I thought North had a really unique premise, combined with well thought out characters, and a satisfying twist that made me want to reread it to see if I missed any obvious clues.
I personally think that North portrays loss and trauma particularly well. 25 years after gruesome events happen, Paul is still grappling with guilt and grief, both for the loved one he lost, and for the version of himself who died that day as well. People tend to underestimate how experiences like that can drastically alter the outcome of a teenager's life, and I love the way North tackled the perspective perfectly.
The Shadows had spooky elements, including the mildly supernatural, but it was never entirely out of the realm of possibilities, which made the entire thing very engaging.
The reasons this is not a five star read are because:
1. The pacing was just a little off. It was too slow at first, and then mildly overwhelming toward the end.
2. There seemed to be too many mysteries. Most horrors/thrillers tie their endings into perfect little bows, but this one seemed even a little over the top for me. I would have liked to still had some unknowns.
3. It just wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. This may be a me issue, I'm starting to feel this way after every "spooky" book I read, so maybe I'm building a tolerance of sorts, but seriously, is it too much to ask for an author to make me cry from fear?
Overall it's an easy and engaging read, and if you enjoy thrillers, you'll probably like this one.
I personally think that North portrays loss and trauma particularly well. 25 years after gruesome events happen, Paul is still grappling with guilt and grief, both for the loved one he lost, and for the version of himself who died that day as well. People tend to underestimate how experiences like that can drastically alter the outcome of a teenager's life, and I love the way North tackled the perspective perfectly.
The Shadows had spooky elements, including the mildly supernatural, but it was never entirely out of the realm of possibilities, which made the entire thing very engaging.
The reasons this is not a five star read are because:
1. The pacing was just a little off. It was too slow at first, and then mildly overwhelming toward the end.
2. There seemed to be too many mysteries. Most horrors/thrillers tie their endings into perfect little bows, but this one seemed even a little over the top for me. I would have liked to still had some unknowns.
3. It just wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. This may be a me issue, I'm starting to feel this way after every "spooky" book I read, so maybe I'm building a tolerance of sorts, but seriously, is it too much to ask for an author to make me cry from fear?
Overall it's an easy and engaging read, and if you enjoy thrillers, you'll probably like this one.