***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: cat winters

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: In the Shadow of Blackbirds
Author: Cat Winters
Series: n/a
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 2, 2013

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Why I'm waiting: The premise reminds me a bit of Masque of the Red Death, which I loved, so I'm willing to give it a try on that alone. But the fact that her first love revisits her as a ghost? YES! And then there are the photos...reminiscent of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I'll definitely be picking this one up.

What are you waiting on this week? Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!