In the Shadow of Blackbirds

For most of the story there are only a few incidents of hitting and punching. But the end has a harrowing description of attempted murder that Mary experiences as though first hand while channeling a restless spirit. In the Shadow of Blackbirds mainly concentrates on creating a spooky atmosphere: A lot of the imagery along the way is gruesome or gory, including one particularly creepy description of a ghost, a lot of dead bodies, graphic war injuries, and of course the blackbirds.

Mary kisses Stephen once, and Julius lies about them so everyone thinks they had sex. She also has some simulated sexual experiences with a physical manifestation of a ghost that are described as though real but not in great detail. She feels his trousers brush against her legs rhythmically and pulls him close until he's "inside her soul."

"Hell" and "damn" less than a dozen times. One description of being in the trenches lists the "s--t" among many of the horrors.

A central character, Julius, is assumed to be addicted to opium. He suffers no legal consequences for taking drugs, but the physical and emotional effects are shown in a negative light. At one point he refers to taking enough dope, likely an old-fashioned reference to opium, to stay calm while participating in an horrific crime. A few incidental adult characters smoke, some of whom may be older teens. A young soldier who asks Mary for a light gets a lecture from her on the health consequences of smoking.

Parents need to know that ghosts are real In the Shadow of Blackbirds. They manifest themselves to the living and can physically affect their surroundings. First-time author Cat Winters successfully creates a creepy, gruesome atmosphere that's sustained throughout the book. There's some powerful, classic imagery of violence and death that's likely to stay with the reader for a long time afterward and may genuinely frighten younger kids and preteens. But there's much to admire, even for the squeamish: The strong female main character has a knack for science and determines to use it to solve the mystery. Daily life at the end of World War I is richly detailed, and readers' eyes will open to many surprising aspects of life back then.