This review was first posted on Ruby's Reads. 
 In the Shadow of Blackbirds is my most favorite type of novel. It's A) historical, B) Gothic and C) takes place in the 20th Century. (Note: I love 19th Century historicals, too, it's just that they're easier to find than 20th Century ones). It's no surprise, then, that I enjoyed Cat Winters' debut novel. Even if it does take place in San Diego-which is about as far from a Gothic setting as I can imagine. Far too much sun. 
 Blackbirds tells the story of Mary Shelley Black, beginning with her arrival in San Diego. Her father has been arrested for helping young men avoid the draft, leaving Mary Shelley with no choice but to head south to live with her Aunt Eva. The Spanish Flu is ravaging the nation and World War I is in its fourth year. Death is everywhere and All Things Ghostly are the rage. Charlatans are making money off the grieving, not the least of whom is Julius Ember, the brother of Mary Shelley's first love. 
 Mary Shelley is a headstrong heroine. In any other era, she would've driven me up the wall. However, she's perfectly placed where she is. Everything was changing, from emerging technologies to women's suffrage, and she was on the forefront of that; believable in her modern views, not so much ahead of her time as a product of them. If I sometimes felt like rolling my eyes at her, well, she was a sixteen year old. They're not known for their perfect logic, intelligent decision-making or their tolerance of their elders. I'm sure that was true, even in 1918. 
 In the Shadow of Blackbirds is part mystery, part coming-of-age story. It's also a story of first love, of the hardships of life, and of striving in lieu of obstacles and tragedies. It's Mary Shelley's story. There are external characters-notably Mary Shelley's Aunt Eva-but Mary is an intensely cerebral, private person. With school discontinued because of the flu, she doesn't have any peers, much less anything to occupy her scientific mind. It makes all the sense in the world that she would set out to solve the mystery of Stephen's death. The memory of him is the only friend she has left. 
 While I liked In the Shadow of Blackbirds, it was a slice of life novel. It may be argued that all novels fit this definition, and I couldn't deny that life-changing events occurred between the pages, but Blackbirds lacked something. It felt a little scattered, as though it didn't really know what kind of book it wanted to be. I'm not sure I could identify one theme that stood out above all others. While Mary had a number of experiences in the novel, they lacked the coherence that should have tied them together. 
 I'm excited to hear that Cat Winters is still writing. She's an author with tremendous potential, and I would like to see what else she can do. If In the Shadow of Blackbirds is any indication, we'll be in for a real treat when her sophomore novel hits the shelves.