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The Shadow Pines Trilogy #1
Shadow, Shadow: Book One of the Shadow Pines Trilogy by V. B. Marlowe
Book One of The Shadow Pines Trilogy~312 pages "The four of you have been blessed with a great gift. Well, it's a gift for you, but a curse for someone else." Harley receives a mysterious gift on her sixteenth birthday--a shadow box. The box gives her the power to trade someone to the shadows, meaning they will disappear and cease to exist. Harley can't imagine doing such a horrible thing and is warned that using the box comes at a price. Unfortunately, not using the box can be even more costly. Harley must make this life-altering decision as she discovers frightening revelations about the town she calls home. Ages 13 and up
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First published February 15, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 13, 2015
3,75 --> one very strict rating this time.
I feel like writing a review for this book is going to be a bit challenging for me because things I feel like are worth of discussion are spoilers.
So I will try to write a spoiler free review the best I can and touch those spoilers in the spoiler sections.
I'm not going to lie. It took me several chapters to get into this book.
Forgive me for my metaphorical explanation, but I feel like that's the best way I could put into words how it was: For the first 40% of the book I felt like i was not in the story, but I was looking the story trough some bubble.
It's like you go to movie teather to watch 3D movie but instead you end up in the real teather watching the play, if that makes any sense...
But don't get me wrong, although I wasn't feeling it the way i wanted to, it was still good.
After those 40% and the legend about the town was revealed I started to really enjoy the story.
I like horror movies and from that point on I felt like I was watching one and although it had some predictable parts I didn't mind.
The writing style was simple and you can read the whole piece pretty quickly.
It is written in two POVS, Teaghan's and Harley's.
I found chapters written in Teaghan's POV more enjoyable to read because I liked her tone more, but I'll have to admit that Harley's were more interesting.
My absolutely favorite character was Teaghan. I felt for her and I liked her. I could relate to her and understand her and I totally understand why she acted the way she did.
I liked how her character was developing slowly but surely.
On the other hand, I found Harley to be very annoyong character. She acted like she was that smart girl who knows everything better then everyone when in reality she doesn't. She was rude at times and she was putting her nose where it didn't belong.
I didn't like Brock either. I think he was bad boyfriend and someone who treats his girlfriend the way he treated his can never make me swoon or root for him.
Lark was suppoused to be that girl we don't like because she's perfect but I really didn't see anything wrong about her.
Oh wait, I actually did: her boyfriend!
I didn't trust Ava-Kaya at all and Gianna was just there, for the sake of being.
The story begins with the prologue called Present.
After that Present we start with chapter Nine Months Ago.
While reading the book I was expecting to come to those events of Present but they never came. So that makes me wonder what was the point of that proloque in the first place?
The same question goes to Epiloge called One Month Later.
There, we get to see Marcus, who eather wasn't in the book at all or was so imperceptible that I didn't even remember him.
I have to emphasise that I really liked the Legend about Coven. That is my favorite part of the book.
Even though this novel had some parts and characters I didn't like that much, I want to read sequel when it comes out.
I want to know where the story is going to go and if those Present and One Month Later will get their purposes.
I got this book for free in an exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. Thank you All Night Reads!
I feel like writing a review for this book is going to be a bit challenging for me because things I feel like are worth of discussion are spoilers.
So I will try to write a spoiler free review the best I can and touch those spoilers in the spoiler sections.
I'm not going to lie. It took me several chapters to get into this book.
Forgive me for my metaphorical explanation, but I feel like that's the best way I could put into words how it was: For the first 40% of the book I felt like i was not in the story, but I was looking the story trough some bubble.
It's like you go to movie teather to watch 3D movie but instead you end up in the real teather watching the play, if that makes any sense...
But don't get me wrong, although I wasn't feeling it the way i wanted to, it was still good.
After those 40% and the legend about the town was revealed I started to really enjoy the story.
I like horror movies and from that point on I felt like I was watching one and although it had some predictable parts I didn't mind.
The writing style was simple and you can read the whole piece pretty quickly.
It is written in two POVS, Teaghan's and Harley's.
I found chapters written in Teaghan's POV more enjoyable to read because I liked her tone more, but I'll have to admit that Harley's were more interesting.
My absolutely favorite character was Teaghan. I felt for her and I liked her. I could relate to her and understand her and I totally understand why she acted the way she did.
I liked how her character was developing slowly but surely.
On the other hand, I found Harley to be very annoyong character. She acted like she was that smart girl who knows everything better then everyone when in reality she doesn't. She was rude at times and she was putting her nose where it didn't belong.
I didn't like Brock either. I think he was bad boyfriend and someone who treats his girlfriend the way he treated his can never make me swoon or root for him.
Lark was suppoused to be that girl we don't like because she's perfect but I really didn't see anything wrong about her.
Oh wait, I actually did: her boyfriend!
I didn't trust Ava-Kaya at all and Gianna was just there, for the sake of being.
The story begins with the prologue called Present.
After that Present we start with chapter Nine Months Ago.
While reading the book I was expecting to come to those events of Present but they never came. So that makes me wonder what was the point of that proloque in the first place?
The same question goes to Epiloge called One Month Later.
There, we get to see Marcus, who eather wasn't in the book at all or was so imperceptible that I didn't even remember him.
I have to emphasise that I really liked the Legend about Coven. That is my favorite part of the book.
Even though this novel had some parts and characters I didn't like that much, I want to read sequel when it comes out.
I want to know where the story is going to go and if those Present and One Month Later will get their purposes.
I got this book for free in an exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. Thank you All Night Reads!
April 5, 2015
I recieved this for free from the publisher through netgalley.
I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the characters who were all unique in their own way. My favourite character was Harley. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding this story and it kept me wanting to read more. I was sad when it ended but I hope to continue with the series.
You should Read This. !! :)
Dont take my word for it, read it.
I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the characters who were all unique in their own way. My favourite character was Harley. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding this story and it kept me wanting to read more. I was sad when it ended but I hope to continue with the series.
You should Read This. !! :)
Dont take my word for it, read it.
July 16, 2017
SHADOW, SHADOW is a dark and foreboding book which combines the mythology of the Shadowmen with Death Note (or more properly, the Twilight Zone episode "Button, Button"). Harley Fox is a young woman who receives a magical box on her sixteenth birthday that has a single unique ability: it can banish a person from the universe at her will so they'll never trouble her again. It's more or less a murder machine and she's horrified by it more than intrigued but, bluntly, Harley's life sucks.
Harley has a disinterested father who always thinks the worst of her since he has a new wife and baby who aren't tied to the disapearance of Harley's mother. Her stepmother is passively aggressively poisoning her father against her with both wanting her drugged out of her mind so she's less "weird." Harley has had regular visions of dying when she's thirty but it's clear her biggst problem is she's just a cool loser. Oh and she has an aggressive increasingly unstable boyfriend, too. I can't see ANY reason why she'd want to use the box. Except, she's also been said she can get her mother back if she sacrifices specific people.
Yikes.
This is a book without vampires, werewolves, or witches but has plenty of magic. Harley is entirely believable as a teenage girl who has been stuck with an unwanted but terrifying power. We get it explored from all angles and understand why she might feel trapped by it. I never lost my sympathy for her, though, and I actually really just wanted her to get out of the suburban hellhole that is Shadow Pines.
If the story were restricted to Harley's, it would be enjoyable by itself but we also follow two of her friends with their own boxes and temptations. How their stories end ties to Harley's own and leads to a very good climax that bodes well for sequels. I picked up the second volume of the trilogy as soon as I finished the first so that tells you what I think.
It's not flawless and wears its indie self-published roots on its sleeve but it was definitely worth reading.
Harley has a disinterested father who always thinks the worst of her since he has a new wife and baby who aren't tied to the disapearance of Harley's mother. Her stepmother is passively aggressively poisoning her father against her with both wanting her drugged out of her mind so she's less "weird." Harley has had regular visions of dying when she's thirty but it's clear her biggst problem is she's just a cool loser. Oh and she has an aggressive increasingly unstable boyfriend, too. I can't see ANY reason why she'd want to use the box. Except, she's also been said she can get her mother back if she sacrifices specific people.
Yikes.
This is a book without vampires, werewolves, or witches but has plenty of magic. Harley is entirely believable as a teenage girl who has been stuck with an unwanted but terrifying power. We get it explored from all angles and understand why she might feel trapped by it. I never lost my sympathy for her, though, and I actually really just wanted her to get out of the suburban hellhole that is Shadow Pines.
If the story were restricted to Harley's, it would be enjoyable by itself but we also follow two of her friends with their own boxes and temptations. How their stories end ties to Harley's own and leads to a very good climax that bodes well for sequels. I picked up the second volume of the trilogy as soon as I finished the first so that tells you what I think.
It's not flawless and wears its indie self-published roots on its sleeve but it was definitely worth reading.
January 18, 2016
Shadow, Shadow by V.B. Marlowe is a young adult novel that builds momentum as it moves along. When I started reading it I wasn't sure I was going to like it but as I went along I began to get caught up in the story and the characters and before I realized it, I had finished it in one sitting! This is book one of The Shadow Pines Trilogy and Shadow, Shadow leaves many loose ends to uncover yet!
Harley is a troubled teenager. Rebellious and angry, her view on life is wrapped around her own pain and emotions. Her mother is gone and in her stead she has a stepmother she hates and a baby brother everyone loves. Her boyfriend is a drug addict and criminal and becoming borderline abusive. She is only just turning sixteen.
As she turns sixteen an invitation comes to her door. A birthday invite to receive a free gift from a unique shop that just opened up. As she goes to receive her gift she finds that she shares her birth date with three of her classmates and they are each given "a shadow box."
"..The four of you have been blessed with a great gift. Well, it's a gift for you, but a curse for someone else..."
The town of Shadow Pines has a secret. People disappear. People are killed. Much more often, for a town so small, then should be happening. Everyone thinks it is the old man who lives in the woods. Shadow Pines very own serial killer. But the truth is something far different and more difficult to believe.
