Inside the Shadow City Reviews
- A Washington Post "Best Book of the Year" 2006
- A Teenreads "Best Book of the Year" 2006
- A San Francisco Chronicle "Best Book of the Year" 2006
- A Girl’s Life Top Ten Read
- An ALA "Best Book for Young Adults" 2007
- An International Reading Association 2007 Children’s Book Award Notable Book
Kirkus Reviews
An arch story of deposed princesses, Girl Scouts gone wild and the world beneath New York City. Smart, neglected Ananka pays attention, leading her to a world where preteen girls can do anything-as long as they have plenty of Village cafes for coffee and planning. Recruited by the mysterious Kiki Strike, Ananka and the Irregulars (experts in disguise, forgery, invention and chemistry culled from the Scouts) find themselves mapping the Shadow City, a remnant of old New York. Along the way, they take on Chinese gangsters and murderous royalty. Narrated eight years after the adventure begins, this is a rallying cry for the "curious" and an effective anthem of geek-girl power. Ananka peppers her narration with useful tips (from effective tailing techniques to spotting liars) reminiscent of the Worst Case Survival series. Two flaws: An imaginary branch of the New York Public Library, and Kiki turns out to be less bent on heroics and more on personal revenge. All in all, an absurdly satisfying romp for disaffected smart girl, with hints of more to come. (Fiction. YA)
Publisher’s Weekly Reviews
Narrator Ananka Fishbein recounts life as sidekick to Kiki Strike, girl detective, in this deliciously entertaining debut novel. The girls meet at age 12 in a ritzy private school, when both independently discover the Shadow City-a 19th-century labyrinth of tunnels 50 feet below Manhattan's Chinatown, built to hide smuggled goods. At school, disaffected Ananka's main goal is to befriend the mysterious Kiki, whom she follows stealthily. For reasons not made clear until late in the story, Kiki recruits Ananka and four girls with talents in chemistry, forgery, disguise and mechanics for the Irregulars, a troupe to comb the underground finding gold, cash, furs, cadavers and huge, live rats. New York sophistication alone cannot account for these girls' preternatural moxie (one runs her own nail salon). Parents are conveniently absent, and there are holes in the plot as wide as the tunnels in the Shadow City. But Miller's humor and outrageous vision will carry readers over the potholes. The "tips" that end each chapter slow the pace, but will certainly amuse readers (e.g., "In particularly dangerous situations, you may want to choose fabrics, such as wool or silk, that won't easily catch on fire or melt under extreme heat"). Better still, the author's love for New York's nooks and crannies shines from every page, making this a rare adventure story that could also launch a walking tour. Ages 10-14. (June)