Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1)

Jan 19, 2013 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

so. apparently, when you are being stalked by a relentless serial killer, and have to become part of the witness protection program, this is the procedure: first your house is surrounded by a million cop cars for a little over a week, just to call a whole lot of attention to you and your family, trapping you inside while detectives and fbi people mill all over the place waiting for the killer to strike again so they can hopefully stop him before your blood gets all over the carpet. and when some...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Giselle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, mind-fuck

I was already a fan of Kate Brian, but I never expected to love this book THIS much. Her Private series is a guilty pleasure of mine. It may not be the next great American novel, but it's a fun "mean-girls" type series with short installments that are filled with scandals, drama, and murder. When I went into Shadowlands, I expected something along the same lines but with a more thriller feel to it. What I got, was a complete mind-shattering plot that made me guess until the end (you have to unde...more I was already a fan of Kate Brian, but I never expected to love this book THIS much. Her Private series is a guilty pleasure of mine. It may not be the next great American novel, but it's a fun "mean-girls" type series with short installments that are filled with scandals, drama, and murder. When I went into Shadowlands, I expected something along the same lines but with a more thriller feel to it. What I got, was a complete mind-shattering plot that made me guess until the end (you have to understand how rare this is!), and left my adrenaline on high for hours afterwards. Seriously, what an intense ride!

“He’s never failed to finish a job before. Only one other victim escaped from him, and two weeks later he broke into her house and killed her entire family.”

We meet Rory in the most shocking of ways when she's struggling against a murderer in the middle of the woods. Escaping means being put under witness protection after learning his notorious ways of getting away--without fail--for over a decade. As far as YA thrillers go, this is definitely one of the most intense I have yet to read. We're taken on a tension-filled hide and seek game against a serial killer, one where not only do we fear every second knowing we haven't seen the last of him, but the regular glances at his perspective shows us exactly how close he is to getting what he wants. This makes things especially terrifying. Not that bizarre fog and unexplained happenings in a creepy little isolated town aren't enough.

This town they are sent to is an island of sorts, a vacation town where everything seems perfect, at least at first. Rory soon notices things are amiss, however, when she keeps spying one of the local guys constantly lurking around her. Then, people start disappearing. It's a murder mystery inside a brilliantly befuddling mind game where I, personally, had NO idea what was happening. Some readers mentioned they had guessed the ending, but as someone who almost always predicts what's going to happen, I was excited to have been blissfully ignorant until about 5 pages from the end. The answer we got had not even crossed my mind. That alone made me love this book. The ending itself: Excellent! It may not be a plot that authors haven't attempted before, but none enraptured me as much as Brian did with Shadowlands.

Seeing as it's the beginning of the series leaves me wondering what Brian is planning for book 2. I imagine we'll go deeper into the revelation, and get answers to lingering questions; all I know is that this chick *points at self* will not miss it!

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Note that quote in this review was quoted from an uncorrected proof.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Jan 18, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-suspense, young-adult, 2013-publication, hyperion, january, read-2013, unreliable-narrator

2.5 stars Great opening chapter, but a plot that quickly devolves into a cable movie of the week thriller with flat characters and an uninspired storyline that primarily involves various uninteresting but "hot" boys. Most of the scenes that were well done felt as though they were lifted from action/suspense films, including two of the biggest twists--one that comes early in the story, and the other at the very end. You aren't given time to process/question that last one, either, since the book e...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Mitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think Shadowlands is one of the most difficult books I've ever reviewed because it's not nearly what I thought it'd be from reading the summary. I went into this book with expectations of a standard serial killer thriller plot, and came out with, actually, I don't know how to describe what Shadowlands is without spoiling the ending - a bizarre twisty mindbender? I like it, but in order to fully explain my rating the rest of my review is going to be spoiler heavy, so just know this is *not* a t...more I think Shadowlands is one of the most difficult books I've ever reviewed because it's not nearly what I thought it'd be from reading the summary. I went into this book with expectations of a standard serial killer thriller plot, and came out with, actually, I don't know how to describe what Shadowlands is without spoiling the ending - a bizarre twisty mindbender? I like it, but in order to fully explain my rating the rest of my review is going to be spoiler heavy, so just know this is *not* a thriller in the classic cops and serial killer sense and be warned if you do decide to click on the spoilers.

(view spoiler)[Anyway, what this book actually is is a Lost style mind fuck. In addition to the serial killer, there are supernatural aspects and the book is intentionally written in an unsettling, mind blowing way to throw the reader off from the truth, which is finally revealed by the last sentence. That said, I did spend six years watching Lost, so I think I may have been more than a little overprepared for this book, because I called the entire setup right after the supposed nightmare scene when Rory's father and sister are killed, she's stabbed and dying, and she kills her killer in revenge before she dies. The fact that Kate Brian kept bringing up that particular night, even though it's written dismissively as Rory flashing back to her 'nightmare' as a result of her earlier trauma, only reinforced my prediction. As a result, there weren't exactly any 'WTF moments' for me, because it's obvious to me what Brian's trying to do with the island of no cell phone and internet service, the mysterious disappearances, and I ended up with a pretty good idea of Tristan's role in the whole thing.

