2.5/5 stars. There was nothing particularly wrong with this book (well, except for the contrived love triangle) but there was nothing particularly right about it for me, either. Like many other readers I guessed what Iris was early-on, then things dragged on as I waited for Lily to catch up to me. I think if the book had been faster-paced and the love triangle eliminated I would have enjoyed it more. (Provided by publisher) ( )

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the story line, but I felt like the pacing was a bit off.

Lily is an ok character. She's strong when she needs to be after dealing with her dad's death. Her mom seems to have completely gone off the deep end, and Lily has to be the grown up sometimes. I didn't like that she automatically trusted Ty. She didn't know him at all, and was constantly defending him. She's also getting mixed up feelings for her BFF Wyatt. All of this is right after her dad dies. I mean come on, you don't start wigging out over who you like days after your father's funeral. I did however love Wyatt and his grandma. They are incredibly sweet and are always there for Lily and her family. Wyatt is also incredibly loyal to Lily. Even though she does some crappy things, he sticks by her. He may have more than friend feelings for her, but he'll always be there as her best friend. Now on to Iris, the shadow girl. I like how passionate she is, but I don't care for the fact that she's pushy when she doesn't need to be. She's so focused on her needs, that she completely ignores the needs of everyone else, including Lily.

In some places the pacing was great. The story flowed easily, but I felt like the last 1/4 of the book was rushed. It just felt like everything built up for this big thing to happen. I just didn't like how it went from slow-going to fast paced events. I also didn't care for the some-what love triangle. The story would have gone along more smoothly without it.

Even with the things that bothered me, I was engaged with the book. I think if we would have had a few more glimpses from Iris, and maybe made it a little longer, I would have liked it a lot more. It would be great if we could see Iris's childhood in a novella or short story though. ( )

Most teenagers at some point in their life wish that they could change families. A magical way to wave a wand and correct the mistake that must have happened by being born into their current family. There is no way that two old people who are strange, old, and weird could be related to them on any biological level. God would not condemn them to have such out of touch and unfair parents. Every once in a while you find a teenager who is a little different. A person who is usually raised by parents that think outside of the box and forces him or her to question the current dogmas of society. Although the average teenager can't stand their parents at some given point in high school, most learn to love and respect them as they grow. This book is about one such teenager named Lily, who is raised by a set of backward parents. Her parents are more in tune with the earth and believe in homeschooling their daughter. She is a girl that has been brought up to love people and trust her parents' lessons. Lily's outlook on life is dreamlike at best. Sheltered from traditional high school, she has been blessed with an easy life until a tragic accident occurs. While out for a traditional birthday ride on their recreational vehicles, a deer jumps out and causes the death of her father. Torn by guilt and saddened that she survived, Lily struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. Within days of her father's death a mysterious boy shows up in town and crosses Lily's path. From first glance both feel an uncanny need to be together. As the days go by, Lily learns that she is not who she thinks she is. Who is she really and why have her parents lied to her? Will she ever be able to trust another person again and how can she cope with her new found knowledge?

This book was very interesting and I read it within a couple of days. It was very fast pace and I loved the story line. It was the first encounter that I have ever had with a story like this. I enjoyed the characters and as I read the story they really came to life for me. I easily got locked into Lily's story and became frustrated along with her when information began to unravel. I loved the ending and to be honest it ended differently than what I imagined. Normally I can easily guess what is going to happen, but the author stumped me and I loved that! I have to recommend this book hands down and feel this book could be read by any age group. There is no sex, violence, or foul language. There is only a great story and I am going to be checking out the author's other book! Great job author on writing such a great book and great job publisher for finding such a talented writer! ( )

Though The Shadow Girl has a potentially hard-hitting premise, the end result doesn't really wow. I feel like I probably should have disliked this, but I didn't really; instead I feel largely ambivalent towards it. I've got a fair amount of criticisms to deliver, but, overall, this was a nice easy read, and wasn't a struggle to get through.

