Book Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Title: Shadowlands

Author: Kate Brian

# Of Pages: 336

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: January 8^th 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it.  Rory survived … and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My Verdict

I’ve never devoured a book of this size so fast in my life! It took me just over four hours, and had me flipping pages like a lunatic.

The action starts right on the first page as the book opens with main character, Rory, being watched by a serial killer. For the first ninety pages or so I was absolutely terrified and almost stopped reading because I wasn’t sure I could handle it. As I was trying to decide whether or not to keep going, I did something I’ve never done before: I read the last page! =O (I know, I know, shame on me!) Anyways, that sealed the deal, I HAD to finish reading.

The chapters from the killer’s perspective SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! Seeing inside his dark and twisted mind left me with a dark, unsettled feeling that I wasn’t too fond of. Luckily, as the story went on his chapters became far and few between, with the majority of the story told from Rory’s point of view.

While it was both terrifying and riveting, there were also a number of instances that were highly unlikely and plain unbelievable. For example why would the police send you into protective custody without so much as one officer to escort you? Once at said “safe house” why is there no alarm system, body guards, etc. AND if you had just survived an attack by a crazed serial killer, why on earth would you a)  Go out for a jog by yourself b) sneak out in the middle of the night to go to a party! SERIOUSLY?!? Locking herself  in a room and never leaving again would be more realistic, but I guess that would make for a pretty boring book, huh?

I have to admit that when it ended I was still really confused and unsure of what was going on. After scouring Goodreads for spoilers, I sat there in shock when I found out the truth. So if you’re like me and finish the book not knowing what happened, email me and I’ll let you know ;)