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Shadow Web by N. M. Browne (4-Feb-2008) Paperback
Jessica Allendon is bored and Googles her name. Weirdly, she finds another girl, same age, same name, also living in London. They arrange to meet. At the designated time and place, Jess sees the girl, shock registering on both their faces as they realise they look identical. They shake hands and in that instant are catapulted into each other's worlds. Jessica finds herself somewhere which looks like the London of 50 years ago, but the year is still 2008. In this parallel London, the history is different, key war memorials are missing, and the Jessica whose life she now inhabits was involved in a dark and sinister conspiracy. Jess must convince everyone she is the same girl, at all costs, if she wants to get back to her London - alive.
Paperback
First published February 4, 2008
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About the author
N.M. Browne
12 books67 followersI was born in Burnley, Lancs (England) and lived not too far from Pendle Hill - the haunt of witches and all manner of strangeness. This may have had an effect on my imagination.
My father was a painter and teacher and my mother was a teacher too. Both were Welsh and this has probably had an impact on my imagination too. The whole family headed for Wales every holiday so that even now Wales is inextricably linked with long car journeys, holidays, family and general happiness.
I still support Wales rather than England in most things, particularly rugby, much to my husband's annoyance. I have one sister (a very good painter), one husband, four children, one (mad) dog, a bearded dragon and eight nieces and nephews. I live in South West London.
I believe passionately that education is a good thing and just wish that mine made more impact on my thinking. I went to Edge End High School then Nelson and Colne Sixth Form College, both in Lancashire. After an uneventful 'gap year' – trying and failing to get to grips with accountancy, retail (the Co-op bra department) and pharmaceuticals ( the pharmacy at Burnley General Hospital,) I went to New College, Oxford to read Philosophy and Theology and then to King's College, Cambridge to learn how to be a teacher. I taught - briefly - before going back to college – this time to Manchester Business School to get an MBA. After that I worked for an oil company as a kind of all-purpose executive person, but left before I learnt anything that might have been useful either to the company or to me.
When I was seven I knew exactly what I wanted to be but I forgot all about it until some time after I had my second baby when I suddenly remembered that I had always wanted to be a writer. I was lucky enough to be on a corporate career break at the time and my broken career never got mended. Writing is the best job I've ever had.
--N. M. Browne was born in the North of England to Welsh parents. This background inspired a fascination with all things Celtic and an interest in how earlier societies survived the bleakness of a northern winter. Ms. Browne lives in London, England and is the author of Hunted (Bloomsbury 2002).
My father was a painter and teacher and my mother was a teacher too. Both were Welsh and this has probably had an impact on my imagination too. The whole family headed for Wales every holiday so that even now Wales is inextricably linked with long car journeys, holidays, family and general happiness.
I still support Wales rather than England in most things, particularly rugby, much to my husband's annoyance. I have one sister (a very good painter), one husband, four children, one (mad) dog, a bearded dragon and eight nieces and nephews. I live in South West London.
I believe passionately that education is a good thing and just wish that mine made more impact on my thinking. I went to Edge End High School then Nelson and Colne Sixth Form College, both in Lancashire. After an uneventful 'gap year' – trying and failing to get to grips with accountancy, retail (the Co-op bra department) and pharmaceuticals ( the pharmacy at Burnley General Hospital,) I went to New College, Oxford to read Philosophy and Theology and then to King's College, Cambridge to learn how to be a teacher. I taught - briefly - before going back to college – this time to Manchester Business School to get an MBA. After that I worked for an oil company as a kind of all-purpose executive person, but left before I learnt anything that might have been useful either to the company or to me.
When I was seven I knew exactly what I wanted to be but I forgot all about it until some time after I had my second baby when I suddenly remembered that I had always wanted to be a writer. I was lucky enough to be on a corporate career break at the time and my broken career never got mended. Writing is the best job I've ever had.
--N. M. Browne was born in the North of England to Welsh parents. This background inspired a fascination with all things Celtic and an interest in how earlier societies survived the bleakness of a northern winter. Ms. Browne lives in London, England and is the author of Hunted (Bloomsbury 2002).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
July 20, 2014
I was intrigued when "Shadow Web" was recommended to me, curious to read another book by N. M. Browne as I remembered really loving "The Warriors of Alavna" when I was younger. I've come away a little bit disappointed.
The premise is superb and the world of "other London" colourfully and richly painted. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was engaging but there is something wanting.
The story is told from the 1st person perspective of Jess which, although adequate, left me curious for Jessica's perspective on the other side of the exchange. Just a chapter or two so that we don't finish the book as complete strangers to her. Also, Jess's 1st person voice can get a little annoying in its already dated teen-speak.
"the atmosphere was well nasty"
A little cringey, but not quite as immediately dating as the references to MSN.
I also found the ending quite anticlimactic, I admire the intentional move away from happily ever after but no book should end with the line ""
3.5 stars Interesting alternative history, but the narrative voice is not great.
The premise is superb and the world of "other London" colourfully and richly painted. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was engaging but there is something wanting.
