Reviews for Shadow girl

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

In Liu's sophomore novel, following The Memory Key (2015), a second-generation Chinese American girl named Mei moves to a secluded island mansion for the summer as an academic tutor, only to discover there's something not quite right below the surface. Mei is worried for her mother, ever since her father walked out and her brother was arrested for gang-related offences, but the chance to make so much money is hard to pass up. When Ella, her student, begins to talk about a ghost visiting her at night, Mei finds herself questioning her situation. Though the family is fairly stereotypical the rich and ethically questionable husband, the gold-digger wife, and the perpetually grumpy grandfather Mei's relationships with Ella and her brother, Henry, bring the story to life. Liu's inclusion of racially diverse characters and a focus on racial tensions give the narrative added depth. This eerie tale of troubled friendships, family drama, and personal transformation evokes the sinister atmosphere of a ghost story, alongside a complex journey of self-exploration and discovery.--Bittner, Rob Copyright 2017 Booklist


School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 8 Up-Recent high school graduate Mei has accepted a job as an academic tutor to the youngest child of a finance mogul. When she reaches the island where the Morison family summer home is located, Mei is stunned at the lifestyle differences between her own family and that of her new charge. The teen tries to focus on her obligations, but as she spends more time with the Morisons, she finds herself devoting less energy to lesson plans, struggling to navigate the overindulgence and complicated web of friction in the home instead. And as Mei is increasingly pulled into the Morison family drama, strange things start to occur in the house. Mei isn't superstitious, but she can't shake her growing unease. Although presented as a ghost story, the first two-thirds of the book focus more on Mei's struggle to find and assert herself amid the strained Morison family dynamics as well as in her own complicated relationships rather than the supernatural. Mei feels an intense pressure to be accommodating with everyone in her life; if she is unable to meet these expectations she feels both shame and guilt. When the soft noises and shadows in her bedroom on the island eventually do twist into something more sinister, it's more foretelling than frightening. Some strong language is included. VERDICT An interesting story line will hold readers until the end, but a poor choice for fans of the paranormal. An additional purchase for large collections.-Maggie Mason Smith, Clemson University, SC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When eighteen-year-old Mei is offered a high-paying live-in-tutor gig on Arrow Island for the summer, she can't refuse. Compared to her mother's tiny apartment, life with the wealthy Morisons seems glamorous, but it's also fraught with mystery--both earthly and supernatural. Well-wrought racial and economic tension guide Mei's journey of self-discovery, even as she contends with a truly creepy ghostly menace. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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