A Skinful of Shadows

Product Information

In Remember Me by author Christopher Pike, the central character of the book Shari Cooper is herself a ghost. Although initially she has to come to terms with her new condition considering she just woke up one day and realized things were not quite right. Perhaps in response to the Puritan elements in the story, Hardinge’s language in this novel is less elaborate than it has been, resulting in a cleaner, sharper diction. There are many wonderful moments that have the unmistakable Hardinge tang. Makepeace accidentally absorbs the ghost of a bear, symbolising both the uncontrollable id that she must subdue and the violence threatening to tear apart the country in “surprising zigzags”. She develops a deep rapport with her beastly fellow traveller, but often it’s “like reasoning with a thundercloud”. On that note, I also loved the protagonist Makepeace, who exhibits uncommon bravery in the face of the unknown. All her life, she has been surrounded by lies, even from her own mother, who was admittedly just trying to protect her. Still, by withholding the truth, Margaret has only managed to make her daughter more defiant, and like most confused adolescents, Makepeace occasionally lets her temper get the better of her. Still, instead of turning me off, the protagonist’s little acts of defiance only endeared her even more to me, because it made her feel genuine and easily relatable.

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge review – darkly

Like in the The Lie Tree Hardinge brings this historical period to intricate life, but not without keeping the story suspenseful as Makepeace's family are revealed in their full horrific detail. Her journey is an interesting one for YA in that the issue is not so much about defining her identity, but the much more basic one of whether she is entitled to an identity separate from that of her family at all. This book was so enjoyable and gripping! I felt as though I was living in the story, everything felt so real! It was set during the civil war in the 1640s. this was a period I had learnt about in school but the story entwined perfectly. It was interesting how people's jobs were affected by their gender and that people who changed sides in the war could be called a traitor. This is probably one of the best novels I have read! I fell in love with the language and the story. I would love a sequel to come out. (Score: 5/5) He’s no better than the other Fellmottes. Another rich man bent on what he thinks the world owes him, and willing to pay any price, as long as it’s in the blood of others.”The first things to shift were the doll's eyes, the beautiful grey-green glass eyes. Slowly they swivelled, until their gaze was resting on Triss's face. Then the tiny mouth moved, opened to speak. Ms. Hardinge writes beautifully. She knitted a web with her characters, their weaknesses and strengths and a spellbinding story, it was hard to put it down. It was haunting and yet mesmerizing too. I was expecting children’s story but this turned out to be a darker tale of coming of age. The story (so far) follows Makepeace, a strange young girl with the ability to see dead things. Except, these aren't the sort of ghosts you'd want to meet on a dark night - we're talking wild, dangerous wisps that try to enter her mind and take over. Her mother tells her to arm herself against these spirits, before dying herself - which leaves Makepeace at the mercy of her father's strange and sinister family...

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge | Goodreads

Sometimes, when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding. At the 2015 Costa Book of the Year Awards she won the children’s book of the year award as well the overall prize for her novel The Lie Tree. Ingeniously infusing a Victorian era crime murder mystery with fantasy elements, its teenage heroine Faith finds herself also grappling with the Darwinian struggle between science and religion. A Skinful of Shadows was published in 2017. The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, and it may be her only defence when she is sent to live with her father’s rich and powerful ancestors. There is talk of civil war, and they need people like her to protect their dark and terrible family secret.This is one of the best feel-good books you will ever read and is highly recommended to all fans of books with ghosts. 3) Remember Me by Christopher Pike

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge - Pan Macmillan

My main characters (male and female) are different from each other in a lot of ways, but they do tend to have certain things in common. They're nearly always smart. They're usually angrier than anybody realises, including themselves. They're also frequently underestimated. This is always a mistake.This is only my second novel by Frances Hardinge, but I already feel confident in saying this is not a fluke. She is one of the most creative storytellers I’ve ever read, with a clear talent for crafting strong and evocative narratives whose depth of emotion will stun you. A Skinful of Shadows has firmly placed her on my must-read authors list, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll write next. Non-Fiction Tasks related to content of the novel (Puritans, King Charles, Lambeth Palace, Traitor's Gate, witchcraft). Makepeace is great. She's almost a shadow herself in the beginning, an almost parallel to the ghosts who wish to inhabit her. Yet we see as she sets out to save her companions, and with each subsequent possession, how much she grows as a character, and develops an aspect of each character she possesses. She's deeply kind, loyal and at heart a just individual. Unlike James, she doesn't try to better herself in front of her Elders, nor is she swayed by the enticement of power. She's also practical. Whereas James has numerous ideas to escape the ancestral home on discovering her families secrets, she's the voice of reason. With considerable pressure after the incredible success and critical acclaim for The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge managed to once again mesmerize readers with her unique and imaginative style of storytelling with her latest book A Skinful of Shadows. The Skinful of Shadows was a great book with a very original plot, and a mix of history and fantasy. Makepeace lives in the 1600's during the civil war and is sent to live with the rich Fellmottes who can carry inside them and she is trying to hide the secret of the bear living inside her. I had learnt about civil war in History lessons, and it was interesting to find out about this time in history. I also liked how it describes both sides of the war and the variety of characters Makepeace meets. Rating 9/10