Lucy has just finished year 12, and is planning on celebrating all night with her friends. They hook up with some boys, and Lucy wants to find the elusive Shadow, a graffiti artist that she has been trying to find for a long time. As the night goes on, she realizes maybe Ed, the guy who is helping her find Shadow, is an interesting guy himself. They are both interested in art - Lucy in glass blowing, and Ed in painting and drawing.
But, things go bad. Ed lies, he puts Lucy in danger, and things quickly spiral out of control. Besides, he has a girlfriend-or at least he told Lucy he does. And, it's difficult for him to hear Lucy rave about Shadow, when Ed knows he IS Shadow--but he's vowed not to tell anyone about his alter ego.
I loved the characters. Ed and Lucy have such entertaining dialog, that I laughed out loud several times. I really loved their mentors, Bert and Al, too. I'm so happy there were strong adult figures in their lives. And their friends behaved like friends. The conversations and reactions seemed very authentic.
Crowley's writing is lyrical. Leo's poetry, Lucy's glass, the graffiti and all the artistic references are magically described. At times, it was like I was listening to music, the prose flows so beautifully.
I do have a couple of minor negative comments, which had little effect on my enjoyment. I got confused, at times, about who was narrating. This may have to do with the ebook format, and flipping back a page usually got me back on track. Also, I really hate when the romantic tension is created by characters just not telling each other the truth. I got past this, though, since I could relate to Ed's difficult situation.
It's a feel-good book, with a little tension, but a satisfying ending that teens who are fans of contemporaries must read. I look forward to getting this one in their hands.
Published by Knopf, February 14, 2012
eBook obtained from NetGalley
272 pages
Rating: 4.5/5
I have been seeing this one around and I really want to read it! I know what you mean about characters just not telling each other the truth, that drives me crazy sometimes too!! You want to yell at them to just be honest!! HA!
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