I read other reviews before I publish my post. Sometimes that helps me understand why I enjoyed a story. On Amazon one of the commenters said something about the children not thinking about their grandparents and how that must make their grandparents feel. That got me wondering about my relationship with people.

Perhaps one of the reasons autistic people are thought of as not having empathy is because some of us are like the teenagers in Shadowbloom. If a person is not in my vicinity, I seldom think about them. Even when they are near by, I can completely forget their existence. I can love them to bits, but my focus tends to be in the here and now. Sure I worry if something is amiss with a person I care about. But allistics seem to get caught up in their worries. To me Axton and Anina seemed perfectly normal.

The two twins lost their parents to the Willow 13 years ago. All they know is that their parents crashed their car into a tree and then disappeared completely. Since then they have lived with their grand-parents. Anina and Axton have opposite reactions to the loss of their parents.

Anina is ANGRY and shows it. Her personality is probably a bit tetchy to begin with, but what she sees as a betrayal has brought out her barbs completely. Very fitting considering her changes in the Garden. Axton has become afraid of most things and delves into his mother’s field of study – botany.

Disappearing from the world and ending up in a place unlike anything the two could have imagined only intensifies their behavioral patterns. Axton becomes more afraid. Anina’s anger grows. But at least the two hope that they might discover what happened to their parents. Perhaps they will.

I really liked Shadowbloom. The Garden was a strange place where plants took the place of animals. Getting eaten by one was certainly possible. The Sullivan brothers write well and their cover was great.

Reviews:

• Dollish
• Leslie
• Melinda
• Reality tourist

Shadowbloom on Amazon US