Essay Questions

What is a shadowshaper and what are their importance to the novel?

Sierra is a 15-year old girl, and is surprised to learn that she is not just like everyone. Her grandfather, referred to lovingly as Grandpa Lázaro, tells her that she is, in fact, a potential shadowshaper when he sees the artistic beauty in one of her painted murals. Though he doesn't explain exactly what that term means, he warns her to look out for those that will try to harm her.

At Columbia Library, Sierra learns that an anthropologist named Jonathan Wick once worked with her grandfather, and that both her grandfather and Mr. Wick were shadowshapers. She concludes after reader Mr. Wick's journals that he is the one plotting her demise, and wants to stop her from finding someone - or something - called "Lucera"

Eventually, Sierra comes to understand that a shadowshaper is someone who is able to bring back to life the soul of the dead through their portraits. Mr. Wick has been abusing his shadowshaping powers and did not want Sierra to gain the power of Lucera, which would mean she would become an extremely powerful shadowshaper.

Why is the meaning of the term 'Lucera' purposefully left ambiguous by the author?

Rather early on in the novel, readers learn from Sierra's grandfather that it is integral that she find Lucera. Sierra is not sure if that means a particular place, person, or thing, but she assumes it is the name of a person. So, she enlists her friends to find Lucera. The author leaves the definition of the term ambiguous so that the reader can be surprised, along with Sierra, when it is revealed that Lucera is not a person at all. It is simply a title, revealing the significance of power being able to shift from the hands of one person to another, rather than be ingrained into a single entity's psyche.

What is the significance of Sierra giving her friends the ability to shadowshape at the end of the novel?

Throughout much of the novel, Sierra is left unsure of what shadowshaping truly is. When she eventually learns that it is the ability to bring to life the dead through artistic works, she realizes the power that she could hold. However, she knows that this ability can ultimately used as a force of good, even if Mr. Wick is trying to siphon shadowshaping abilities to his own advantage. So, she decides to entrust her friends with the ability to shadowshape along with her, so that Mr. Wick can be defeated. In a typical coming-of-age fashion, Sierra realizes the importance of her own ability, and nobly wants to share the bounty reaped from her struggle with her friends.