The story is told from the 1st person perspective of Jess which, although adequate, left me curious for Jessica's perspective on the other side of the exchange. Just a chapter or two so that we don't finish the book as complete strangers to her. Also, Jess's 1st person voice can get a little annoying in its already dated teen-speak.
"the atmosphere was well nasty"
A little cringey, but not quite as immediately dating as the references to MSN.
I also found the ending quite anticlimactic, I admire the intentional move away from happily ever after but no book should end with the line ""
3.5 stars Interesting alternative history, but the narrative voice is not great.
September 17, 2022
2.5 Stars
A bit too dystopian for me, and lacking the interesting world-building, or characters that would have otherwise made me enjoy it.
I liked the idea of the premise, but I think the way it was executed was not to my taste. Apart from a few info-dumps from characters in the parallel world, most of what we know about it follows the lines of women have very few, if any rights, and will experience harassment almost constantly; a Victorian-style poverty with workhouses; bombs going off etc. Jessica constantly is going from one bad situation from another that after a while start to blend together. There's no positive moments to balance all this. I also would have liked to have seen the mix of cultures explored beyond the mention the odd mention of someone speaking a different language. This would have made the book a lot more interesting.
A bit too dystopian for me, and lacking the interesting world-building, or characters that would have otherwise made me enjoy it.
I liked the idea of the premise, but I think the way it was executed was not to my taste. Apart from a few info-dumps from characters in the parallel world, most of what we know about it follows the lines of women have very few, if any rights, and will experience harassment almost constantly; a Victorian-style poverty with workhouses; bombs going off etc. Jessica constantly is going from one bad situation from another that after a while start to blend together. There's no positive moments to balance all this. I also would have liked to have seen the mix of cultures explored beyond the mention the odd mention of someone speaking a different language. This would have made the book a lot more interesting.
November 9, 2018
I'm not quite sure yet how to feel about this book. It just seemed a bit too rushed and too short to me.
From page 1, you are thrown into the action and the explanations came much later. And then the explanations weren't enough for me.
You don't get a glimpse of what it's like for Jessica in the other world.
I don't know, I think that this could have been better. Some more world building, some more insight into the other side. I was left underwhelmed :(
From page 1, you are thrown into the action and the explanations came much later. And then the explanations weren't enough for me.
You don't get a glimpse of what it's like for Jessica in the other world.
I don't know, I think that this could have been better. Some more world building, some more insight into the other side. I was left underwhelmed :(
April 10, 2020
When 16-year-old Jessica Allendon and her multiverse doppelganger make physical contact, she is transported from the millennial London she is familiar with into a parallel blend of a contemporary, futuristic and historic London. As well as finding a way to survive in a violent, sexist world lacking basic values such as women's rights and healthcare, Jessica must try to find a way back home whilst playing the part of her doppelganger without arousing suspicion.
I know Shadow Web is aimed at young adults (12-18ish), but I definitely have some issues with this book. First, the writing reminds me of a (lewd) colleague who tries so hard to be funny and down with the cool kids that he doesn't realise he is actually making the people around him slightly uncomfortable and exceedingly exasperated. Second, if you cut all the unnecessary repetitive description, the book would be halved and more readable; I felt like I couldn't settle completely into the story throughout, because the trendy writing snapped me out of the scene. Where it isn't trying to be hip, the writing is unimaginative and platitudinal and I got tired of Jessica's whiny pseudo-optimistic attitude. Third, I found it unimaginative in places (I mean, Googol as a parallel Google?) and fourth, half the book is filled with Jessica getting sexually harassed. We get it, she's pretty and men in parallelverse can't keep their hands off "pretty poppets", but as it's not the topic of the book, Browne seems somewhat typehappy on the subject. Either that, or it is used as a filler when she doesn't really know how to make her characters interact. That page space could have been used for more historic explanation and world lore, for instance, as that felt rushed and not very well thought out.
Its only redeeming quality is that it's not entirely predictable, but as recommendendations go, not the best message to young adults.
I know Shadow Web is aimed at young adults (12-18ish), but I definitely have some issues with this book. First, the writing reminds me of a (lewd) colleague who tries so hard to be funny and down with the cool kids that he doesn't realise he is actually making the people around him slightly uncomfortable and exceedingly exasperated. Second, if you cut all the unnecessary repetitive description, the book would be halved and more readable; I felt like I couldn't settle completely into the story throughout, because the trendy writing snapped me out of the scene. Where it isn't trying to be hip, the writing is unimaginative and platitudinal and I got tired of Jessica's whiny pseudo-optimistic attitude. Third, I found it unimaginative in places (I mean, Googol as a parallel Google?) and fourth, half the book is filled with Jessica getting sexually harassed. We get it, she's pretty and men in parallelverse can't keep their hands off "pretty poppets", but as it's not the topic of the book, Browne seems somewhat typehappy on the subject. Either that, or it is used as a filler when she doesn't really know how to make her characters interact. That page space could have been used for more historic explanation and world lore, for instance, as that felt rushed and not very well thought out.
