadow, but it had too many issues I could not ignore, earning it 1 star out of 5.
You can read more of my reviews on my
I really wanted to love this book, but try as I might I didn’t. In the beginning, I even forced myself to laugh and tear up where I knew I should be laughing and tearing up. In the end, too many things went wrong for me to enjoy it.
Firstly, the characters are written very young. If Ruby and Everett’s age hadn’t been explicitly stated, I would have pegged them for 12 years old at the maximum, and 6 years old at the minimum. I think Ruby and Everett were supposed to come off as super innocent, but they ended up sounding far too young for their age instead. I was a really innocent 16 year old surrounded by other innocent 16 year olds, so I know what an innocent 16 year old sounds like. Dashiell’s voice also reads more like a 17 year old than a 22 year old. It didn’t help that the Bohnacker siblings called each other Dash Dot Dot, Ruby Slippers/ Ruby Ru, and Never Ever far more than they used their actual names.
This book tends to ramble. The characters will be having a conversation, and the conversation will go another direction. Then, they will return to the previous topic for no reason. This made it difficult to follow. The chapters also seemed to share every thought that went through that character’s head. There are some thoughts that are just unnecessary to include. I’m not sharing every thought I had while reading When I Cast Your Shadow, because some of my thoughts are not necessary to indicate to someone whether or not they should read it.
There also isn’t much of a plot. Dashiell basically just poses Ruby for no reason. We find out later that there was technically a reason, but the book itself makes a case for why it is a terrible one.
The villain is not only basically non-existent for the majority of the book, but he also isn’t very well done. We are told that they can feel how evil he is, but there is nothing in this book that actually proves it. “I feel his badness� (not an actual quote) is not a good enough reason.
Ruby and Dashiell have a weird relationship. Ruby is infatuated with Dashiell in a really un-sibling like way. It’s actually kind of disturbing to read from her POV because she is so infatuated with her brother.
The romance on Everett’s side wasn’t much better. It’s one of those “she would never notice me, since she’s amazing and I’m a geek�, “I’ve always noticed you, Everett� deals. That’s not even the best part; this ridiculous romance is crucial to the “plot�. It dictates not only Everett’s decisions throughout the novel, but the love interest’s as well.
Overall, I wanted to love When I Cast Your Shadow, but it had too many issues I could not ignore, earning it 1 star out of 5.
You can read more of my reviews on my
September 24, 2017
That was so much creepier than I expected...
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It was so dark and twisted and, in my opinion, the perfect autumn-y, Halloween read. I'm not sure why I didn't anticipate all the creepiness from the title/cover/description, but anyway I think it's good to go into a mysterious, twisty book like this without knowing too much about it.
I had some trouble connecting with the characters and understanding their motives. I really liked Everett, so I felt personally offended when the world just kept ganging up on him. No spoilers, but some of the other characters, while they were interesting, didn't make sense to me as to why they were acting the way they were, other than just to be evil or creepy.
I felt like the novel had a nice overall arc. I honestly don't think I fully understood how it was resolved, but I'm kind of okay with the ambiguity because of the way the story was. I don't watch horror films, but this felt to me like I was reading a scary movie, and I think that's pretty awesome.
***I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
***This review is also posted on Amazon and
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It was so dark and twisted and, in my opinion, the perfect autumn-y, Halloween read. I'm not sure why I didn't anticipate all the creepiness from the title/cover/description, but anyway I think it's good to go into a mysterious, twisty book like this without knowing too much about it.
I had some trouble connecting with the characters and understanding their motives. I really liked Everett, so I felt personally offended when the world just kept ganging up on him. No spoilers, but some of the other characters, while they were interesting, didn't make sense to me as to why they were acting the way they were, other than just to be evil or creepy.
I felt like the novel had a nice overall arc. I honestly don't think I fully understood how it was resolved, but I'm kind of okay with the ambiguity because of the way the story was. I don't watch horror films, but this felt to me like I was reading a scary movie, and I think that's pretty awesome.
