A Skinful of Shadows - by Frances Hardinge (Hardcover)

About the Book

In the 1640s during the English Civil War, the twelve-year-old illegitimate daughter of an aristocratic family shares their unique hereditary gift: the capacity to be possessed by ghosts.

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning author of The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge offers "a delicious combination of historical adventure, coming-of-age tale, and supernatural intrigue" (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Sometimes, when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding.

Young Makepeace has learned to defend herself from the ghosts that try to possess her in the night, desperate for refuge, but one day a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard. And now there's a spirit inside her. The spirit is wild, brutish, and strong, and it may be her only defense when she is sent to live with her father's rich and powerful family. There is talk of civil war, and they need people like her to protect their dark and terrible family secret. But as she plans to escape and heads out into a country torn apart by war, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession--or death.

"Darkly splendid . . . a wonderful, resonant narrative whose subtlety and insight will challenge, entertain and enchant." --The Guardian

"A Skinful of Shadows is outlandishly creative and thoroughly blood-chilling. Her storytelling is visceral and unfurls at an exciting pace, making this novel a wonderful, weird and terrifying addition to her body of work." --Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"A book that only Hardinge could write . . . [a] masterful and spooky historical fantasy." --School Library Journal (starred review)

"Hardinge's writing is stunning, and readers will be taken hostage by its intensity, fascinating developments, and the fierce, compassionate girl leading the charge." --Booklist (starred review)

"Deliberate, impeccable, and extraordinary." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Review Quotes

**STARRED REVIEW**
" . . . a delicious combination of historical adventure, coming-of-age tale, and supernatural intrigue"--Publishers Weekly

**STARRED REVIEW**
"A Skinful of Shadows is outlandishly creative and thoroughly blood-chilling. Her storytelling is visceral and unfurls at an exciting pace, making this novel a wonderful, weird and terrifying addition to her body of work."--Shelf Awareness

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Hardinge's plot is both unpredictable and rock-solid, her settings full of smells, her imagery vivid . . . Deliberate, impeccable, and extraordinary."--Kirkus Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Hardinge's writing is stunning, and readers will be taken hostage by its intensity, fascinating developments, and the fierce, compassionate girl leading the charge."
--Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"The visceral immediacy of Hardinge's prose . . . can sometimes be unsettling, but the prose itself is always original and invigorating"
--The Horn Book

**STARRED REVIEW**"Hardinge continues to create multifaceted characters, well-researched historical settings, and laugh-out-loud dialogue that will enrapture strong readers of fantasy and complex historical fiction. VERDICT A book that only Hardinge could write; add this masterful and spooky historical fantasy to upper middle grade and YA shelves."--School Library Journal

"​The novel is a very descriptive and craftily written . . . It would be ideal for tenacious students looking for a good ghost story."--School Library Connection

"The setting allows for plenty of action and intrigue . . . It all ends on a strange and bittersweet note, but Hardinge fans will be accustomed to that by now and will not be disappointed here."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

About the Author

Frances Hardinge is the winner of the Costa Book of the Year for The Lie Tree, one of just two young adult novels to win the major UK literary prize. She is the author of several books for children, including Cuckoo Song, The Lost Conspiracy, Fly by Night, Well Witched, and Fly Trap. She lives in England. Visit the author at franceshardinge.com.