By: Mariah Thomas
To me a good book is an accumulation of references while still standing on its own with originality. Where No Shadow Stays feels reminiscent to the Final Destination movies in overall concept, specifically the latest of the franchise, Bloodlines. It takes the concept and expands on it in entirely new ways while also making it appropriate for teen and young adult readers. This book also tackles the depth and nuance of familial love. The central character, Mina is placed in drastic situations that make her question everything and adjust her viewpoints in the moment.
Mina is a seventeen year old student who is always prepared for what is on the horizon. From exams to time with friends, she is always looking to the future in order to prevent herself from dwelling on the past. Mina struggles with not knowing much about her roots and her family’s history as whenever she questions her father, he immediately closes up. A big point of contention is the death of her mother. Naturally, when Mina gets an invitation from an aunt she’s never met to visit her mother’s childhood home in El-Agamy, Egypt she secretly agrees in order to find her own answers.When she returns, she doesn’t come back alone. An evil entity has attached itself to Mina and leaves destruction and pain in its path as it seeks to possess anyone who comes near her. Realizing the harm being around her causes, Mina isolates from everyone in her life. Eventually, she seeks out help from loner and classmate Jesse, the town mortician’s son as he seems to be immune to the violence of the entity. Though their personalities clash, the two must work together to uncover the debt Mina’s family owes to dark forces while also uncovering Jesse has family secrets of his own.
Where No Shadow Stays is an emotional rollercoaster. While there are points as the reader you may hate what is happening, you also understand. Finishing this book, I felt the same sense of relief I do after finishing a good movie. The reading can be heavy at times, but it is something I appreciated. It offers new perspectives and forces the reader to see the nuance. A personal favorite moment for me was when Mina gets the final answer as to what happened to her mother. She discovers early on the how and the what but later she learns the why, which is a beautifully heartbreaking moment.
Author Sara Hashem is an American-Egyptian writer with a love for fantasy and magical realms as seen in previous works. This is her YA debut of the same subject matter and it’s nice to see that she has a clear understanding of the genre and how to rework these stronger themes to be appropriate for a younger audience while containing the same depth.
I love books that are seamless to read – books that allow your mind to take off and you forget you are even reading as the visuals are just that strong. Where No Shadow Stays was one of those for me as I found myself fully encapsulated in this world. It is a great read for lovers of young adult books while also dabbling in the worlds of fantasy and horror.