Mum's Monday: Shadowsmith by Ross MacKenzie

This book gets off to a quick start and becomes creepy very fast.

It is sad to see Kirby Simpson’s mum I hospital and I hope, one we will find out what happened to her and two that she recovers.

We do find out what happened to Kirby’s mum quite early on which is good because as I read on I can focus more on what Kirby’s new acquaintance, Amelia Pigeon has to say and do.

It seems the spiders are not the only and the least of Kirby and Amelia’s worries. We know from the beginning of the book what came through the crack/door. I am intrigued enough to read on.

If you ever wondered how people became ill, this book may give an insight into a reason, well maybe not, but it is amusing to read, not for the workman though unless he lays off the bacon.

I have in the past found out information that if you try to go to sleep you can’t and if you try and stay awake you nod off. Whether this happens every time, each one of us is different, but for the poor farmer trying to stay awake was futile when dark forces had the upper hand.

You can tell this book is for young teens when it has sentences like ‘You are brave if you are frightened but face it anyway’ and ‘Even if you don’t have friends it isn’t the end of the world, you needn’t be alone if you read a book, or like Kirby’s dad go fishing’. To interweave life lessons into a weirdly fascinating book is a fun way to teach.

You have to admire Kirby’s dad for attempting ‘Spag-bol’, but sadly fish and chips it is then. It would have been better if this book had shown his cooking to be a success though. I don’t see why a man can’t cook as well as a woman. You never know when a male has to live on his own and cook healthily for himself or better still a great opportunity to be a good role model for Kirby or anyone reading this book, especially a young male teen.

When the fortune teller said ‘Her’ there is more than one female in this book, I’m keeping an open mind at this point as I read this book.

This book shows it is difficult to gage what someone would do, or if they can hear you if you do try and tell them what you expect of them. However, just when you think all is lost Kirby and Amelia are reunited.

This story is brilliantly put together, to use the so called witches from the witch trials of the past is clever. We hear about the trials, the witches put on them and where they are buried, like un consecrated ground, but to write this story as an afterlife to all that is an excellent idea and adds another level to the past. It is still good despite being fictional, or if you believe in ghosts, could be real life.

The part where Brothers Swan and Swift visit Kirby and Mrs Coppershot is so well written and clever, that we don’t need to know what Mrs Coppershot is actually hearing or seeing, unless she is just oblivious to it anyway. We get the impression she is not getting the full picture though and that is all that is needed for the story.

As a horror story goes this is one of the creepiest, if you don’t like spiders or witches, then it turns spooky and darkly magical. It is good to see everything work out right in the end though.