The store clerk explains that the shadow boxes are very special. Harley and the other three can use them to trade with the shadows. They offer up sacrifices to the shadows or the shadows will come for some one they love. They must make the decision who to give to the shadows because the shadows must be fed.
In all honesty, I could have put the book down in the first 90 pages and just not finished. The beginning is that much of a chore to get through and Harley is that dis-likable as a character. But what we learn as the story goes on is that there are layers upon layers of secrets that hold this small town together and as we make it through the first part of this book; we are only seeing it through Harley's limited vision. Other characters step in and the book begins to flesh out and the story begins to give up its secrets.
And here is what V.B. Marlowe does so well with this book. The secrets Marlowe tells, open up even more mysteries to unravel. Who are the shadows? Why is the store clerk involved and who does she really work for? What connection between the four chosen? Is it just their birthdays? Or does it have to do that each one has lost a family member? Why does Harley and her friend need to go to the doctor and be kept on medication? Some are told and even more are kept hidden.
But at the crux of this story is the morale dilemma. It is very much a Sophie's Choice scenario. If you use the box, you condemn a human being to the shadows. If you don't use the box, you condemn someone you love to the shadows. Either way, someone will die, only it is up to you to choose.
Shadow, Shadow moves slowly in an age where we want everything to be fast and now. But the payoff is there and it is very much worth the journey.
A terrific read.
Book One of The Shadow Pines Trilogy~312 pages
I received a free kindle version of this book from NetGalley for a honest review.
Harley is a troubled teenager. Rebellious and angry, her view on life is wrapped around her own pain and emotions. Her mother is gone and in her stead she has a stepmother she hates and a baby brother everyone loves. Her boyfriend is a drug addict and criminal and becoming borderline abusive. She is only just turning sixteen.
As she turns sixteen an invitation comes to her door. A birthday invite to receive a free gift from a unique shop that just opened up. As she goes to receive her gift she finds that she shares her birth date with three of her classmates and they are each given "a shadow box."
"..The four of you have been blessed with a great gift. Well, it's a gift for you, but a curse for someone else..."
The town of Shadow Pines has a secret. People disappear. People are killed. Much more often, for a town so small, then should be happening. Everyone thinks it is the old man who lives in the woods. Shadow Pines very own serial killer. But the truth is something far different and more difficult to believe.
The store clerk explains that the shadow boxes are very special. Harley and the other three can use them to trade with the shadows. They offer up sacrifices to the shadows or the shadows will come for some one they love. They must make the decision who to give to the shadows because the shadows must be fed.
In all honesty, I could have put the book down in the first 90 pages and just not finished. The beginning is that much of a chore to get through and Harley is that dis-likable as a character. But what we learn as the story goes on is that there are layers upon layers of secrets that hold this small town together and as we make it through the first part of this book; we are only seeing it through Harley's limited vision. Other characters step in and the book begins to flesh out and the story begins to give up its secrets.
And here is what V.B. Marlowe does so well with this book. The secrets Marlowe tells, open up even more mysteries to unravel. Who are the shadows? Why is the store clerk involved and who does she really work for? What connection between the four chosen? Is it just their birthdays? Or does it have to do that each one has lost a family member? Why does Harley and her friend need to go to the doctor and be kept on medication? Some are told and even more are kept hidden.
But at the crux of this story is the morale dilemma. It is very much a Sophie's Choice scenario. If you use the box, you condemn a human being to the shadows. If you don't use the box, you condemn someone you love to the shadows. Either way, someone will die, only it is up to you to choose.
Shadow, Shadow moves slowly in an age where we want everything to be fast and now. But the payoff is there and it is very much worth the journey.
A terrific read.
Book One of The Shadow Pines Trilogy~312 pages
I received a free kindle version of this book from NetGalley for a honest review.
November 30, 2018
I enjoyed this book a lot, despite disliking both of the main characters. This book is told from two points of views, which both annoyed me a lot. Both girls are whiny, and feel like the world is out to get them. Which, with the conspiracies surounding their town, might actually be true, but not in the way they think. At least one of the main characters, Harley, grew up a bit throughout the book. In fact both of the main characters changed a lot, Harley for the better and Taeghan for the worse. I might actually read the next volume as well, just because the overall plot, and the conspiracy/legend surrounding the town sound super interesting. I did not think I would end up kind of liking this at the beginning of the book, but in the end, I did, despite the annoying leads and the predictable plot.
April 1, 2019
Kept my interest, but not enough for me to continue on to the second book. A lot of questions left to be answered. :(
December 21, 2015
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a disappointment. I was really looking forward to this especially because the synopsis sounded so intriguing:
There are mysterious things happening in Shadow Pines. Four kids receive a card for their birthday promising a gift from the new novelty shop in town. But what they get is not what they expected. Each of them recieves a Shadow Box, a device that lets them trade people to the shadows for them to be banished and never to return. A dangerous gift that changes all of their lives forever. Might they be the reason for the disapperances that were happening over the years in Shadow Pines? Harley, Teaghan, Gianna and Brock are bound to find out because ignoring the box might be more dangerous than using it.
One of the major problems I had with Shadow, Shadow was that the storyline was so unexplained and tiring. Throughout the entire book they never once explain how the Shadow Boxes work, where they come from and why our main characters are the once that received them. The whole mystery surrounding Shadow Pines was never revealed either. I understand that this is the first book in a series but I would have at least liked some kind of revelation. Never once did I feel like was was happaning was gripping or exciting. It felt like scene after scene just taped together without any real tension to actually make me care for any of it. As a reader you just had to except every bit of information that was thrown at you without a question.
Apart from that, the whole story and the way the characters acted just seemed unrealistic to me. The four of them were WAY to accepting of everthing, never once questioning why the new novelty shop in town would even gift them anything and how they even knew of their birthdays. They constantly went back to the shop even though all those terrible things were happening and asked for advice from the very person that put them into all of this in the first place. Makes no sense to me.
Another thing that just infuriated me sometimes were the characters. Normally I don't really have a problem with unlikable characters when I feel like their actions are explained well enough. I need someone to root for. Sadly, I couldn't really connect with any of them. The character I loathed the most was Harley. She is such a special snow flake and tries to be different and rebellious. Harley definitely doesn't have the easiest family situation but why does she have to project her anger on everyone else around her? When she was really rude to a teacher and even insulted her in the very beginning of the book, I knew me and her wouldn't be getting along. Teaghan was quite the interesting character and I could kind of sympatise with her in the beginning but ultimately was just creeped out by her. There definitely is a limit for my "pity" and she exceeded it. Brock and Gianna were the only characters I kinda liked but since the POV was limited to Harley and Teaghan I never felt like I could connect to them either.
Ultimately, I think this just wasn't for me. There were many, many things that just didn't feel right to me and Shadow, Shadow was just laking in so many ways. The writing was decent enough and I enjoyed reading about the realtionships between the characters but everything else was executed so poorly that I couldn't give it more than two stars.
This was such a disappointment. I was really looking forward to this especially because the synopsis sounded so intriguing:
There are mysterious things happening in Shadow Pines. Four kids receive a card for their birthday promising a gift from the new novelty shop in town. But what they get is not what they expected. Each of them recieves a Shadow Box, a device that lets them trade people to the shadows for them to be banished and never to return. A dangerous gift that changes all of their lives forever. Might they be the reason for the disapperances that were happening over the years in Shadow Pines? Harley, Teaghan, Gianna and Brock are bound to find out because ignoring the box might be more dangerous than using it.
One of the major problems I had with Shadow, Shadow was that the storyline was so unexplained and tiring. Throughout the entire book they never once explain how the Shadow Boxes work, where they come from and why our main characters are the once that received them. The whole mystery surrounding Shadow Pines was never revealed either. I understand that this is the first book in a series but I would have at least liked some kind of revelation. Never once did I feel like was was happaning was gripping or exciting. It felt like scene after scene just taped together without any real tension to actually make me care for any of it. As a reader you just had to except every bit of information that was thrown at you without a question.
Apart from that, the whole story and the way the characters acted just seemed unrealistic to me. The four of them were WAY to accepting of everthing, never once questioning why the new novelty shop in town would even gift them anything and how they even knew of their birthdays. They constantly went back to the shop even though all those terrible things were happening and asked for advice from the very person that put them into all of this in the first place. Makes no sense to me.
Another thing that just infuriated me sometimes were the characters. Normally I don't really have a problem with unlikable characters when I feel like their actions are explained well enough. I need someone to root for. Sadly, I couldn't really connect with any of them. The character I loathed the most was Harley. She is such a special snow flake and tries to be different and rebellious. Harley definitely doesn't have the easiest family situation but why does she have to project her anger on everyone else around her? When she was really rude to a teacher and even insulted her in the very beginning of the book, I knew me and her wouldn't be getting along. Teaghan was quite the interesting character and I could kind of sympatise with her in the beginning but ultimately was just creeped out by her. There definitely is a limit for my "pity" and she exceeded it. Brock and Gianna were the only characters I kinda liked but since the POV was limited to Harley and Teaghan I never felt like I could connect to them either.
Ultimately, I think this just wasn't for me. There were many, many things that just didn't feel right to me and Shadow, Shadow was just laking in so many ways. The writing was decent enough and I enjoyed reading about the realtionships between the characters but everything else was executed so poorly that I couldn't give it more than two stars.