***I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
***This review is also posted on Amazon and
March 21, 2020
Hmmm where to start with this book... Not my favourite read, took me over a year to finish it. I put it down about halfway through because the characters really just didn't connect with me. Slightly stereotyped and overused character types/personalities so nothing too unique in that category which made for an uninteresting read in that sense. I guess it's hard to relate to characters when you haven't been through similar experiences but even the emotions weren't relatable, if that makes sense. I didn't really see any character development throughout the story either. However, I will give credit where credit is due; the ending of this book was quite satisfying. A little melancholy but I really enjoyed the last few sections. The descriptions in the book are quite good, and in my opinion they get better in the last few parts. I wouldn't say it's a bad read but...not my favourite either.
November 11, 2017
This book just gets creepier and creepier! I LOVE IT!! Definitely a page turner! I love and admire her writing style!
This has been my favorite read for 2017. I felt things for the siblings that I've never really felt before for characters in a book. Very artistic world building ~ I was right there experiencing things with them. I think the writer did a fantastic job making this book a real treat for the senses. I've never read a ghost story like this and I doubt I will ever read anything like it again. A+++
This has been my favorite read for 2017. I felt things for the siblings that I've never really felt before for characters in a book. Very artistic world building ~ I was right there experiencing things with them. I think the writer did a fantastic job making this book a real treat for the senses. I've never read a ghost story like this and I doubt I will ever read anything like it again. A+++
December 12, 2020
I'm
Not even sure where to start
The characters dialogue was cringy and honestly just super weird. People do not actually talk like that.
Also- the nicknames were terrible. Dash-dot-dot? Never-ever? Ruby slippers? Are you kidding?
Not to mention how this book was honestly just really creepy (and not in the good, atmospheric way).
The plot was all over the place and I wasn't invested in anything. I am so proud of myself for even being able to finish this book.
Not even sure where to start
The characters dialogue was cringy and honestly just super weird. People do not actually talk like that.
Also- the nicknames were terrible. Dash-dot-dot? Never-ever? Ruby slippers? Are you kidding?
Not to mention how this book was honestly just really creepy (and not in the good, atmospheric way).
The plot was all over the place and I wasn't invested in anything. I am so proud of myself for even being able to finish this book.
October 1, 2017
Having just suffered a loss of my own (my fiance), it was perfect timing for this book to come into my life. It dealt with love and loss in a way that I was able to keep separate enough from my own experience that it didn't hurt to read it. To quote Dashiell: keep what you need, and forget the rest. And that's what I plan to do.
January 1, 2022
You don't want to miss this unique and twisted paranormal/supernatural read!
**Also, HUGE thanks to the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
**Also, HUGE thanks to the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
November 15, 2017
Beautifully written story about siblings, life and death. Really enjoyed this one. Darkly seductive nightmarish type of book. 5 stars.
October 12, 2017
3.5 stars.
This book review is going to be one of the most difficult ones for me to write, and that is because I am not too sure what to make of this book! Fellow bloggers who I’ve mentioned this to, have reassured me that this is a normal feeling to have toward a Sarah Porter book, so I’m not too worried…but that will not make this any easier to write. The rating itself was also something that I had difficulty with; constantly weighing my pros and cons regarding this book. Always adjusting, leaning one way and then the other. So, please keep this in mind while you read my review. And I apologize in advance if anything that I say may sound confusing (please know that I myself am confused while writing this, haha).
My first impression of When I Cast Your Shadow was that the setting feels very surreal (whether the setting is someone’s dream world, or the physical house of Ruby and her twin brother Everett). I really enjoy Porter’s writing style, and her turns of phrase. There were very many sections of text that I wanted to sticky note and quote out of this book! I also found Porter's writing to be very addictive, because I tried to switch between reading 2-3 books, but ended up reading a lot more from this one in each session than I'd planned! Porter’s writing makes me think of something raw…in the sense that the protective layers of something have been removed to reveal its vulnerable centre, and I felt almost honoured to be given the opportunity to access this unprotected, inner thing.
There are some triggers in this book, such as drug abuse, addiction, drug overdose, and death, and I just wanted to put that out there before I get to the next part. I found it really interesting how Porter tackled all of those issues, as well as the matter of the spirit/ghost, what comes after death, as well as possession.
