When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Porter

                                                                🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
 Synopsis:
A TEENAGE GIRL CALLS HER BELOVED OLDER BROTHER BACK FROM THE GRAVE, WITH DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES....
RUBY
Haunted by her dead brother, unable to let him go, Ruby must figure out whether his nightly appearances in her dreams are the answer to her prayers—or a nightmare come true…
EVERETT
He’s always been jealous of his dashing older brother. Now Everett must do everything he can to save his twin sister Ruby from his clutches.
DASHIELL
Charming, handsome, and manipulative, Dash has run afoul of some very powerful forces in the Land of the Dead. His only bargaining chips are Ruby and Everett. At stake is the very survival of the Bohnacker family, bodies and souls....



I think that the idea behind the story was an interesting one that I have not read before. This book puts a new spin on grieving the loss of a loved one and how it can affect someone. All of the members of the family in this book are grieving Dashiell differently. Ruby has the most difficulty moving on and is clinging to any pieces of him she has left while Everett and her father are moving on in different ways. I also found the author's take on the land of the dead and forces that are in charge there to be creepy and decriptive. The author transports you there with her words and paints a vivid picture. 

I think that if it weren't for the odd family dynamic and characters that I felt I couldn't relate to that I would have really enjoyed the story. It seemed like there was an odd romantic undertone in the relationship between Dashiell and Ruby. I know that she idolized him but it comes off in a manner that reminds me of unrequited love. It made me uncomfortable which made it difficult to continue reading the book. I also thought that the family dynamic with Ruby, Everett, Dashiell, and their Dad was peculiar. It didn't seem like any family dynamic that I had seen before and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it.

I found it very hard to connect with the characters which in turn made it difficult to connect to the story. Everett was the only character that I liked because he seemed to be the only person with any redeeming qualities. Ruby seemed to need therapy because she had some deep seated issues. I didn't like Dashiell so I didn't really care what happened to him although I did find him interesting. It seemed like everyone but the father and to a certain extent Everett thought that Dashiell walked on water but he was so manipulative. He gave Ruby so many backhanded compliments or even nasty ones but it's like she was basically saying "thank you sir may I have another".