The Shadows We Make


Young Adult - Sci-Fi
283 Pages
Reviewed on 05/25/2023
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    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Shadows We Make is a work of fiction in the science fiction and adventure subgenres. It is intended for the young adult reading audience but can also be enjoyed by adult readers, and was penned by author Jo Allen Ash. Laced with dystopian themes and fascinating multiple points of view, this is the story of a world where those viewed as delinquents are shipped off to an off-world facility for the rest of their lives with no shot at redemption. Here, the young desert warrior Grace meets con artist Duncan, who has a younger sister he’s determined to rescue. As the pair teams up against impossible odds, they will be tested to their core by everything this dark, strange world can throw at them.

Young adult readers and adults alike are sure to be thrilled by this action-packed and intelligently crafted science fiction adventure. I found the concepts surrounding the dystopian society and its ways to be well-thought-out and credible, which added to the realism of this alien situation and made me feel even more for the characters being subjected to its harshest conditions. The characterization was also superbly penned by author Jo Allen Ash, who certainly knows how to draw strong emotional resonance out of dialogue, physical description, and the different perspectives from which the story is told. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend The Shadows We Make to any reader seeking a talented science fiction author to discover, and those who want high-stakes adventure with thoughtful worldbuilding and strong emotional themes.