While not particularly liking any of the the Bohnaker family members, I found that they felt very real, and that Porter effectively brought a very dysfunctional group of people to life with her writing. While I did not feel close to any of the characters, I could simultaneously appreciate their depth, as well as how the interactions between said characters was portrayed. I found Ruby’s feelings toward her deceased older brother to be particularly interesting and disturbing, because to me it felt as if she was jealous of Dashiell, while also harbouring a sort of a crush on him. It intrigued me and made me feel uncomfortable all at once! I also liked that Porter discussed toxic relationships between characters, and how she tackled them. And experiencing the twins from each other’s perspectives was also very interesting and intriguing for me.
That being said, I am not too sure how I feel about the plot as a whole. Let me explain. I liked all of these bits and pieces of this book that I discussed above, but perhaps did not like how they were made to fit together? I am not sure what alternative way to suggest though, which brings me to my dilemma regarding the review for this book, as well as my overall rating. Perhaps I simply did not understand the overall, or was close to grasping it, but didn’t quite get there? I definitely think that this is a book that I will have to re-read just to see if my perspective changes, or if anything I’ve missed pops out at me in the next round.
I do recommend this book to those who like experimental fiction (I hope that I am using that term correctly), books about dysfunctional families, books about family relations in general, those who enjoy books that quest through the unknowns of the soul/spirit and what comes after death. And I for one will definitely re-read this book, will read Porter’s Vassa in the Night, and will keep an eye out for any other books that she might write in the future!
This book review is going to be one of the most difficult ones for me to write, and that is because I am not too sure what to make of this book! Fellow bloggers who I’ve mentioned this to, have reassured me that this is a normal feeling to have toward a Sarah Porter book, so I’m not too worried…but that will not make this any easier to write. The rating itself was also something that I had difficulty with; constantly weighing my pros and cons regarding this book. Always adjusting, leaning one way and then the other. So, please keep this in mind while you read my review. And I apologize in advance if anything that I say may sound confusing (please know that I myself am confused while writing this, haha).
My first impression of When I Cast Your Shadow was that the setting feels very surreal (whether the setting is someone’s dream world, or the physical house of Ruby and her twin brother Everett). I really enjoy Porter’s writing style, and her turns of phrase. There were very many sections of text that I wanted to sticky note and quote out of this book! I also found Porter's writing to be very addictive, because I tried to switch between reading 2-3 books, but ended up reading a lot more from this one in each session than I'd planned! Porter’s writing makes me think of something raw…in the sense that the protective layers of something have been removed to reveal its vulnerable centre, and I felt almost honoured to be given the opportunity to access this unprotected, inner thing.
There are some triggers in this book, such as drug abuse, addiction, drug overdose, and death, and I just wanted to put that out there before I get to the next part. I found it really interesting how Porter tackled all of those issues, as well as the matter of the spirit/ghost, what comes after death, as well as possession.
While not particularly liking any of the the Bohnaker family members, I found that they felt very real, and that Porter effectively brought a very dysfunctional group of people to life with her writing. While I did not feel close to any of the characters, I could simultaneously appreciate their depth, as well as how the interactions between said characters was portrayed. I found Ruby’s feelings toward her deceased older brother to be particularly interesting and disturbing, because to me it felt as if she was jealous of Dashiell, while also harbouring a sort of a crush on him. It intrigued me and made me feel uncomfortable all at once! I also liked that Porter discussed toxic relationships between characters, and how she tackled them. And experiencing the twins from each other’s perspectives was also very interesting and intriguing for me.
That being said, I am not too sure how I feel about the plot as a whole. Let me explain. I liked all of these bits and pieces of this book that I discussed above, but perhaps did not like how they were made to fit together? I am not sure what alternative way to suggest though, which brings me to my dilemma regarding the review for this book, as well as my overall rating. Perhaps I simply did not understand the overall, or was close to grasping it, but didn’t quite get there? I definitely think that this is a book that I will have to re-read just to see if my perspective changes, or if anything I’ve missed pops out at me in the next round.
I do recommend this book to those who like experimental fiction (I hope that I am using that term correctly), books about dysfunctional families, books about family relations in general, those who enjoy books that quest through the unknowns of the soul/spirit and what comes after death. And I for one will definitely re-read this book, will read Porter’s Vassa in the Night, and will keep an eye out for any other books that she might write in the future!
August 23, 2017
*Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! This doesn’t affect the review in any way. My opinions are, as always, my own.*
1.5stars
I was hoping I would love this book, but it was nothing like what I was expecting. I really didn't like it...