Its only redeeming quality is that it's not entirely predictable, but as recommendendations go, not the best message to young adults.
September 7, 2017
I couldn't get very far into this book. The concept is actually quite interesting. Jessica googles her name and finds that there is another Jessica, very similar to her. They make plans to meet up, and...
...and she is SWEPT into the other Jessica's reality! A parallel world, thich looks as if she's gone back in time since everyone is horse-drawn carriages and they're using shillings for currency, the people wear hats and scarves or whatever it is.
Interestingly however, the year is still 2008 in this reality. There are black and white TVs. And someone has a computer, which I didn't quite understand. It's basically an alternate reality and she has to survive to find out her bearings.
That's about as far as I got. Unfortunately for her, everyone thinks she is the real Jessica and so all the men act like she's a prostitute (since she's dressed in modern clothes rather than covering up 500%), everyone belittles her, there's on equal opportunities here, everything is awful and...
Yeah, I'm not really enjoying reading a book where everything about her new world is constantly unpleasant. The world was interesting, I guess? But I just wanted her to get back to her own world as soon as possible. I take it that isn't going to happen.
There is a mystery here but I didn't really care about it, I just wanted her to get out of this horrible place where they work her half to death, barely feed her, and treat her like dirt. It just doesn't make for enjoyable reading. I don't recall liking a single one of the other characters.
In a word, DNF. It doesn't seem to be a bad book but it didn't sit well with me.
...and she is SWEPT into the other Jessica's reality! A parallel world, thich looks as if she's gone back in time since everyone is horse-drawn carriages and they're using shillings for currency, the people wear hats and scarves or whatever it is.
Interestingly however, the year is still 2008 in this reality. There are black and white TVs. And someone has a computer, which I didn't quite understand. It's basically an alternate reality and she has to survive to find out her bearings.
That's about as far as I got. Unfortunately for her, everyone thinks she is the real Jessica and so all the men act like she's a prostitute (since she's dressed in modern clothes rather than covering up 500%), everyone belittles her, there's on equal opportunities here, everything is awful and...
Yeah, I'm not really enjoying reading a book where everything about her new world is constantly unpleasant. The world was interesting, I guess? But I just wanted her to get back to her own world as soon as possible. I take it that isn't going to happen.
There is a mystery here but I didn't really care about it, I just wanted her to get out of this horrible place where they work her half to death, barely feed her, and treat her like dirt. It just doesn't make for enjoyable reading. I don't recall liking a single one of the other characters.
In a word, DNF. It doesn't seem to be a bad book but it didn't sit well with me.
June 21, 2016
You should never google your own name. When Jess does, she contacts another Jessica Allendon. Mistake number one. Her second mistake is going to meet her namesake. A handshake and Jess' world falls apart. She finds herself in 2008. It's London, but not the same one. All the rules have changed. The two world wars never happened; emancipation never happened. England is under the iron fist of its government and rebellion is seething beneath the surface.
Jess' skimpy T-shirt and jeans are the first thing to get her into a lot of trouble in this very prim and proper society as, left without options, she takes up the reins of the other Jessica's life, as a live-in personal secretary to a politician's wife, trying to survive, trying to get back home. Some people in her old life have doubles in her new one. Jonathan Roberts - the husband's secretary, looks just like her best friend Jonno, but can she trust him? People are picking sides and she doesn't know which side she's supposed to be on and whether Jonathan is on the same side or not.
It's a fast-paced energetic story for readers of approximately 12 upwards that draws you in from page one and doesn't let you go. Jess' bewilderment and panic gradually give way to dogged determination. Suspicion gradually turns to love. People are not what and who they seem to be and plot twists come thick and fast to lead to a breathless climax. Highly recommended.
Jess' skimpy T-shirt and jeans are the first thing to get her into a lot of trouble in this very prim and proper society as, left without options, she takes up the reins of the other Jessica's life, as a live-in personal secretary to a politician's wife, trying to survive, trying to get back home. Some people in her old life have doubles in her new one. Jonathan Roberts - the husband's secretary, looks just like her best friend Jonno, but can she trust him? People are picking sides and she doesn't know which side she's supposed to be on and whether Jonathan is on the same side or not.
It's a fast-paced energetic story for readers of approximately 12 upwards that draws you in from page one and doesn't let you go. Jess' bewilderment and panic gradually give way to dogged determination. Suspicion gradually turns to love. People are not what and who they seem to be and plot twists come thick and fast to lead to a breathless climax. Highly recommended.
November 21, 2019
I first heard of this book about 5 years ago and thought the premise sounded awesome, and was really bummed to find the book was very difficult to find.
Now that I have finally found a copy through a second hand shop, I was very glad to know the book did not disappoint.
The main premise of the story is that 16 year-old girl named Jessica Allendon googles herself when she is bored one day, finds an exact "clone" of herself online and meets up with the other Jessica only to get transported to a different world, which is nothing like her own and hse has to find a way home.
