Omg omg omg .......... this book was amazing I could not put it down I read every word on the edge of my seat I loved the story line, i loved the way the story just kept us guessing all the way threw I loved all the twists and turns and would defiantly recommend this book it was so believable and kept the reader engaged I love it

A fun, supernatural young adult book with lots of ghosts. Perfect for a chilly October read. I read it so slow because I didn’t want it to end. Think of Harry Potter meets Ghosts vibe. Of course this is only the first book in the Oracle of the senders series. I am crazy about being apart of this summer camp. I wish I could go. Counting the days until book two. This book is a big five stars from me I highly recommend this.

*thank you to Netgalley, Mere Joyce and 7Sisters Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


3 stars.

I don't know if it's just me, but this book felt more Middle Grade than Young Adult. Which normally I wouldn't mind, but I was prepared for this to be YA and I guess parts further into the story were. 

Cal sees Ghosts. He has for a long time. He ends up flying to France to go to a camp called Camp Wanagi. (That name kinda made me not able to take the story too seriously, and it did keep distracting me but I feel that's more my says than anything else.) There he's able to meet other teens that see ghosts too. Being a paranormal fan (just think ParaNorman), I guess I was expecting more on the horror side of that. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't. It was a nice enough story but it didn't hold up to my expectations. I would suggest others give this a try though because I feel it's one of those books where it's a hit or a miss. It was more of a miss for me but that wasn't due to it being written badly or anything.

Overall the book was okay. I was expecting it to be more suspenseful after reading the summary & going by the book cover.
I really wanted to like it. I thought the story concept was interesting & enjoy fantasy but it was just okay for me.

This book has a really interesting concept that I actually haven't heard about before. It is really good and I'm excited to read the rest of the books!

While I did not love Shade, it was a fun read that kept me invested to the end. The author looks to have had fun creating different ways the kids can see the ghosts/dead and the characters were interesting and nicely flawed/nuanced. But I can't say the plot was in any way believable and it did feel this was written for a younger teen rather than older.

Story: Cal can see ghosts - and it has haunted him his whole life because he always sees ghosts who were murdered. When he receives an invitation to a camp in France for people like him, he is excited - he may not be alone in his 'curse'. Once there, he discovers that people see different types of ghosts in different ways - none in the same manner. Together with the campers in his group, they will learn more about their abilities while also competing against other camp groups. All the while, he is learning more about the mysterious owners in charge of the camp - the Senders.

There are enough fun characters that you'll get pulled in fast. Cal is a down-to-Earth hero that is trying to figure it all out while also befriending then protecting his fellow campers. Meander is a cipher who immediately captures Cal's interest (including romantically), and there are others who have their own quirks. They band together to survive the trials but soon it is clear that the ghosts are very dangerous and they have to ensure no one dies. Along the way, they discover more about each other.

There is a lot of action to keep readers invested and a nice arc completion at the end. It's an addictive story that makes you want to continue to the next in the series. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I really liked this teen fantasy book that is the first in the Oracle of Senders series. I'm looking forward to the next installment. Callum Silver sees dead people and his family thinks he sick or crazy. He feels so alone. When he gets invited to a camp in France he jumps at the chance to get away. He soon discovers he is not alone with his "gift". This camp gathers teens like him and starts training them to use their gift for good. Teen readers will enjoy the meetings with the dead and I think it gives a subtle message that you are never alone. Adults can enjoy this also,. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a YA version of Supernatural with a Hogwarts feel. It may not have the humor of Supernatural but it still put me in mind of it. Cal and his Shade group are just discovering what their powers can really do in regards to the paranormal. Their final was to release a ghost using their abilities. Story was a mixture of slow and fast-paced action. I liked that the group had their own unique ability. Looking forward to Book 2.

Do you see dead people?

Do you want to attend summer camp in France?

Even though it’s run by a mysterious organisation?

Then Camp Wanagi is the place for you!

Cal’s ability to see spirits initially got him sent to therapy. Now the Oracle of Senders has invited him to attend a ten week summer camp in order to learn more about his abilities. Cal is looking forward to finally meeting other people like him, although he’s not as excited as some of the other campers about being able to see spirits.

