My professor for fiction workshop class at grad school wrote this book. While I was judging the book based on what I usually do when reading teen fiction, I was also evaluating the novel based on what makes it a big publication seller. But then when I was reading the novel, I experienced something different. I constantly found myself putting the book up against the author. Because I knew her personally, I obsessively found myself questioning, is this an example of what she taught us in class? The book felt so simple for such a complex seeming person. In class, Professor Rutkoski would stare at us as we talked about each other's writing. She would only speak when she found it necessary; her silence demonstrating her keen observation skills. I reveled at every golden nugget she gave me. And then I noticed her book was exactly like that, what might be simple at first glance (teen tropes like girl sees boy, girl likes boy), was in fact purposely hidden with so much meaning for the characters. Like every writer, her characters slightly reflected her. They had pasts that were slowly revealed as time went on. Yes, the novel had some cliches like brooding leading men, faint love triangles, and comic relief best friends, but the story possessed a grain of universal truth: the search for who we really are. That is what drove me to continue reading, and what motivated the character. I remember one time professor Rutkoski and I talking about her esteemed teen author friend's novel that we both read, and she had said that his book was okay, but it was the redeeming moment for the character that made the book good. And that if that character did not go through that process, the book would have not hit its mark. Rutkoski's novel hit that mark, making me feel satisfied at the end, deeming the novel good. From this I learned an important lesson, that no matter how simple or complex your book may be, your character must hit their redeeming moment, otherwise the book is stagnant. It is funny how two years out of grad school, I am still learning from my professor, even without her physical presence. This book brought home to me that sci-fi doesn't need to include green beings from Mars. Intellectually I knew this - I've read some sci-fi in the past - but for some reason, this book solidified it for me. It's also paranormalish and fantasyish.I'd read another book by this author without hesitation. I like the way she develops the characters and moves the story along - I was interested throughout and the idea of creating your own family is an important theme for anyone regardless of age.
What do You think about The Shadow Society (2012)?
3.5 starsAddictive, easy read with an interesting and creative new world. Very fun!
—Kisha
It was thrilling with the interesting plot twist with her flashbacks to the past.
—jenallison15
