Shadows (Group Read - April 2011)

[Jenna, Group Creator]

Synapsis: As one by one the children housed at The Academy, a clifftop mansion school for gifted children, begin to die mysterious deaths, Josh McCallum, a brilliant but lonely boy, knows that someone or something evil is to blame.

[Jenna, Group Creator]

..."But if the program was so good that he actually believed he was seeing Adam, and talking to him, then it was intelligent, wasnt it? That was one of the tests of artificial intelligence. Yet Dr. Engersol had told then it didn't exist, and never would...."

[Jenna, Group Creator]

"children no matter how gifted, cant see far into the future you know. To them, a year is almost a lifetime, and telling them that things will be fine when they grow up does no good at all.."

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

This was a good one :-)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Written in 1992, Shadows has been chosen as our April 2011 Group Read!!!!
I'm excited to revisit this story. Please consider joining us in reading this book & post your thoughts here.


Shadows by John Saul

[Tracy]

Cool, they have that on audiobook at my library.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I just placed a hold on the audio & book through the library too :-)

[Erica]

Had to place an illiad hold. Don't know if I'll get it in time.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

You can join the discussion anytime. I think I'll start Shadows this coming weekend.

[Tracy]

I have started the audiobook and it seems like it is going to be a pretty good read (or listen in my case).

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Started listening yesterday. Loving it so far :-) This is one of my favorites by John Saul

[Tracy]

I have not ever read this before (as a matter of fact I haven't read alot of John Saul) but I am liking it alot better than I did In the Dark of the Night.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I really liked this book - it still lives up to my brilliant memories :-) There is a scene early in the book when Josh is first arriving at the academy and sees this pristine fish tank. I love how this is a glimpse of things to come. I had to return my copy of the book to the library or I'd post the passage. I'm giving the book 5 stars. I did notice that there seemed to be more focus on Josh's mom earlier in the book with all her struggles as a waitress and then not so much mentioning of her after Josh gets accepted into the academy. Anyway, I loved the book, it remains one of my favorites.

[William]

Just finished The Pariah,creepy book really enjoyed it.I'm going to start Shadows tonight looking forward to it.

[William]

I really enjoyed this book,definitely the best John Saul book i have read,although i have only read 3. **spoiler** I could't believe how nasty and creepy the housemother Hilda was,that was one bad bad lady,and the doctor was pretty nasty too.I was really surprised how much i enjoyed this story.

[Tracy]

William wrote: "I really enjoyed this book,definitely the best John Saul book i have read,although i have only read 3. **spoiler** I could't believe how nasty..."

Yes, but Hilda and the Doctor got what they deserved in the end.

[William]

Yeah it was pretty nasty how they got it too.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

William wrote: "I really enjoyed this book,definitely the best John Saul book i have read,although i have only read 3...."

Remind me again - what other 2 saul books have you read?

[William]

Dustin Crazy wrote:

Remind me again - what other 2 saul books have you read?"

Creature which i enjoyed and In The Dark of The Night was ok,with a good ending.

[Justin]

.............Spoilers...............I was confused about how they got the first boys brain, it described him going to the train tracks and sitting there waiting to get hit while the other kids where taken for surgery and then there suicides where faked. I know he went willingly and the others where forced into it but it still don't make sense that he didn't just go to the lab and submit to the surgery then have them dump his body on the tracks.

[Justin]

Most john Saul books I have read have one thing like this that leaves me wondering (of the 4 I have read). I can't think of what they all are now though.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Justin wrote: "Most john Saul books I have read have one thing like this that leaves me wondering (of the 4 I have read). I can't think of what they all are now though."

Yep. Plan on that to continue :-)

[Kylie, Natural Born Devereaux]

Hmmm... Justin, I reread shadows about 6 months ago. I don't remember being confused about that, but maybe I should give it another look. ;)

[Kylie, Natural Born Devereaux]

I thought about this some more...

They took the first kid's brain out, and then set him on the train tracks (back-to the the engineer so that he couldn't see any damage). The wreckage from being hit by a train (crushed skull?) would cover up the lack of brain.

I think that perhaps the going out to sit on the tracks bit was not really from his perspective. At least, that would make sense. Or there may have been a line in the book that talked about him going out there to see what it would feel like or something. Would have to dig the book out I guess. hehe