Fiftieth book of the year and we're closing it with a bang! The Whisper Man was the first book I read in 2020 so I'm liking how it seemed full circle.
The Shadows was AMAZING! For being the second book from Alex North, I can definitely see improvements. His writing was always very atmospheric, but I do think the plot really amped it up a level. In fact, I almost have no complaints which makes this a very large contender for mystery-of-the-year.
The Shadows is a very complex thriller/mystery. This is one of the books where I feel like you have to put all other work aside to get into. Because, when you get thrown off the rails there's probably going to be no recovery. Because The Shadows' ending is definitely rewarding to people who were there and paying attention the entire time, and you're going to be pretty confused and angry if you happened to miss something. So, put all distractions away folks!
When I first saw this book getting its cover and description I was MASSIVELY underwhelmed and even said I wasn't going to buy it. I was thinking that this was just another book with a copy cat serial killer, nothing that we've never seen before. But thank goodness I picked it up, and don't make the same mistake as me. There is much more behind this than just a serial killer. We've got both creepy kids and very likeable kids, connections between son and mother and secrets they both are keeping, and the dangerous grief that comes after losing loved ones. While The Whisper Man might have felt a little bit empty to you perhaps, Alex North has improved in a way by taking his very melancholy/dark writing and combining it with some very heartfelt and character-driven moments.
I don't really know what else to say, I find it difficult to review books that I have so much praise for sometimes because I just find them to be good at every single basis. Before you leave, just note that even if you weren't a ginormous fan of the semi-forgettable The Whisper Man, if you saw potential in the writing that you enjoyed then I would try again and pick The Shadows up!
The Shadows was AMAZING! For being the second book from Alex North, I can definitely see improvements. His writing was always very atmospheric, but I do think the plot really amped it up a level. In fact, I almost have no complaints which makes this a very large contender for mystery-of-the-year.
The Shadows is a very complex thriller/mystery. This is one of the books where I feel like you have to put all other work aside to get into. Because, when you get thrown off the rails there's probably going to be no recovery. Because The Shadows' ending is definitely rewarding to people who were there and paying attention the entire time, and you're going to be pretty confused and angry if you happened to miss something. So, put all distractions away folks!
When I first saw this book getting its cover and description I was MASSIVELY underwhelmed and even said I wasn't going to buy it. I was thinking that this was just another book with a copy cat serial killer, nothing that we've never seen before. But thank goodness I picked it up, and don't make the same mistake as me. There is much more behind this than just a serial killer. We've got both creepy kids and very likeable kids, connections between son and mother and secrets they both are keeping, and the dangerous grief that comes after losing loved ones. While The Whisper Man might have felt a little bit empty to you perhaps, Alex North has improved in a way by taking his very melancholy/dark writing and combining it with some very heartfelt and character-driven moments.
I don't really know what else to say, I find it difficult to review books that I have so much praise for sometimes because I just find them to be good at every single basis. Before you leave, just note that even if you weren't a ginormous fan of the semi-forgettable The Whisper Man, if you saw potential in the writing that you enjoyed then I would try again and pick The Shadows up!