That said, the problem for me is that Brian's writing is a little too obvious. The purpose of the island was way too transparent for me and I immediately recognized what was going on. So instead of being confused and thinking about the explanation for all the bizarre going ons, all I could do was look for the obvious clues Brian's planted and muse about how they connected to the overall 'mystery'. So yeah, the island is so isolated because its inhabitants are all dead, the disappearances are really just people moving on after they've resolved their unresolved issues from before their death, and Tristan is like the Grim Reaper or something who gets these people to move on. Like I said, I probably would've been *much* happier had I not kept up with Lost, because everything made *too* much sense for me.

My favorite part of the book, which I don't think most people will pick up unless they reflect back on everything after finishing though because, again, the ending, is Rory's purpose on the island. I've already mentioned that the island is a place for the deceased who still have to deal with unresolved issues from immediately before their death, and obviously Rory has unresolved issues with her father and her sister. So while it's clear something very strange is going on with her father, I actually appreciated how clever Brian made those strange happenings with Rory's father as part of his reconciliation with Rory and her sister over her mother's death. The stuff with Christopher that's brought up too was a really good breadcrumb that eventually led to Rory's reconciliation with her sister, once I picked that up. Overall, I'm impressed how multilayered Shadowlands is, and I encourage anyone who didn't see the ending coming to reread this book just to appreciate how much planning Brian apparently put into this thing.

However, I did pick up on the ending right away, and while that allowed me to look at the clues and mysterious events in a different light, I still think Brian made things a bit too obvious, despite how hard she tried to really keep the ending a huge unexpected surprise. Of course, maybe I'm just too perceptive after watching Lost for so long. (hide spoiler)](less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of potential to be brilliant, but 1) there was a lot that didn't make sense and 2) it was just too frustrating to read. I had a lot of "WTF" moments - some good, some bad.

I wasn't crazy about how the book started because I felt it was a little over the top. (view spoiler) And Rory was just a little too much for me. I understand she's scared and freaked out, but I wanted...more This book had a lot of potential to be brilliant, but 1) there was a lot that didn't make sense and 2) it was just too frustrating to read. I had a lot of "WTF" moments - some good, some bad.

I wasn't crazy about how the book started because I felt it was a little over the top. (view spoiler) And Rory was just a little too much for me. I understand she's scared and freaked out, but I wanted to shake her and yell at her to get a freakin' grip.

About a third of the way through, I had my first "WTF" moment. I actually had to stop and go back and read the summary. Um, yeah, mixed feelings about that too.

And then there were just some things that didn't make sense.

I'm sorry but if the authorities assign to protective services, they will get someone to accompany you to an unknown location and have you all set up. They won't just say, "Here's the hideout, now go," and then send them on their way on their own. What if something happened to them on the way there? What if they never make it? And then once that happens, they're supposed to keep tabs on them. Not leave them there to flounder on their own. So the last part of my questions on that was answered at the end, but it still doesn't explain the start to make enough sense.

I also understand Brian was trying to set up the scene and depict the tension between the sisters with Christopher but you're left wondering, "What's the point?" for a good part of the book. And with making Rory the nerdy science geek, I get Brian made it a reason for jealousy, but she doesn't follow up with much. Why wear an "E=MC2" shirt if you can just make Darcy jealous of a normal girl who's not as pretty and popular as she is. Shrugs.

And then the overall story? Well the whole time I was reading it, I was frustrated because a lot didn't make sense, and I just knew Brian was going to jump out anytime with the shocking surprise that will tie it all together. It didn't make it any less frustrating to read. Well, at the end of it, I have even more questions. Yes, I understood what they were saying, and it was quite brilliant on Brian's part, but a lot of it still did not make sense. I have to leave this vague so I can't go into details.

So in short, I think this book is going to draw mixed feelings from most readers. I just hope that the sequel does a lot of explaining, because as it stands, I'm not satisfied with what she gave us.(less)

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Jan 18, 2013 Niranjana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, i-did-not-see-that-coming, killer-on-the-loose, kinda-creepy, thrills-n-chills, made-no-sense

It's been almost an hour since I finished reading this book and it still doesn't make sense!

There is this girl Rory who gets attacked by a serial killer but manages to escape. To keep her family from being attacked again, the FBI sends them to a safe house or rather gives them the address and asks them to leave. Scram. Who cares if they reached safely? There's just a serial killer on the loose. Big deal. They've done their duty!

Now once in their new destination, things begin to look creepy and m...more

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Jan 07, 2013 The Cover Contessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-and-r-r, disney-hyperion, 2013-arc-review-books, 2013-reads, 2013-releases, mystery

I want to thank Disney Hyperion for providing me an ARC of this book to read and review. Receiving this book for free in no way has influenced my opinion or review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.
Starti...more I want to thank Disney Hyperion for providing me an ARC of this book to read and review. Receiving this book for free in no way has influenced my opinion or review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.
Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

It's going to be hard for me to talk about this book without revealing it's "secret" but I'm going to try my hardest to keep this review spoiler free.

I have to say that I wasn't at all sure what this book was about. As a matter of fact, I requested it upon the advice of a friend who had read it and liked it. I didn't read the blurb or any reviews before diving in. I figured I usually love the books Disney puts out, so why would this be any different. And it did not disappoint, that is for sure. Did it leave me wondering every time I put it down, yes it did. Did it leave me wanting to keep reading so that I could finally figure out the mystery, absolutely. I just couldn't figure out why everything was so bizarre, why things were happening that totally perplexed me. And then I reached the second to last chapter, and "bing" a light bulb went off inside my head and I totally got where the book was taking me. I thought I would be creeped out by this book, that scary things would happen and I would have nightmares, but I was dead wrong.