April 16, 2015
What would you do if you were told that the shadows needed to be fed and it was up to you to do so? What would you do if you were told you had to choose someone to disappear forever or lose someone close to you? Could you do it? That is what happens to four classmates in the small town of Shadow Pines. This book chronicles the first 9 months of their possession of the shadow boxes.An interesting and unique tale, the story line is quite unlike any that I've ever read before. Yes, we've all read stories that dealt with consequences of our behavior, but this is truly out of their hands and the story reaches into each characters life and they are bared to you in ways that strips their armor away and lets you see the real them, with their strengths and weaknesses. Four people, who before it all would have barely acknowledged each others existence, now relying on one another for guidance.The author really took her time to craft each one of the characters persona's. As I read and got to know each one, I could feel the characters coming to life. I could see them, feel them, understand them and it soon started to feel like it wasn't a group of four, but of five, adding the reader to the mix. I didn't feel like a fly on the wall, seeing and hearing everything, but I felt like I was standing right there with them. Having said that, I do feel that the author slacked off on a few people in the book that needed a bit more polishing, ie Gianna and Ava-Kaya.The book seemed a bit rough in the last few pages. Not just questions left unanswered, which is going to happen since this is designated as not a standalone, but the first with more to come, but it seemed that the author was trying to feed a bit more info that just didn't feel right at the time. I'm sure it was meant to gear the reader up for the next book, but it wasn't really needed and didn't need to be added and instead took away from the satisfied and curious feelings that I was having.Any reader who is interested in mystery and the paranormal will find themselves enjoying this book. Age wise, it's good for teens and adults alike. There are some shady characters in it, but nothing the parent of a teen would find inappropriate. The mystery really grabs at the reader throughout the book. There's so many layers of cover ups and lies going on that I can't wait to read the next book in the series and see what comes to light and see exactly what's going on with certain characters and what is driving them to do what they are doing.Can this curse be broken? Will people come back? If they come back, will they know what happened to them? Will they be normal? Is it all a lie? Are they trapped in this town? What do the towns adults know? So many questions!
April 17, 2015
First of all, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It really reminded me of Alice in Wonderland or something similar and that grabbed my attention instantly.
This book was really strange and kind of dark and ominous. The writing style is very simple and straight forward. This book could be read very quickly.
There are a couple of things I would like to say about this book, but I think that would give away too much and lead to not being spoiler-free and I don’t want to do that. This book was very slow to start for me, it took at least four or five chapters for me to get into it.
The book makes a lot of connections to horror movies, which makes this story very believable as a horror story. There is something really creepy and chilling about a horror book that deals with shadows and nothing that is overly gruesome or psychotic. For the most part, a lot of the issues going on with the families mentioned are everyday challenges that people face, and then Marlowe throws in a paranormal element that just pushes it over the edge from normal into creepy (which isn’t a bad thing).
The book is told from two different point of views: one being Teaghan’s and the other is Harley’s. I loved Harley’s point of view because I thought she was interesting and funny. I didn’t like a lot of the decision she made, but they really didn’t bother me too much. I wasn’t a fan of Teaghan, but that was because of situations in the book.
As much as I wasn’t a fan of Teaghan, I did understand all of the actions that she took and why she did them. I can’t really even dislike her because of those decisions.
Some characters I just felt like were included to just be included. I didn’t really see the point of them.
The last chapter brought in a character that had not been mentioned in the book previously and that completely threw me off. i had no clue where that was even going.
Even though I’m giving this 3 stars, I probably would read the sequel.
This book review can also be found on my book review blog! Come check it out! https://madteapartybooksandthings.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/shadow-shadow-by-v-b-marlowe-book-review/
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!*
This book was really strange and kind of dark and ominous. The writing style is very simple and straight forward. This book could be read very quickly.
There are a couple of things I would like to say about this book, but I think that would give away too much and lead to not being spoiler-free and I don’t want to do that. This book was very slow to start for me, it took at least four or five chapters for me to get into it.
The book makes a lot of connections to horror movies, which makes this story very believable as a horror story. There is something really creepy and chilling about a horror book that deals with shadows and nothing that is overly gruesome or psychotic. For the most part, a lot of the issues going on with the families mentioned are everyday challenges that people face, and then Marlowe throws in a paranormal element that just pushes it over the edge from normal into creepy (which isn’t a bad thing).
The book is told from two different point of views: one being Teaghan’s and the other is Harley’s. I loved Harley’s point of view because I thought she was interesting and funny. I didn’t like a lot of the decision she made, but they really didn’t bother me too much. I wasn’t a fan of Teaghan, but that was because of situations in the book.
As much as I wasn’t a fan of Teaghan, I did understand all of the actions that she took and why she did them. I can’t really even dislike her because of those decisions.
Some characters I just felt like were included to just be included. I didn’t really see the point of them.
The last chapter brought in a character that had not been mentioned in the book previously and that completely threw me off. i had no clue where that was even going.
Even though I’m giving this 3 stars, I probably would read the sequel.
This book review can also be found on my book review blog! Come check it out! https://madteapartybooksandthings.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/shadow-shadow-by-v-b-marlowe-book-review/
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!*
July 21, 2015
Harley lives in the small town of Shadow Pines, where the town lives up to its name; Harley sees detached shadows roaming around the town from time to time. After Harley’s mom disappears and her dad brings home Amy, her new step-mother, Harley begins slipping. Harley is getting in trouble at school and can’t seem to shake her abusive boyfriend, Nash. On her 16th birthday, Harley receives an invitation from the new Curiosity shop in town offering her a free gift. Three other students that Harley goes to school with receive the same invitation, Teaghan, a loner, Gianna, an active, smart student and Brock, Mr. Perfect. Everyone receives a strange Shadow Box, they are told that they must trade someone to the Shadows, rendering them non-existent, or a loved one will be taken in their place. The teens must decide what to do with their new power, will they use it responsibly or will it go to their heads?
This YA urban fantasy had a really interesting concept. What teen wouldn’t want the power to get rid of their worst enemy? The story is told through two of the teen’s point of views, Harley and Teaghan. Each of these girls has their issues, Harley has a step-mom who clearly doesn’t understand teenagers and has plenty of issues with her boyfriend, Teaghan has extreme social anxieties, stutters when she speaks to anyone and has no friends until she and Harley are brought together. I could identify with some of the issues that each of the teens was going through and it was engaging to see how each of them dealt with the decision they had to make with the Shadow Box. I was intrigued by the Shadows themselves and the concept of them needing to be kept fed to keep more and more disappearances from happening. I do wish a little more was explained about some of the other weird things in the town, such as the forced medication, drivers permits only given to those deemed worthy and the fact that no one seems to move out of town. Also, the prologue and epilogue seemed a little disjointed from the bulk of the story and I wonder if it will be explained in the next book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This YA urban fantasy had a really interesting concept. What teen wouldn’t want the power to get rid of their worst enemy? The story is told through two of the teen’s point of views, Harley and Teaghan. Each of these girls has their issues, Harley has a step-mom who clearly doesn’t understand teenagers and has plenty of issues with her boyfriend, Teaghan has extreme social anxieties, stutters when she speaks to anyone and has no friends until she and Harley are brought together. I could identify with some of the issues that each of the teens was going through and it was engaging to see how each of them dealt with the decision they had to make with the Shadow Box. I was intrigued by the Shadows themselves and the concept of them needing to be kept fed to keep more and more disappearances from happening. I do wish a little more was explained about some of the other weird things in the town, such as the forced medication, drivers permits only given to those deemed worthy and the fact that no one seems to move out of town. Also, the prologue and epilogue seemed a little disjointed from the bulk of the story and I wonder if it will be explained in the next book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
May 7, 2015
ARC copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This book managed to tip the scales into four stars because it was wonderfully atmospheric and showed some interesting dynamics between the teen protagonists and their new but terrifying power. The plot was engaging and the pacing was good - I would have read it in one sitting if I hadn't had to work. I also liked Harley and Teaghan - I felt they were fairly well developed without the author hanging specific labels like 'good' or 'bad' over them.
However the plot was also a bit lopsided. We are brought in on an incident that happens long after Harley is given the shadow box and then we zip back to nine months earlier. Fair enough but this is not delivered on at the end of the book. We are just left hanging. There were a few oddities with the story too that aren't explained well enough; why does everyone just accept that people just disappear in Shadow Pines? Exactly why were the four boxes given to the people who were chosen? When you start pulling threads like that the plot does start to unravel somewhat. Aside from Harley, Teaghan and Brock, I felt the other characters could have done with a bit more development. Harley's stepmother in particular could have been a cut out from Grimm's fairy tales - quite a shallow treatment. No doubt these issues and further answers are coming in books two and three but it was very annoying to reach the end without any resolution as such.
What I did like was the idea of taking four essentially unhappy people and giving them an essentially evil power at a time in their lives when they are already experimenting wit the dynamics of power and trying to assert agency over their own destinies. The book had a genuinely creepy feel to it and the myriad injustices toward Harley and the others will keep you reading. An interesting concept and an author with page turning voice - I will definitely read the next one.
This book managed to tip the scales into four stars because it was wonderfully atmospheric and showed some interesting dynamics between the teen protagonists and their new but terrifying power. The plot was engaging and the pacing was good - I would have read it in one sitting if I hadn't had to work. I also liked Harley and Teaghan - I felt they were fairly well developed without the author hanging specific labels like 'good' or 'bad' over them.
However the plot was also a bit lopsided. We are brought in on an incident that happens long after Harley is given the shadow box and then we zip back to nine months earlier. Fair enough but this is not delivered on at the end of the book. We are just left hanging. There were a few oddities with the story too that aren't explained well enough; why does everyone just accept that people just disappear in Shadow Pines? Exactly why were the four boxes given to the people who were chosen? When you start pulling threads like that the plot does start to unravel somewhat. Aside from Harley, Teaghan and Brock, I felt the other characters could have done with a bit more development. Harley's stepmother in particular could have been a cut out from Grimm's fairy tales - quite a shallow treatment. No doubt these issues and further answers are coming in books two and three but it was very annoying to reach the end without any resolution as such.
What I did like was the idea of taking four essentially unhappy people and giving them an essentially evil power at a time in their lives when they are already experimenting wit the dynamics of power and trying to assert agency over their own destinies. The book had a genuinely creepy feel to it and the myriad injustices toward Harley and the others will keep you reading. An interesting concept and an author with page turning voice - I will definitely read the next one.
February 2, 2017
This book was an interesting and fast paced that kept me hooked from the first page and all the way through. I was basically unable to put this book down so found it thoroughly enjoyable with a dark twist.
