Shadowmaker

by Joan Lowery Nixon

Soon after moving to Kluney, a small Texas town, Katie and her mother notice sinister activities involving a secret high-school gang and a company that illegally stores toxic wastes. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Thriller, Horror, Teen, Childrens

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Author of more than one hundred books, Joan Lowery Nixon is the only writer to have won four Edgar Allan Poe Awards for Juvenile Mysteries (and been nominated several other times) from the Mystery Writers of America. Creating contemporary teenage characters who have both a personal problem and a mystery to solve, Nixon captured the attention of legions of teenage readers since the publication of her first YA novel more than twenty years ago. In addition to mystery/suspense novels, she wrote nonfiction and fiction for children and middle graders, as well as several short stories. Nixon was the first person to write novels for teens about the orphan trains of the nineteenth century. She followed those with historical novels about Ellis Island and, more recently for younger readers, Colonial Williamsburg. Joan Lowery Nixon died on June 28, 2003—a great loss for all of us.

Reviews

[Angelica Lozano]

Shadowmaker is exactly how it sounds, a mystery novel written by Joan Lowery Nixon. Katie Gillian and her mother move from Houston to a small Texas town, because her mother is an author and is in the process of writing a novel. Katie who is hoping to move back to Houston soon, never thought violence and deaths would be involved in her six-month stay.
This mystery novel has always been one of my favorites since middle school. I love the idea of teenage mystery. Katie notices shadowy figures outside her house at night and two bodies are found. Could the two bodies have anything to do with the newspaper articles Katie’s reporter mother is writing? Read Shadowmaker to find out who these Shadowy figures are and who or what cause the death of these two bodies…

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a mediocre high school romance slash adventure type of a book for girls. When you read, expect a lot of ballet references and a lot of talk about boys. No dirty language or sex talk though, so at least that was a plus.I think the book was okay for intended audience but not for everyone else.

[Pamela Chelekis · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're getting into books now that I don't really remember at all -- I think the final four books I had in my original collection were ones I may have read once? I think moving on to Agatha Christie about this time kind of steered me away from the YA market. So, at least this felt like a new read.

However, JLN is up to her old tricks again. We're back in Texas! And we again have protagonist moving into a small town only to be ostracized from it. This book definitely had shades of both The Ghosts of Now and Whispers in the Dark and I may have rated this one a bit better if it weren't for the fact that the second half the book plays out almost exactly the a combination of those two books.

Here's the thing with this book though - Nixon is really, really good at suspense. It's kind of weird that this middle grade book from the mid-90s had me really unnerved - like when you watch a scary movie? It's just really creepy and is great at setting that unsettling atmosphere.

There are essentially two elements of plot going -- that I thought were going to dovetail into each other, but they didn't really end up doing so.

The first is that Katie's mom drags them to middle of the nowhere Texas (because a dead relative left them a house) so she could write a novel. But this was definitely of the era when Erin Brockovich was doing her thing - because Katie's mom was an Erin Brockovich - not helping but getting involved in the small town's cover up of deadly waste that's killing babies. (Yeah - this is a dark novel in some aspects.)

Meanwhile, Katie befriends a somewhat awkward girl who ends up going missing, and when Katie starts to investigate herself, gets herself caught up in another mystery going on in town. As a protagonist, Katie is fairly competent for a change - and while there's one really stupid thing she does, it totally gets called out on, which is kind of refreshing.

Yes, there's a love interest. He's a tool. And, honestly, if you read Whispers from the Dark, you know exactly where this is going rather fast. Which does add to the tension, so I swear it feels intentional.

The thing about this book that I'm going to give it credit for, besides the atmosphere, and besides being a rather tightly written book, is that it paints a rather realistic picture of what moving into a small town is like. Nixon, of course, has done this before, but there are some elements that hit rather close to home, and I have to give her credit for writing how it feels to be an unwanted outsider in a small town.

As for the 'of its time' portion - I feel like this book feels a little more like her 80s books, only better written, with less of the shallowness from the characters, and more of that 90s environmentalism going on.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this YA novel Katie has just moved to a new town with her mother. Starting a new school Katie is forced to work on a project with a quiet girl that no one seems to like - Lana Jean.
Lana Jean goes missing shortly after but everyone is so sure she has just run away.
Everyone except Katie, who wants to find out what really happened to her.

This is a really easy read and I remember borrowing this and a lot of the authors other works from my local library growing up.

Katie is smart and is eager to prove the sheriff wrong when he simply doesn't care about Lana Jeans disappearance. There is a secondary plot involving Katie's mum, who is a investigative journalist and is concerned about the towns waste factory which is interesting and intriguing too.

This is fast paced and suspenseful and very much enjoyed.

[Gabriela Della Corna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for spooky things and suddenly remembered my favorite author from elementary school days. I would always search every library for new titles from Joan Lowery Nixon and I ate them right up.

I haven’t read a YA novel in awhile and was curious how they’d feel now, so I figured it would be fun to revisit Nixon’s books.

I was surprised at how creepy it still felt!! The plot was quite simple, and the twists I definitely saw coming. I wonder now how I felt about the twists as a kid—were they surprising? Or did I think they were pretty obvious back then too? It’s so hard to put your head in the mindset of simpler times!

