ARC Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Publisher:  Disney/Hyperion

Publication Date:  January 8th, 2013

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?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Shadowlands is one of those books that totally catches you off guard.  Of course, now that you've read that statement, you will think to yourself, "Now I'm looking for it.  You won't get ME! Ha!".  Well, guess what?  You will still be saying, "What the? Really?", at the end of this book, and then, like me, you will be going back in your mind, attempting to put the pieces together, realizing that Kate Brian is just schooled you, and you never saw it coming (even though you were warned)!  Intrigued yet?  You should be.

When I got Shadowlands in the mail, I could not wait to dig in.  It sounded so good.  A thriller about a teenage girl who escaped a certain serial killer- the only one to EVER have managed to do so.  Now he is on the loose and hunting her, wanting to finish the job.  YES, PLEASE!  I was on it like white on rice (whatever that means...).  Anyway, I went into it with gusto, and was immediately drawn in; I could not put this book down.  The story flowed well, the characters were well done, while still managing to have an air of mystery surrounding them, and the way everything was set up was just flawless.  It was creepy, with lots of twists and turns, more questions than answers, and spine-tingling events that made me want to sleep with the lights on if I had been able to sleep.  Fortunately, it never came down to that, because this was a one sitting read.  I could not put it down to save my life, and when I did, at the end, I could not believe what I had just read.  My jaw hit the floor.  A few days later, I was talking to another bookish friend who had also read this, and she informed me that this is the beginning of a series, which I am thrilled about, because if it was a stand-alone, I would have been seriously pissed...  Read this one, people.  It wasn't perfect in every way, but it was awesome in every way that counts.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book was graphic in some ways, but still fine for most middle school readers.  I would say it is fine for 7th grade and up (6th if not easily scared).  Ages 12 and up.