I need to mention my love of this cover. At first, I wasn't so sure of it. It seemed so bizarre with the girl on the front and birds flying around. I'm not sure why I didn't think about the meaning behind those birds, but now it totally makes sense. And, since finishing the book and getting a real understanding of why things were presented the way they were, I completely understand the idea behind the cover! My only complaint about the cover is that if it's supposed to be the main character, it is completely off as she is described in the book with blond hair. But maybe it is not supposed to be her, though if it's not I cannot understand why.

I must say that I really liked the character of Rory. She was sharp and caustic at times.She was also strong and didn't worry about questioning others when it came to her safety. But she had this subtle emotional side to her that she kept bottled inside and I knew eventually it would need to be set free. Her relationship with her sister and father are totally strained, but she sweeps it under the rug because she doesn't think anything will get fixed. However, after her attack, things start to slowly change and she begins to realize that her family is pulling back together after the tragedy that struck them 5 years earlier. I loved watching Rory battle with herself, trying to find peace. And she was very relatable and easy to connect with. I could feel her anger, her fear, her happiness and her confusion. It flew right off the page at me.
Her sister Darcy was annoying at first. Stuck up and pretentious, demanding and gave off an air of superiority. Precocious and blaming. I wanted to pull her hair at times. But she was a good balance for Rory's character. And watching both girls relationship slowly heel with their dad was nice. What was once broken starts to become whole. And you feel the cohesiveness and bonds start to reform and take root. Tristan and Joaquim are totally mysterious. This adds to the thrill of the ride through the book. I never knew where they were going, what they were up to, where they would show up next. They seemed to appear suddenly out of nowhere and disappear just as fast. The other secondary characters did much of the same. And as people started to disappear, I wondered if this "team" of beautiful teens had anything to do with it.

I loved Brian's writing in this story. There was nothing choppy or predictable about it. She understands how to create a story that will leave you wanting to turn the pages and have you sitting on the edge of your seat. There is nothing predictable about the story, making it hard to put down. I commend her for a job well done with the storytelling. I have to say that I was not expecting the ending, but once it happened, I realized the clues were all there throughout the entire book. The story had me on an adrenaline high the entire time. I rarely wanted to put it down and did so only to sleep and do some work, oh and take care of my children. The plot was really mind blowing. And to boot, this is set to be a series, so my mind is wondering what direction Brian is going to take us as she unfolds more of this storyline. And Brian took an interesting stance with alternating the POV from the main female character to the thoughts of the serial killer bent on taking her life.

I truly enjoyed this book. If you are into mystery and a thrilling adventure that will leave you pacing and wanting to keep coming back to the story, this is the book for me. And if you want a story that will stay with you, haunt you and keep you returning to things and pondering why you didn't see them before, well, then you need to go out and pick this one up!

4 out of 5 stars from me.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Misty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, arc-or-galley, juvenile-ya, crime, review-copy_unsolicited, horror-mystery-suspense-thriller, read-in-2013

2.5ish territory, but this one has a pretty fluid rating, I think - apt to change depending on my mood.

Okay, Shadowlands...I feel like I would write a different review of this every day of the week. Frankly, I'm really torn, and have even held off giving it a rating on Goodreads. Here's the thing:
There are going to be people that are so shocked and amazed by the way this ends that they'll love it.
There are going to be people that are so shocked and dismayed by the way this ends that they'll hate...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Blythe marked it as to-read

I didn't realize this was published so soon! Can't wait to read it.

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Apr 22, 2013 Penny Yoke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh my god this book was absolutely mysterious and awesome and confusing! I didn't want to read this book at first because of the words "serial killer" the blurb, but I tried anyway, and the first chapter got me hooked. The first chapter was written in the point of view of Steven Nell, the serial killer, and it draws interest right away! I think that's the best way to start a mystery book like this! :)

The rest of the book is mostly told in the point of view of Rory, the almost-victim, but occasio...more Oh my god this book was absolutely mysterious and awesome and confusing! I didn't want to read this book at first because of the words "serial killer" the blurb, but I tried anyway, and the first chapter got me hooked. The first chapter was written in the point of view of Steven Nell, the serial killer, and it draws interest right away! I think that's the best way to start a mystery book like this! :)

The rest of the book is mostly told in the point of view of Rory, the almost-victim, but occasionally, there are chapters in Steven Nell's point of view, which is so creepy and heightens my sense of dread. Shadowlands's atmosphere is really quite tense, with Rory's gory visions and Steven Nell's crazed mind. But that's where the horror stops, so if you are really afraid of watching horror films (like me), it's okay to read Shadowlands. In fact, it will be a pity if you don't read it.

Oh, and I would like to add that there's not much romance, only a tiny little bit, so don't go in expecting romance!