I really enjoy paranormal stories, especially ones that make me believe it could actually be real. And although this one felt scary, it mainly felt messed up and it didn't grip me at all. I was so confused and bored, I couldn't care less about any of it.
Basically, this story is about Dash after he died due to an overdose. He was loved by everyone, especially his sister Ruby and also Everett (Ruby's twin brother). But althoughDash is dead it doesn't mean he is completely gone, and so he starts visiting Ruby in her dreams trying to reach her, to possess her and her brother, to escape the world he is in now.
Sounds awesome right? Well, it wasn't. I couldn't understand Ruby's obsession love for Dash. It was irrational since he is basically the worst person ever. And although I understand that he was very good manipulating people it still didn't make me believe Ruby could be that stupid.
Dash is a narcissist and an idiot. I couldn't care less what would happen to him. But above all, I couldn't handle a lot of things that happen because of him. Some of them just disgusted me and made me highly uncomfortable. I just couldn't and I even thought about DNFing it after that (although I clearly didn't because I was still hoping it could get better. Well, the tidy bit it did,didn't really compensate the rest).
And then, we have Everett. I actually enjoyed his character until the point where he starts to be pitiedand I just started losing interest. But he was the best of them all.
The characters were just very weird and not very realistic in my opinion. They were very unreliable which I normally love, but in this case did not. Especially Ruby... She was so incredibly annoying! She couldn't make up her mind about anything, she didn't have any other thought that didn't include Dash in it and Ijust couldn't understand her. Until the point, I started to understand and I just had to close the book because it was that bad.
And then we still have the villain of the story, that once again didn't make sense to me. He just sort of appeared and that's about it. There wasn't much reason for him to be like he was or even to be there at all.
To sum up, the characters were weird and I couldn't understand them, and I'm basically on the verge of hating them.
I really wanted to like this book and I thought the idea was really great, I didn't really like the execution. Even the world that was supposed to feel dark and thrilling did nothing for me...
I didn't have any problem with the writing tho, so I do intend on trying other books from the author, especially Vassa in the Night that I heard to be really good and I love anything withRussian folklore in it. Hopefully, I will like it better than this one, because this book was definitely not for me.
1.5stars
I was hoping I would love this book, but it was nothing like what I was expecting. I really didn't like it...
I really enjoy paranormal stories, especially ones that make me believe it could actually be real. And although this one felt scary, it mainly felt messed up and it didn't grip me at all. I was so confused and bored, I couldn't care less about any of it.
Basically, this story is about Dash after he died due to an overdose. He was loved by everyone, especially his sister Ruby and also Everett (Ruby's twin brother). But althoughDash is dead it doesn't mean he is completely gone, and so he starts visiting Ruby in her dreams trying to reach her, to possess her and her brother, to escape the world he is in now.
Sounds awesome right? Well, it wasn't. I couldn't understand Ruby's obsession love for Dash. It was irrational since he is basically the worst person ever. And although I understand that he was very good manipulating people it still didn't make me believe Ruby could be that stupid.
Dash is a narcissist and an idiot. I couldn't care less what would happen to him. But above all, I couldn't handle a lot of things that happen because of him. Some of them just disgusted me and made me highly uncomfortable. I just couldn't and I even thought about DNFing it after that (although I clearly didn't because I was still hoping it could get better. Well, the tidy bit it did,didn't really compensate the rest).
And then, we have Everett. I actually enjoyed his character until the point where he starts to be pitiedand I just started losing interest. But he was the best of them all.
The characters were just very weird and not very realistic in my opinion. They were very unreliable which I normally love, but in this case did not. Especially Ruby... She was so incredibly annoying! She couldn't make up her mind about anything, she didn't have any other thought that didn't include Dash in it and Ijust couldn't understand her. Until the point, I started to understand and I just had to close the book because it was that bad.
And then we still have the villain of the story, that once again didn't make sense to me. He just sort of appeared and that's about it. There wasn't much reason for him to be like he was or even to be there at all.
To sum up, the characters were weird and I couldn't understand them, and I'm basically on the verge of hating them.
I really wanted to like this book and I thought the idea was really great, I didn't really like the execution. Even the world that was supposed to feel dark and thrilling did nothing for me...
