Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly (review)

Shunned for the magical talent that allows her to command and solidify shadows, twelve-year-old Emmeline takes solace in her strange friendship with her own shadow, Dar. When a noble from a neighboring country shows up with the sinister offer to take Emmeline away and "cure" her of her magic, her parents jump at the chance, and Emmeline flees. She meets Lucas, a boy who can manipulate light and whose parents are trying to protect him from that same "cure"; his family takes her in, and for the first time Emmeline finds herself being treated as a member of a family instead of a fearful curiosity. Emmeline is a compelling protagonist and narrator, angry and isolated at first but also yearning to connect with others, and the slow unfolding of her trust in Lucas and his parents is satisfying and believable. As Emmeline opens up to them, Dar becomes more and more suspicious and resentful, and her realization that Dar is manipulating her wars with her sense of loyalty to the friend who has always been by her side. The theme of friendship is handled deftly here, with Emmeline facing hard truths about Dar while never dismissing the positive aspects of her friend, and learning in Lucas what it's like to have a friend who doesn't expect her to turn her back on others. A gripping finale reveals the truth about the "cure" for magic, and readers will eagerly anticipate learning more in a promised sequel. SS