Shadowshaper (The Shadowshaper Cypher Series #1)

by Daniel José Older

Overview

"Magnificent." — Holly Black, New York Times Book Review

Come to the crossroads, to the crossroads comeSierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging with her friends. But then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep real tears . . . Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.Where the powers converge and become oneWith the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a thrilling magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one — and the killer believes Sierra is hiding their greatest secret. Now she must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for herself and generations to come.Full of a joyful, defiant spirit and writing as luscious as a Brooklyn summer night, Shadowshaper introduces a fantasy heroine and magic unlike any you've ever seen before, and marks the YA debut of a brilliant new storyteller.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338032475
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/30/2016
Series:	Shadowshaper Cypher Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	42,901
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Daniel José Older has always loved monsters, whether historical, prehistorical, or imaginary. His debut series for young adults, the Shadowshaper Cypher, has earned starred reviews, the International Latino Book Award, and New York Times Notable Book and NPR Best Book of the Year picks, among other accolades. His debut middle-grade series, Dactyl Hill Squad, was named to the New York Times Notable Book list and to the NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year lists, among others. He has worked as a bike messenger, a waiter, and a teacher, and was a New York City paramedic for ten years. Daniel splits his time between Brooklyn and New Orleans.

Read an Excerpt

"It's salsa!" Sierra laughed, her feet stepping naturally in time with Robbie's."Not exactly, but close enough."The music swirled around them, moved with them, for them. Sierra saw little old couples tear it up, putting some of the awkward younger folks to shame. Two eight- or nine-year-olds spun happily past. The song surged as the crowd swelled, or was it the other way around? Sierra couldn't tell anymore. Didn't even care.Something in a far corner caught Sierra's eye and she swung Robbie around to get a better look. The vast murals churned and swayed in time with the music. The elegant soldier leapt from his peak into the sky and found himself a pretty angel to swing with. The classy fellow and his death bride spun wild circles from one wall to the next. The pretty black mermaids formed a dancing ring around one of the dragons, who appeared to be showing off a sultry two-step. Sierra closed her eyes and let the other dancers, the swirling paintings, the whole spinning city around her fade into a colorful blur.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Shadowshaper:

A Top Ten YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
A Top Ten ALA Quick Pick
A Kirkus Prize Finalist
An Andre Award Nominee
A New York Times Notable Children's Book
An NPR Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

"In the best urban fantasy, the city is not just a backdrop, but functions as a character in its own right . . . That is certainly true in Daniel José Older's magnificent Shadowshaper, which gives us a Brooklyn that is vital, authentic, and under attack. . . Older is able to infuse Shadowshaper with the spirit of Brooklyn in the summer, where the possibility of magic hangs shimmering in the air. This is a world that readers cannot help wanting to live in and, as with all great urban fantasies, harboring a suspicion that perhaps we already do." -- Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and The Iron Trial, in The New York Times Book Review

"Older's book is a first-rate example of how representation, diversity and themes of social justice and identity can be skilfully woven into a narrative -- not so that they disappear, but so that the story pivots on them in a way that is authentic, exciting, and ultimately satisfying." -- Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

"The strength of Older's tale is in his meticulous attention to the details of the life of a brown-skinned, natural-haired Puerto Rican teenage girl. Older's storytelling is rich enough to warrant such treatment, because this is a world that will stay with readers long after the last page." -- Los Angeles Times

• "Warm, strong, vernacular, dynamic -- a must." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

• "Excellent diverse genre fiction in an appealing package." -- School Library Journal, starred review

• "What makes Older's story exceptional is the way Sierra belongs in her world, grounded in family, friends, and an awareness of both history and change." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

• "Smart writing with a powerful message that never overwhelms the terrific storytelling." -- Booklist, starred review

"Older not only gives readers a diverse cast, but he stays true to their background, language and community, lending an authenticity to his work... If you're a YA urban fantasy reader looking for something creative and different, try Shadowshaper on for size." -- Romantic Times Book Review

"Exactly the kind of title Walter Dean Myers charged his peers to pen at the onset of his career and the kind of narrative he was still imploring publishers to fete in the twilight of his life, one that takes young readers, their unique needs and their racial and cultural realities seriously. Shadowshaper would make him proud." -- The Washington Post

"Joyful and assertive and proud, and makes me want to read everything else of Older's, for more of these voices, connections and lives." -- National Public Radio

"Sierra Santiago is the type of character we've all hoped we could have in YA." -- Bustle.com

"Daniel José Older is one of my favorite new voices, and I can't wait to see what he (and Sierra) come up with next." -- Anika Noni Rose, star of Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog

"I highly recommend Shadowshaper... it is exceptional in a great many ways." -- Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature

"One of my favorite books of the year, period." -- Rebecca Schinsky, BookRiot

"Shadowshaper is a game changer." -- FlavorPill

Advance Praise for Shadowhouse Fall:

"Older takes the idea of fantasy as metaphor and smashes it to bits, bringing us to a Brooklyn steeped in magic that feels utterly real and punch-to-the-gut perilous. A powerful adventure that blurs the line between the real and the imagined in daring, breathtaking ways, Shadowhouse Fall is not only a thrilling hero's journey, but a magical revolution on the page." -- Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

"Brilliant. . . . A novel about Brooklyn, love, spirituality, family and something else. Something I can't even explain but am enthralled by and want more of. This is the beauty and magic of Older's writing--he leaves us openmouthed and speechless, asking 'What just happened to me?!' Loved this book." -- Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Another Brooklyn and Brown Girl Dreaming

"Shadowhouse Fall flips and reshuffles principles of light and darkness in stunning revelation after revelation. Older's vivid ink and prose deftly obliterates any bounds between a tangible and a supernatural Brooklyn. I am still under its spell." -- Rita Williams-Garcia, three-time Coretta Scott King Author Award-winner

"Here is the real Brooklyn: myriad cultural communities caught in the squeeze and pressure of gentrification, and of course, the shadows and perils of the undead -- and the tough, wise, and lovable Sierra Santiago is there to navigate us through it all. Older is a brilliant storyteller, and with sharp, smart, and hilarious dialogue and prose, Shadowhouse Fall is a fresh, enthralling speculative novel for readers of all ages." -- Brendan Kiely, award-winning co-author of All-American Boys, and critically acclaimed author of The Last True Love Story

From the Publisher

In the best urban fantasy, the city is not just a backdrop, but functions as a character in its own right, offering up parallels between personal histories and histories of place. That is certainly true in Daniel José Older's magnificent Shadowshaper, which gives us a Brooklyn that is vital, authentic and under attack…Sierra…is a compelling, refreshing hero…As Sierra and Robbie are able to channel spirits into their art, so Older is able to infuse Shadowshaper with the spirit of Brooklyn in the summer, where the possibility of magic hangs shimmering in the air. This is a world that readers cannot help wanting to live in and, as with all great urban fantasies, harboring a suspicion that perhaps we already do.

The New York Times Book Review - Holly Black

02/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—The 2015 SLJ Best Book follows Afro-Latina Sierra Santiago as she discovers that she's part of a long line of shadowshapers, people with the ability to infuse magic into their art in order to fight off demons. The Brooklyn teen embraces her Blackness and defends it against the critique of her family members—a powerful statement in YA lit. Fresh dialogue and exceptional world-building will have readers anticipating further adventures in the upcoming Shadowhouse Fall slated for September 2017.

School Library Journal