SHANTALLOW


Tanvi isn’t the girl of Misha’s dreams; she’s the girl from his nightmares. She has appeared in his chilling dreams before he even meets her; when he DOES meet her, he falls for her.
 
Their relationship turns stormy, bordering on abusive, and takes a dramatic turn when they are held captive by a group hoping to extract money from Tanvi’s wealthy family.
 
But there is something more sinister at work, and the kidnappers and their victims find themselves struggling for survival as a supernatural force from Misha’s nightmares makes itself known in the real world.

● READ CHAPTER ONE
 
Cormorant (DCB) © 2019
ISBN-10: 1770865527
ISBN-13: 978-1770865525
Reading level: Young Adult and up
 


Ontario Arts Council logo

Enormous thanks to the Ontario Arts Council for their support in the development of Shantallow through OAC Recommender Grants. 

DISTINCTIONS


● Ottawa Book Awards English fiction finalist 2020


REVIEWS

Ottawa Book Awards English fiction finalist 2020.
With its sparring prose, inclusive cast and difficult themes, Cara Martin’s Shantallow is crackling YA. It addresses themes of revenge porn, abuse, drugs and sex, but at its heart is a message all young people should hear: there’s life after transgression, and while it may not include forgiveness, personal amends can be made, behaviour changed and community rediscovered.
— Ottawa Book Award jury statement
The atmosphere of Shantallow (both the house and the novel) is eerie and horrifying, leaving readers in suspense, not knowing what will come next. However, the true charm of Shantallow is how the perpetual darkness forced upon the characters forces them to confront their own darkness and grow from it.
****/5, Highly Recommended
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials, read the entire review
This book is full of twists, turns, heartbreak and mystical forces. The artwork creates even more anguish. The characters are well-crafted; their controversial personalities add another level of depth to the book, amongst the supernatural events that take place."
— Canadian Children’s Book News, read the entire review
From the opening sentence, the author piles on the dread and scares as she deconstructs Misha and Tanvi’s mostly toxic relationship with a sharp taste for emotional complexity. Employing rich language, she depicts adolescent turmoil via ominous imagery but never loses sight of the hopeful possibility of change."
— Kirkus, read the entire review
Serious, literary, and very scary, this novel is a slow burn, taking half the book to establish character before turning to satisfying and smart horror. A good pick for thoughtful horror readers."
— Booklist, read the entire review
Martin’s writing is very descriptive and I found myself reading some of the passages more than once because they were so beautiful. Even the spooky sections of the book … and there are a lot … are riveting because of the way they are written. The story flows beautifully."
— Kinzie Things, read the entire review
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PURCHASE