Blog Tour: Shadow Creatures

I am delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for ‘Shadow Creatures’, the latest novel by Chris Vick, whose books are both inspiring and enjoyable.

When visiting her family in Norway, Georgy persuades her grandmother, Tove, and Great-Aunt Liva to tell her about Agna, an old woman, who Georgy saw in the woods. What was initially a ploy to avoid doing the dishes develops into a fascinating story of their youth and the horrifying experience of life under the occupation of the Nazis.

My very simplistic synopsis does nothing to capture the essence of this amazing story, but I didn’t want to fall into the trap of retelling the entire plot! ‘Shadow Creatures’ is a very powerful, compelling book, inspired by family history and incredible people.

Set in occupied Norway during World War II, the action is told as a duel narrative which moves between sisters, Tove and Liva. Fjernoy, a magical island special to the villagers, is turned into a desolate prisoner of war camp and many are forced to work there, seeing first hand the harsh treatment of those held prisoner. In the face of such evil, each individual has to decide what acts of resistance they are prepared to make and how they can balance their own and their loved ones safety with following their conscience. Each viewpoint is skilfully explored with the emotions and experiences of different character being vividly conveyed, filling the reader with great empathy and leaving them wondering how they might have acted if put in this position.

‘Shadow Creatures’ also celebrates Norwegian folklore as the sisters take inspiration from the Huldrefolk, the hidden people- nisse, nixie, huldra, trolls- who act in the shadows to cause mischief and bring trouble to those who cross them. Since reading ‘Shadow Creatures’, I have been hunting for books of Norwegian folklore and am determinedly planning a holiday…

Listening to family, valuing their memories, sharing family history and explaining the importance of family mementos- realising that older people were once young and lived fascinating (or very ordinary!) lives- is something which can be left until it is too late, but through his work, Chris Vick reminds the reader of the importance of sharing time and listening to family around us. Without the incredible memories and experiences of his family, this wonderful novel would not have been written- and that would have been a great loss.

Right and wrong, good and evil- sometimes these things are not as simple as they seem and decisions we make can be complex and have far reaching consequences. ‘Shadow Creatures’ would make an excellent novel to read with children in Y6/7/8, offering not only a wealth of historical and cultural detail, but plenty to consider and discuss. Beautifully written, deeply moving and inspiring, this is a brilliant book!

Shadow Creatures

Chris Vick

Zephyr ISBN: 978-1837933167

Many thanks to Zephyr for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour.

(I apologise if my review is a bit rambling, but I am struggling with Covid!)

St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature 2024

Last year, I had the best time at the St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature and so was delighted to be able to go again this year. This is rapidly becoming my favourite festival- and I go to quite a few throughout the year. Not only are tickets only £1 each, but there is such a warm atmosphere of community and joy which some other festivals lack…

I arrived in plenty of time and was able to get my bearings and enjoy a quick cuppa before my first event, but the dedicated team behind the festival had obviously been hard at work for quite some time. Last year, the festival was held just on the Saturday, but this year it had expanded to all weekend with school events on either side.

My first event was the wonderful Ross Montgomery. The session I attended was for younger children as his second event based around ‘I am Rebel’ (fantastic book!) clashed with another event. This is the biggest problem with St Austell Lit Fest- there are just so many brilliant sessions to choose from! Ross was marvellous and kept the very young (and considerably older!) members of his audience thoroughly entertained, creating characters and developing stories.

The Festival Hub was bursting with activities for children to enjoy, authors signing books and the wonderful Reading Rocks Bookshop which offered an incredibly tempting range of reading matter! This space was full of excited children queuing to get their books signed and to have a word with their favourite authors- and there were some huge queues! Although I had to choose my sessions carefully to make them fit, there was still plenty of opportunity to have a book signed by the other authors and have a quick chat. I know I have already commented on the atmosphere, but this really was something special.

Next, I went to see Justyn Edwards for a truly magical session which kept the audience on the edge of their seats trying to solve the tricks and illusions he performed! Like everyone else, I thoroughly enjoyed his event and I was very excited to learn that the third book in ‘The Great Fox’ series is coming out later this year!

Next, I headed to a church for a panel event about whales with Chris Vick, Hannah Gold and Jasbinder Bilan. These three passionate, engaging authors gave the audience a quiz to test their whale knowledge, shared plenty of whale facts and each gave a reading from their book. It was such an interesting session- and my first literary festival event held in a church!

Back to the bookshop for more book signing and catching up with more friends. I took Fed Ted with me and everyone was pleased to see him! Although I could only go on the Saturday, other members of the FCBG attended on Sunday and also had a brilliant time. Huge congratulations to the team behind this amazing festival- and I look forward to seeing you all again next year!

You can visit their website here

You can read about last year’s festival here.