I think Rory is a really relatable main character, since she's really just a normal schoolgirl, and for seemingly no reason, she was unluckily picked to be killed, and then her life is turned upside down when she is sent to Juniper Landing for the witness protection program. Throughout the story, she has visions of Steven Nell killing her father and her sister and her, and she actually senses Steven Nell around her, and she is really confused what is real and not real, which confuses me too. At Juniper Landing, there's also this clique of local teens who's quite obsessed about Rory and their actions were so weird. And then people kept disappearing but only Rory and the locals remember them.

So all these confusion and tension just keep building and when at the end, everything is revealed, BAM! It was so shocking! Though the ending also brings a new bout of confusion which I hope will be settled in the next book, and I can't wait for it! (view spoiler)

Note: The confusion is actually quite pleasant, it wasn't that sort of, "Argh, what rubbish is this book talking about" confusion, it's more like "Hmm, why are they acting like this" confusion.

I rarely read books of this genre, and I am sure glad that I expanded my reading materials!(less)

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Dec 07, 2012 Wanda (Good Choice Reading) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, read-in-2012, reviewed, my-favorite-books

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an ending!

First word that I can describe ShadowLands is WOW. This book starts off immediately with action. It consumed me or rather I devoured it. But from the very beginning, I was lost in it. But I noticed something wrong right away. And it's not a big deal but in the first few pages, the serial killer described Rory as a beautiful girl with blonde hair. Now, unless the cover isn't Rory, they made a huge booboo there. The girl on the cover has brown hair. I don't know why...more Wow! Wow! Wow! What an ending!

First word that I can describe ShadowLands is WOW. This book starts off immediately with action. It consumed me or rather I devoured it. But from the very beginning, I was lost in it. But I noticed something wrong right away. And it's not a big deal but in the first few pages, the serial killer described Rory as a beautiful girl with blonde hair. Now, unless the cover isn't Rory, they made a huge booboo there. The girl on the cover has brown hair. I don't know why that bothers me but it does. But aside from that whole mix-up, this story was awesome. Once I got past the whole cover issue, and I was able to sit down and read, I finished this book in almost one sitting.

From the beginning of the story when Rory was attacked, I was on the edge. Then, when they relocated her family, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. At this new location Ms. Brian introduces you a bunch of new characters that had me questioning if they were hiding something themselves. I was suspicious of everyone. I was even suspicious Rory's sister, Darcy. But I guess the reason behind that is the she was such a selfish brat. She wasn't concerned at all for anyone's safety. Their relationship was based on bickering and fighting, so they didn't get along much. That brought a lot to the story.

So much goes on in this story that it left me thinking too much. All these new characters seem to bother me. I felt they were all up to something and I didn't trust not one of them. Then things started happening quickly and left me a bit more convinced that I shouldn't trust them. I wanted to go in the book and back Rory up when events started unfolding. I got your back girl! LOL. Ms. Brian threw a twist in there, that I feel some readers may not like very much but I enjoyed a whole lot. That's what made the book for me. I absolutely LOVED this book. It's one of those books that stay with you for days. ShadowLands is a definite must buy and a definite Good Choice for Reading.(less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

For the first 1/3 of Shadowlands, I was enthralled. It was a heart-pounding, thrilling ride and I wish it had kept going. However, the story slowed so much, the plotting became very sloppy, and I ended up just waiting for it to end.

Rory is the only victim to have escaped from what she finds out is a wanted serial killer. She knows the man as her math teacher, but he has a hidden past. According to the FBI, he will stop at nothing to finish the job, so Rory and her family (Dad and little sister)...more For the first 1/3 of Shadowlands, I was enthralled. It was a heart-pounding, thrilling ride and I wish it had kept going. However, the story slowed so much, the plotting became very sloppy, and I ended up just waiting for it to end.

Rory is the only victim to have escaped from what she finds out is a wanted serial killer. She knows the man as her math teacher, but he has a hidden past. According to the FBI, he will stop at nothing to finish the job, so Rory and her family (Dad and little sister) end up in protective custody, in something like a witness protection program.

The actual attack at the beginning of Shadowlands and Rory's escape is exciting and had me on the edge of my seat. Then, as the police frantically try to find the killer, the danger is palpable and the tension mounts. Then the family is sent away to a safe house on a remote island, and things get really weird.

Rory and her sister, Darcy begin to make friends, but there are strange things about the people on the island. There are no phones, no newspapers, no TV or internet reception. And, no contact with the authorities. Really? This makes no sense. Rory finds clues that the killer leaves -- and knows that he must be close -- but she does NOTHING about it. She just ignores them. Again, really?

The use of dreams was a bit overdone. I really got tired of the fact that most of the tense scenes turn out to be dreams. A cheap way to thrill a reader.

The last 20% of the book once again gets exciting, as Rory gets help from people on the island to stop the killer. The tension, once again, is felt. The ending really fizzled for me. The explanation of the island's idiosyncrasies was too easy, and very quick. In one page we get the answer, and I kind of felt cheated. The explanation just didn't do it for me. It explained a lot of what happened, but it was the easy way out.

The writing was great. The characters, for the most part, acted like teens act. There's animosity between the sisters, as teens will exhibit, but deep down there's love and support. The story flowed well and was easy to read, although it dragged in the middle. We get the perspective of the killer every few chapters, which was a nice touch and added to the suspense.

