I'm thrilled beyond words to announce that
VOYA Magazine has given
In the Shadow of Blackbirds its fourth starred review!
VOYA, which stands for Voices of Youth Advocates, is the leading library journal for YA librarians, and it has its own unique rating system. Unlike other trade review publications, they technically give
highlighted reviews instead of
starred reviews, and they rank a book's popularity on a scale of 1P to 5P, with 5P meaning "Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday." I actually just learned all of this info after I received the
In the Shadow of Blackbirds review, and I'm extremely honored that the magazine gave the book a highlighted review and such high rankings.
Here's an excerpt:
“All of the historical elements—fascination with séances, women working long days in factories, young men severely disfigured by the war—are rolled naturally into Mary Shelley's quest to discover Stephen's fate. Romance fans will love Stephen's ghostly visits to Mary Shelley... Mystery lovers will enjoy the satisfactory resolution of the puzzle. Of particular interest is Winters's treatment of the condition of 'shell shock,' which becomes relevant each time there is a war. Recommend this title to fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners.”
—VOYA Magazine, Diane Colson 4Q 5P J S
For more trade reviews, please visit my
Reviews page.