3.5 rounded up
I was thrilled when I received a copy of THE SHADOWS by Alex North because... it's Alex North's!! I bragged about it to anyone who loves reading. I made sure that my husband and my teens understand how cool it is to receive an ARC of Alex North's newest book. However, as I came to the last page, I can't help but feel underwhelmed. This novel did not satisfy the twisted mind of mine.
While I loved the idea of lucid dreams and shadowy figures lurking in the wood, I felt that the plot is slow. It took sometime before I finally invested in the story.
Also, there is this ending that felt rushed to me, and the big reveal that came out of nowhere. North probably dropped some clues here and there, but chances are, I failed to pay attention to the details because of the slow plot.
Having said all of that, I do appreciate North's attempt on this sophomore novel. I do believe that when a debut novel is solid, it would be hard for the second novel to compete with it. Hence 4 stars instead of 3.5. In the future, when Mr. North published another book, I'll still be the first in line to get it.
I was thrilled when I received a copy of THE SHADOWS by Alex North because... it's Alex North's!! I bragged about it to anyone who loves reading. I made sure that my husband and my teens understand how cool it is to receive an ARC of Alex North's newest book. However, as I came to the last page, I can't help but feel underwhelmed. This novel did not satisfy the twisted mind of mine.
While I loved the idea of lucid dreams and shadowy figures lurking in the wood, I felt that the plot is slow. It took sometime before I finally invested in the story.
Also, there is this ending that felt rushed to me, and the big reveal that came out of nowhere. North probably dropped some clues here and there, but chances are, I failed to pay attention to the details because of the slow plot.
Having said all of that, I do appreciate North's attempt on this sophomore novel. I do believe that when a debut novel is solid, it would be hard for the second novel to compete with it. Hence 4 stars instead of 3.5. In the future, when Mr. North published another book, I'll still be the first in line to get it.