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The Seer of Shadows Review

The Seer of Shadows by Avi took place in the late eighteen hundreds in New York City's during the Civil War. The setting adds to the suspense of the book. The main idea of the book revolves around the art of photography; the idea includes not just taking the picture but also the developing process, as well. If it happened during modern times the issue with the photography would not happen. The importance of bringing it from darkness to light (by the negatives) is a key factor of the book. Avi finds a way to make the reader feel as if he or she is not an observer of the action but a key character themselves.

Since the time frame is all about fighting for freedom from oppression for the African Americans, Avi allows us to see how the oppressed were treated even in a northern town. The young slave girl, Pegg, was a key character and was broken to the point of complete submission. Since she was not white, Pegg did not have the same rights as everyone else. Without these rights, she could not live without being a slave to the Von Macht family.

The main character, Horace, finished school at fourteen. This was common during that era for children at a young age to apprentice to learn a trade. A photographer apprenticed Horace. Most apprentices lived under the roof of their employer and left their families and friends so they can learn a trade for the future.

The introduction of paranormal activity was a substantial element to the Seer of Shadow, hence the title of the book. Avi shows the fine line between dark and light through not only the paranormal factor but through the photography and the racial barriers. The paranormal activity was brought about not only through deception but through photographs too.

The main characters, as mentioned before, are Horace and Pegg. One was a photographer's apprentice and the other a slave. The two became great friends through a circle of secrets only they knew about. They both shared a commonality of not being taken seriously due to his age and her race. Horace and Pegg found solace in each other even in a world of complete chaos. Another main character was Eleanora Von Macht. At the beginning she was introduced as the daughter of the Von Machts but later was revealed as the tortured niece. She was a ghostly figure in the story. Since she was not treated well, her past influenced the character she became but also the other characters in the story. The secondary characters were Mr. Middleditch and Mr. and Mrs. Von Macht. Mr. Middleditch was a lazy swindler. He owned the photography shop where Horace apprenticed. He made Horace do all the work. The Von Machts were cruel and greedy people. They had no conscience until the late Eleanora threatened them. Pegg was their slave that they treated poorly.

Avi made the characters seem as if they were real, even in a book of fiction. The way we felt about the character affected our view of them. If they were good characters then they had the easily distinguished traits that differentiated them from the bad characters. Since there was a conflict between the good and bad characters it made the book come to life.

At the beginning of the story the fateful meeting between Pegg and Horace happened. She came to set up an appointment for Mrs. Von Macht and Horace obliged her request. Since Mr. Middleditch's business had been slow Mrs. Von Macht's appointment was much needed. When Mrs. Von Macht came the next day, she told of her loving daughter's death and how she wanted a portrait to help the daughter to cross to the other side. Seeing an opportunity to make more money Mr. Middleditch came up with a scheme to trick Mrs. Von Macht. He had Horace to be in on the scheme by using a spy camera to sneak pictures of Eleanora. These pictures turn out to be true photos of the dead girl not just pictures from around the house. At this point, Horace realized that he saw the unseen through his photos. Mr. Middleditch was too caught up in his fraud to realize that his trick was coming to life.

This book had quotes that seemed to give hints to the ending. The quote, "Let the dead bury the dead" was a hint toward his seeing the ghost and bringing them out into the real world. "God said let there be light and there was light" was at the front of the book, and it showed the power in bringing light to a dark place. This quote is essential to tying up the loose ends of the climax.

-Carrie Crisp, Cieara Gregory, and Amy Bowen

The Seer of Shadows Feature

ISBN13: 9780060000172
Condition: New
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The Seer of Shadows Overview

Horace Carpetine does not believe in ghosts.

Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. Then he becomes an apprentice photographer and discovers an eerie—and even dangerous—supernatural power in his very own photographs.

When a wealthy lady orders a portrait to place by her daughter's gravesite, Horace's employer, Enoch Middleditch, schemes to sell her more pictures—by convincing her that her daughter's ghost has appeared in the ones he's already taken.

It's Horace's job to create images of the girl. Yet Horace somehow captures the girl's spirit along with her likeness. And when the spirit escapes the photographs, Horace discovers he's released a ghost bent on a deadly revenge. . . .

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Customer Reviews

Good but VERY DARK - Anastasia's Mommy - Winter Park, FL USA
This book is one of this year's Sunshine State books (if you live in Florida). I read it before giving it to my 9 year old daughter, and I am glad I did. It is a true ghost story where a dead child becomes a ghost who wants to murder her wicked step-parents. Many sensitive children will not sleep well after reading this book! I love photography, and enjoyed AVI's many photography references, and I also liked the way it portrayed a friendship between an African-American and a Caucasian just after the Civil War. It also was a page-turner. Aside from the horror aspects of the book, the ending seemed a bit weak and somewhat too clean.

A 4th Grade Student Review - Mollie E. Gabrielson - South Dakota
The Seer of Shadows draws you into 1872 where instead of taxis they had horse-cabs. And when you became 14 you were expected to get a job and sometimes move out of the house just like Horace Carpentine does. Horace is a seer of shadows and can make ghosts come back. AVI really draws you in with mystery, the old days, and a great choice of words. It can be a little scary so I would reccomend it to 4th grade and up. If you liked the Goosebumps series I gaurentee you'll love this book! So give it a try, it might just scare your socks off! ~ Aeromellow

Very Dark and Well-Written - Grade Six -
Horace Carpentine is a photographer's apprentice in the suburbs of New York City at around 1800 when they get a job for the Von Macht family who are very wealthy. Mrs. Von Macht wants some photos of herself so her "beloved" daughter Elenora can be "peaceful" in her grave. Mr. Middleditch, the photographer, wants to get a lot of money, so he puts in Elenora the "ghost" in the background to please Mrs. Von Macht, or so he thinks. But when Horace befriends the servant girl, Pegg, he learns the real reason why Mrs. Von Macht wants the photo. From then on, Horace needs to put Elanora's soul to rest, and stop the revenge the Von Machts may deserve.

I think that the "Seer of Shadows" was an extremely well-written mystery. It was very dark so you have to think about the plot. The author used a lot of descriptive language to help you understand the story. If you like mysteries or dark stories you should definitely read the "Seer of Shadows."

Chase P.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 09, 2010 12:42:09

Children's Books

Thursday, September 9, 2010