Genre

Young Adult

Audience

Catholic

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2024

Themes

Halloween, All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, Death, Prayer, Purgatory, Mystery, Supernatural, Traditions, Souling, Fasting

 

Reviewed by

Theresa Frodin

Did you know that turnip-carving is a Celtic tradition that predates pumpkin-carving? Shadows: Visible and Invisible is a young adult anthology that will engage and entertain teenagers while teaching them about the importance of praying for the dead. 

Even the Souls in Purgatory will agree that this fiction is a rare and much needed find. Any book that inspires prayers for the faithfully departed is a winner, and this collection has seven unique stories sure to inspire teens to practice spiritual acts of mercy.

Readers will enjoy contemporary, historical, dystopian, science fiction, and speculative stories about the triduum of Allhallowtide while being chilled by graves robbed, mysterious lights, ghosts, shape-shifters, zombies and dinosaurs. These stories are less of the spooky kind, and more of the mystery-solving and suspense sort. Parents can be at ease, knowing that there is very little gore and no demonic horror. There is even a soul cake recipe at the back to add to these souling adventures.

Which story do you think your teenager will find most appealing?

Grace and the Grave Robber by Leslea Wahl, (contemporary)—  A robbery turned assault, a fatal car crash and a missing gift show teenager Grace the power of prayer.  Interweaved are the Celtic traditions of souling, turnip-carving, apple bobbing, cornhusk dolls and crosses. 

The Bogey in the Belfrey by Carolyn Astfalk, (historical)— It all started with a storm, delicious soul cakes and Polish holy cards. Now, Irish superstitions, disgusting smells and a mysterious light keep William coming back to St. Columba’s belfry. 

A Very Jurassic Hallowtide by Corinna Turner, (dystopian)— Baby t-rex on the prowl, the bone of a murdered human, shrines for the deceased, and an apparition (based on a true story) set the stage for questions about purgatory and the worthy sacrifice of fasting.

Lucy and the Forbidden Secret by Antony B. Kolenc, (historical)— A misguided act of kindness based on superstition, a candle for the dead and sneaking out into the darkness beyond the walls of the Abbey lead to the revelation of a heartbreaking secret.

Helpless by Theresa Linden, (contemporary)— Vanessa wants to prove to the world that she doesn’t need help from anyone, but when she gets stuck in a cemetery and sees a dead family member, she realizes that even the dead need help. 

At the End of His Tether by Marie C. Keiser, (science fiction)— Philip just wants to be part of the crew. Will he risk his life bringing the paper flowers and maintenance supplies to the cemetery on All Souls’ Day? Or will he lose his tether and be forever lost to deep space?

The Far End of the Cemetery by T.M. Gaouette, (speculative)— Every All Souls’ Day, billions of souls ask themselves the same thing: “is today the day?”.  They watch as devout families arrive at the cemeteries. They watch as fellow souls shed their shadows, attain their glory and ascend to heaven. They wait and hope that the next prayer will be for them. Is today the day that they will see God? 

At the end of each story, the authors share additional details about the symbolism in their stories, adding to the richness found in Allhallowtide. In these notes, readers will learn that November is the month dedicated to the dead, and indulgences may be gained for visiting a cemetery on All Souls’ Day and the week following.  They learn that purgatory is a dogma found in the Scriptures and described in visions of the saints. One author even challenges us to pray often for the dead, even to make up for the neglect of this practice.  Included is the Saint Gertrude prayer and the Eternal Rest prayer. 

I recommend this book to families and individuals who want to add to their traditions of Allhallowtide and encourage a life-long devotion for praying for the poor souls.

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

Discover the far deeper, more salvific tale that Disney turned into romantic fluff.

Welcome Courtney Guest Kim, Our New Classics Editor!

Courtney Guest Kim joins us to help readers figure out where to start in the long and renowned roster of Catholic Literary Classics!

Secrets Visible and Invisible, An Anthology 

Tales of courage, compassion and virtue in compelling and naturally engaging Y.A. short stories.

The City and The Dungeon by Matthew P. Schmidt

Who knew fighting monsters in a D&D dungeon could convince him that not everything can be attributed to a chance roll of the dice?

Murder Most Picante by Karina Fabian

The government can’t decide whether he is an illegal immigrant or invasive species. God expects a respectable dragon to find justice for others. This Dragon is not having a good time of it!

The Tale of Patrick Peyton

How a humble, Irish immigrant brought Mary to Hollywood and then the World.

May Books to Pray With: For the Formation of Religious & Seminarians

A list of books to deepen your prayers for the formation of religious vocations in the church. Grow your imagination and empathy through the power of story.

Comet Dust by C.D. Verhoff

A Catholic end-of days inspired by the private revelations of the saints.

Trapped in Time by Jerry J. Weis

Can a team of misfit teens save the day in this wholesome time-traveling romp?

December Books to Pray With: Pilgrims of Hope

A Catholic book list focused on the theme of hope and sense of journey as we look toward the jubilee year of 2025. Use these entertaining fiction stories to deepen your prayer life and renew the virtue of hope.

Best of 2023 Book Awards

Our favorite books that we reviewed in 2023. If you want Catholic literature but don’t know where to start this, (and previous award winners) is the list for you.

Books to Pray With, March: For the New Martyrs

Every month in 2024 Pope Francis has a monthly prayer intention. Every month we will release a book list that will draw your heart and soul deeper into prayer on these topics.

Announcing Our New Historical Fiction & Fantasy Editor

Get to know the new editors joining the search for Catholic literature’s best

The Book of Saints and Heroes By Andrew & Lenora Lang

Ancient tales of Saints and Heroes retold for Victorians, reprinted for us.

Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable

A story of love and God’s providence in times of war.

Will Wilder and the Relic of Perilous Falls

Follow Will Wilder as he discovers a hidden world, fights demons and rescues a hidden treasure!

A Life Such As Heaven Intended by Amanda Lauer

A chance encounter with an amnesiac soldier leads Brigid to discover the realities of the Civil War.

End of Year Releases

The newest stories in Catholic literature! End your year with a good book.

Freeing Tanner Rose by T.M. Gaouette

Hollywood Starlet meets Kung Fu Country boy with a God obsession.

Live and Let Bite Review by Declan Finn

The battle with the demons of San Francisco left Marco broken and now Amanda isn’t answering his messages.