The main characters are Harley and Teaghan. Harley and Teaghan who share a birthday along with two other characters are invited to a local store opening where they receive 'Shadow Boxes' which give them the ability to send away anyone they don't like. While we're not sure where exactly the people are sent to we're pretty sure it's nowhere nice. At first all of the characters realise this is the case Teaghan is the first character to crack sending a girl who bullies her away, but Teaghan gets high on the power and continues to use the box. Harley on the other hand who is having a hard time at home with her father and step mother holds off on using the box until she feels it is absolutely necessary.
The secondary characters include the other two people who share the birthday and are gifted the box but do not have chapters written in their POV. Brock is the only boy, with a popular girlfriend he is in the 'in crowd' until he gets involved with the shadown box. Gianna is the other girl, a popular girl who gets gifted the box, but she takes it on herself to help Teaghan with her addiction to the power by sending her away.
The storyline was original and dark, not outright just on the side by the subject of sending people you don't like away. The pacing was excellent keeping readers interested all the way through.
4 stars a great read
The main characters are Harley and Teaghan. Harley and Teaghan who share a birthday along with two other characters are invited to a local store opening where they receive 'Shadow Boxes' which give them the ability to send away anyone they don't like. While we're not sure where exactly the people are sent to we're pretty sure it's nowhere nice. At first all of the characters realise this is the case Teaghan is the first character to crack sending a girl who bullies her away, but Teaghan gets high on the power and continues to use the box. Harley on the other hand who is having a hard time at home with her father and step mother holds off on using the box until she feels it is absolutely necessary.
The secondary characters include the other two people who share the birthday and are gifted the box but do not have chapters written in their POV. Brock is the only boy, with a popular girlfriend he is in the 'in crowd' until he gets involved with the shadown box. Gianna is the other girl, a popular girl who gets gifted the box, but she takes it on herself to help Teaghan with her addiction to the power by sending her away.
The storyline was original and dark, not outright just on the side by the subject of sending people you don't like away. The pacing was excellent keeping readers interested all the way through.
4 stars a great read
August 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, but I agree with reviews that said too many things were left unexplained, perhaps waiting for the sequel. I also felt that too much time was spent on the main characters at school. A certain amount is necessary to understand the characters and their motivations, but the book would be stronger with this section pared back. Not that it wasn't interesting, but once we reach the part where the characters are interacting with the mysterious box, the story really takes off. Despite these minor criticisms, the story was really interesting, and as I neared the end of the book, I was racing through the pages to see what would happen next!
May 20, 2015
I liked it well enough. It was a bit odd at times but I liked the story. Will be reading the next one. Full review on the blog: http://mindcrazed.blogspot.se/2015/03...
February 15, 2017
An OK book. Full review over here: https://rickusbookshelf.wordpress.com...
August 18, 2017
I’m not sure I would ever reach for this book if it wasn’t participating in this year’s SPFBO. Also it’s the first Booknest semi-finalist. Not reading this book would be a mistake as I practically devoured it in one day. It’s YA Urban Fantasy / Mystery / Horror done well.
Main protagonist – Harley Fox and three other teenagers based in Shadow Pines receive a mysterious gift on their sixteenth birthday - a shadow box. The box gives the power to trade someone to the shadows, meaning they will disappear and cease to exist. Harley can't imagine doing such a horrible thing and is warned that using the box comes at a price. Unfortunately, not using the box can be even more costly.
Harley is a troubled teenager. She’s rebellious and angry. Her mother is gone and her life is wrapped around her own pain, conflict with her stepmother and conviction she will eventually die in her thirties. That may sound stereotypical but Harley is perfectly believable as a character. Nothing is over the top and her every day struggles are written well and sensitively.
Teaghan lost her mother as well. She’s extremely timid outcast who has hard time socializing with other teens. Many students bully and intimidate her. Her reflections on life are summarized by this quote: Happiness was a mythical creature that visited other people. I'd never seen it. Sometimes, I felt as if I was the only one who hadn't.
Brock is, seemingly, perfect teenager with tight schedule wrapped around school, sport team and church / charity work. He has a “Barbie-bot” girlfriend Lark. He used to have a sister but she’s gone. As many other people in Shadow Pines.
Gianna Mancini is socially engaged young vegan who’s last of four characters gifted with Shadow Box.
Shadow, Shadow is a dark, well written story about mysterious town where a lot of people simply disappear and it’s virtually impossible to leave the town. Some people did but there’s no contact with them. Apart the mysteries that are unveiled in Shadow, Shadow there’s a lot more to discover. Fans of Wayward Pines, Twin Peaks, Death Note should find the story interesting as it bears some resemblance to histories pictured in them.
The book is written in two POV’s: Harley’s and Teaghan’s. Each of them has different voice and different story to tell. Both stories are done well especially that we observe Harley through Teaghan’s eye and Teaghan through Harley’s. The way they experience the world and choices they make are very different. Of course their stories tie and lead to good climax that opens up more mysteries to unravel in the sequels.
The writing style is simple, the prose doesn’t get in the way of story. Given it’s not a long book (less than 250 pages) it can be read quickly.
At times the book felt a little rough around the ages, there was a prologue that, I guess, will be explained in next part of the series but so far has no sense.
It changes nothing though. I liked the book. I’ve bought full series and I plan to unravel all of Shadow pines mysteries. Well done V.B. Marlowe. Well done.
Main protagonist – Harley Fox and three other teenagers based in Shadow Pines receive a mysterious gift on their sixteenth birthday - a shadow box. The box gives the power to trade someone to the shadows, meaning they will disappear and cease to exist. Harley can't imagine doing such a horrible thing and is warned that using the box comes at a price. Unfortunately, not using the box can be even more costly.
Harley is a troubled teenager. She’s rebellious and angry. Her mother is gone and her life is wrapped around her own pain, conflict with her stepmother and conviction she will eventually die in her thirties. That may sound stereotypical but Harley is perfectly believable as a character. Nothing is over the top and her every day struggles are written well and sensitively.
Teaghan lost her mother as well. She’s extremely timid outcast who has hard time socializing with other teens. Many students bully and intimidate her. Her reflections on life are summarized by this quote: Happiness was a mythical creature that visited other people. I'd never seen it. Sometimes, I felt as if I was the only one who hadn't.
Brock is, seemingly, perfect teenager with tight schedule wrapped around school, sport team and church / charity work. He has a “Barbie-bot” girlfriend Lark. He used to have a sister but she’s gone. As many other people in Shadow Pines.
Gianna Mancini is socially engaged young vegan who’s last of four characters gifted with Shadow Box.
Shadow, Shadow is a dark, well written story about mysterious town where a lot of people simply disappear and it’s virtually impossible to leave the town. Some people did but there’s no contact with them. Apart the mysteries that are unveiled in Shadow, Shadow there’s a lot more to discover. Fans of Wayward Pines, Twin Peaks, Death Note should find the story interesting as it bears some resemblance to histories pictured in them.
The book is written in two POV’s: Harley’s and Teaghan’s. Each of them has different voice and different story to tell. Both stories are done well especially that we observe Harley through Teaghan’s eye and Teaghan through Harley’s. The way they experience the world and choices they make are very different. Of course their stories tie and lead to good climax that opens up more mysteries to unravel in the sequels.
The writing style is simple, the prose doesn’t get in the way of story. Given it’s not a long book (less than 250 pages) it can be read quickly.
At times the book felt a little rough around the ages, there was a prologue that, I guess, will be explained in next part of the series but so far has no sense.
It changes nothing though. I liked the book. I’ve bought full series and I plan to unravel all of Shadow pines mysteries. Well done V.B. Marlowe. Well done.
June 18, 2016
„Shadow, Shadow“ von V.B. Marlowe war eines der ersten Bücher, die ich bei Netgalley angefragt habe. Das muss Anfang 2015 gewesen sein. Obwohl ich mich sehr darüber gefreut hatte, dass mir ein Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt wurde, landete es auf dem SuB. Ich las es nicht sofort, denn ich fühlte mich nicht in der richtigen Stimmung für die Geschichte. Über ein Jahr versauerte es zwischen hunderten anderer Bücher, bis es mir im Mai 2016 wieder einfiel. Ich wollte mit Altlasten aufräumen, also wurde es höchste Zeit, „Shadow, Shadow“ endlich eine Chance zu geben.