Ultimately, I was disappointed in Shadowlands. From what I can tell, I'm in the minority though, so look around and you will find lots of rave reviews. You should make your own decision.
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Apr 26, 2013 hanna added it

I actually find it kind of hard not to hate the book, but also to love it, too.

Like, I have a serious problem with the ending. I know that she's dead, and when she died, but it never clearly explains what happens to Olive and where the heck Steven Nell/Roger Krauss is. And why did the police chief lie? There are way too many questions not concerning the main plot which is really the thing we should be questioning.

I actually agreed with another reviewer on the beginning when they send Rory and he...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-read, contemporary-challenge

I know it's early, but I have the feeling that Shadowlands will be one of the weirdest books I read this year. This book has a lot of things happening all at once, creating in me a lot of confusion and a need for answers. It was compulsively readable, and the writing was rather enjoyable. But I was left with more questions than answers by the end, and I'm honestly not sure if any of it made any sense.

Shadowlands started out quite strong. The opening pages are Rory being attacked in the woods by...more I know it's early, but I have the feeling that Shadowlands will be one of the weirdest books I read this year. This book has a lot of things happening all at once, creating in me a lot of confusion and a need for answers. It was compulsively readable, and the writing was rather enjoyable. But I was left with more questions than answers by the end, and I'm honestly not sure if any of it made any sense.

Shadowlands started out quite strong. The opening pages are Rory being attacked in the woods by her teacher, who turns out to be a serial killer with quite a number of bodies under his belt. Rory escapes relatively unscathed, but the FBI warns her that he has never let a victim go before. So Rory and her family's home are put under a police detail, and when that isn't enough they are sent off to a new town with new identities.

Right from the beginning I detested Rory's sister and father. Really, I cannot imagine a family that would act like this! Her father, a professor at Princeton, is more worried about administering a quiz to his students than his daughter who was just attacked my a fucking serial killer. His first words to her, when she gets home from her near-death encounter? "What were you thinking?" What was she thinking? She was thinking she could walk home without being attacked by a serial killer, thank you very fucking much. And Rory's sister, Darcy, is no better. Instead of worrying about her little sister's life and the fact that they are all in danger, she is worried about missing a party and losing a fucking pair of jeans. These reactions are abhorrent and disgusting. They do not ring true in any way, shape or form. For this, the book was immediately knocked down a star.

The rest of the book is simply confusing. Rory, who really is lacking in personality entirely (that could have been made up for if the plot was the plot described in the book jacket.), is somehow the center of attention in Juniper Landing, her family's new home. The kids there are all beautiful, but pretty damn creepy and exhibit stalkerish tendencies. There is a lot of inconsistencies, and basically the whole time I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Is this a cult? Are the ghosts? Is Rory simply making it all up in her head? I honest to god could not figure out what was going on, and of course that made me furiously flip the pages well into the night.

The ending was what really took the rating down to three stars for me. As the pages were decreasing, the questions were mounting. Nothing was making sense, and honestly, I'm still confused. Brian left us on one hell of a cliffhanger - the worst I've seen in a long time, and that's saying something in the YA world of trilogies.

Now, three-star reviewers are tricky beasts. They're not quite positive, but that doesn't mean they're negative, either. Basically, I enjoyed Shadowlands by Kate Brian almost entirely. The actions of the characters, especially in the beginning, really threw me off. But there were very strong horror and tension scenes, and Brian definitely wove a mystery that I did not figure out until the very last pages. I do recommend this, but be prepared to not understand exactly what happened, and then wait for the upcoming sequel.(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story opens with a serial killer stalking his next prey in a wooded area,taking the reader through an emotional roller coaster and it's not event page 4! The reader is immediately repulsed by the killer, pulling for Rory to survive, relieved when she is able to escape, and then terrified when she (and the reader) believe the killer is chasing her.

By chance, once she has made it to the road, her rescuer is her sister's ex, who wants to date Rory. The police are called and Rory is brought home...more The story opens with a serial killer stalking his next prey in a wooded area,taking the reader through an emotional roller coaster and it's not event page 4! The reader is immediately repulsed by the killer, pulling for Rory to survive, relieved when she is able to escape, and then terrified when she (and the reader) believe the killer is chasing her.

By chance, once she has made it to the road, her rescuer is her sister's ex, who wants to date Rory. The police are called and Rory is brought home to her distant/distracted father and her seemingly self-absorbed sister, and the police and FBI. The FBI has been on the hunt for the killer for years and Rory is the first victim to survive. The family is on lock down until Rory discovers the killer has been in the house. The family of three is then sent to a safe house, but the killer is on their trail. Dissatisfied that Rory escaped him, he is eager to finish what he started.

Rory's father and sister are not thrilled about having to disappear and the relationship between the sisters struggles between remembered closeness and a current tension, but brought on by what?
The Florida experience is begins an era of change within the family. The sisters actually hang out together and their father puts aside his grief (his wife died years ago) and begins to build relationships with his daughters. The teens they meet in Florida seem shrouded in mystery... to Rory, there are people that are there one day and gone the next... and no one seems to notice.
Things come to a climax when Rory realizes the killer is in town. To add to the drama, the killer has determined to mess with Rory and discovered that her sister meets his criteria. The race is on to convince the police and the teens that her sister is in the clutches of the killer. The teens believe her and catch up with the killer who wants to trade in the sister for Rory. Rory bravely agrees and once again thwarts the killer's plans and the teens close in and the killer is taken away.