I’m not sure how to rate this properly since it’s YA, but I think a three works. A fun read that wasn’t something I’ll need to revisit again or recommend (beyond maybe to its intended audience age group!).

[Corie Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked it more when I was in middle school. As an adult, it was predictable and sometimes grating that the main character was oblivious. Still, not bad for a short mystery. I remember reading a lot of Nixon as a teen. This is not one of her best books, but would still recommend to a middle schooler.

[Valerie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in the depths of my mothers bookcase and decided to read it. The pages had turned an orangish yellow from being on the bookshelf for 20+ years which made it even more intriguing. This book was an easy mystery read and now it can go back to the depths of my mothers bookshelf.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read of a favorite author from the past. Katie finds out there is more going on than it appears in this small town. A good suspense novel for younger readers

[Mya Thomure · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good, but it doesn't get totally interesting until the end when she's trying to find out about Lara's death.

[Rhea Daniel Dear]

Good quick read. Lowery Nixon was one of my teachers many decades ago. I enjoyed it.

I also loved the Houston references- fun.

[Hope Broadway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoy Joan Lowery Nixon novels, this one included. The story was a good one with a nice twist at the end.

[Joelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to like books like this, mysteries, with murder, and are really interesting. But I don’t like them that much right now because they’re very unrealistic and a bit corny to me now. What makes me not like these kinds of books is that the main character always tries to solve the murders themselves, and the police are no where to be found.
This book was alright but I think it could have been better. It’s about a girl and her mother who move to a small town after living in Houston, a huge city. This move proves to be difficult and the daughter, Katie, doesn’t adapt well at first. After living there a few months, people begin to be murdered. Katie’s mother is a reporter so people begin to think that the murders have to do with what she is writing about. Then Katie begins to see shadows of people outside her house at night and gets scared thinking she will be the one to be murdered next. Through out the book Katie tries to figure out why people are getting murdered and by who and her nosiness leads her to troubling situations near the end. Katie feels guilt after a girl she became friends with was murdered. She had left the girl to go hang out with her boyfriend; this was when Lea Jean was murdered.
The book was alright, it was pretty interesting because you always want to find out who is killing the people of the town.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katie’s mom is an investigative journalist who is known for stirring up trouble in small, corrupt towns. They come to stay in the small town of Kluney so that Katie’s mom can work on her latest book which has nothing to do with Kluney. But, the townspeople are certain that she is there to uncover their dirty little secret. Which just so happens to be toxic waste. Talk about dirty! It’s kind of like the plot of a Steven Seagal movie, if Steven were a teenage girl and not a martial arts specialist. Overall, a good book.

[Stephy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a girl whose mother is a writer that is known for causing a lot of trouble with towns. When they move into a house they were left by a relative who died a long time ago that was basically abandoned it seemed to be the place were people got into, they noticed people were sneaking in and hiding stolen items. When the girl and her mother have a hunch there's toxic water there wierd things begin to happen. A girl goes missing, a wife gets beaten, and it all comes down to the end and I don't lie to spoil.

[Tina Dalton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying to read more genres of YA to broaden my spectrum. I picked this one for a dollar, it was a past winner of Florida's Sunshine Reader award. I can't say that I loved it, but it was ok for a thriller/mystery (which isn't my usual cup of tea.) A girl and her mother move to a small coastal town so her mom can work on a novel. Her mom, an investigative reporter, begins to receive threats because people assume she is there to research the local waste disposal company. Throw into the mix a secret society in the high school, and all sorts of intrigue develops.

[Jorge]

the main character katie and her mother move to a small city in texas to take a break from all their troubles but it seems like it never stops following them. this is a good mystery book for all ages. joan lowery nixon writes a lot of very good books for the young adults and this is one of them. i reccomend this book to anyone looking for a good read. i also recomend the author. all of her books are worth reading

[Shelby]

Soon after moving to Kluney, a small Texas town, Katie and her mother notice sinister activities involving a secret high-school gang and a company that illegally stores toxic wastes. I liked this book alot it was a very good book it was very intresting and i like mystery books so i really liked this one.

[Chet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book mostly in two sittings. I found it quite captivating and thought provoking. Although I believe the ending could have been a little less abrupt, it was on par with the abruptness of Nixon's other books, so I should have been expecting it.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Which of these is most important to you in a young adult thriller?
a. foreshadowing
b. classism
c. environmental justice
d. makeovers
e. all of the above

[Emma]

listened to it on tape with hannah, driving to michigan.

as classist as it is thrilling as it is obvious. which is to say, very.

[Meeseex3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg i loved this book! it was a little slow in the beginning thoughh

[Cws]

JMAR5-Nix

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but it could have been better.

[Chandni · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot for this one was a little thin, but I liked Katie's character.

[Tamala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this novel to be absolutely amazing. I'm a total mystery and suspense fanatic and this novel didn't disappoint.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

been a long time since I've read it so from what i remember it was a pretty quick read for me, and kept me inserted in it when i was just starting to get in to reading

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel sorry for the woman that lost a child because of the toxins. I recommend this book to those that love mystery and horror.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

#40
Borrowed from library.

FS: "I woke when the German shepherd barked, his sharp warning slicing through my dream."

LS:

[Charla Rosenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

good mystery

[Haaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the mystery/ crime element. Some of the events were shockers- where you expected it to happen but when it did: wow. I would recommend this book.