Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music at http://danieljoseolder.net/, on youtube and @djolder on twitter.
"In the best urban fantasy, the city is not just a backdrop, but functions as a character in its own right . . . That is certainly true in Daniel José Older's magnificent Shadowshaper, which gives us a Brooklyn that is vital, authentic, and under attack. . . Older is able to infuse Shadowshaper with the spirit of Brooklyn in the summer, where the possibility of magic hangs shimmering in the air. This is a world that readers cannot help wanting to live in and, as with all great urban fantasies, harboring a suspicion that perhaps we already do." -- Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and The Iron Trial, in The New York Times Book Review
"Older's book is a first-rate example of how representation, diversity and themes of social justice and identity can be skilfully woven into a narrative -- not so that they disappear, but so that the story pivots on them in a way that is authentic, exciting, and ultimately satisfying." -- Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing
"The strength of Older's tale is in his meticulous attention to the details of the life of a brown-skinned, natural-haired Puerto Rican teenage girl. Older's storytelling is rich enough to warrant such treatment, because this is a world that will stay with readers long after the last page." -- Los Angeles Times
* "Warm, strong, vernacular, dynamic -- a must." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Excellent diverse genre fiction in an appealing package." -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "What makes Older's story exceptional is the way Sierra belongs in her world, grounded in family, friends, and an awareness of both history and change." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Smart writing with a powerful message that never overwhelms the terrific storytelling." -- Booklist, starred review
"Older not only gives readers a diverse cast, but he stays true to their background, language and community, lending an authenticity to his work... If you're a YA urban fantasy reader looking for something creative and different, try Shadowshaper on for size." -- Romantic Times Book Review
"Exactly the kind of title Walter Dean Myers charged his peers to pen at the onset of his career and the kind of narrative he was still imploring publishers to fete in the twilight of his life, one that takes young readers, their unique needs and their racial and cultural realities seriously. Shadowshaper would make him proud." -- The Washington Post
"Joyful and assertive and proud, and makes me want to read everything else of Older's, for more of these voices, connections and lives." -- National Public Radio
"Sierra Santiago is the type of character we've all hoped we could have in YA." -- Bustle.com
"Daniel José Older is one of my favorite new voices, and I can't wait to see what he (and Sierra) come up with next." -- Anika Noni Rose, star of Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog
"I highly recommend Shadowshaper... it is exceptional in a great many ways." -- Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature
"One of my favorite books of the year, period." -- Rebecca Schinsky, BookRiot
"Shadowshaper is a game changer." -- FlavorPill
Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her friends. But then a corpse crashes their first party. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on.
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping, a magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But someone is killing the shadowshapers one by one. Now Sierra must unravel her family's past, take down the killer in the present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.