But where is he taken? That is not clear at first... especially since Rory discovers that everyone in the town is dead, including her. Yep. Dead. Frustrated and confused? Yep. The reader had to reflect on many things that occurred throughout the novel, nuances such as certain teens wearing matching bracelets, her father at peace,the realization that those who went missing were perhaps on the fringe of death, but were not ready for death and sent back to "life". The reader had to wonder if Rory's sister and father were killed on their way to the Florida safe house or was Rory having a nightmare. When did they die? When did Rory die? Does the small Florida town represent a purgatory or heaven? So many questions to ponder.

Kate Brian does a great job getting into the serial killer's head as he fantasizes about finishing the job, addressing Rory's fear, creating an idyllic portrait of the Florida town the family relocates to, and an aura of mystery surrounding the "locals" in their new hometown. The story is well-done, the tensions, the mysteries, the wondering what would happen next. Readers may feel let down with the ending or may want to re-read the book to pick up on missed nuances.(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Bridget rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, ya-fic

I absolutely hated this book. You shouldn't read it. I don't normally say stuff like that, because I know that people enjoy different things in books, and just because I don't like it that doesn't mean someone else won't love it. BUT OMG THIS IS SO BAD. It has a twist at the end, which, whatever. Twists are fine. But the story itself is insanely aggravating. It builds tension on several separate mysteries throughout, but pays out on none of them. Unless you count a single line on the last page w...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Sophia C rated it 3 of 5 stars

Warning: this book is only paranormal-y at the end and has a serious cliff hanger. The book was mediocre, and the style of Kate Brian's books has not changed. First person, someone humorous in a sadistic kind of way....it was okay. At some points I was very annoyed and some aspects of Kate's writing is not that great, but if you like Kate Brian's Private series, try this out. I personally liked Private better, though.

Putting this out there: I hated Darcy. She was annoying, petty and a horrible s...more Warning: this book is only paranormal-y at the end and has a serious cliff hanger. The book was mediocre, and the style of Kate Brian's books has not changed. First person, someone humorous in a sadistic kind of way....it was okay. At some points I was very annoyed and some aspects of Kate's writing is not that great, but if you like Kate Brian's Private series, try this out. I personally liked Private better, though.

Putting this out there: I hated Darcy. She was annoying, petty and a horrible sister. Thank goodness she wasn't the lead character. She needs to stop obsessing over boys, and Chris, and stop being such a baby. "Oh, I can't go to a party because my sister was almost murdered and the killer is still out there. Life STINKS." Boohoo, Darcy. You can cry yourself a river and get carried away by the currents for all I care. Get over yourself. As for Rory, she wasn't as bad compared to Darcy. She was annoying at times and I hated the whole paranoia thing, but I understand it and I get her. She has a distinct character and she wasn't "likeable" but I didn't not like her. I couldn't feel bad for her, though. Tristan, Chris and Joaquin were all weird and I didn't like them. Aaron was cool, though, but I was hoping he wasn't gay. He could have been a possible love interest.* Mr. Nell's character was trying way to hard to be creepy.

Some scenes were also unrealistic. Nothing happened! It was all teen angst until the end! Though I can say that it was very climatic. There were some redundant and obvious statements made, though, that bothered me about the writing. I also hate flashbacks. Otherwise the book is an easy read. The plot was so boring and terribly paced until the last few chapters where everything was packed in. The foreshadowing in this was brilliant though, because I never saw it coming! A huge twist at the end! I wouldn't personally recommend this to those who enjoy high fantasy or sci-fi, because the paranormal-ness is only in the end, but it was just okay. And on a last note: you can't taste fear. That is a horrible description and I just imagine the characters licking one another (gross). Well, maybe it's just me who can't taste fear. What does fear even taste like? How would you even know?

*Also, he was British. I've come to the conclusion that I can't read with a British accent. You know that little voice inside your head that you read with? Well, mine has a horrible accent. It's laughable....I need to stop.(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advanced-readers-copy

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....

While Shadowlands is a Young Adult novel, I really think that anyone who loves a good heart pounding suspense movie is going to love this book. In fact, I think the novel would translate really well to the big screen. I can see even see it as Summer blockbuster in the theaters. The characters are typical to any teen movie. It is full of all of your typical teen stereotypes - but the nightmares that plague Rory are really chilling, not to mention the fact t...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had mix feelings picking up this book. It sounded intriguing but I only knew of Kate Brian from her Private series which never really grabbed my attention. The story got off to a bit of a rough start as I could not believe that knowing the serial killer was just in Rory's bedroom that the FBI would immediately send the family to a secret location with no escort and no attempt to foil any attempt at following them. It seems like a no brainer that the killer would follow her to her new location....more

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Jan 29, 2013 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is incredibly stupid. There is no better way to put it. I like most serial/thriller dramas, and yes, I am a fan of chiklit YA, but this is just a big no. I do not understand why Brian wrote this the way she did. It's as if she suddenly thought she would make up a whole new way for (even fictional) FBI officers and police officers to deal with criminals and protection. I see her point, but it is far too unrealistic. Sure, no one can truly follow them to the island, but come on . . . I k...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's hard for me to pinpoint why I liked this book, but I did. I flew through it, for one thing, so I guess the high stakes and constant tension worked well for me pacing-wise. Normally I can't stand an unreliable narrator, but Rory's PTSD, flashbacks, and nightmares are mostly pretty well separated from what really happens (sort of).

