Shadow of a Life by Tifani Clark Book Review

Jamie Peters plans to spend the summer before her junior year with her nose stuck in a book—not saving lost souls. Usually the girl that blends into the crowd, Jamie’s world is turned upside down when a mysterious ghost begins to follow her.

But Sophia isn’t just any ghost.

A hundred years earlier, Sophia’s disappearance sparked a national mystery that remained unsolved. Jamie knows the legends surrounding Sophia’s disappearance, but she never dreamed she would find out what really happened . . . or that her family might have had something to do with Sophia’s disappearance.

Determined to set Sophia free, Jamie blows the dust off her family’s past and unearths clues to discover what she must do to save Sophia’s soul. She enlists the help of childhood friend—and secret crush—Peter Ashby as she sets off on a dangerous quest to find a missing map. Spending the night in a graveyard, crawling through a dilapidated barn, and staring down the barrel of a gun aren’t enough to deter Jamie from helping Sophia. But can she find the answers she needs before another ghost gets revenge on her and Sophia?

 My Review:

I’m always drawn to books that are based on true stories. This one is based on a maritime mystery. Many years ago, a ship was found adrift, with no one on board. The captain, his wife, two-year-old daughter, and entire crew were missing, never to be found. And this is where the mind of Tifani Clark took the story to new heights. One average, forgettable, modern day teen named Jamie, finds herself face to face with a ghost—the ghost of the captain’s daughter. One mystery is solved in the beginning of this book. Sophia, who was two years old at the time of the disaster at sea, was kidnapped. The ship had been taken over by thieves. Sophia’s family was left adrift to die at sea in a skiff. Sophia was raised by her kidnappers—the evil couple who killed her parents. Being only two, she believed her entire life that they were her real parents. At her death at 18 years-old, she remembers what really happened—and to say she was unhappy about it, would be an understatement. Unfortunately, she finds herself unable to move on. She has unfinished business, but has no clue as to what it is. And that’s where Jamie comes into play. Jamie is what’s called a soul saver. She holds the key to Sophia’s future happiness and eternal rest.

I really like Jamie as a character. She is shy, insecure…you know, a typical teenager. But finding out she is a soul saver, brings her out of her shell, and gives her the confidence she needs to nurture a relationship with her life-long crush.

As much as I like Jamie as a character, I LOVE Sophia. She really steals the show in this novel. I have to tell you, that flash backs are my pet peeve in novels. I usually hate them. But in this book, it totally works! In fact, I’d say it’s what makes this book amazing! Going back and reliving Sophia’s past life was incredible, tragic, and so worth the author taking us there!! I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but you’ll just have to believe me, that this trip down memory lane, is so worth it and leads to places that will melt your heart.

If you’re on the fence about reading Shadow of a Life, just jump over that fence and do it. You won’t be disappointed!

Author Bio:

Tifani Clark grew up on a farm in southeastern Idaho (yes, that’s where they grow all the potatoes) as the middle of five children. She had a lot of space to imagine and daydream and often pictured herself as a character in one of the many books she read. She was habitually found pretending to be Scarlet O’Hara. Tifani loves mystery and hates it when one goes unsolved. She is married to the love of her life and is the mother to four fabulous children. When not writing, she enjoys playing the violin and piano and traveling to new places. She especially enjoys visits to national parks and places of historical significance.