There were a few things in this book I thought could have been better;
1) The ending of the book felt slightly rushed and there could have been some closure or wrap up as now it felt somewhat abruptly
2) The story is told through the perspective of a 16 year old, and the writing style definitely show that it is aimed at a somewhat younger audience (let's say young adult) and at moment Jessica's way of telling the story felt a bit annoying. Thankfully only slightly and no where near enough to make me not love this story.
But to compare to those 2 slight negatives there are so many more positives to the story.
It is and exciting roller coaster ride of a story, with a lot going on. There's a good amount of small twists, and the stakes rise steadily as you go through the story.
The world Jessica is thrown into is very different from our own, and although it is never fully explained how it became different or even every detail of the differences, it feels consistent, rather well thought out and interesting. The information about the world does not get dumped on us at once, but is gradually explained to the reader as Jessica learns more about it, which has the downside of being slightly confusing at the start, but also adds a layer of mystery.
In general this book has a lot of "nothing is what it seems", and though there is not one clear plot twist, there are many fun surprising moments in the story.
One last thing I want to point out which I really liked about this story is Jessica's reaction to getting dropped into a strange world. Quite often in books the main character really quickly picks up on the changes, goes with the flow and it doesn't seem to bother them at all that their whole world seems to have changed, which is something I always find unrealistic. In this story we get to see how Jessica is confused, scared, and frustrated falling into the unknown, and trying to get a hold of what's going on, which I found a nicely realistic representation which I really appreciated.
Overall this book is fun, exciting and surprising. If you're not into young adult, it might not be for you, but if you do I will definitely recommend giving this story a go so you can follow Jessica on her adventures.
Now that I have finally found a copy through a second hand shop, I was very glad to know the book did not disappoint.
The main premise of the story is that 16 year-old girl named Jessica Allendon googles herself when she is bored one day, finds an exact "clone" of herself online and meets up with the other Jessica only to get transported to a different world, which is nothing like her own and hse has to find a way home.
There were a few things in this book I thought could have been better;
1) The ending of the book felt slightly rushed and there could have been some closure or wrap up as now it felt somewhat abruptly
2) The story is told through the perspective of a 16 year old, and the writing style definitely show that it is aimed at a somewhat younger audience (let's say young adult) and at moment Jessica's way of telling the story felt a bit annoying. Thankfully only slightly and no where near enough to make me not love this story.
But to compare to those 2 slight negatives there are so many more positives to the story.
It is and exciting roller coaster ride of a story, with a lot going on. There's a good amount of small twists, and the stakes rise steadily as you go through the story.
The world Jessica is thrown into is very different from our own, and although it is never fully explained how it became different or even every detail of the differences, it feels consistent, rather well thought out and interesting. The information about the world does not get dumped on us at once, but is gradually explained to the reader as Jessica learns more about it, which has the downside of being slightly confusing at the start, but also adds a layer of mystery.
In general this book has a lot of "nothing is what it seems", and though there is not one clear plot twist, there are many fun surprising moments in the story.
One last thing I want to point out which I really liked about this story is Jessica's reaction to getting dropped into a strange world. Quite often in books the main character really quickly picks up on the changes, goes with the flow and it doesn't seem to bother them at all that their whole world seems to have changed, which is something I always find unrealistic. In this story we get to see how Jessica is confused, scared, and frustrated falling into the unknown, and trying to get a hold of what's going on, which I found a nicely realistic representation which I really appreciated.
Overall this book is fun, exciting and surprising. If you're not into young adult, it might not be for you, but if you do I will definitely recommend giving this story a go so you can follow Jessica on her adventures.
June 29, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
the idea was interesting but the whole story didn’t measure up to it. it could’ve turned out great. most of the book was pretty slow and then suddenly too much is happening in the last 35% of it. the ending felt abrupt too.
the idea was interesting but the whole story didn’t measure up to it. it could’ve turned out great. most of the book was pretty slow and then suddenly too much is happening in the last 35% of it. the ending felt abrupt too.
July 1, 2025
3.5 - 3.75 stars.
Just as twisty and traumatic as the first time I read it, though I understood some things better now that I'm older. Fast-paced and packed with mystery and adrenaline, it was definitely not a tedious or slow thing to read, even my second time round; I still felt that same anxiety and confusion our main character did. Now in 2025, though, some things in the writing have not aged the best.
Maybe it's just a me thing, but at time I wish some of the context of the alternate London were described in more detail, particularly the clothes/fashion style and architecture. Not that they weren't described or that I had no idea of how they looked, I just think more detail in some places could have really heightened the immersion in the other world, and also just made it feel more tangible and imagine-able. I also wish some of the world-building and history of the other world, beyond just the other London, were explained/fleshed out in more depth, beyond oblique mentions or in contexts specific to London. Like, I wanted to know more about the history of foreign brands mentioned and how society (politics, fashion, etc.) worked in other places in the world too, beyond just names or inferences based on them. Especially since this is a universe in which neither of the World Wars have happened; that world bistory especially behind brands and stuff would be very interesting to get into in more depth. But I understand this is also meant to focus on our main character's journey and experiences (many of hardship) in the other world, her personal perspective and emotions, rather than just be a description of a possible different place. In this, the book did well - I wouldn't say the MC waz exactly relatable all the time, but I did like that she's flawed, that she doesn't know what she's doing most of the time (understandable in a completely different universe) but admits it and tries her best, yet is also aware that some of her choices may not have the the best (most helpful) outcome, while also very much having a "teen in the 2000s" point of view. Even though she wasn't "just like me", she was easy to empathise with. And in this way, I think the book does sorr of bring focus to certain social and political issues such as universal suffrage and human rights to young audiences, while also maintaining the emotions and high stakes. The fast pace and presence of Jessica's perspective also gives the writing itself that youthful, imperfect (in a good way) feel too so it felt like a real person's (particularly a 2000s British teen's) experiences. Idk if that makes sense, but I felt that.
