In the Shadow of Blackbirds VS Out of the Easy

Which one will be the winner? Both of these books were stories I had been looking forward to reading. I decided not to read the previous bracket reviews of both and just start with the basic knowledge I had of both stories. So, on with the fun!

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters is set during the influenza outbreak of 1918. Mary Shelley lives in a world where everyone’s nerves are frayed and on edge. Between not trusting neighbors for fear they could be spies and the flu pandemic that is striking down healthy young men and women, the country is gripped by terror. Mary Shelley is on run to San Diego to live with her aunt after her father was arrested for being a traitor. One solace Mary Shelley has is thinking of her love Stephen, who is off in Europe fighting in the war. Soon word of Stephen’s death reaches her. Voices and mysterious happenings make Mary Shelley believe Stephen is reaching out from beyond the grave to tell her something. Is it real or is it fake? And if it is real—what does he want her to know?

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys is also a historical novel, this time set during 1950 in New Orleans. Josie has essentially raised herself since she was 12. She has a mom, but her mom doesn’t care at all for her. Josie works mornings at a brothel for Willie. Willie might be a madam but she’s also a savvy businesswoman, well-connected in the community, and Josie’s mom’s boss. Josie second job is as a shopgirl at a bookstore. Between these two jobs and taking care of Charlie (the owner of the shop who’s suffering from a brain injury), Josie dreams of a life away from New Orleans and away from the life she associates with her mom. She’s inspired to apply to Smith after meeting an out-of-town Smith student as well as a bookstore customer who mistakes her for a college student. When the customer dies mysteriously, Josie’s world starts to falter as her mother is suspected of murder.

The winner is Out of the Easy. I really enjoyed In the Shadows of Blackbirds’s atmosphere and the contrast between Mary Shelley’s scientific mind and what is happening to her. I felt on edge during the whole story—would anyone survive? However, Out of the Easy captured my heart from the beginning. Josie was an amazing character to spend time with. The people who made up Josie’s world were an eclectic mix and I liked the family that she had found in them. A mix of mystery, coming-of-age, romance, and historical fiction—I felt like I could feel the steamy air of New Orleans around me. The feelings of not fitting in and wanting more are so universal that I found myself hoping that Josie would win out over New Orleans.

Winner: Out of the Easy

Fangirl vs. In the Shadow of Blackbirds

I’m going to be brutally honest at the beginning of this review.  At this point, I have no idea which book I want to choose.  I’m hoping as I write about them, the clear winner will reveal itself to me.  So fingers crossed…here I go!

If there were ever any two books that were on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, they would be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters.

The first is a splendid, quirky romance that tugs at your heart strings, but adds enough geek culture to grab the attention of readers that normally might shy away from a romance.  Rowell includes humor and drama to create a story that will leave readers debating about how it is to be described.  Cath and her twin sister Wren begin the story at college, away from home for the first time.  It soon becomes obvious that Wren is more willing to succomb to the traditional representation of college life including several parties and a bit too much alcohol.  Cath’s college experiences are quite the opposite.  She would much rather stick to writing her fanfiction about Simon Snow, the main character from the super popular boy wizard book series.  Cath’s roommate, Reagan, is a nightmare and she always has a male visitor, who shows up whether Reagan is home or not.  Fangirl is a story full of truth.  Rowell skirts away from traditional teen romance cliches and encourages the readers to draw their own conclusions before she reveals the reality of situations.  While the Cath story is interesting enough to keep the reader’s attention, the excerpts from the Simon Snow books and Cath’s own interpretation found in sections of her fanfiction really make this book special.

The second title in this battle is In the Shadow of Blackbirds.  This book tells the story of Mary Shelley Black (yes, she was named after the author of Frankenstein).  Mary Shelley’s story takes place in San Diego in 1918.  Two life-changing events were happening simultaneously and both had a largely traumatic affect to Mary Shelley’s life.  The first was World War I.  Mary Shelley had to move to San Diego from Portland to live with her aunt after her father was arrested from treason for helping men avoid the draft.  Secondly, 1918 was the setting of the Spanish flu which killed millions of people.  While a straightly historical novel about the flu and the war would have been interesting, Winters decides to turn it up a notch and includes the growing fad of spirit photography.  With several friends and family dying quickly, spiritualism was on the rise amongst people hoping to communicate with their loved ones.  After a near-death experience, Mary Shelley begins to see and hear her recently-deceased friend and would-have-been lover.  In the Shadow of Blackbirds smoothly transforms from a historical novel into a light paranormal mystery.  In order to not spoil the shocking and unexpected plot points for you, I will not go much further into the story.  I was not expecting to like this novel as much as I did, which sets it apart from Fangirl.  I knew that Fangirl was going to be something that I would fall in love with quite quickly.  I did not expect the same results from In the Shadow of Blackbirds.  Also, as a sufferer of bird phobia, I must state that the title is not merely a metaphor.  There are birds in this story and they are not necessarily friendly.  You’ve been warned.

So, I finished the review and it did help me to make a decision.  I am going to go with In the Shadow of Blackbirds.  The plot is full of twists, the setting is fully realized, and the paranormal aspects are just enough to keep it feeling real without taking it too far.  Finally, In the Shadow of Blackbirds surprised me.  It was a bit of a sleeper hit to me, but it definitely woke me up.  Be sure to read this Morris Award Honor book soon!

Winner: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters