This story examines two timelines: Paul’s memories as a teen when a classmate, Charlie Crabtree, committed a brutal murder that claimed the life of one of his friends and Paul in present day, returning to the cursed town to see his dying mother while discovering that the noteriety of Charlie’s actions had influenced horrific copycat crimes. It’s because Charlie had never been found and because of the groundwork he’d set that this eerie obsession formed: Some people believed that Charlie had disappeared into a dream.
I remember the last time something in a story made my jaw actually drop and I have to tell you, it’s been a while. When, less than 40 pages into this one, I had that wonderful experience again, I felt confident that The Shadows was not going to disappoint me.
This jaw drop was not the only reaction this book provoked. Although I’ve encountered other stories that did something similar with one of the twists that North crafted in this book and although I’d even considered the possibility with this one, I was still surprised when I encountered it. The execution was so startlingly flawless that on page 250, when my suspicion was confirmed, I audibly gasped.
Initially the first person narrative felt rather emotionally distant. I did worry that this would not have the same sentimental depth that The Whisper Man possessed, which was one of the factors that made North’s debut stand out so much for me. By the end of The Shadows, I was crying. What I didn’t realize in the beginning was that the MC’s distance was quite intentional on the author’s part and as I got to know Paul better, I understood why. North is especially skilled at making the hurting hearts of his main characters feel achingly real.
The Shadows proved to be everything I had hoped it would be and more. It was suspenseful, creepy, brimming with surprises, and incredibly touching. I think it’s fair to say Alex North is a favorite author now and that I will auto-buy anything he writes in the future.
Please write more, Alex North. I need more books like The Shadows in my life.
I remember the last time something in a story made my jaw actually drop and I have to tell you, it’s been a while. When, less than 40 pages into this one, I had that wonderful experience again, I felt confident that The Shadows was not going to disappoint me.
This jaw drop was not the only reaction this book provoked. Although I’ve encountered other stories that did something similar with one of the twists that North crafted in this book and although I’d even considered the possibility with this one, I was still surprised when I encountered it. The execution was so startlingly flawless that on page 250, when my suspicion was confirmed, I audibly gasped.
Initially the first person narrative felt rather emotionally distant. I did worry that this would not have the same sentimental depth that The Whisper Man possessed, which was one of the factors that made North’s debut stand out so much for me. By the end of The Shadows, I was crying. What I didn’t realize in the beginning was that the MC’s distance was quite intentional on the author’s part and as I got to know Paul better, I understood why. North is especially skilled at making the hurting hearts of his main characters feel achingly real.
The Shadows proved to be everything I had hoped it would be and more. It was suspenseful, creepy, brimming with surprises, and incredibly touching. I think it’s fair to say Alex North is a favorite author now and that I will auto-buy anything he writes in the future.
Please write more, Alex North. I need more books like The Shadows in my life.