Overall an interesting read, if not always pleasant (in terms of what our main character had to go though). However, I think this book, along with the tv series 'Fringe' was formative in my tween/teen fascination with the concept of multiverses, and the existence of alternate versions of everyone and everything and every history in each of them, so it was an oddly nostalgic experience to read it again.
Just as twisty and traumatic as the first time I read it, though I understood some things better now that I'm older. Fast-paced and packed with mystery and adrenaline, it was definitely not a tedious or slow thing to read, even my second time round; I still felt that same anxiety and confusion our main character did. Now in 2025, though, some things in the writing have not aged the best.
Maybe it's just a me thing, but at time I wish some of the context of the alternate London were described in more detail, particularly the clothes/fashion style and architecture. Not that they weren't described or that I had no idea of how they looked, I just think more detail in some places could have really heightened the immersion in the other world, and also just made it feel more tangible and imagine-able. I also wish some of the world-building and history of the other world, beyond just the other London, were explained/fleshed out in more depth, beyond oblique mentions or in contexts specific to London. Like, I wanted to know more about the history of foreign brands mentioned and how society (politics, fashion, etc.) worked in other places in the world too, beyond just names or inferences based on them. Especially since this is a universe in which neither of the World Wars have happened; that world bistory especially behind brands and stuff would be very interesting to get into in more depth. But I understand this is also meant to focus on our main character's journey and experiences (many of hardship) in the other world, her personal perspective and emotions, rather than just be a description of a possible different place. In this, the book did well - I wouldn't say the MC waz exactly relatable all the time, but I did like that she's flawed, that she doesn't know what she's doing most of the time (understandable in a completely different universe) but admits it and tries her best, yet is also aware that some of her choices may not have the the best (most helpful) outcome, while also very much having a "teen in the 2000s" point of view. Even though she wasn't "just like me", she was easy to empathise with. And in this way, I think the book does sorr of bring focus to certain social and political issues such as universal suffrage and human rights to young audiences, while also maintaining the emotions and high stakes. The fast pace and presence of Jessica's perspective also gives the writing itself that youthful, imperfect (in a good way) feel too so it felt like a real person's (particularly a 2000s British teen's) experiences. Idk if that makes sense, but I felt that.
Overall an interesting read, if not always pleasant (in terms of what our main character had to go though). However, I think this book, along with the tv series 'Fringe' was formative in my tween/teen fascination with the concept of multiverses, and the existence of alternate versions of everyone and everything and every history in each of them, so it was an oddly nostalgic experience to read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2019
Spoiler alert!!!! I think that the fact that the wold wars never happened doesn't explain why there are so many german influences in alternative London. I think the only way it would be like that is when the Germans woukd have won one or both wars. But if you put that aside it was a really nice book to read. It keeps you on your toes from start to finish. Is there a second book that tells what happened with the other Jessica?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2018
Even though this book is pretty short the plot moved very slowly. The concept was interesting but I think was executed poorly. Jessica gets dropped into this world that she doesn’t know or understand, but because it’s all from her point of view, we also don’t understand and the story drags on in Jessica’s confusion and tears. Resultantly, the alternate world that Browne creates feels underdeveloped, or at least unexplored. I wish more about the alternate world was explained and that we were given context as to how this culture and geopolitical situation developed and how that diverges from our own history. And more explanation than just “the two World Wars didn’t happen and instead lots of other mysterious wars went on in the 20th century so now the culture is unexplainably backwards”.
I was excited about this book because I thought the concept of an “alternate London” could be really fascinating. I had some theories in the beginning as to what happened in Alternate World that caused such a different cultural landscape. Instead, we were always on the periphery of the inner workings of this society because real-world Jessica doesn’t know jack about where she is and just stumbles around in fear a lot. Given the situation, it makes sense. But it didn’t have to be written like this, so there could have been so much more world-building and exploration into the systems of surveillance and power and government that seem to play an important role in A.W. Maybe if more time was spent developing this world and its politics, a larger point to the novel would be more obvious. As it is, I don’t really know why I read this book. I can tell there’s some political message in here about how “power shoudn’t be concentrated to the few” and “women are strong individuals with autonomy”, but that’s never really made clear because we just learn bits and pieces about the society through Jessica’s naive perspective.
