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A Skinful of Shadows
by Frances Hardinge
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THIS IS THE STORY OF A BEAR-HEARTED GIRL... 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.…
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"In contemporary publishing, Hardinge is the queen of younger teen stories, a largely neglected space in young adult publishing right now. Her magical concepts are always elegant, with a single paranormal addition to our world that changes everything for the protagonist. Here, the premise is an unsettling one: some people have the capacity to store spirits of the deceased inside themselves – a living vessel for the dead. Our hero Makepeace loses her mother in the first English Civil War, when a riot breaks out between Parliamentarians and Royalists. She is sent to her relatives, where she discovers her own status as a living vessel, and flees to Oxford. This brings the story right back into the heart of the war, which is no incidental backdrop – this is historical fantasy, heavily entwined with the real conflicts of the time. Hardinge reliably offers rich reading for teens. Her books are thoughtful, and always packed full of an interesting ‘something else’ – here, the Civil War – in addition to the magical conceit. But the research never feels heavy handed, and Makepeace’s story is entirely compelling."