In Shadow Pines verschwinden seit jeher ungewöhnlich viele Menschen. Es heißt, die Kleinstadt sei auf entweihtem Boden gebaut und werde heimgesucht von den Schatten einer Sekte, die im 19. Jahrhundert gelyncht wurde… Natürlich glaubt niemand diese Geschichte, erst recht nicht die rebellische Harley Fox. An ihrem 16. Geburtstag erhält sie jedoch ein sonderbares Geschenk: eine Schattenbox. Sie ist nicht die einzige. Brock, der Goldjunge der Stadt, Gianna, Shadow Pines‘ strebsame Kämpferin für die kleinen Dinge und Teaghan, die ständig gehänselt wird, bekommen ebenfalls jeweils eine Box. Angeblich verleihen ihnen die Boxen die Macht, einen Menschen ihrer Wahl verschwinden zu lassen und den Schatten zu übergeben. Sie müssen sie nicht nutzen, doch sollte nur eine oder einer von ihnen davon Gebrauch machen, sind auch die anderen gezwungen, sie einzusetzen. Sonst holen sich die Schatten ihre Liebsten. Ungläubig entscheiden Harley, Brock, Gianna und Teaghan die Boxen wegzuschließen. Doch die Aussicht, einen verhassten Menschen loszuwerden, ist verlockender, als sie ahnten. Schnell gerät die Situation außer Kontrolle und die vier müssen sich eingestehen, dass am Mythos der Schatten vielleicht mehr dran ist, als sie wahrhaben wollten…
Hätte ich nur gewusst, was für ein Schatz sich da in meinem SuB versteckt! „Shadow, Shadow“ hat mich völlig umgehauen. Es ist ein echter Geheimtipp. Ich bin absolut hingerissen. Niemals hätte ich damit gerechnet, dass dieses unscheinbare E-Book haufenweise Spannung, Action und Mystik zu bieten hat. Ich habe wie im Rausch gelesen, weil ich es einfach nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte. Die Geheimnisse der „Shadow Pines Trilogy“ sind unheimlich mitreißend. Es begeistert mich, dass V.B. Marlowe sich nicht mit altbackenen, tausend Mal wiedergekäuten Ideen aufhält, sondern mutig das Unkonventionelle begrüßt und somit frischen Wind in das Genre der YA – Urban Fantasy bringt. Keine Hexen, keine Vampire, keine Werwölfe – stattdessen Schatten, vor denen sich die Menschheit seit Anbeginn der Zeit fürchtet. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich meinen eigenen Schatten jemals skeptisch beäugen würde, doch nach der Lektüre von „Shadow, Shadow“ war ich bei seinem Anblick durchaus ein wenig beunruhigt. Das Bedrohliche der Schatten ist ihre permanente Präsenz. Selbst wenn wir wollten, wir könnten ihnen nicht entkommen. Jetzt stellt euch vor, sie entwickelten ein Eigenleben. Stellt euch vor, sie wären aggressiv, rachsüchtig, blutdürstig. Unheimlich, oder? Nun, mit genau dieser Aussicht müssen sich Harley, Brock, Gianna und Teaghan befassen. Die vier sind sehr unterschiedlich und auf den ersten Blick ein wenig stereotyp, da sie innerhalb des Mikrokosmos von Shadow Pines bestimmte Rollen erfüllen. Trotz dessen empfand ich sie als realistisch und glaubhaft dargestellt, voller Persönlichkeit. Im ersten Band durfte ich speziell Harley und Teaghan näher kennenlernen, da die Geschichte abwechselnd aus ihrer jeweiligen Ich-Perspektive erzählt wird. Stück für Stück erfuhr ich, dass alle vier guten Grund haben, ihre Schattenboxen zu benutzen; sie alle wünschen mindestens eine Person in ihrem Umkreis zum Teufel. Dadurch entstand eine spannungsgeladene Situation, in der ich mich nicht länger fragte, ob jemand von ihnen die Box verwenden würde, sondern nur wann und wer. Ich konnte ihre zwiespältigen Gefühle sehr gut nachempfinden. Einerseits ist ihnen natürlich vollkommen bewusst, dass es falsch ist, einen Menschen einfach mir nichts, dir nichts aus dem Leben zu reißen. Andererseits ist die Vorstellung, sich einer ungeliebten Person zu entledigen, extrem verführerisch. Ich bin nicht sicher, ob ich der Versuchung widerstehen könnte. Darüber hinaus verursacht die Kettenreaktion der Schattenboxen ein moralisches Dilemma, das es in sich hat. Opfert man eine_n Fremde_n, um die eigene Familie zu schützen? Die Frage, was ich selbst tun würde, ließ mich nicht mehr los. Das heißt allerdings nicht, dass mir nicht aufgefallen wäre, dass in Shadow Pines irgendetwas nicht stimmt. Alles ist streng reglementiert. Niemand verlässt jemals die Stadt, nicht einmal, um Urlaub zu machen. Es erinnerte mich etwas an das fiktive Stepford aus Die Frauen von Stepford von Ira Levin: die blank polierte Utopie einer Stadt, die zu gut ist, um wahr zu sein. Die Schatten sind nicht das einzige Geheimnis, das sich dort versteckt, davon bin ich überzeugt. Ich platze fast vor Neugier, herauszufinden, was es mit Shadow Pines wirklich auf sich hat.
Es ist eine Schande, dass „Shadow, Shadow“ auf meinem digitalen SuB einstauben musste. Ich verstehe nicht, wie ich es so lange unangetastet lassen konnte. Die Geschichte hat alles, was es braucht, um mich an ein Buch zu fesseln. Ich habe schon lange nicht mehr so fieberhaft gelesen wie während dieses Trilogieauftakts. Es fühlte sich an, als hinge mein Leben davon ab. Ich kann euch das Buch wärmstens ans Herz legen, denn selten trifft man auf einen Erstling, der so gut durchdacht wirkt und mühelos überzeugt. Ich hoffe sehr, das V.B. Marlowe dieses Niveau in den beiden Nachfolgern Moonlight, Moonlight: Book Two of the Shadow Pines Trilogy und Ember, Ember halten kann, die ich mir sofort nach der Lektüre von „Shadow, Shadow“ zugelegt habe. Meinen Schatten werde ich im Auge behalten. Nicht, dass er auf dumme Ideen kommt.
Vielen Dank an Netgalley und den Verlag All Night Reads für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplars im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension!
January 23, 2018
Being that it’s a teen drama, it has the stereotypical bullying and teen angst (I seem to run into it in each V.B. Marlowe book.) The four teens are practically drawn from The Breakfast Club. We have the stereotypical troubled rebel, the stereotypical jock, the stereotypical outcast, and the stereotypical popular/smart girl rolled into one. The fun part about The Breakfast Club was that they all broke their stereotypes showed themselves as being equal parts of the other stereotypes. Here, they all stay firmly rooted in their stereotypes. And all four of the teens typically are unable to confide in the adults about what is going on. A couple of other quibbly things I had with this story was that the opening chapter doesn't fit in with the story line (at least not in this particular book, so I question why it was put there other than to make people buy now within the first couple of pages) and the last epilogue chapter doesn't fit in with the rest of the story either since it has another character in it that wasn't introduced at all. But the story surrounding them is fascinating. All the disappearances in town that started long before the introduction of the teen’s shadow boxes, the reaction of each of the teens to the boxes, and how do you return an unwanted gift? Admittedly, I’m itching to know what happens next.
August 2, 2017
Found this book thanks to the SPFBO contest. It seemed very interesting so I decided to give it a go.
While reading It kind of reminded me of death note with the whole power of live and death theme. But having read it, Shadow, Shadow takes a different approach to the theme. The characters all handle the responsibility different. Some struggle more than others which makes them all unique in my eyes.
It is an easy read and even tough it is difficult to review the plot without spoiling everything. It sure keeps you on your toes, no dull moment to find.
unfortunately, It ends with more questions than answers So I will probably go looking for the second part of the series to solve the mysteries regarding Shadow Pines.
While reading It kind of reminded me of death note with the whole power of live and death theme. But having read it, Shadow, Shadow takes a different approach to the theme. The characters all handle the responsibility different. Some struggle more than others which makes them all unique in my eyes.
It is an easy read and even tough it is difficult to review the plot without spoiling everything. It sure keeps you on your toes, no dull moment to find.
unfortunately, It ends with more questions than answers So I will probably go looking for the second part of the series to solve the mysteries regarding Shadow Pines.
April 25, 2016
I gave this one a day to stew because my initial reaction was that it was very bad, but I feel like that was partly because of an unsatisfying ending. So, with some time to stew, I would say this one is on par with most of the other books on my free ebook spree but still not terribly good.
Why?
Well, it kept my attention for sure. Generally when a book can keep me up late reading, that's a good sign. It doesn't take much (addicted as I am) but it does take a good level of tension, and Shadow, Shadow keeps you going by making you wonder: Who's going to get taken by the shadows? Will the characters use their shadow boxes? What are the shadow boxes exactly, and what happens to those who are taken? Will the characters' actions have consequences? How on Earth are we going to get back to that cliffhanger prologue?
So it had a strong premise (the shadow boxes are certainly a moral quandary, and most intriguing) and kept the conflict going pretty well. But it had a lot of issues which wouldn't let me give it above two stars.
First of all: A lot of those questions and moral quandaries? Just aren't explored in satisfying ways. Although there's a lot of conflict over whether people will use their shadow boxes, when the time comes to use them, no character ever regrets the action and to be frank, neither does the reader. I felt like it wasn't so much shades of gray and moral questioning as a single shade of gray where people sort of question morality but you feel like the characters ultimately don't really care.
As for the questions-Let me just tell you right now, we never get back to the prologue. I know this is the first book in a series. But I don't like cliffhangers that are introduced in the prologue and not even resolved by the end of the book. The only book that has ever pulled that off for me is Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarian. Quite a few other questions aren't resolved either, or aren't resolved in a satisfying manner.
Then there were the characters.
I will say that I really liked the two protagonists, Harley and Teague. They were simultaneously very similar and very different. While they approached the world and the shadow boxes very differently, they both had step-families, tragedy in their pasts and antagonism towards their peers.
Harley came across as a typical high school rebel. She had a stepmother who seemed at times like she was trying her best but at other times like the archetype of an evil stepmother. She had a boyfriend (Nash) who treated her like trash and wanted certain things she wasn't ready for yet, a rebellious best friend and a very small crush that embarrassed her because the subject of said crush was Mr. Perfect Student.
I liked that she's trying to to deal with various pressures from the high school world because, you know, the struggle is real. And I liked that, despite being the most rebellious character, she was probably the most steadfastly against using the shadow boxes.
On the other hand, her over-the-top obsession with the macabre, crazy boyfriend, exaggerated nastiness and equally exaggerated secret heart of gold, she came off as a bit of a stereotype. So. There was that.
And Teaghan! I really sympathized with Teaghan. At first. She's ostracized, bullied and shy. She's desperate to make friends and is so happy to cling to Harley. And she has a small psycho side that's only being further fueled by the abuse.
But in the end, I felt like Teaghan could be a bit too inconsistent. First of all, generally high schoolers will have at least one friend. Even if the friendship is shallow. You'll generally have at least one connection to cling to.
Second, there were a lot of people bullying Teaghan so I can understand her lashing back against them with her shadow box. But why does she move on so quickly to people with only minor offenses? It seems unrealistic, especially since this girl clearly has enough enemies to pick from.
