Staff Pick: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Halloween is too much fun for just one day. All October, we'll be looking at our favorite horror/supernatural/paranormal/all-around spooky books.

From goodreads.com:

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Pick it: to find out why the scariest part of this book isn't the threat of ghosts, but the seemingly unstoppable Spanish influenza. A beautifully tragic piece of historical fiction.

Pair with: The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler for more early 20th century Spiritualism. This one's set across the pond in England. 

Reviewed by: Deena