My favourite characters were Meander, the reader of the camp (I know, I had to love the reader!) and Dylan, who stole my heart when he shared his cheeseburgers. Without knowing how long it will be before I read the sequel and with lots of names and abilities to remember, I made myself a cheat sheet for future reference. I’ve included information you learn about characters throughout the book so only read this spoilery bit if you’re absolutely sure.

[SPOILER STARTS HERE - Shade (first year) Campers

Cal, our main character, sees people who were murdered. He lives with his parents and little sister in Ontario, Canada. He plays violin, loves classical music and doesn’t excel at small talk. His camp mentor is Daniel.

Dylan sees the ghosts of dogs and wants to be a vet. He’s from Virginia, USA. His parents live in separate houses but he and his two older sisters visit both. Dylan is athletic and runs twice a day.

Mim sees heartbroken ghosts. She’s an only child from Guatemala and learned English prior to attending camp; despite attendees coming from across the globe the only language spoken at camp is English. She has black hair with pink streaks and likes to crochet. Her camp mentor is Lani.

Kornelía can sense if a house is haunted and can even tell you which rooms are haunted. Although she cannot see spirits with her eyes she can sketch them. She has six siblings, she’s from Iceland and her parents didn’t want her to attend Camp Wanagi. She has a tendency to hide behind her hair. She learns to read people’s minds.

Meander brings out spirits’ emotions and can be harmed by them, as evidenced by a scar on his jawline. He’s an avid reader from England who lives with his mother. He has a 20 year old half brother who no longer lives at home. Meander didn’t want to come to camp. His camp mentor is Ada.

Sefa sees elderly spirits (70 is the youngest he’s seen). Sefa is Samoan and has been raised by his grandparents. His mother was born in Thailand and died a year after he was born and his father isn’t around much. Sefa works out and is muscular.

Naasir knows if a dying person is likely to remain as a spirit or not after death and has a connection with insects.

Sabeena sees children who died as a result of illness.

Lu sees auras and knows when spirits attach to the living. She has a slight lisp.

Reed sees people who have drowned. Well, one person who has drowned. He’s from Brazil but his parents, who made him attend camp, are Scandinavian. Reed hates music.

Kids from other Sectors

Tomas has spirits overtake him and use his body to give themselves power.

Alex is one of Shade’s sector guides.

Robbie is one of Shade’s sector guides. He has a mohawk and sees anyone born in the 1800’s.

Daniel, Cal’s mentor, is from Argentina. He sees women who died in childbirth and can also see the imprint on the mother from their baby.

Camp Instructors

Mr. Olenev teaches ‘Basics of Gadgetry’ and has a Russian accent.

Mrs. Buxley teaches ‘Basics of Paranormality’, which is the only compulsory class for Shades.

Mrs. Lind is an expert on communication techniques but is not one of Cal’s instructors during his first year. She teaches a spirit meditation course for older campers.

Miss Kappel teaches ‘Introduction to Imprinting’.

Mr. Bujak teaches ‘Emotional Entities’. While he’s unable to communicate with spirits himself he can solidify spirits he comes into contact with so others can see them as clearly as he does. - SPOILER ENDS HERE]

I loved that neither the ghosts nor the camp participants were one size fits all. Each of the campers experience spirits in different ways and it’s clear they will often need to combine their talents in order to solve problems. I adored the awkward blushing between two of the boys and am hopeful that this will develop into a sweet first love.

My nerd’o’meter needed to know more about the classes the campers attended than what I learned in this book. The couple of classes we attended with Cal didn’t quench my thirst so I’m hoping for more details in future books.

There appeared to be very minimal adult supervision at this camp. Most of the people mentioned are teenagers. It made no sense to me that after the ten weeks at camp all of these kids were sent on their merry way until next summer with no indication that there’d be any support or guidance provided to them in the meantime. The mysterious Oracle of Senders also remain a mystery to me; I don’t trust them but haven’t found any evidence to back up my gut feeling. Yet.

While I enjoyed this book some of the writing didn’t ring true for me. I wondered what 14 year old boy would be impressed by another boy’s penmanship and whether any kid these days would describe something as coming “into focus like a photo developing”. That reference in particular seemed more appropriate for an oldie like myself.

As ‘Shade’ is the first book in a series there was the expected introduction to characters and world building. While there was some action in this book I felt there was a big build up followed by a quick and fairly simple resolution. I’m expecting the action will really kick off in the sequel and keep building throughout the series. I anticipate at least four books in this series, one for each year at the camp.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, 7Sisters Publishing and Weapenry Co-Op for the opportunity to read this book. I’m ready to read ‘Revenant’ now!

Shade (Oracle of Senders, book 1) by Mere Joyce is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This is a young adult/teen fantasy book about teens that can see ghosts. They are recruited to a special school to learn to enhance their gifts. Each person has a different approach to ghosts. One sees murdered ghosts, one sees animal ghosts, mothers that died in child birth, another just senses them around. It is an interesting book and a great book for supernatural nuts like me. I like how the gifts, their backgrounds, and how the kids open up about themselves evolve. The characters and plot is well thought out. I think teens will really enjoy this paranormal adventure!

Ok. A book about a school for paranormal investigators? Teenage Harry Potter without magic, but lots more ghosts? Sounds cool right? This book couldn't be more directed at me.
The first section starts on a plane and a boy named Callum is stressed because there's a ghost on board. The descriptions and character really caught my attention.
Then we're of the plane and we meet seven (maybe more, maybe less?) Characters going to the house school with Cal.
I find myself wondering "why?" To everything anyone does in this book. The characters motives aren't developed enough to facilitate the story. I want to know why Cal goes to the school,why he stayed, why he doesn't tell the instructors about the weird stuff going on? Especially if he hates his gift? It makes more sense to involve other people.
I also feel as though the plot was weak and didn't really compel me to keep reading. Cal's doubt in continuing at the school or not doesn't matter to me.
There were a lot of characters in the book as well and it felt a little crowded sometimes. I couldn't tell the difference between anyone unless it was Cal, Mom, kornelia, or Meander.
I thought the book was middle grade until half way through. It's very basic. I wish the rest of the book was more like the beginning.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

YES YES YESSS 🙌 Shade was everything I hoped it would be and more! I loved reading this so much!

Think of a young adult version of Dean Koontz - Odd Thomas 👌 for those who don't know the series basically a fun twist on "I see dead people" 🙈

Shade is the first year title for young adults who attend Camp Wanagi, a summer camp for those who see, feel, hear or experience spirits/ghosts and the undead in one way or the other 👻

The definite highlight for me is reading about different ways people experience spirits, our protagonist Callum can see ghosts... But only those that have been murdered 🤗 his friend can't physically "see" ghosts but pictures them in her minds eye and can draw them, another camper acts as a conduit for ghosts to possess him and one simply heightens the negative emotions of ghosts... Crazy but awesome 🙌

The book follows his first year at Camp Wanagi and coming to terms with his "power" and the realization he's not alone ❤

I flew through this book and am DESPERATE for a sequel! DEFINITELY worth the read! 🔥

HUGE THANKYOU to Netgalley, 7 Sisters Publishing and Mere Joyce for the opportunity to read and review this awesome book 🙏

Agh! I loved this book so much!
I've loved the trope of people seeing ghosts ever since I was a kid and watched Ghost Whisperer on repeat and this was no exception.

I thought this was a really imaginative way of using that trope and I was sucked into this story.
The main character, Callum, was very likeable and sensible. I really enjoyed the summer camp aspect and the fact it was set in France with campers from all over the world.

I definitely want to continue on with this series. There's four years at this camp so I'm guessing, and really hoping, that means four books. There's two character's I'm shipping so hard, like they've already been blushing and growing closer and I'm going to need that to happen to have any hope of happiness in my life.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

think harry potter

this is about a group of students who have the ability to see dead people...ghosts...and they try to get them to cross over

though they are students who have to learn their skills and its 10 weeks every year at a camp where they are taught their skills

very enjoyable book i can see this series being a fun one to read and follow

loved all the characters and learning how their skills were coming along an easy book to read

will be keeping a look out for more of this authors work