Third, is Teaghan obsessed with her friendship with Harley or is it a healthy relationship? Because if it's a healthy relationship, then why doesn't she listen to Harley when Harley tries to encourage her not to use the shadow box? And if it's an unhealthy obsession based off Teaghan's isolation and Harley's well meaning fumbling, I feel like Teaghan would still either a) listen to Harley because she would cling to Harley's approval, or b) not take it so well when Harley decides not to be friends anymore.
Fourth, why oh why don't Harley, Brock and Gianna do anything about Teaghan misusing the shadow box? It wouldn't be that hard. You don't have to kill her. Just take the box away.
But.
Anyway.
I did like the concept of this book, and as a member of my free ebook spree, it gave me an entertaining evening. But I do not plan to reread and I do not generally recommend. I guess you can go for it if you like a creepy book with a lot of moral ambiguity and teenage angst. I just think that I've seen most of the things going for it done a lot better. It's just kind of...meh.
Why?
Well, it kept my attention for sure. Generally when a book can keep me up late reading, that's a good sign. It doesn't take much (addicted as I am) but it does take a good level of tension, and Shadow, Shadow keeps you going by making you wonder: Who's going to get taken by the shadows? Will the characters use their shadow boxes? What are the shadow boxes exactly, and what happens to those who are taken? Will the characters' actions have consequences? How on Earth are we going to get back to that cliffhanger prologue?
So it had a strong premise (the shadow boxes are certainly a moral quandary, and most intriguing) and kept the conflict going pretty well. But it had a lot of issues which wouldn't let me give it above two stars.
First of all: A lot of those questions and moral quandaries? Just aren't explored in satisfying ways. Although there's a lot of conflict over whether people will use their shadow boxes, when the time comes to use them, no character ever regrets the action and to be frank, neither does the reader. I felt like it wasn't so much shades of gray and moral questioning as a single shade of gray where people sort of question morality but you feel like the characters ultimately don't really care.
As for the questions-Let me just tell you right now, we never get back to the prologue. I know this is the first book in a series. But I don't like cliffhangers that are introduced in the prologue and not even resolved by the end of the book. The only book that has ever pulled that off for me is Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarian. Quite a few other questions aren't resolved either, or aren't resolved in a satisfying manner.
Then there were the characters.
I will say that I really liked the two protagonists, Harley and Teague. They were simultaneously very similar and very different. While they approached the world and the shadow boxes very differently, they both had step-families, tragedy in their pasts and antagonism towards their peers.
Harley came across as a typical high school rebel. She had a stepmother who seemed at times like she was trying her best but at other times like the archetype of an evil stepmother. She had a boyfriend (Nash) who treated her like trash and wanted certain things she wasn't ready for yet, a rebellious best friend and a very small crush that embarrassed her because the subject of said crush was Mr. Perfect Student.
I liked that she's trying to to deal with various pressures from the high school world because, you know, the struggle is real. And I liked that, despite being the most rebellious character, she was probably the most steadfastly against using the shadow boxes.
On the other hand, her over-the-top obsession with the macabre, crazy boyfriend, exaggerated nastiness and equally exaggerated secret heart of gold, she came off as a bit of a stereotype. So. There was that.
And Teaghan! I really sympathized with Teaghan. At first. She's ostracized, bullied and shy. She's desperate to make friends and is so happy to cling to Harley. And she has a small psycho side that's only being further fueled by the abuse.
But in the end, I felt like Teaghan could be a bit too inconsistent. First of all, generally high schoolers will have at least one friend. Even if the friendship is shallow. You'll generally have at least one connection to cling to.
Second, there were a lot of people bullying Teaghan so I can understand her lashing back against them with her shadow box. But why does she move on so quickly to people with only minor offenses? It seems unrealistic, especially since this girl clearly has enough enemies to pick from.
Third, is Teaghan obsessed with her friendship with Harley or is it a healthy relationship? Because if it's a healthy relationship, then why doesn't she listen to Harley when Harley tries to encourage her not to use the shadow box? And if it's an unhealthy obsession based off Teaghan's isolation and Harley's well meaning fumbling, I feel like Teaghan would still either a) listen to Harley because she would cling to Harley's approval, or b) not take it so well when Harley decides not to be friends anymore.
Fourth, why oh why don't Harley, Brock and Gianna do anything about Teaghan misusing the shadow box? It wouldn't be that hard. You don't have to kill her. Just take the box away.
But.
Anyway.
I did like the concept of this book, and as a member of my free ebook spree, it gave me an entertaining evening. But I do not plan to reread and I do not generally recommend. I guess you can go for it if you like a creepy book with a lot of moral ambiguity and teenage angst. I just think that I've seen most of the things going for it done a lot better. It's just kind of...meh.
August 17, 2017
Great young adult book, which I highly recommend for adults. Horrible things happen in Shadow Pines. People disappear constantly and they are never found. No bodies have ever been found, the shadows have taken them. Four teenagers, Harley, Gianna, Teaghan, and Brock all share the same birthday and are gifted with boxes that can make people disappear forever. This is the first of a trilogy and very enjoyable.
May 26, 2015
Note: I free copy via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Shadow, Shadow by V. B. Marlowe is the first instalment in The Shadow Pines trilogy and an amazing multi-faceted becoming-of-age novel about four school students given four Shadow Boxes on their sixteenth birthday. They, Harley, Teaghan, Gianna and Brock, are told that they have the power to remove one person from their lives by giving them to the shadows, which need to feed. However, they are later told that they must use the Shadow Boxes or someone close to them will be killed/taken by the shadows.
The novel opens in the middle of an action, giving immediate rise in tension from the first page and marking a strong opening as we see Brock Ethan being arrested.
"Everyone was used to me being in trouble, but Brock Ethan? He never did anything wrong."
Shortly after, Brock tells Harley to run and she takes off. We are then transported back to events that happened nine months earlier, when they first received the Shadow Boxes.
Narrated from the first person perspectives of Harley and Teaghan, Marlowe contrasts the girls' lives and choices. The author also sheds light on the Brock's and Gianna's choices and struggles through these two characters.
Harley is a rebellious character, often in trouble, grounded and into watching and writing horror movies. Her name reminds me of a Harley Davidson bike, which I often feel she is like in terms of making a statement. However, Harley has several problems and we see from the first chapter that she lacks fatherly affection.
Her mother disappeared and her father remarried Amy, a cruel and unfair stepmother, from Harley's perspective at least. Harley also has a trouble-making boyfriend, Nash, whom the reader immediately dislikes and deems the perfect candidate to be given to the shadows.
"I hadn't heard from Nash all week. That was typical with him. He called when he felt like it, and most of the time when I called him, he didn't answer his phone."
From the first chapters, we see how, despite her misfortunes and familial problems, Harley has more heart than any of the other characters. She has a hard time deciding who she should trade to the shadows, even though several options arise. She even cares for those who have hurt her and takes her time to think of the consequences of "trading lives".
Meanwhile, Teaghan is a geeky, lonely character. She is an introvert and would rather spend her life reading in her room; however, she is often picked on in school. Teaghan is the first to use her Shadow Box, and bit by bit her character changes.
"Happiness was a mythical creature that visited other people. I'd never seen it. Sometimes, I felt as if I was the only one who hadn't."
Marlowe does a stellar job in contrasting characters, especially Harley and Teaghan and later Gianna. I think she's done a splendid job with the "show don't tell" in her novel. I couldn't help but constantly compare and contrast the characters.
Another character, a sort of background character is Ava-kaya. She doesn't appear often but she has a major role to play as she is the one who first gives the students the Shadow Boxes. We also never learn how she got all four boxes at the same time. She is also the one with all the info about the shadows and Shadow Boxes, which she reluctantly gives out to Harley bit by bit.
“The four of you have been blessed with a great gift. Well, it’s a gift for you, but a curse for someone else.”
I liked how the Shadow Boxes show the true nature of the characters. Teaghan, for example, begins to appear in a new light to herself and to others.
Connected by the boxes, each character is tested differently throughout the novel and given different motives and motivations to use their Shadow Boxes. Brock and Gianna's struggles appear towards the end but also shed light on their different characters.
"The greatest gift in the world. Trading is what keeps the shadows appeased. It keeps the shadows in their place."
My only problem with the novel is that the prologue or first chapter does not connect with the last, where we see a new character called Michael that we've never encountered before. I don't feel a thirteen-year-old would feel the depth of the characters but that could just be me. (Blurb says for Ages 13 and up).
Both the narration and language are easy to navigate and light, helping the novel's quick pace, along with short chapters. The imagery, mostly similes, is well placed throughout the novel. Harley is a sarcastic character and her sarcasm adds to the occasional comic relief.
Overall: 4.75/5 stars – only because the first and last chapters didn't meet for me, but overall, I loved the novel and couldn't put it down. I look forward to the remaining instalments in the trilogy.
I also liked the cover, which was cute but mysterious at the same time.
(I would also like to mention that I bookmarked nearly half the novel and wrote tons of notes but to rewrite/copy all that here would spoil the novel and would be too long – just though you should know).
September 28, 2017
Brilliant and original paranormal story. Absolutely loved it!
December 1, 2017
I stumbled upon this book accidentally and loved it! I love the mystery of the shadow boxes, characters, and really good writing in general. Ican’t wait to read the next one in the series.
January 22, 2020
Intriguing
This is a great first book in a series. The premise is interesting, and the characters are well drawn. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
This is a great first book in a series. The premise is interesting, and the characters are well drawn. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
November 28, 2025
Great story
This was a great story to read. Very unique. Loved the characters and the mystery of the whole story line! Definitely a fun read!
This was a great story to read. Very unique. Loved the characters and the mystery of the whole story line! Definitely a fun read!
May 6, 2015
SHADOW, SHADOW : Book One of the Shadow Pines Trilogy
Author: V.B. Marlowe
Type of Book: eBook
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fiction
Length: 203 pages
Release Date: February 16, 2015
Publisher: All Night Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel that I must start my review of this book with a comment about the cover. It is absolutely stunningly gorgeous. In fact, it was the cover that first drew my attention to this book. This is exactly what cover artists strive to achieve; to set their book somehow apart from, and above other titles of the same genre. This goal has been achieved with the amazing cover for SHADOW, SHADOW. The colors draw the eye and the silhouette of Harley and the shadow box on the cover portrays the perfect balance between mystery and whimsy.