I didn't have any problem with the writing tho, so I do intend on trying other books from the author, especially Vassa in the Night that I heard to be really good and I love anything withRussian folklore in it. Hopefully, I will like it better than this one, because this book was definitely not for me.
July 5, 2024
I'm sad to say that this book was a disappointment. I really wanted to like it--I absolutely loved Vassa in the Night. This book is just weird, and not in a good way. I LOVE weird, but not like this! The premise sounds so promising, but the execution falls short.
The book is about a dysfunctional family of a dad and three kids. The oldest kid, the golden boy whom everyone loves, dashes expectations by becoming a drug addict and dying. The twins grieve his loss, counting themselves as so much less than their shining older sibling. The story has the spirit of this brother, Dashiell, coming back and possessing them to help him accomplish his goals in the mysterious shadowlands of the dead. There's an arch-villain named Aloysius, who is just evil for evil's sake, apparently.
I liked the weirdness of the premise. The weirdness I didn't like was:
1. Dash's nicknames for his siblings--so stupid and repeated frequently.
2. Ruby's love for her dead brother. She is a little TOO into him, if you catch my drift!
3. The characters NEVER react appropriately; the dad is loving, then mean, then loving again. Ruby is pathetic--okay with WHATEVER her dead brother wants to do to her. Everett is the only one with some common sense but it always kicks in a little too late.
It's just a hot mess, which again, is disappointing when I had such high hopes.
The book is about a dysfunctional family of a dad and three kids. The oldest kid, the golden boy whom everyone loves, dashes expectations by becoming a drug addict and dying. The twins grieve his loss, counting themselves as so much less than their shining older sibling. The story has the spirit of this brother, Dashiell, coming back and possessing them to help him accomplish his goals in the mysterious shadowlands of the dead. There's an arch-villain named Aloysius, who is just evil for evil's sake, apparently.
I liked the weirdness of the premise. The weirdness I didn't like was:
1. Dash's nicknames for his siblings--so stupid and repeated frequently.
2. Ruby's love for her dead brother. She is a little TOO into him, if you catch my drift!
3. The characters NEVER react appropriately; the dad is loving, then mean, then loving again. Ruby is pathetic--okay with WHATEVER her dead brother wants to do to her. Everett is the only one with some common sense but it always kicks in a little too late.
It's just a hot mess, which again, is disappointing when I had such high hopes.
September 11, 2017
When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Porter
Title: When I Cast Your Shadow
Author: Sarah Porter
First Published: Oct 17
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 384
Price on Amazon: Hardback £13.91 Kindle: £11.45
ISBN: 0765380560
Even in death, she can't let him go.
Ruby's brother died and Ruby is haunted by him in her dreams what she doesn't know is if it is a dream come true or a nightmare she'll never be able to escape.
Everett is Ruby's twin brother and he's always been jealous of his older brother, but can Everett save Ruby from his clutches now before it's too late?
Dashiell a handsome and manipulative young man who is running afoul with powerful forces on the other side using Ruby and Everett.
I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was right up my street and sounded really good. I just couldn't get into. I found I couldn't follow the plot and I wasn't drawn into the story at all. For this reason, I give this book a single star.
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon under Lu's Reviews
ŷ,
Net Galley,
My Blogs at
Links to this review can be found on:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lusreviews
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Flikr: Lu's Reviews
Title: When I Cast Your Shadow
Author: Sarah Porter
First Published: Oct 17
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 384
Price on Amazon: Hardback £13.91 Kindle: £11.45
ISBN: 0765380560
Even in death, she can't let him go.
Ruby's brother died and Ruby is haunted by him in her dreams what she doesn't know is if it is a dream come true or a nightmare she'll never be able to escape.
Everett is Ruby's twin brother and he's always been jealous of his older brother, but can Everett save Ruby from his clutches now before it's too late?
Dashiell a handsome and manipulative young man who is running afoul with powerful forces on the other side using Ruby and Everett.
I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was right up my street and sounded really good. I just couldn't get into. I found I couldn't follow the plot and I wasn't drawn into the story at all. For this reason, I give this book a single star.