So, a few thoughts:

- It makes sense that people going into the witness protection program would get to keep their first names if possible, while changing their last...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Ferdy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Spoilers

Where to start with this? Okay, well the first chapter was pretty thrilling — the heroine (Rory) is attacked by her teacher on her way home from school and she just about manages to escapes with her life. It got even better when the FBI informed Rory that her teacher was in fact a serial killer that they've been hunting for years and that he wouldn't stop until he killed her. It was exciting and gripping and then things got dumb… Really, really dumb.
Rory, her dad and her older sister ar...more Spoilers

Where to start with this? Okay, well the first chapter was pretty thrilling — the heroine (Rory) is attacked by her teacher on her way home from school and she just about manages to escapes with her life. It got even better when the FBI informed Rory that her teacher was in fact a serial killer that they've been hunting for years and that he wouldn't stop until he killed her. It was exciting and gripping and then things got dumb… Really, really dumb.
Rory, her dad and her older sister are told they can't leave their house because the serial killer will find them and kill them. The FBI and police surround Rory's house to protect her and her family. That was fine but then Darcy (Rory's sister) started to complain that she was missing her friends party, also Rory's dad started to moan about not being able to go to work. So, Rory nearly dies at the hands of a serial killer that's murdered no less than 14 girls, they've been told that the serial killer is relentless, and that he never fails to kill someone he's targeted… and all they cared out was work and partying?! They weren't even bothered about Rory's ordeal or the threat of death should they leave police protection. It was ridiculous.
It gets even worse. When the serial killer manages to break into Rory's house (that btw is guarded by numerous police/FBI) to leave her a threatening note, the FBI tell Rory and co that they need to go into witness protection. That was fine, it made sense for Rory and family to be relocated somewhere safe… But the way it was all handled was so fucking dumb. How do the FBI go about putting them in witness protection? They take them outside their house in front of the entire neighbourhood, give them a folder with instructions and the keys to a car that's parked in their driveway and tell them to drive direct from their house to the safe house… IN FULL VIEW OF THE ENIRE NEIGHBOURHOOD. Anyone could have followed them!! Anyone could have taken note of the car they were driving! Anyone could have tracked them through their car! The FBI know that the serial killer is clever, that he's tricked and evaded them for years, that he's already managed to sneak into Rory's room without alerting them, yet it doesn't cross their minds that the serial killer could be watching Rory and her family whilst they drive straight to their safe house. What utter bullshit.
There's more, the genius FBI send Rory and family on their merry way without a police escort and without a phone, even though they know a madman's after them. It doesn't cross their mind that the serial killer is waiting for the opportunity to pounce on them. It doesn't cross their mind to at least give them a phone in case they need to call for help. I just couldn't believe how stupid and contrived the whole thing was.
I was willing to overlook all that stupidity and just go along for the ride… But there's only so much bullshit I can take, and when Rory's dad started to act like even more of a plank than what he already was, I gave up any hope of for a decent, well thought out plot. On their way to the safe house, someone tries to make them crash, and instead of thinking they've been followed by the notorious serial killer, Rory's dad thinks its just plain old coincidence and gets out of his car in the middle of the night to investigate the deserted road. Really?! I can only handle so much ridiculousness.
Sometimes, a silly stupid book can be saved by a likeable and engaging protagonist. Sadly, Rory was neither likeable or engaging. I was sympathetic towards her after she was nearly killed, but that changed when instead of contemplating her near death and worrying about her future, all she could think about was some guy. It was pathetic. Rory was boring and annoying. She was a dull Mary Sue, there was nothing to her — she was a loner, she'd never had a boyfriend, she was whiny and she thought she was so deep even though her thoughts mostly revolved around the guys in her life. The love interests were rubbish. I don't even remember their names — all they did was act mysterious and say mysterious things. I was frustrated with their cryptic bullshit. The only character that I really liked was Darcy (Rory's sister). Sure she was the cliched popular, beautiful, mean, shallow and attention seeking girl… but at least she had a personality unlike rubbish blah Rory. Most of the other female characters were barely in it and when they did make an appearance they just acted weird and dull.
Things became even more uninteresting when Rory, her dad and sister arrived at their safe house in Juniper Landing. Nothing much happened apart from 1. Rory thinking about boys and being scared of fog and noises 2. All the teenagers in Juniper Landing acting weird around Rory and 3. Rory being weak and useless.
The Cliffhanger/twist at the very end pissed me off. The whole point of the book was to root for Rory and for her to survive against a sadistic serial killer… and then to find out she was dead all along made the whole bloody book feel pointless and depressing. I can't say I won't read the next book because I'm hoping that Rory's in a coma or something and that's why she's different from everyone else… I'll probably end up flicking through it in that library to see what goes down. (less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Nathan Siegel rated it 5 of 5 stars

WAIT WHAT?!?!?
I finished SHADOWLANDS at Barnes and Noble about half an hour ago and I'm shocked.

