Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt

What would you do if you had incredible powers that you didn’t know you had until a stressful moment revealed them? Alina Starkov realizes she has magical powers that could seal the “Unsea”, a giant swath of darkness across the landscape of her country, Ravka. She is taken in by the Darkling, the leader of a the Grisha, a group of magical people. But in a swift turn of events, she suddenly has to take a good look at who she thought were her friends...and make the hardest choice of her life.

Girls and boys who like fantasy and slightly romantic novels will enjoy this read for sure. Readers who have made tough choices will be able to relate to Alina and understand this book all the more. 

Upon starting to read, I was skeptical that Shadow and Bone would be a very good book, but after finishing, I've realized that it definitely has everything a story needs, but not everything a great story needs. The first two or three chapters are very confusing at first, but if you push past them, the story starts to make lots more sense. The entire novel could use more details and could be slowed down slightly. The plot is almost hidden as well, but if you really pay attention, you'll find it. All around, it is a good book that I would read again.