The Seer of Shadows by Avi
Date: September 2009
Page Count: 202
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. Then he becomes an apprentice photographer and discovers an eerie--and even dangerous--supernatural power in his very own photographs.
When a wealthy lady orders a portrait to place by her daughter's gravesite, Horace's employer, Enoch Middleditch, schemes to sell her more pictures--by convincing her that her daughter's ghost has appeared in the ones he's already taken.
It's Horace's job to create images of the girl. Yet Horace somehow captures the girl's spirit along with her likeness. And when the spirit escapes the photographs, Horace discovers he's released a ghost bent on a deadly revenge. . . .
MY REVIEW: THE SEER is fast paced and an equally speedy read, good for a snowy afternoon. As the description says, Horace is a fourteen-year-old boy, an apprentice under a selfish, opportunistic photographer. When his boss sees a way to swindle their latest (wealthy) customer by superimposing the woman's dead daughter in the image, Horace's life is changed forever. It seems the young boy is a "seer" and brings the deceased girl, Elenora into this plane where she can exact revenge upon the ones responsible for her death. It is up to the young boy to stop the spirit before anyone dies.
This was an interesting historical gothic tale. With picture taking now digitized, those who don't know the way photos used to be taken may find Horace's work interesting or boring. I found Horace's character a little too cold and couldn't get close enough to liking his character. Some younger readers may be troubled by the facts behind Elenora's death and the way the servant girl, Pegg, is treated. As for the ghost girl, I wanted to know more about her (to sympathize with) and see interaction between her and Horace. It was all too neatly put together and could be construed as contrived in parts.
Overall, this book was entertaining and light.
RATING: +++1/2
FOR FANS OF: Gothic; ghost stories; mysteries; historical novels.
SERIES: No.
BOOK SOURCE: Swapped.
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