The Book of Blood and Shadow

Wasserman, R. (2012).  The book of blood and shadow. New York: Ember.

Book Summary

The main character of this book, Nora, is a Latin nerd. She’s studying an old Latin text with her friends Chris and Max at a local college. But when Chris is brutally murdered, grasping part of the text in his hand, Nora realizes this text has more meaning that expected. With Max missing, Nora and Chris’s girlfriend Adriane set out for Prague to solve the mystery of this text. There are mysterious religious groups with an interest in solving the mystery in this text. The mystery becomes more and more twisted as the girls learn more and a new character enters their sphere, the mysterious Eli. There’s double-crossing and evil ninja-like monks and lots of blood as the mystery gets solved.

Impression

This was not my favorite book. The characters were a little too flat for my taste. However, the mystery plot is complex and would appeal to people who like a style similar to The Da Vinci Code.  As a teen mystery, it would appeal to many teens with the romantic relationships playing a pivotal role in the mystery. Nora is surrounded by boys who hide things from her while still professing their love for her.

I’m not sure there are many teens who would have a similar interest in Latin like Nora. This aspect of the story may have been more appropriate in a book for adults. However, the drama, like I said, is often more focused on the emotional drama between the teens rather than the death surrounding the.

Professional Review

“Since the death of her brother, high school senior Nora has retreated into her Latin studies to hide from her dysfunctional family. With her older friend Chris and his roommate Max, she works on a complex project at the local college. The late 16th-century texts they translate discuss the Lumen Dei, an ancient device that would purportedly give humans the insight and power of God and could possibly bring about the end of the world. Nora finds Max off-putting at first, but the two eventually begin a romantic relationship. When Chris is murdered and the Latin manuscripts are stolen, Max, the main suspect, disappears. Nora is determined to clear his name and get to the bottom of why someone wanted the stolen documents enough to kill for them. She and Chris's girlfriend head to Prague, where they hope to find Max and some answers. Some readers may be less interested in the subplot that unfolds in the Latin letters that Nora translates, but fans of Da Vinci Code-style thrillers will likely be drawn to this richly imagined novel.”

Bass, H. (2012, February 1). School Library Journal.

Library Use

As a book for teens, this may be good for a book club. The group could discuss the plausibility of the mystery and the impact of death on the main characters. It would also be a good book to use for a program on codes. There are codes in the letters that Nora and her friends are translating. A program could use these codes to discuss code writing and breaking.