Nope, sorry, didn't work. And believe me I am sorry. I love Sally Gardner's other books - I, Coriander, Red Necklace and Silver Blade and would recommend them without hesitation to anyone interested in Young Adult period novels. They are clever, engaging, and intellegent well-researched stories set in 17th century London and 18th century France. They have interesting characters and intriguing plots.
Double Shadow had none of this. Sorry - the character of Ezra was easy to connect to and like and his family was equally likeable. But the other characters were lifeless and bland. The plot was convoluted and the settings were vague and uninviting. I'm not going to tell you about the story because any telling on my part would ruin the little bit of tension that is there if you do decide to read it. I listened to Sally Gardner say that she had to dive deep to bring out this book. I wish she hadn't gone so far and had kept things just a little simpler. I love action and curiosity in middle reader's fiction but this is just plain confusing and 'hmm - so what!'
Please read her earlier novels and you will love Sally as much as I do. I will forgive her this one because her first three were really great. I hope she gets back on track with her next. Sorry!
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