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After staring at the artistic and alluring cover, the concept of this story was what really caught my attention. A book narrated by a shadow? I was intrigued.

Antares spends her days mimicking her charge’s movements with all the precision and fluidity of an artist--she is a shadow, bound to her task as a form of punishment. Both part of, and not part of Violet’s life, she witnesses  the tragedies that have prompted Violet’s downward spiral. But in one moment, their situations are reversed, and worlds collide.

The more I thought about Antares’ situation, though, the more horrified I became. What must it be like, I thought, to watch somebody constantly, to be there whether you like it, or not, and watch them slowly wither away? Admittedly the pacing and plot were at times slow, but the emotional grip that spawned in my imagination kept me reading.

The book has an interesting take on its dealings with image and human character. These days, with so much of our lives scattered about in cyberspace, we really do walk a fine line. Are we really in control of how others see us?

For me the plot became predictably dystopian, but I still enjoyed the concept presented in the story very much, and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel in the series. There is a whole lot to the world that Ms. Mack wrote into this book that will (I hope!) be explained in the second volume.

Teen readers who enjoy books with hints of magical realism, or light science fiction would probably enjoy the story; there is plenty within the pages about friendship and its meaning, not to mention the imaginative atmosphere.

**note: Thank you to Apologue Entertainment and Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review purposes.