The situation of women in A.W. is reminiscent of “The Handmaid’s Tale” (note: I’ve never read that book I’ve only read the plot synopsis of the TV series). I think this is relevant because the message we get in Atwood’s novel is likely close to what Browne wanted to achieve in “Shadow Web”. But like I said, this doesn’t come through because the world building is so flat (poor narration choice - Jessica needs her perspective heard, but add someone else in there too to give us readers background into what the heck is going on! And why!)
We get some explanation about “parallel worlds” and how the portal between the two worlds happened at the tail end of the story. “The fate of the universe is at stake because Jessica from our world can’t infect A.W.”: these are the stakes, but I didn’t feel any tension. I think because it all happened so quickly; suddenly everything and all the explanations about “parallel worlds” is happening at once. And then it’s over. By the end I was feeling a very big “So What?” about everything.
Johnny and Jessica falling in love was A. predictable and B. unnecessary. The “love” is very circumstantial and her feelings are probably heightened because he was there to help her when she was in distress. But that’s not “love” in the romantic sense. However it is written into the story and portrayed as romantic love. One of the tropes in media I hate the most is shoving a romantic pairing in there “just because”. That’s what this book did and it’s incredibly annoying.
The writing was awkward in places, and I don’t think it’s just because this is written in British English. I also found 2 spelling misprints which doesn’t increase my respect for this novel in any way.
My overall feelings about this book are disappointment and annoyance. It could have been an intriguing novel. Instead the world building and characters are flat, the plot is slow just for it to pick up at the end, but by that point everything happens so fast it doesn’t mean anything. No “grand point” about our society or culture is ever fully realized - Alternate World is just Bad for Women and Is Different (geopolitics be damned!). Why is there so much German influence? Why is there so much Welsh influence in the resistance? How many languages is everyone expected to know? Why? How did that come into existence in this society? There’s so many unanswered questions that list doesn’t even cover half of them. 1 star is what this book deserves (and zero stars for inventing a cool premise and then mucking it up so badly >:/ )
I was excited about this book because I thought the concept of an “alternate London” could be really fascinating. I had some theories in the beginning as to what happened in Alternate World that caused such a different cultural landscape. Instead, we were always on the periphery of the inner workings of this society because real-world Jessica doesn’t know jack about where she is and just stumbles around in fear a lot. Given the situation, it makes sense. But it didn’t have to be written like this, so there could have been so much more world-building and exploration into the systems of surveillance and power and government that seem to play an important role in A.W. Maybe if more time was spent developing this world and its politics, a larger point to the novel would be more obvious. As it is, I don’t really know why I read this book. I can tell there’s some political message in here about how “power shoudn’t be concentrated to the few” and “women are strong individuals with autonomy”, but that’s never really made clear because we just learn bits and pieces about the society through Jessica’s naive perspective.
The situation of women in A.W. is reminiscent of “The Handmaid’s Tale” (note: I’ve never read that book I’ve only read the plot synopsis of the TV series). I think this is relevant because the message we get in Atwood’s novel is likely close to what Browne wanted to achieve in “Shadow Web”. But like I said, this doesn’t come through because the world building is so flat (poor narration choice - Jessica needs her perspective heard, but add someone else in there too to give us readers background into what the heck is going on! And why!)
We get some explanation about “parallel worlds” and how the portal between the two worlds happened at the tail end of the story. “The fate of the universe is at stake because Jessica from our world can’t infect A.W.”: these are the stakes, but I didn’t feel any tension. I think because it all happened so quickly; suddenly everything and all the explanations about “parallel worlds” is happening at once. And then it’s over. By the end I was feeling a very big “So What?” about everything.
Johnny and Jessica falling in love was A. predictable and B. unnecessary. The “love” is very circumstantial and her feelings are probably heightened because he was there to help her when she was in distress. But that’s not “love” in the romantic sense. However it is written into the story and portrayed as romantic love. One of the tropes in media I hate the most is shoving a romantic pairing in there “just because”. That’s what this book did and it’s incredibly annoying.
The writing was awkward in places, and I don’t think it’s just because this is written in British English. I also found 2 spelling misprints which doesn’t increase my respect for this novel in any way.
My overall feelings about this book are disappointment and annoyance. It could have been an intriguing novel. Instead the world building and characters are flat, the plot is slow just for it to pick up at the end, but by that point everything happens so fast it doesn’t mean anything. No “grand point” about our society or culture is ever fully realized - Alternate World is just Bad for Women and Is Different (geopolitics be damned!). Why is there so much German influence? Why is there so much Welsh influence in the resistance? How many languages is everyone expected to know? Why? How did that come into existence in this society? There’s so many unanswered questions that list doesn’t even cover half of them. 1 star is what this book deserves (and zero stars for inventing a cool premise and then mucking it up so badly >:/ )
February 22, 2024
I think this book was pretty good, but it wasn't amazing or anything. I felt the start was quite rushed and I didn't really understand what was happening until 1/3 of the book, I also thought that the ending was a little predictable and maybe something else could've happened, like the start and end were extremely quick but the middle was very slow and I felt at some points quite repetitive. I appreciated the author trying to write in a sort of modern casual way but I felt she randomly said "well good" and throughout the book she wasn't normally talking like that.