Harley Fox is about to turn sixteen. On the morning of her birthday she learns through her school's morning announcements that she shares her birthday with several other students including the highly popular Brock Ethan, silent and strange Teaghan Porter and class president, Gianna Mancini.
When Harley arrives home from school it is obvious that her birthday has been forgotten by her step-mother. Her father has been called in to work and her half-brother Preston is only a baby, so it quickly becomes apparent that there will be no sweet sixteen celebration for Harley.
In the mail she received a birthday card addressed to her with a note inside that read: "In honor of your birthday, you are invited to the grand opening of Mr. Enigma's Novelty Shop. The store will be closed just for you and a few others so that we may present you with a special gift."
Harley decides to go to the Novelty Shop. It is a new addition to the town of Shadow Pines and Harley is looking forward to seeing the items it offers for sale.
When she arrives at Mr. Enigma's she is surprised to find that she was not the only one who had received the birthday notice. Brock, Teaghan and Gianna had all been invited as well.
They are each given a shadow box. This box supposedly gives them the power to trade someone to the shadows. Once they do, that person will disappear forever leaving no trace of themselves behind.
They are also told that if they do not use the box there will be dire consequences and that someone they love will be traded to the shadows instead.
Harley (and the others) must struggle with their consciouses to decide what to do.
This book is a terrific young adult fantasy story. Imagine mixing the roiling emotions of the teenage years with the power to make your enemies disappear. This is teen angst on steroids.
'Shadow, Shadow' is very well written. It is exactly just right for the young adult readership. The town of Shadow Pines will both intrigue and entice readers deeper into the story. What exactly is going on in this small town? What are the shadows? And where did they come from?
Why was Harley chosen as the keeper of the shadow box? Should she use it? On who? And what will happen if she decides not to use it?
There are several things I like about this story. First and foremost is the fact that the teenagers in this book are NOT perfect. The majority of teenage characters in recent books are portrayed as perfect. This is so far from reality that it is laughable.
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
The second thing that I like about this book is that the characters display realistic emotions. Harley has a verbally and physically abusive boyfriend. In most young adult books a girl with an abusive boyfriend immediately 'wises up' and dumps him. In this book Harley is conflicted. She loved him once. In fact, in some ways she still loves him. She knows she needs to break up with him, but she keeps putting it off. This is very realistic. People in abusive relationships often have difficulty in breaking free from the abuser.
I also like the way the author portrays the various family dynamics. She does a terrific job of illustrating the fact that the public personas that people see are often completely false. She also details the complex feelings that can arise when families are blended and new parental figures and/or step-siblings are introduced into a teen's life.
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Since this is only the first book in a trilogy, I will be eagerly awaiting the next two books in the series.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Author: V.B. Marlowe
Type of Book: eBook
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fiction
Length: 203 pages
Release Date: February 16, 2015
Publisher: All Night Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel that I must start my review of this book with a comment about the cover. It is absolutely stunningly gorgeous. In fact, it was the cover that first drew my attention to this book. This is exactly what cover artists strive to achieve; to set their book somehow apart from, and above other titles of the same genre. This goal has been achieved with the amazing cover for SHADOW, SHADOW. The colors draw the eye and the silhouette of Harley and the shadow box on the cover portrays the perfect balance between mystery and whimsy.
Harley Fox is about to turn sixteen. On the morning of her birthday she learns through her school's morning announcements that she shares her birthday with several other students including the highly popular Brock Ethan, silent and strange Teaghan Porter and class president, Gianna Mancini.
When Harley arrives home from school it is obvious that her birthday has been forgotten by her step-mother. Her father has been called in to work and her half-brother Preston is only a baby, so it quickly becomes apparent that there will be no sweet sixteen celebration for Harley.
In the mail she received a birthday card addressed to her with a note inside that read: "In honor of your birthday, you are invited to the grand opening of Mr. Enigma's Novelty Shop. The store will be closed just for you and a few others so that we may present you with a special gift."
Harley decides to go to the Novelty Shop. It is a new addition to the town of Shadow Pines and Harley is looking forward to seeing the items it offers for sale.
When she arrives at Mr. Enigma's she is surprised to find that she was not the only one who had received the birthday notice. Brock, Teaghan and Gianna had all been invited as well.
They are each given a shadow box. This box supposedly gives them the power to trade someone to the shadows. Once they do, that person will disappear forever leaving no trace of themselves behind.
They are also told that if they do not use the box there will be dire consequences and that someone they love will be traded to the shadows instead.
Harley (and the others) must struggle with their consciouses to decide what to do.
This book is a terrific young adult fantasy story. Imagine mixing the roiling emotions of the teenage years with the power to make your enemies disappear. This is teen angst on steroids.
'Shadow, Shadow' is very well written. It is exactly just right for the young adult readership. The town of Shadow Pines will both intrigue and entice readers deeper into the story. What exactly is going on in this small town? What are the shadows? And where did they come from?
Why was Harley chosen as the keeper of the shadow box? Should she use it? On who? And what will happen if she decides not to use it?
There are several things I like about this story. First and foremost is the fact that the teenagers in this book are NOT perfect. The majority of teenage characters in recent books are portrayed as perfect. This is so far from reality that it is laughable.
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
The second thing that I like about this book is that the characters display realistic emotions. Harley has a verbally and physically abusive boyfriend. In most young adult books a girl with an abusive boyfriend immediately 'wises up' and dumps him. In this book Harley is conflicted. She loved him once. In fact, in some ways she still loves him. She knows she needs to break up with him, but she keeps putting it off. This is very realistic. People in abusive relationships often have difficulty in breaking free from the abuser.
I also like the way the author portrays the various family dynamics. She does a terrific job of illustrating the fact that the public personas that people see are often completely false. She also details the complex feelings that can arise when families are blended and new parental figures and/or step-siblings are introduced into a teen's life.
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Since this is only the first book in a trilogy, I will be eagerly awaiting the next two books in the series.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
February 6, 2017
"Shadow, shadow, void of light,
Accept this offering tonight."
The premise of this book was really intriguing but in the end I felt like the author didn't really use the full potential of it. The ability to decide who lives and who does not could've made a good moral debate, but it was merely brushed upon. I also thought that the overall concept wasn't explained well, in fact we barely learned anything about it - why did they get the boxes, how does it work and why it all happens. I know that it's the first book in the series but I like it when the author answer at least some questions by the end of the book, while in this case we were left even more puzzled.
On a plus side, I liked the atmosphere. It was quite creepy at times and went well with the story. The characters were okay but could have been more developed. Overall, it was a uick read and I liked it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to pick up the next book.
Accept this offering tonight."
The premise of this book was really intriguing but in the end I felt like the author didn't really use the full potential of it. The ability to decide who lives and who does not could've made a good moral debate, but it was merely brushed upon. I also thought that the overall concept wasn't explained well, in fact we barely learned anything about it - why did they get the boxes, how does it work and why it all happens. I know that it's the first book in the series but I like it when the author answer at least some questions by the end of the book, while in this case we were left even more puzzled.
On a plus side, I liked the atmosphere. It was quite creepy at times and went well with the story. The characters were okay but could have been more developed. Overall, it was a uick read and I liked it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to pick up the next book.
June 20, 2015
Digital copy offered by Xpresso Book Tours and the author in exchange for an honest review
This was such an amazing read! Really can't wait for the second one.
I liked everything: the way it was written, the story, the characters, the dark and mysterious settings.
If you are into mistery sci-fi without aliens nor gory things, this is totally the book for you.
Very entertaining and fast read :)
-----------------------
Recensione anche sul mio blog: http://barbaggianate.blogspot.it/2015...
-----------------------
Comincio col dire che questo libro è tutto un mistero, a partire dall'autore (autrice?) del quale non si trova nessuna bio se non quelle due righe che ho scritto (e che sono state prese da amazon.com).
La copertina secondo me è molto bella e, col senno di poi, posso dire che è proprio adatta alla storia :)
La storia segue le vicende di quattro ragazzi che frequentano la stessa scuola, Harley, Teagan, Gianna e Brock ma la trama si sviluppa solamente seguendo i punti di vista di Harley e Teagan, due ragazze della stessa età ma con due caratteri diametralmente opposti.
Harley è la tipica scapestrata che va male a scuola, con l'odio per la vita, una matrigna con la quale non può proprio andare d'accordo e un fidanzato che si palesa solamente nel momento in cui ha bisogno di soldi.
Teagan, invece, è molto timida e introversa, amata dalla famiglia e brava a scuola. La classica brava ragazza, insomma.
Gianna, invece, è una ragazza dalle origini italiane, la classica ragazza popolare e spocchiosa che fa la cheerleader ed è sempre molto impegnata socialmente.
Mentre Brock è il classico "figlio di papà", di buona famiglia, molto bravo a scuola, non si scompone mai ed è sempre super gentile con tutti.
In un giorno apparentemente normale, apre a Shadow Pines (questo il nome della cittadina) un nuovo negozio di articoli vari che manda un invito ai nostri quattro protagonisti: per il giorno del loro sedicesimo compleanno, il 1° aprile alle ore 23, saranno i benvenuti al negozio dove li aspetterà un regalo speciale: la Scatola delle Ombre.
Ad aspettarli c'è la commessa Ava-Kaya che li porterà nel retrobottega, darà loro il regalo e racconterà il mistero che avvolge la Scatola e Shadow Pines.
Ma il regalo porta con se un'enorme responsabilità ed esiste una sola regola: se anche solo uno di loro userà la Scatola, gli altri tre saranno obbligati ad usarla a loro volta oppure.... qualcosa di brutto capiterà alle loro famiglie!
