Cast No Shadows   

By Nick Tapalansky   

ISBN: 9781596438774

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

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…very dead teenage 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! (Goodreads)

Review:

Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky is the first graphic novel I have read by this author and all I can say is…I am very impressed. I really enjoyed the story. I found the illustrations by Anissa Espinosa good.

Cast No Shadow centers around Greg, a teen age boy dealing with the loss of his mother as well as his father and his new girlfriend. Of note – Greg does not have a shadow. What is that all about, one might ask? His lack of a shadow does play an interesting and integral part in this story, which is revealed as the story is told. 

One day Greg and his friend Layla happen across a mansion in the woods, which is inhabited by a teenage ghost named Eleanor. What ensues is a bit of a teenage crush/relationship between Greg and Eleanor. However, Eleanor is not able to leave the mansion, much to Greg’s chagrin. 

I found the humor exuded by the shadow quite entertaining and even caustic at times. I also had a big chuckle at the psychic sing-a-long ☺.

Best quote:

“Your home looks like a Halloween store threw up on it. I’m about to throw down with my crazy shadow in or to, hopefully, get you out of here. And if it doesn’t work, the town is probably gonna be destroyed, I’m going to jail, and you’ll be stuck here forever.”

While I really enjoyed the story overall, at times I did find the transitions from one story line to another quite abrupt and had to re-read the previous clip or two to understand that a transition had occurred.

If you like graphic novels with excellent illustrations and an engaging story, then pick up Cast No Shadow for an enjoyable read.