The Seer of Shadows by Avi (single name author)The year is 1872 and the United States is coming to grips with the end of the Civil War. Horace Carpentine has been raised to believe in equality and science. In fact he is named after Horace Greeley, a strong abolitionist force in New York City. So when Horace is apprenticed to photographer Enoch Middleditch, he looks forward to his new life. He firmly believes he will be surrounded by science in one of its purest forms. He resolves himself to be nothing short of the best photographer in this world. So when Horace is presented with his first chance at actual photography, little does he know that his apprenticeship will lead him to question the science and ethics he so loves. Horace soon finds himself encountering things not quite of the world he is so firmly grounded in.
I really enjoyed this book. It has a little bit of history, a little bit of philosophy and a little bit of gothic all rolled into one. I found the information about the science of photography very interesting but was really intrigued with Avi's ideas of spirit photography even more.
I recommend this book for children 10 and up. It might be a bit too scary for anyone younger simply because of the nature of the ghost in the story.
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