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon under Lu's Reviews
ŷ,
Net Galley,
My Blogs at
Links to this review can be found on:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lusreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
Tumblr: lusreviewsblog
Flikr: Lu's Reviews
Read
September 22, 2017DNF at 50%
Conceptually - this had the potential to be a really fantastic book. That said, the actual execution left little to be desired. I completely understand what the author was trying to do here and to some extent she was successful. I mean Ruby and Everett truly encapsulate the idea of how far one will go for the people they love. And an examination of sibling relationships/rivalries? Count me in! I think where the author starting losing me was with the slow-moving and almost wayward plot as well as the inability to ever really connect with any of the characters. Ruby's over the top admiration for her older brother had me cringing and it made her chapters all the more difficult to read. In terms of Everett, while I liked him well-enough, I also never really felt all that invested in him either. And Dashiell, I just, well, he felt like such a caricature, so much so that it bordered on annoying. And because these character flaws felt so blatant to me it made it all the more difficult to really immerse myself in their stories.
In addition to my inability to connect with the characters, I also never really felt like I was getting a handle on the purpose of all of this taking over of bodies and death/demons/evil beings (or whatever they were) wanting what's theirs, etc. etc. etc. While I could see all of the pieces, I simply couldn't put them all together in a way that not only felt cohesive but also allowed me to really understand why I was supposed to care what happened to any of these people.
At the end of the day, I wanted to like this novel, I really did, and I may revisit it after it's published and put on our library shelves, but for now, after doing more skimming than reading, I have to throw in the towel. It's simply taking way too long.
*I Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Conceptually - this had the potential to be a really fantastic book. That said, the actual execution left little to be desired. I completely understand what the author was trying to do here and to some extent she was successful. I mean Ruby and Everett truly encapsulate the idea of how far one will go for the people they love. And an examination of sibling relationships/rivalries? Count me in! I think where the author starting losing me was with the slow-moving and almost wayward plot as well as the inability to ever really connect with any of the characters. Ruby's over the top admiration for her older brother had me cringing and it made her chapters all the more difficult to read. In terms of Everett, while I liked him well-enough, I also never really felt all that invested in him either. And Dashiell, I just, well, he felt like such a caricature, so much so that it bordered on annoying. And because these character flaws felt so blatant to me it made it all the more difficult to really immerse myself in their stories.
In addition to my inability to connect with the characters, I also never really felt like I was getting a handle on the purpose of all of this taking over of bodies and death/demons/evil beings (or whatever they were) wanting what's theirs, etc. etc. etc. While I could see all of the pieces, I simply couldn't put them all together in a way that not only felt cohesive but also allowed me to really understand why I was supposed to care what happened to any of these people.
At the end of the day, I wanted to like this novel, I really did, and I may revisit it after it's published and put on our library shelves, but for now, after doing more skimming than reading, I have to throw in the towel. It's simply taking way too long.
*I Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
January 20, 2018
Not one of my favorites. There were some weirdly developed characters and themes I wouldn't necessarily find to be appropriate for middle schoolers. I'd say if this is on your reading list, you find some others. 😮
September 19, 2017
This review was originally published on .
I really struggled to get through this book. I put it down at least five times, only to give it another chance after a few days. The summary sounded so intriguing, I kept thinking that it would get better if I stuck it out just a bit longer. Unfortunately, it wasn't well-executed and never got better, which made for a tedious and problematic read.
After Dashiell "Dash" Bohnacker's untimely demise due to an overdose, his family is struggling to come to terms with their loss. Ruby, Dashiell's little sister, seeks solace in her dreams about her older brother. However, these dreams soon take a dark turn and Ruby becomes an unwitting host to her brother's spirit as he attempts to escape the Land of the Dead. Everett, Ruby's twin brother, realizes what has happened and begins a quest of his own to save his sister.
I think most of my problems with this book stemmed from the fact that I didn't like any of the characters. I wasn't able to connect with any of them and I honestly felt uncomfortable due to some of their actions. At times, Ruby seemed almost like a small child instead of a teenager. I couldn't understand any of her actions, particularly once she knew the truth. There was also an incestuous aspect of her relationship with Dash that really creeped me out. As for Dash and Everett, neither was well developed and I was never able to understand their motivations. Additionally, I was never convinced of Dash being a good or lovable person, despite the centrality of that idea to the story. Overall, none of the characters felt even remotely like real people to me.