November 21, 2021
One sentence summary:
The story is about Jessica (Jess) Allendon.
Why x stars?
It's a very nice story about a different alternative world. You get to know the world a bit, though there's still much that stays a mystery. It also made me think about our world and the politics.
Why recommendation (or not)?
It's a nice read and it's different than most other stories which I liked. I also love discovering a new world.
The story is about Jessica (Jess) Allendon.
Why x stars?
It's a very nice story about a different alternative world. You get to know the world a bit, though there's still much that stays a mystery. It also made me think about our world and the politics.
Why recommendation (or not)?
It's a nice read and it's different than most other stories which I liked. I also love discovering a new world.
October 4, 2023
I like parallel worlds and alternate history but I don't like dystopia and this story went too far in the wrong direction for me. Also, Jessica gets sexually harassed from almost every man in the alternate world. I understand that women are second class citizens in the alternate world but it was too much.
July 6, 2017
I quite enjoyed this book. The idea of the story is really interesting and unlike anything I've read before.
But I have to admit that I'm not really satisfied with the ending, as it ended very abruptly and I kind of felt like there was a bit missing to make the story feel complete.
And I would have liked to get to know more about what happend in 'our' world during the story.
But alltogether it's a really easy, enjoyable and quick read.
But I have to admit that I'm not really satisfied with the ending, as it ended very abruptly and I kind of felt like there was a bit missing to make the story feel complete.
And I would have liked to get to know more about what happend in 'our' world during the story.
But alltogether it's a really easy, enjoyable and quick read.
March 6, 2019
A clever idea, in many ways nicely done - but I did struggle to get into this book, and the ending - whilst not a bad one - was also not a great one.
January 5, 2020
Not my favorite book. Difficult to understand the plot.
May 19, 2020
Quite terrifying time travel alternate world novel set in London. Wasn't that enjoyable of a read.
March 13, 2021
A new genre for me, but I really enjoyed the adventure with Jess and reminding me how tragic important historical events shape our future.
February 28, 2011
Shadow Web is a twisting tale of an alternate universe. It is part thriller, part historical novel and entirely action-packed.
Jess is your average sixteen year old girl. She lives not too far from Central London in Sheen and has a good relationship with her mum. One evening she is googling herself on the internet when she comes across an intriguing person of the same name. The other Jessica wants to meet her and so Jess ropes her best friend Johnno into going with her to the rendezvous point at Waterloo. When she arrives, there is some great cosmic melding of the two universes and the two Jessicas end out in each other’s world.
Jess finds herself in an alternate London which is in some ways very historical. There are still workhouses. Women are viewed as second class citizens and have no right to vote. They have very few opportunities and are largely uneducated. The power in this alternate society lies with rich white men – one might still argue that this is true in our world of course. The Constabulary seem to be there more to protect the status quo than to protect the citizens.
In other ways the alternate London is rather high-tech. They have a version of the internet. They are exploring the far reaches of scientific understanding. They have explosive devices. Jessica finds herself thrown into a world that is all double-agents, conspiracy theories and alliances rather than friendships.
The plot of Shadow Web is complex. As you read through Jess’s eyes, you can’t help but be confused about where the other characters’ allegiances lie. She doesn’t know who she should confide in and is alone in this alien universe. It is every part the thriller as the events race on leaving Jess wondering just who her doppelganger really was and what side she had chosen to align with.
The novel raises some really interesting questions about the choices we’ve made throughout history. It turns many fundamental events on its head. Britain is still ruling an Empire that it took without asking and the novel explores the morality of this issue. Browne constantly places Jess in unfamiliar surroundings which unnerve and disorientate her. Everything she knows is irrelevant and her life is in danger if the authorities discover the truth of her identity.
Overall, Shadow Web is a pacey, rip-roaring story. Jess is an easy to love character in a mysterious, dangerous world. A great read for fans of spy novels and tense thrillers!
Jess is your average sixteen year old girl. She lives not too far from Central London in Sheen and has a good relationship with her mum. One evening she is googling herself on the internet when she comes across an intriguing person of the same name. The other Jessica wants to meet her and so Jess ropes her best friend Johnno into going with her to the rendezvous point at Waterloo. When she arrives, there is some great cosmic melding of the two universes and the two Jessicas end out in each other’s world.
Jess finds herself in an alternate London which is in some ways very historical. There are still workhouses. Women are viewed as second class citizens and have no right to vote. They have very few opportunities and are largely uneducated. The power in this alternate society lies with rich white men – one might still argue that this is true in our world of course. The Constabulary seem to be there more to protect the status quo than to protect the citizens.
In other ways the alternate London is rather high-tech. They have a version of the internet. They are exploring the far reaches of scientific understanding. They have explosive devices. Jessica finds herself thrown into a world that is all double-agents, conspiracy theories and alliances rather than friendships.