On the plus side, there's the concept of Lily having this other person in her brain, Iris. At the beginning the reader doesn't know why Iris is in her head or if Iris is a sign of Lily's insanity, but the idea is still a compelling one. Such concepts appear fairly frequently in YA, I think because there's something about the idea of hearing voices, whether real or imagined that calls to the human imagination. Do we all inherently both fear and desire such a voice? Also, given the popularity of the themes covered, I do think Archer considers them in a slightly different way, a less harried, action-packed way, that is refreshing. Though The Shadow Girl does briefly appear to be heading for a climactic showdown, there's really nothing of that sort here; it's a mental journey for Lily, and that's it.

Sadly, I figured out what was going on early on in the book, and I do not think I was especially clever to have done so. In fact, I think that the 'twist' is glaringly obvious. Lily does not really think there's anything weird about some of the facts she's uncovering when they should have been setting off immediate warning bells. Archer implies that this is because Lily doesn't want to believe what's going on, but that's a bit far-fetched for a girl as well-educated as Lily.

Perhaps my favorite part involves the Stradivarius violin that Lily locates in the garage in the wake of her father's death. Now, I can't delve into this because of spoilers, but I'll do my best. Archer weaves the power of music into her story, and I just love the idea she puts forth. I would have liked to see her do more with that, since it takes a backseat to the investigation plot line, which, again, was heading for a super obvious conclusion.

Otherwise, all that's really going on in this book is romance, which is pretty unfortunate. There is yet another love triangle, and there's instalove, or at least insta-serious-feelings. As ever, the two players for Lily's affections are her best friend Wyatt and the mysterious newcomer Ty. Lily is torn between the two, finding both physically attractive, nice, and eminently kissable. Now, on the one hand, I don't have a big issue with her being torn between the two guys; she's not made a commitment to either one, and she's welcome to make out with whoever she wants to. However, she's a total dick to her best friend in the process. While she's not unfair to Wyatt as a dating prospect, she's a horrid friend, and never fully apologizes for that.

Further, Lily's crush on Ty boggles my mind. She essentially discovers that he's been stalking her family for reasons that are basically insane. Lily, however, is totally okay with this and still deems him totally datable. Even better, having stalked her and lied to her makes him a great candidate for a road trip buddy. Apparently, attending Columbia makes you totally respectable no matter what the circumstances. In real life, this would have ended with her death, as would that whole thing with Jake. This girl has NO survival skills at all. Well, actually, she does have one that puts her above most YA heroines, the ability to realize when she's holding her breath.

Then there's Lily's relationship with her mother, or lack of relationship. Even though it's obvious all of the information is coming out, the mom freaking refuses to say a single thing to Lily about what exactly is going on. This pushes Lily to ask other people. Why was the mother so against explaining? Why did she cave so easily once Lily left? Was her daughter driving across country with a possible serial killer really the only catalyst to push her to admit she has a problem and get over herself?

I realize that based on this review, it sounds like The Shadow Girl should have a lower rating, but I honestly didn't dislike it. Nor did I exactly like it. Meh. ( )

Mysterious and moving, I got sucked into this book REAL fast. I can’t pinpoint it, but this book had me really thinking…

The plot of the book is really gripping. Lily has never been along. Hidden away from the world, Lily lives in secluded place knowing very few trusted people. But why??? That is question. When her fathers dies, Lily is asking questions about his last statement to her. I have to admit that when her dad muttered those words, hook…line…sinker… I sat down, devour the book page and page and finding myself anxious just to KNOW! What was the secrets? What is so different about Lily? And why??? The plot is good and moved at a pace the is torturing That is good! I love that the author didn’t spill the beans right away but let the reader slowly come to the knowledge with the character.

There are two love interest but it never really gets into this whole complicated love triangle. Thank God. Love triangles that get so complicated raise my blood pressure and that folks is bad. I like that even though there are potentially two guys, you know where she stands. She does leans into both mostly cause they each have a part of her. Her past and her future. Still, I like how it ended.

Let me put it this way. Read it. It’s awesome and amazing. It leads you so deep into the story that the ending is just mind blowing. The Shadow Girl is a deeply mysterious read that keep you on the edge of your seat. ( )