I honestly wasn't sure of what the plot was for a majority of the story. There was no explanation for how or why any of the events were happening. Also, there was also a tendency to tell, not show. There were also a few scenes that really disturbed me. The worst one was the sex between Everett and Dash's pregnant girlfriend while Dash was inhabiting Everett's body (Yes. That seriously happened. I had to stop reading for a while after it). Additionally, none of the characters even reacted to any of the paranormal occurrences. Instead of freaking out or anything, Ruby and Everett just took everything in stride. On top of everything, the villain had absolutely no depth or reasoning for any of his actions.
This book just wasn't for me.When I Cast Your Shadow had an incredibly intriguing premise but ultimately had a poorly developed plot and unlikeable characters.
*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I really struggled to get through this book. I put it down at least five times, only to give it another chance after a few days. The summary sounded so intriguing, I kept thinking that it would get better if I stuck it out just a bit longer. Unfortunately, it wasn't well-executed and never got better, which made for a tedious and problematic read.
After Dashiell "Dash" Bohnacker's untimely demise due to an overdose, his family is struggling to come to terms with their loss. Ruby, Dashiell's little sister, seeks solace in her dreams about her older brother. However, these dreams soon take a dark turn and Ruby becomes an unwitting host to her brother's spirit as he attempts to escape the Land of the Dead. Everett, Ruby's twin brother, realizes what has happened and begins a quest of his own to save his sister.
I think most of my problems with this book stemmed from the fact that I didn't like any of the characters. I wasn't able to connect with any of them and I honestly felt uncomfortable due to some of their actions. At times, Ruby seemed almost like a small child instead of a teenager. I couldn't understand any of her actions, particularly once she knew the truth. There was also an incestuous aspect of her relationship with Dash that really creeped me out. As for Dash and Everett, neither was well developed and I was never able to understand their motivations. Additionally, I was never convinced of Dash being a good or lovable person, despite the centrality of that idea to the story. Overall, none of the characters felt even remotely like real people to me.
I honestly wasn't sure of what the plot was for a majority of the story. There was no explanation for how or why any of the events were happening. Also, there was also a tendency to tell, not show. There were also a few scenes that really disturbed me. The worst one was the sex between Everett and Dash's pregnant girlfriend while Dash was inhabiting Everett's body (Yes. That seriously happened. I had to stop reading for a while after it). Additionally, none of the characters even reacted to any of the paranormal occurrences. Instead of freaking out or anything, Ruby and Everett just took everything in stride. On top of everything, the villain had absolutely no depth or reasoning for any of his actions.
This book just wasn't for me.When I Cast Your Shadow had an incredibly intriguing premise but ultimately had a poorly developed plot and unlikeable characters.
*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 21, 2018
I enjoyed which was compelling weird so I was excited to read this one. But unfortunately, this book was disturbingly weird, in the worst way. I had some major problems with this one, and it should be read with caution as it may be very triggering for anyone who went through sexual abuse (see spoiler for more info).
Ruby and Everett are the IVF twins of a rich New York neurosurgeon absentee father. Their charismatic older brother, Dashiell, recently committed suicide by overdosing. Ruby misses her brother and thinks there is more to his death than meets the eye. She's right, but not at all in the way she imagines. This is a dark and twisted story that ultimately falls completely flat.
To my mind, anyone who writes dark, twisted stories should do so for a reason, and the taboo elements should serve a purpose beyond mere shock value which I don't think they do here.
My issues:
Porter is a promising writer in some ways in that she has unusual ideas and can keep up the creepy suspense but I won't be reading her again after this. Not recommended.
Ruby and Everett are the IVF twins of a rich New York neurosurgeon absentee father. Their charismatic older brother, Dashiell, recently committed suicide by overdosing. Ruby misses her brother and thinks there is more to his death than meets the eye. She's right, but not at all in the way she imagines. This is a dark and twisted story that ultimately falls completely flat.
To my mind, anyone who writes dark, twisted stories should do so for a reason, and the taboo elements should serve a purpose beyond mere shock value which I don't think they do here.
My issues:
Porter is a promising writer in some ways in that she has unusual ideas and can keep up the creepy suspense but I won't be reading her again after this. Not recommended.
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