'At the end of an arduous journey, refugee 214 finally gets his chance to enter the Other World. But to see his wish granted, the boy must first tell the story of how he and his sister were forced to flee their homeland. Frightened and helpless, they crossed forests, deserts, and seas, encountering creatures each more mysterious and frightening than the last: the capitalist ogre, the smuggler-snake, and the ever-present shadows from the great beyond… The boy’s story must be told in every detail—but will the truth save him, or condemn him? This is the odyssey of a brother and sister who are forced to fight for their freedom and survival at every turn, all while trying not to forget about where they’ve come from, and what they’ve left behind. A subtle and captivating tale about exile and refugees today.'
The Shadows was not the kind of book I was expecting from the blurb. the description made it seem like this was going to be a book that dealt with the idea of having to flee your home in search of somewhere new, of escaping death and danger for a new home. These are themes that are hugely important today, as refugees very much exist, and their plight is often held up as a divisive issue by politicians and news pundits, who usually try to demonise such people as 'immigrants coming to steal you jobs' and so forth.
Because of this, I was expecting a very grounded and realistic take on the topic, but instead of that Zabus has decided to convey these important themes and narratives with a fantasy, almost mythological veneer. The characters are often stylised, and some don't look human. Hell, some are actually completely inhuman, such as the giant snake who smuggles people inside its massive belly. Despite the fantastical visuals that go with the story, it's still a very grounded, and very important tale.
The story follows an unnamed brother and sister, who come home from playing in the woods one day to find their home and parents gone. They've both been taken away by a roving gang of vicious killers, who will continue to hunt the two siblings if they don't flee. From this early stages of the book I found myself having to stop and think why Zabus never makes it clearer who these two characters are, as they even lack any kind of name. I came to the conclusion that the lack of names, and the fact that the two of them wear masks that hide their faces can be seen in two ways; the first is that they are supposed to be faceless so that they can represent anyone, that any refugees in similar situations could easily slot into their place, therefore allowing readers to be able to empathise more easily with people in the real world. However, they could also have been left faceless and nameless as that's how the system sees them. They're not people trying to flee for their safety, they're just part of a faceless mass, coming to try and enter your country, to gain access. Perhaps this is Zabus trying to show people that see refugees as a faceless mass that actually, these are real people.
Over the course of the book the siblings meet others, some who go on to be friends and allies, others who are dangers that the siblings must overcome and survive. Whichever side these people fall on, they too lack any names. They are presented as the capitalist ogre, looking to use the siblings for their own ends, chewing them up and killing them in the process. There's the smuggler snake, who wakes everything they have in the promise of helping them, only to leave them stranded and far from help. They're presented as broad caricatures, not meant to be real people, but representations of the dangers that refugees face on their journeys.
All the while on this journey the brother is faced with the titular shadows, echoes of the people that they have known and lost, friends and family long dead. These shadows literally haunt the brother, and shout in his ear demanding to be heard, demanding that he tell his story truthfully, even if it means that this truth could be used against him. These shadows represent his fears, his conscience, and his doubts. they're with him constantly, with the faces of these beings often hidden in the background, watching him on his journey.
The Shadows ended up telling a very real and important story, one that shows the plight of refugees, of the dangers they face, and how even when they reach their destinations how they face whole new horrors and pain. It's a story that's important and needed, though told in a fantastical way that allows readers to process these important themes without feeling like they're being preached to or taught a lesson. I'm sure that a lot of people who read this who are against allowing refugees asylum in their country won't be moved to change their mind by this book, but there's a chance that some people who read this who have never really thought about the idea, who haven't yet made up their mind might be taught to empathise a little, to understand, and ultimately open their hearts up. Because of this, The Shadows may end up a book that can do some real good in the world.
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