The Seer of Shadows

Starred review from April 14, 2008
Newbery Medalist Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead
) sets this intriguing ghost story in 19th-century New York City, where a photographer’s apprentice has a horrifying run-in with a spirit bent on revenge. In the fall of 1872, 14-year-old narrator Horace Carpetine reluctantly becomes involved in his employer’s scheme to dupe a superstitious client, wealthy Mrs. Von Macht. The plan is to make a tidy profit by producing a double exposure and offering her an unusual portrait, one incorporating a superimposed image of her dead daughter, Eleanora. Events depart from the expected when the ghost of Eleanora literally enters the picture, and Horace discovers his ability to capture departed souls on film. Suspense builds as the Von Machts’ servant, Pegg, reveals secrets about the Von Macht family and explains that Eleanor’s angry spirit, brought back into the world through the camera lens, may want revenge on both Mrs. Von Macht and her husband. Mirroring both the style and themes of gothic novels of the period, the story takes ghastly and ghostly turns that challenge Horace’s belief in reason. Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book’s somber ending will leave spines tingling. Ages 8-12.

February 15, 2008
Horace, apprenticed to a shady photographer in New York City in 1872, is placed in an awkward position when his employer decides to take advantage of a wealthy lady who tells them that her daughter has recently died. Sent tophotographpictures of the child so that her ghostly image canbe superimposed on the mothers commissioned portrait, Horace befriends a black girl who works in the ladys household. From her he learns that his employer is not the only one trying to hoodwink others.In an intriguing twist, the lad learns that he has a supernatural power that draws ghosts into his world, a power he cannot control. Avis latest is a fast-paced, yet haunting portrayal of an uprightboy trying to make his way in a world that has suddenly gone strange and dangerous. Written from the point of view of Horace as an adult, this engaging novel has great immediacy andstrong narrative drive.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2008
When fourteen-year-old Horace becomes an apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, society photographer, he joins the growing ranks of juvenile protagonists (Annie Grey from How It Happened in Peach Hill, rev. 3/07; Maud Flynn from A Drowned Maiden's Hair, rev. 11/06) engaged against their will in spiritual fleecing. When the wealthy Mrs. Von Macht asks Mr. Middleditch to take her picture so that she can place the portrait at her deceased daughter's gravesite, he decides to try some photographic sleight of hand. Mr. Middleditch plans to superimpose an image of Eleanor in the mother's portrait and instructs Horace to use a miniature camera to photograph any likenesses of the dead girl in the Von Macht home. Short chapters with tantalizing cliffhangers heighten the suspense as Horace begins to doubt the authenticity of Mrs. Von Macht's grief (as Eleanor's devoted companion Pegg suggests), and that suspense comes to a head when Horace's photographs not only capture images of Eleanor but also unleash her vengeful ghost. Set after the Civil War in New York, this dandy mystery re-creates and stays within its historical period while also introducing characters confronting timeless questions of personal honor.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2008
Fourteen-year-old Horace, apprentice to photographer Enoch Middleditch, becomes engaged in spiritualist fleecing. Short chapters with tantalizing cliffhangers heighten the story's suspense, which comes to a head when Horace's photographs unleash a vengeful ghost. Set in post-Civil War New York, this dandy mystery re-creates and stays within its historical period while also introducing characters confronting timeless questions of personal honor.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from February 1, 2008
Gr 4-6-It's 1872, and 14-year-old Horace Carpetine is not pleased. Apprenticed to a photographer in New York City, he finds out that his boss has decided to cash in on the idea of being a "spirit photographer" who can capture the images of ghosts. Unfortunately, Horace soon learns that the ghost that they are trying to fake into their photos is all too real and that somehow his own foray into the world of photography has released her. Now the boy who was always taught to regard otherworldly events with skepticism must deal with a spirit intent not just on coming back, but on murder and revenge as well. The otherworldliness of photography is superbly rendered in this first-rate piece of historical fantasy. Without ever moving too fast or pushing the understated horror of this tale, Avi successfully draws out the suspense without sacrificing character, plot, or tone. This is a perfect companion to Mary Downing Hahn's "Wait Till Helen Comes" (Clarion, 1986) and an ideal recommendation for any child hoping for a ghost story that is both frightening and hauntingly mysterious."Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library"

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