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Early Book Review: Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky, Anissa Espinosa

Cast No Shadow is a graphic novel written by Nick Tapalansky and illustrated by Anissa Espinosa. It is currently scheduled for release on October 10 2017. Greg has lived in Lancaster his whole life. The town's always had its quirks, and being born without a shadow means he's counted among them. When Greg discovers an old mansion in the woods just outside of town, he didn't expect to meet a smart, beautiful, funny, and dead teenaged girl named Eleanor. Yeah. He's in love with a ghost. And before he knows what's happening, Greg finds himself at the wrong end of a history lesson when the town's past, and his own, threaten to pull the two of them apart permanently.

Cast No Shadow is an engaging graphic novel. I enjoyed the unusual lack of a shadow from our main character, and the story that stemmed from that. I really liked how that played out. I also liked that Greg faces some realistic family issues, and complicated friendships. His imperfect life made his emotions and the trouble he faced that much more real and relatable as a reader. While there is a romance involved, I also liked that his best friend is a girl and the idea of girls as more than a romantic interest is clear. Although, the fact that she has her own romance negates that a little bit, her clear personality and utter lack of fitting the 'girl best friend' stereotype did help a little. I like that the town and most of its inhabitants are a little odd, and the story is unexpected in many ways. I thought the art did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life, adding details and little bits of information that made the read even more enjoyable. The combination of heart felt emotion and facing real life struggles of family and friend relationships along-side the paranormal aspects and humor struck a chord with me.

Cast No Shadow is a graphic novel with a unique twist to teen romance. I enjoyed the art and the story and think that many readers from middle grade on up through adults will enjoy the read.

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