Shadowed Summer [Hardcover]

Saundra Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2009

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared.

His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered.

Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy."

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of Collette's latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a summer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew.

What she doesn't realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This heady mix of ghost story and mystery, drenched in the languid, humid atmosphere of a small Louisiana town, should appeal to the core audience of the Twilight series: adolescent girls who like a little sexiness in their ghostly pursuers. Ennui can get people into all sorts of trouble, and the kind of blank summer days staring down 14-year-old Iris and her friends lead them to casting spells in the town cemetery. A masculine whisper in Iris’ ear shoots them into true ghost-hunting, with a Ouija board indicating that the whisperer belongs to the town’s only mystery, a 17-year-old boy who disappeared almost 20 years ago. Mitchell skillfully segues from gothic romance to prosaic mystery as the friends examine microfiche records and question the boy’s relatives and friends. As the ghost becomes increasingly insistent that his mystery be solved, Iris discovers unnerving connections to her own family. Highly atmospheric, with pulse-pounding suspense and an elegiac ending. Grades 8-12. --Connie Fletcher

Review

Saundra Mitchell respects her youthful readers, and comprehends the complexities of their time of life. This spectral story is insightful and eloquent; the ache of youth is remarkably rendered. --Hellnotes

Good ghost stories are, like ghosts, a little thin on the ground in these times, and readers will be pleased to find this atmospheric reaffirmation of a good haunting. --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Shadowed Summer is beautiful and haunting- filled with love and lies, secrets and betrayal, that play out flawlessly in a novel you will never forget. It is the best Southern Gothic I've read in years." --Kami Garcia, New York Times Bestselling Author of Beautiful Creatures

"This heady mix of ghost story and mystery...should appeal to the core audience of the Twilight series: adolescent girls who like a little sexiness in their ghostly pursuers. . . Highly atmospheric, with pulse-pounding suspense and an elegiac ending." ---Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 183 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385735715
• ISBN-13: 978-0385735711
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,134,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She's dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She's the author of Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine, The Springsweet, and the forthcoming Aetherborne and Mistwalker. She's also the editor of the forthcoming YA anthology Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dares are too easy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghostly goodness, February 10, 2009

By 

Megan Crewe (Toronto, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadowed Summer (Hardcover)

When Iris calls up a ghost on one too-long, too-hot summer day, she hardly expects one to actually appear--or for the one who does to be so frightening. Maybe if she can solve the mystery of his death, he'll stop haunting her. But that mystery may lead her closer to home than she imagined...

SHADOWED SUMMER is a spooky and suspenseful read, with a main character whose voice is so distinctive you'll have trouble getting it out of your head and heaps of Southern small town atmosphere. The mystery is a page-turner and the ghost truly haunting, but the best part of this book is how real the characters and their relationships feel. Iris, her father, and her friends will stick with you a long time after. Highly recommended for readers of all ages!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Review: Shadowed Summer, April 30, 2009

By 

Enchanting Reviews "Lisa" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadowed Summer (Hardcover)

SHADOWED SUMMER
SAUNDRA MITCHELL
YA paranormal
Delacorte Press
ISBN # 9780385735711
183 pages
$15.99
Hardback Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Boring and hot. That's Ondine, Louisiana in the summer time. Fourteen-year-old Iris and her friend Collette try to find some magic in an otherwise boring summer. But something does happen. A ghost appears. Seems something did happen in Ordine long ago. A teenager Elijah disappeared. Now Iris swears he's haunting her.

What do the others in her town know? Iris tries to find out the truth. But an even bigger question is why has Elijah decided to haunt her?

I enjoyed this paranormal tale. The author did a great job of nailing down the voice of a Southern teen dealing with a haunting. The writing was vivid and very descriptive. I felt as if I was there in Ondine on a hot summer day. The friendship of Iris and Collette was realistic especially when Ben becomes involved in helping them solve the mystery. What makes this story even more compelling is the whole mystery of what exactly happened to Elijah. The truth in the end is surprising and caught me off guard. I'd recommend this book to those who love paranormal mysteries.

Saundra Mitchell is a screenwriter and author who penned the screenplays for the Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first featured film, Revenge Ends, debuted on the festival circuit in 2008. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and two children. Find out more at her website www.saundramitchell.com

Kim
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2009

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Spooky Story, July 6, 2010

By 

Ellz Readz "Ellz Readz" (Eastern US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadowed Summer (Paperback)

My thoughts...While Shadowed Summer is geared toward younger readers, I think paranormal fans of any age would enjoy this tale. Iris and her best friend Collette live in a very small southern town. Their entertainment consists of calling up spirits and writing spells in their secret notebooks. During one of their rituals, Iris calls up a real ghost by the name of Elijah who is very persistent with his demands for help. The story is about the mystery of Elijah's death. Shadowed Summer will put you on the edge of your seat.

The writing in this story is exemplary. Mitchell does a great job of writing the voice of 14 year old Iris. The characters feel genuine. They experience a wide array of emotions including jealousy, betrayal, and love-each one of them believable. The character of Elijah is unpredictable. One moment you feel bad for him, the next you are afraid of him.

The plot of Shadowed Summer moves at a rapid pace. I can honestly say that the book made me want to keep the light on. It has that "what's lurking under my bed" creepy quality to it. The mystery element will appeal to both genders. It is a good mystery: tons of suspects and tons of clues. There is a bit of a love story woven into the action, just enough to satisfy. This is a great one for the summer reading list.