Asian American Literature Fans

A Review of Liana Liu’s Shadow Girl (HarperTeen, 2017).
By Stephen Hong Sohn

 
So, I remember really enjoying Liana Liu’s debut, The Memory Key, which was earlier reviewed here on Asian American Literature Fans. Naturally, I was excited to read her next publication: Shadow Girl (HarperTeen, 2017). Let’s let B&N’s description set the scene for us, as per usual:  “The house on Arrow Island is full of mystery. Yet, when Mei arrives, she can’t help feeling relieved. She’s happy to spend the summer in an actual mansion tutoring a rich man’s daughter if it means a break from her normal life—her needy mother, her delinquent brother, their tiny apartment in the city. And Ella Morison seems like an easy charge, sweet and well behaved. What she doesn’t know is that something is very wrong in the Morison household. Though Mei tries to focus on her duties, she becomes increasingly distracted by the family’s problems and her own complicated feelings for Ella’s brother, Henry. But most disturbing of all are the unexplained noises she hears at night—the howling and thumping and cries. Mei is a sensible girl. She isn’t superstitious; she doesn’t believe in ghosts. Yet she can’t shake her fear that there is danger lurking in the shadows of this beautiful house, a darkness that could destroy the family inside and out...and Mei along with them.”

The description doesn’t clarify Mei’s ethnic background, but she’s Chinese American and lives in a city with her mother. Her father has, by this point, left the family, and she has a strained relationship with her brother, Andy, as he has had a colorful background, including a stint with a gang. Arrow Island presents itself as a kind of escape for Mei, but all is not as it seems. Indeed, as the description suggests, the story does move into the direction of a haunting, though some might think that Liu does not fully commit to these supernatural elements. The set up takes a little bit of time; readers have to be patient in order to find out why Ella is so withdrawn, but there seems to be another sinister layer that Liu is more interested in playing with: the desire for financial well-being at the cost of ethical modes of conduct. As the narrative unfolds further, Mei realizes that she might be able to gain a valuable internship, which is offered to her by none other than Ella’s father, a powerful businessman, but this offer comes with it an expectation that Mei keep a complicated secret.

Perhaps, the most compelling element of this young adult, sort of paranormal romance is that Arrow Island is a ghostly space of possibility and intrigue. I was hoping Liu would do more with the island’s geography, but the novel remains more firmly rooted in gothic elements than anything else. Another strong element is the complicated interracial and interclass dynamics that occur between Mei and the very privileged Morison family. Another fun read by Liu!

Buy the Book Here:

Review Author: Stephen Hong Sohn
Review Editor: Leslie J. Fernandez

If you have any questions or want us to consider your book for review, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email!
Prof. Stephen Hong Sohn at ssohnucr@gmail.com
Leslie J. Fernandez, PhD Student in English, at lfern010@ucr.edu