First of all, Kate Brian is actually an incredible writer.
I know right?! After reading the first PRIVATE novel and having to stop in the middle because I disliked it so much, I didn't expect SHADOWLANDS to be anything spectacular either, but seeing as she took a step into anew genre, and the book had an absoultely gorgeous cover, I figured I'd give it a try.

I read in in two hours and didn't even get u...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Kimmy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Vy’s review (http://www.vysblog.com/2013/01/review...) of this book and was definitely intrigued. Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other i...more I read Vy’s review (http://www.vysblog.com/2013/01/review...) of this book and was definitely intrigued. Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

This was a really quick read – or maybe I just got really into it! – that I finished in one day. It begins in one of the creepiest ways I can think of: a serial killer, Steven Nell, watching and attacking a young girl (Rory). As the reader, we view the incident from both the attacker and the victim’s perspectives, which was interesting but definitely unsettling.

Eventually Rory and her older sister, Darcy, and their father are relocated to the quaint island of Juniper Landing, with new names and identities, while the FBI manhunt for Rory’s attacker is underway. While the island is beautiful, it isn’t long before Rory notices strange things happening and people disappearing.

This book was creepy and for probably 99% of the story, I had no idea what was going on. I love when that happens – when I’m genuinely intrigued and surprised by a book. Sure, it can be fun to think, ‘I called that’ when a mystery is resolved or a killer revealed, but I truly love when a book surprises me. This one did.

I liked Rory, probably because I could identify with some aspects of her personality. She wasn’t the ultra outgoing popular girl that Darcy was – she was quiet, but intelligent and perhaps a bit solitary. I liked that Rory seemed to know who she was and was happy with it. There are also occasional, brief chapters narrated from Nell’s perspective (third person) which were super creepy, but also intriguing. That guy is definitely a creepo! But I thought those chapters were a nice touch, enhancing the already-unsettling atmosphere of the story.

There is some stuff going on with Darcy and Rory and the teenagers they meet on the island, and it all seems like pretty regular teenage, YA stuff, but there’s always a sense of dread in the background – partly because of Rory’s fear and flashing back to her attack, but partly because of the island and its inhabitants. And the ending! Okay, I know what I said above about loving when I can’t predict the ending, but I also said it can be fun to claim to have seen it coming, so I’m going to boast that I saw it coming like three pages before it actually did. But it still got me!

I’ve never read anything by Kate Brian, but perhaps I’ll have to seek out some of her other books now! I really liked the way this one was written, sort of a combination of contemporary YA with the hint of a supernatural element. I’m pretty sure this is going to be a new series (or else that ending is really going to bother me!) and I will absolutely be looking for the sequel.

(From www.pingwings.ca)(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Edda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: protagonist-with-weird-ability

Shadowland caught my attention way more than it should have. I expected this big plot on a serial-killer-murderer-stalker, but then this whole other plot came about, and totally confused the crap out of me. It was a bit annoying that the male characters were typical "hot guys", and the things Rory said gave me MAJOR second-hand embarrassment. The "adults don't listen to us teens" part near the end definitely oozed FACE-PALM and was really unnecessary. I definitely felt that sense of thrill and s...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: physical-copy, read-in-2013, omg-love

I am so glad I took a chance on this book! I still had a few dollars left on a Books a Million gift card from Christmas so when I was home this past weekend, I stopped in to browse. There were a few books that I have on my Kindle that I considered acquiring in hardcover but then Shadowlands caught my eye. It was on a table in the middle of the aisle with a few other recently published teen reads. I'm honestly not sure I could tell you what other books were sitting next to it because it was like...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Journey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd give it 3.5 stars; I really enjoyed this book while reading it but it's not mindblowingly amazing and I'm slightly annoyed at the end.

So, I whipped through this in about a day; I definitely couldn't put it down. It does a good job of being tense, DESPITE the fact that I spoiled myself reading the reviews beforehand! If I hadn't spoiled myself, I'd say that I wouldn't have seen The Big Twist coming until I was mostly through the book... but at that point it's no longer shocking. AND I find it...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Ariel Cummins rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-and-thrillers, ya

This novel has a lot going for it in terms of atmosphere and creepiness. There are plenty of spooky touches and well-done scenes. I appreciate that it's more of a true horror book than a lot of the paranormal romances that have been coming out in the past few years.

The character building, though, isn't great. I swear that the sisters were built from the two daughters in Modern Family: nerdy, slightly awkward sister and beautiful, social sister who deep down want to be good friends. The romance (...more

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May 19, 2013 Celeste_pewter rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Two-second recap: Shadowlands is a well-conceptualized novel, but the writing and characterizations keeps the story from having the full impact that it was capable of.

***

Full review:

I've always liked Kate Brian's books - she provided a lot of entertainment for me, when YA was still relegated to a tiny corner section of the bookstore. Books like The Princess & the Pauper showed me that YA books can both be entertaining, but also have a lot of heart.

So when I heard that she had written a mu...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Nichole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fanstasy

This book was just CRAZY good!! It wasn't at all what I was expecting, but then with Kate Brian her series/books always seem to take a turn.

This book started out with Rory Miller and her family and a serial killer intent on killing Rory, because of her hair. The serial killer (Steven Nell) fails, and Rory and her family end up on the run into a new place for witness protection. On the way there, Steven Nell follows them out of town and rams them with a Semi! The family dies etc, yet at this poin...more

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