In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Not entirely, but it took me awhile to actually see it. They're all deliciously layered, and just when you think you have the antagonist figured out? BAM, said the lady, it all turns around on you.Also, I love how this is a semi-retelling of 'Frankenstein'. All can hold water (as it were) and are complex, all with their own motives on how to survive both the war and the pandemic (and in some cases, even to thrive, or come out on top of both). It's all very thorough, and all of the characters (even the most minor bits of the main cast) are very sturdy and 3D. The worldbuilding and character building are top notch, and definitely impressed me for a debut. And that always makes me happy.So with the combination of good research and knowledge of the area of which she was writing about, Winters creates a marvelous world for all of us to play in. The atmosphere to the book felt genuinely authentic, and seeing as I'm a SoCal resident myself (and have been in San Diego/around Coronado before), she got everything right. This book is thick with realistic history overlaid with a sinister feel of fear and paranoia that was authentic to that year, that age with both the flu and the war bearing down on the US. No pun intended.I'm also happy to see that Winters really did her research when it came to all of the major areas of the plot of this book - WWI, Spanish Flu, and the last gasp of the American Spiritualism movement, which I had no idea had lasted so late into the Edwardian age. There's so many twists and turns in this one, there was only one plot twist I could even vaguely see coming down the road (because it was an inevitability more than anything else), but everything else, especially the ending, really had me gasping for breath. Which made me cheer - because it feels like there's getting less and less of actual mystery to be kept in one's arcs and plots in YA as of late. I did NOT see that coming, and honestly, I didn't see most of what was coming in the big reveals or major plot twists department.

I was totally unprepared going in, and this was a good thing - especially considering that ending (which I won't be spoiling). If you're looking for something fresh and new within the YA paranormal department that has a firm foot in reality and history, definitely check out 'In the Shadow of Blackbirds'.To say that 'nothing is what it seems' in this book is a total understatement. It's rare that I get books that confuse, bemuse, and dazzle me, and 'In the Shadow of Blackbirds' is definitely one of those books. This book so wasn't what I thought it was going to be - and that's not a good or a bad thing, just a 'what the hell did I just read? And can I have some more?' thing.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters