Author: Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release date: May 30th 2006
Genre/Age group: Adventure/Middle grade
Source: Bought
Add it: GoodReads | BookDepository
Rating: ★★★★
Life will never be the same for Ananka Fishbein after she ventures into an enormous sinkhole near her New York City apartment. A million rats, delinquent Girl Scouts out for revenge, and a secret city below the streets of Manhattan combine in this remarkable novel about a darker side of New York City you have only just begun to know about...
My Thoughts
When I was 13-14 years old I was gifted this book for my birthday in Dutch. I devoured it over and over again in the next year, but unfortunately forgot about it until about a year ago when a fellow booktuber mentioned that the third book in the series was about to be published. I had no idea there were more books! So I decided to get all three books on my Kindle, but only now did I dare to finally read it again after so many years and for the first time in English. I was a bit scared that I would love the book as much as my 13-year-old-self did back in the day. Fortunately the book did not disappoint me! I'm really happy that I emerged myself back into the world of Ananka Fishbein and the Shadow City.
What I love most about this book is the mystery that Kiki Strike brings to the story. Even though her name is featured in the title, she isn't the main character, but a very important one. Kiki is the one that assembles all the other characters together for a mission in the Shadow City, but the why behind her reasoning is not clear until the very end of the book. The Shadow City itself is perhaps the biggest mystery. Only some history on it is presented in the book, but not a lot and I really do hope that we'll learn more in the other books in the series.
Another thing I really liked is the tips the narrator, Ananka, provides at the end of almost every chapter. These tips and tricks are mainly on how to be a great undercover detective, but they're also on New York City and other very useful subjects. The characters are another plus about Inside the Shadow City. There are six girls that drive this story. All have their own characteristics and their own talent that Kiki found valuable for the mission. So in the end I loved the book even as a 21 year old and recommend it to anybody who likes middle grade books and books with girl power.
Memorable Quotes
"Quiet people keep their secrets to themselves. That's what makes them interesting... and usually worth the wait."
"When I grow up, I'd like to be dangerous."
"If by now you're a little confused, don't be too hard on yourself. Life is confusing and anyone who claims that she has all the answers has probably uncovered the wrong ones."
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