The Shadows by Alex North is my second book by this author. I had my eye on both The Shadows and The Whisper Man for ages so I bought both at once. I was absolutely floored by The Whisper Man, you can read my review of it here. The moment I finished it, I picked up The Shadows. It took me longer to finish it and I didn’t love it quite as much as The Whisper Man, but it was still amazing. I found the story extremely unique and I was hooked from the first chapter.
The Shadows by Alex North Synopsis
“You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile–always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet–and inspired more than one copycat.
Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree–and his victim–were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.
It’s not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that there’s something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.
It wasn’t just the murder.
It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again…”
Goodreads
What I Loved
I may have loved this book more than most people will because I have a fascination with dreams. Particularly, I actively try to lucid dream. So when Paul and his friends begin exploring dreams with their journals and techniques, my interest was piqued. Then it get’s even better with the twists and reveals. I also enjoyed the steady pace, great writing and the characters. Although for some reason, I didn’t find myself swooning over Paul as much as I did over the protagonist of The Whisper Man.
What I Didn’t Love
There were parts of the book that I found myself skimming because I was anxious to get to the end. This is on me because I’m impatient, but I do thing that there was a little more inner dialogue and contemplation than necessary. Somehow, it worked for me in The Whisper Man I found it a tad too much in The Shadows. That being said, I was never bored, I was just obsessed with finding out what was happening and didn’t find myself as interested in Paul as I was the plot. This is typical for me with male protagonists, but since I had to pick something I didn’t like, this had to be it.
Summary: The Shadows by Alex North
The Shadows by Alex North is an amazing book with one of the most unique stories I’ve ever experienced. Alex North is a truly special author who creates unforgettable plots and I will read every single thing he writes. I can’t wait to read more by him, although I have no idea how he could possibly dream up (see what I did there?) another book like The Shadows or The Whisper Man. I definitely recommend both books for thriller lovers but I have to say that while I loved The Whisper Man more, The Shadows is the more unique story.
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