Shadowshaper

Anika Noni Rose's narration rolls with every twist and turn in this fantasy, creating a variety of voices, moving flawlessly between English and Spanish, and bringing to life the main character. Sierra's summer project, painting a mural on an abandoned building in her Brooklyn neighborhood, shifts into a mystery that leads her to her magical heritage. Rose focuses listeners on Sierra's multicultural urban world. Her expressive delivery highlight Sierra's curiosity and intelligence as she does research, follows clues, discovers the power of her own art, and tries to outwit a killer who has turned his attention on her. Cultural exploration, magic, and action blend to form a lively listen. A.F. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-If a picture is worth a thousand words, what does it mean when paintings start morphing, shifting, and even weeping actual tears? For Sierra Santiago, who thought she would spend her summer making the mural of her dreams, these newly moving pictures are clear warnings that mere words can't save the world as she knows it. While avoiding evil spirits and malicious spooks suddenly on the loose, Sierra needs to hunt down a fast-moving killer-but how? Her stroke-victim grandfather has nothing but garbled apologies, her harried mother offers no answers, and her loyal best friend remains bewildered. The only person who can help is the fellow street artist she just might be crushing on. This multicultural thriller set in Brooklyn with a smart, tough Puerto Rican heroine proves to be the perfect vehicle for versatile narrator Anika Noni Rose. The casting goes beyond serendipity-Rose's production company optioned screen rights to Older's adult fantasy series "Bone Street Rumba" (Roc). VERDICT For adventure seekers in search of a culturally robust fright fest, Shadowshaper awaits. ["Excellent diverse genre fiction in an appealing package": SLJ 4/15 starred review of the Arthur Levine book.]-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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