The Shadow Thieves

It has been far too long since a review has been posted on this blog and that, sad to say, is entirely my fault. I completely dropped the ball when it was my turn to review. I shall endeavor to do better next time. In the meantime, here's a review!

My sister gave me The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu for Christmas. Well, when I read it, I wondered (as I often do) why it had taken me so long to read it. The book is utterly delightful!

The book tells the story of middle-schooler Charlotte Mielswetzski (pronounced Meals-wet-ski) and her cousin Zee who find themselves knee-deep in mythological mayhem when they discover that someone is stealing the shadows of the all of the local children. As they are the heroes of our story, they decide to do something about it and, before long, find themselves on an unusual adventure into the Underworld.

The book is laugh-out-loud hilarious from start to finish. Ursu's quips and sarcasm bring a fun and wacky element to the mythological world that is very enjoyable. There are some pretty creepy moments that would be a lot creepier if they weren't coated with Ursu's fresh sense of humor. Both of her main characters are unique and completely likeable. I've read several mythologically-inspired books lately and I especially like Ursu's take on the myths and the characters.

Which Greek god do you wish were immortalized more often in fiction?

Iris, Messenger

Okay, I just finished this book and I loved it!  Iris, Messenger, by Sarah Deming, tells the story of a middle schooler named Iris Greenwold who lives with her mother in Middleville, Pennsylvania.  Iris, like many other protagonists, hates going to school and really doesn't have any friends but she loves daydreaming and does her best to just get through the day avoiding detentions.  Which she is not very good at.  

Slight Spoiler Alert

Then on her twelfth birthday she receives a copy of Bullfinch's Mythology and is captured by the stories as well as the notes scribbled in the margins.  Of course the notes lead her to the world of gods and goddesses living right in her hometown, carrying on their own lives and trying their hardest to do a job similar to their immortal powers: Aphrodite owns a beauty shop, Hephaestus works as a mechanic, Artemis is a private detective and, my personal favorite, Hades is the principal of Iris's middle school ("Middle school is the closest thing we've found to hell."  How great is that quote!?).  Greek myths are woven throughout the story as the deities help Iris to discover her identity as well as help Iris's mother (a soybeantologist) get her job back.  

The book was a completely exhilarating read.  Iris had a delightful personality and the story was both witty and poignant.   I also love books where the author redeems the characters from another story (The Game by Diana Wynne Jones is another) and Deming kindly saves the poor, dilapidated Greek gods and goddesses from their tragic lives to a happily ever after in a hilarious epilogue (and I would have been very jealous of Iris's happy ending in my middle school years, that's for certain).  I actually learned more about myths from this fun book (and I considered myself an intermediate myth-lover, if not an expert); I can't wait until Ms. Deming comes out with another.