22. In the Shadows, by Kiersten White, with illustrations by Jim DiBartolo. This novel actually tells two related stories, in two different formats, and the effect is quite ingenious. It opens with a series of illustrations, then goes into a seemingly unrelated chapter. As the book goes on, the pieces of the dark mystery come together. The story centers on five teens living at a boarding house in a remote town- Cora and Minnie, who run the house with their recently widowed mother; Thomas and Charles, brothers who have been sent there for the summer by their father for Charles' health- and perhaps darker reasons; and Arthur, who harbors several closely-guarded secrets but who knows more than he lets on about the mysterious happenings in the town - happenings that threaten to ensnare all five of them. This is a quick read, with an engaging mystery. The five main characters are well done. My only nit is I wonder if this would have worked even better as a series, so we can get more into the back stories on several of the other characters, including Mary. Also, I do wonder if the ending was wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly. All in all, though, I really liked it. The illustrations are just gorgeous, detailed and dark. This would be good for preteens and teens looking for a good mystery or a quick summer read.
Currently reading: Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas; Cleveland in the Gilded Age, by Dan Ruminski and Alan Dutka; and A Curious Man, by Neal Thompson