Lack of Continuity

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gracie lou Avatar

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It has been twenty-five years since Charlie Crabtree overwhelmed and invaded the life of Paul Adams and his best friend. Charlie's obsession with lucid dreaming, and the manipulation of Paul and his friends, leads the group down a dangerous path. Though he has tried to forget the terrible events of the past, Paul has no choice but to come home after his mother's health takes a turn for the worse.

Charlie's bad acts has provoked copycats in the past, but it is the one that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating in a nearby town that grabs Paul's attention. Will the combination of his mother's anxiety, a bad feeling, and being back in his childhood home lead Paul into trouble?

The author tries to keep readers on their toes by traveling the timeline between the present and the past. The lack of continuity actually works against the story, leading to an eventual conclusion that is devoid of the punch it might have had with a more linear story. I liked the detective, but Paul was less successful. Considering his background, Paul's ratcheting anxiety did not ring true. After all, the worst that could happen to a person happened in his past. Overall, the audiobook was entertaining, but my attention waned in the middle. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Shadows to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an advanced copy of The Shadows by NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio. The choice to review this audiobook was my own.