SHIMMER
Authoress: Alyson Noël
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 184
Rating:
Buy it PaperbackSynopsis: Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a young ghost named Rebecca, Riley soon learns Rebecca’s not at all what she seems. The daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?
Shimmer is the second book in the Riley Bloom’s series and the copy I’ve read was an ARC, so maybe some things might be different in the published copy. Anyway, thanks to Latin Book Tours for the opportunity!
In this book, we’ll live another adventure of Riley in Here & Now. She’s just having a great vacation with Bodhi (who’s pretty much trying to change physically, which means, looking hotter) and Buttercup, but it wouldn’t be Riley if she didn’t get in trouble. So the story now is how she won’t obey Bodhi‘s request to stay quiet and get to know the town and will meet a girl ghost named Rebecca and her not at all cute dog, also known as “Snarly Yow, Black Shuck, Phantom Dog, Galleytrot, Hateful Thing, Hell Beast”!
The book is just like the first one, small chapters, a great writing, lots of funny sayings from Riley and new characters still hanging on Earth plane. Riley is so spontaneous that it’s impossible not to have a bit of fun with her. I love the way Alyson built a young girl that just wanted to fit in but didn’t have the chance. And she’s always being remembered that she will never turn thirteen. In this book, mainly, Riley learns that sometimes appearances are not all that matter and that even though she’s dead it doesn’t mean she can’t be trapped in some crazy angry girl’s world (and that it hurts even more than just finding out one’s dead!).
I still didn’t have time to start reading The Immortals’ series (and also because I heard from people that the books are not that good ;x), but I’m really enjoying Riley’s adventures. Maybe because she’s lots of fun, fresh and young, and I wish I were 13 myself XD But asides that it’s definitely because it’s a small book, which means if you have lots of other books to read this one won’t disturb you, you’ll only have much more fun during a pause from your long list of readings.
I do recommend you to start reading this series, seriously! In a blink of an eye you’ll have finished it and will be anxious for the next one 😉 Oh, and congratulations to Alyson for talking about such a serious problem from the past (that may or may not be happening nowadays in some other countries) in a way easy for people to get and have the same sensation of horror and pity. I like it when authors bring to their books real facts to let us know a little bit more about our own history and not get bored!