La cittadina di Shadow Pines è, di per sé, un luogo molto misterioso... una cittadina circondata da un folto bosco di pini dalla quale nessuno se n'è mai andato di propria spontanea volontà. Se qualcuno se ne va è perché improvvisamente sparisce. Oggi c'è, domani non c'è più, senza lasciare traccia.
Molte persone hanno "abbandonato" in questo modo la cittadina e gli abitanti non si danno pace continuando a cercare i propri cari nel bosco... con vani risultati.
La presenza di un rapitore a piede libero in mezzo al bosco, poi, non aiuta.
I ragazzi si troveranno coinvolti in queste sparizioni; una situazione più grande di loro ma dalla quale non possono fuggire: uno di loro ha usato la Scatola e ora, gli altri, devono correre contro il tempo per proteggere le proprie famiglie.
Ma come?
Molte domande rimarranno senza risposte: chi è Ava-Kaya? Cos'è quella scatola e da dove viene? Perché è stato dato a loro? Cosa succede a Shadow Pines? Dove va la gente che sparisce?
Questo primo volume me lo sono letteralmente mangiato.
L'inglese è molto semplice, lo consiglio a tutti.
L'ambientazione la potrei quasi definire dark anche se non è propriamente vero xD
Non è il tipico libro YA con fiori, unicorni e arcobaleni, no. Qua si parla di drammi famigliari, persone care che spariscono inspiegabilmente nel nulla dall'oggi al domani, vivere con la paura di essere il prossimo a scomparire... c'è un senso costante di tensione che cresce man mano che si arriva alla fine e poi... giri pagina e finisce il libro xD
Sono molto molto ansiosa di leggere il seguito!!!
This was such an amazing read! Really can't wait for the second one.
I liked everything: the way it was written, the story, the characters, the dark and mysterious settings.
If you are into mistery sci-fi without aliens nor gory things, this is totally the book for you.
Very entertaining and fast read :)
-----------------------
Recensione anche sul mio blog: http://barbaggianate.blogspot.it/2015...
-----------------------
Comincio col dire che questo libro è tutto un mistero, a partire dall'autore (autrice?) del quale non si trova nessuna bio se non quelle due righe che ho scritto (e che sono state prese da amazon.com).
La copertina secondo me è molto bella e, col senno di poi, posso dire che è proprio adatta alla storia :)
La storia segue le vicende di quattro ragazzi che frequentano la stessa scuola, Harley, Teagan, Gianna e Brock ma la trama si sviluppa solamente seguendo i punti di vista di Harley e Teagan, due ragazze della stessa età ma con due caratteri diametralmente opposti.
Harley è la tipica scapestrata che va male a scuola, con l'odio per la vita, una matrigna con la quale non può proprio andare d'accordo e un fidanzato che si palesa solamente nel momento in cui ha bisogno di soldi.
Teagan, invece, è molto timida e introversa, amata dalla famiglia e brava a scuola. La classica brava ragazza, insomma.
Gianna, invece, è una ragazza dalle origini italiane, la classica ragazza popolare e spocchiosa che fa la cheerleader ed è sempre molto impegnata socialmente.
Mentre Brock è il classico "figlio di papà", di buona famiglia, molto bravo a scuola, non si scompone mai ed è sempre super gentile con tutti.
In un giorno apparentemente normale, apre a Shadow Pines (questo il nome della cittadina) un nuovo negozio di articoli vari che manda un invito ai nostri quattro protagonisti: per il giorno del loro sedicesimo compleanno, il 1° aprile alle ore 23, saranno i benvenuti al negozio dove li aspetterà un regalo speciale: la Scatola delle Ombre.
Ad aspettarli c'è la commessa Ava-Kaya che li porterà nel retrobottega, darà loro il regalo e racconterà il mistero che avvolge la Scatola e Shadow Pines.
Ma il regalo porta con se un'enorme responsabilità ed esiste una sola regola: se anche solo uno di loro userà la Scatola, gli altri tre saranno obbligati ad usarla a loro volta oppure.... qualcosa di brutto capiterà alle loro famiglie!
La cittadina di Shadow Pines è, di per sé, un luogo molto misterioso... una cittadina circondata da un folto bosco di pini dalla quale nessuno se n'è mai andato di propria spontanea volontà. Se qualcuno se ne va è perché improvvisamente sparisce. Oggi c'è, domani non c'è più, senza lasciare traccia.
Molte persone hanno "abbandonato" in questo modo la cittadina e gli abitanti non si danno pace continuando a cercare i propri cari nel bosco... con vani risultati.
La presenza di un rapitore a piede libero in mezzo al bosco, poi, non aiuta.
I ragazzi si troveranno coinvolti in queste sparizioni; una situazione più grande di loro ma dalla quale non possono fuggire: uno di loro ha usato la Scatola e ora, gli altri, devono correre contro il tempo per proteggere le proprie famiglie.
Ma come?
Molte domande rimarranno senza risposte: chi è Ava-Kaya? Cos'è quella scatola e da dove viene? Perché è stato dato a loro? Cosa succede a Shadow Pines? Dove va la gente che sparisce?
Questo primo volume me lo sono letteralmente mangiato.
L'inglese è molto semplice, lo consiglio a tutti.
L'ambientazione la potrei quasi definire dark anche se non è propriamente vero xD
Non è il tipico libro YA con fiori, unicorni e arcobaleni, no. Qua si parla di drammi famigliari, persone care che spariscono inspiegabilmente nel nulla dall'oggi al domani, vivere con la paura di essere il prossimo a scomparire... c'è un senso costante di tensione che cresce man mano che si arriva alla fine e poi... giri pagina e finisce il libro xD
Sono molto molto ansiosa di leggere il seguito!!!
November 18, 2015
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
My review can also be found on our blog Paein and Ms4Tune
‘Some people say the cult came back from the grave to exact their revenge on the town, but others believe that they were so evil, even Hell didn’t want them.’ Loc 1590
Four teenagers are given gifts that will change their lives forever. It is up to them whether that change is a good or a bad thing.
Shadow, Shadow is a gripping fantasy thriller that occurs in a small town called Shadow Pines. For years people have been disappearing with out a trace. No one knows why or who is doing it. But, on their sixteenth birthday, four teenagers find out the truth. They are invited to a toy store to receive a free birthday gift. Each of them receive a small box, with some instructions and a warning. Choose a person to sacrifice to the darkness, and that person will disappear forever, but if you don’t choose… then someone you love will be taken instead.
‘Someone you love or someone you hate. Who do you want the shadows to take?’ Loc 1525
The story is told from two of the teens points of view, Harley and Teaghan. These two girls are very different, Harley is loud and strong willed where as Teaghan is quiet with a stutter and is considered a loser because she has no friends. Both girls have lost their mothers but their losses have effected them in completely different ways. They have also both had quite a lot of other issues to deal with too. I enjoyed getting to know them both and seeing how the ‘gift’ changed them. It was great to see teens interact in a realistic way. They had believable worries and outbursts, and even their disagreements with their parents were well done. I could see a potential romance in the works for the next installment in the series but I was glad it wasn’t forced into this one. It’s given the opportunity to get to know each character on their own without the distraction of puppy love.
The story itself seemed quite straight forward as it followed Harley, Teaghan, Brock and Gianne, as they fight with each other and their consciences to decide who to sacrifice to the shadows. But i got the impression (especially towards the end) that there is definitely a bigger conspiracy/issue just waiting to be discovered. It makes me rather excited to continue with this series. I only issue I had was with how easily the four accepted everything Ava-Kaya said and how they didn’t seem to push for answers. Ava-Kaya would just say ‘I can’t tell you that’ and they would all say.. ‘oh ok then’. I would probably want to know more…
Overall this was short and well-paced. Definitely an interesting start to a series and I would like to see where it goes next.
NOTE: The rest of this trilogy are now available so if you are interested here are the links for Book 2 Moonlight and Book 3 Ember.
My review can also be found on our blog Paein and Ms4Tune
‘Some people say the cult came back from the grave to exact their revenge on the town, but others believe that they were so evil, even Hell didn’t want them.’ Loc 1590
Four teenagers are given gifts that will change their lives forever. It is up to them whether that change is a good or a bad thing.
Shadow, Shadow is a gripping fantasy thriller that occurs in a small town called Shadow Pines. For years people have been disappearing with out a trace. No one knows why or who is doing it. But, on their sixteenth birthday, four teenagers find out the truth. They are invited to a toy store to receive a free birthday gift. Each of them receive a small box, with some instructions and a warning. Choose a person to sacrifice to the darkness, and that person will disappear forever, but if you don’t choose… then someone you love will be taken instead.
‘Someone you love or someone you hate. Who do you want the shadows to take?’ Loc 1525
The story is told from two of the teens points of view, Harley and Teaghan. These two girls are very different, Harley is loud and strong willed where as Teaghan is quiet with a stutter and is considered a loser because she has no friends. Both girls have lost their mothers but their losses have effected them in completely different ways. They have also both had quite a lot of other issues to deal with too. I enjoyed getting to know them both and seeing how the ‘gift’ changed them. It was great to see teens interact in a realistic way. They had believable worries and outbursts, and even their disagreements with their parents were well done. I could see a potential romance in the works for the next installment in the series but I was glad it wasn’t forced into this one. It’s given the opportunity to get to know each character on their own without the distraction of puppy love.
The story itself seemed quite straight forward as it followed Harley, Teaghan, Brock and Gianne, as they fight with each other and their consciences to decide who to sacrifice to the shadows. But i got the impression (especially towards the end) that there is definitely a bigger conspiracy/issue just waiting to be discovered. It makes me rather excited to continue with this series. I only issue I had was with how easily the four accepted everything Ava-Kaya said and how they didn’t seem to push for answers. Ava-Kaya would just say ‘I can’t tell you that’ and they would all say.. ‘oh ok then’. I would probably want to know more…
Overall this was short and well-paced. Definitely an interesting start to a series and I would like to see where it goes next.
NOTE: The rest of this trilogy are now available so if you are interested here are the links for Book 2 Moonlight and Book 3 Ember.
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