The plot of Shadow Web is complex. As you read through Jess’s eyes, you can’t help but be confused about where the other characters’ allegiances lie. She doesn’t know who she should confide in and is alone in this alien universe. It is every part the thriller as the events race on leaving Jess wondering just who her doppelganger really was and what side she had chosen to align with.
The novel raises some really interesting questions about the choices we’ve made throughout history. It turns many fundamental events on its head. Britain is still ruling an Empire that it took without asking and the novel explores the morality of this issue. Browne constantly places Jess in unfamiliar surroundings which unnerve and disorientate her. Everything she knows is irrelevant and her life is in danger if the authorities discover the truth of her identity.
Overall, Shadow Web is a pacey, rip-roaring story. Jess is an easy to love character in a mysterious, dangerous world. A great read for fans of spy novels and tense thrillers!
September 23, 2010
This was quite a quick read, quite enjoyable. Very steampunk, too (which is why I originally picked it up) - the main character is transported to an alternate history/world, where the World Wars never happened. Everything is very different politically (eg no women's rights, vote still very limited), yet they have the same technology (almost) as we do. It was really well told, and the main character's voice sounded quite realistic to me (in places). I liked that the history of the new world and what was going on was revealed slowly and in pieces, which made it quite exciting and intriguing, and couldn't wait to see how the main character would get home. But I would've liked more about what happened in 'our world' while Jess was in the 'steampunk-esque' world and how her doppleganger got on and whether she wanted to come home, too, but I suppose this is not her story. Still, I did wonder, though!
A fairly straightforward story (with the obligatory romance) but very enjoyable all the same, I read it in a few hours.
A fairly straightforward story (with the obligatory romance) but very enjoyable all the same, I read it in a few hours.
November 2, 2011
the book imidiatly grabed my attention at the begging when she googled her name and it said you "end up with so winner of the 100 metere breast stroke with the same name as you" (or somthing liek that) thats exactly what i gto when i googled my name.
ANYWAY.
the book is about a girl named jessica allendon and she googles her name and finds another jessica allendon from the "same city" as her. she e-mails her and they meet up. They both look identical only dressed differently jessica(double)look like shes from a earlier time. the shake hands and get thrown into eachothers lives. jessica(double)s life is based back in time it seems ,but its acctually 2008. shes been doing some very bad things and jessica(not double) has to try to go along with the weird era and try not to get hurt because of other jessicas mistakes.
i thought it was an amzing book. i read it last year and found myself reading it again this year. i had to force myself not to read it all in onbe night.... DEFFINATLY RECOMENDED..
ANYWAY.
the book is about a girl named jessica allendon and she googles her name and finds another jessica allendon from the "same city" as her. she e-mails her and they meet up. They both look identical only dressed differently jessica(double)look like shes from a earlier time. the shake hands and get thrown into eachothers lives. jessica(double)s life is based back in time it seems ,but its acctually 2008. shes been doing some very bad things and jessica(not double) has to try to go along with the weird era and try not to get hurt because of other jessicas mistakes.
i thought it was an amzing book. i read it last year and found myself reading it again this year. i had to force myself not to read it all in onbe night.... DEFFINATLY RECOMENDED..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2008
I loved his book.
Jessica is your average teenage girl who one day decides to google her name. She gets lots of results but one grabs her eye, the girl seems similar to her, but different. So he sends the girl an email and they agree to meet. When they meet things start to go wrong, she gets sent to the other Jessica's world. There it's like a victorian london but in 2008, so the internet is called the root etc.
Tiny thing make a big difference, so there was no world war and people are still servants.
Jess has to get back home, but can she?
With the help of people who are so like those at home and at the same time so different Jess begins her quest. Here her main aim is to stay alive.
This book was a fab read and kept me gripped untill the very last page, and i was sad when it was over. If you read it be prepared to just accept things and you'll be fine.
Enjoy
Jessica is your average teenage girl who one day decides to google her name. She gets lots of results but one grabs her eye, the girl seems similar to her, but different. So he sends the girl an email and they agree to meet. When they meet things start to go wrong, she gets sent to the other Jessica's world. There it's like a victorian london but in 2008, so the internet is called the root etc.
Tiny thing make a big difference, so there was no world war and people are still servants.
Jess has to get back home, but can she?
With the help of people who are so like those at home and at the same time so different Jess begins her quest. Here her main aim is to stay alive.
This book was a fab read and kept me gripped untill the very last page, and i was sad when it was over. If you read it be prepared to just accept things and you'll be fine.
Enjoy
June 9, 2009
When I started this, I found the narrator's voice annoying. - Yes, she's 16 and 16-year-olds would speak like that, but it doesn't mean I like it and want to read an entire book as if some potty-mouthed adolescant Londoner was telling me the story, with 'well bad' and 'like' liberally scattered everywhere.BUT It grabbed me and wouldn't let go, I gobbled it up in no time. I loved the idea of an alternate 2008 London, and once Jess had been caterpaulted there, she dispensed with most of the awful slang anyway.The only other thing that bothered me was the fact that Johnny in the other London acted far older than 17 - I was thinking of him as 25 - and even the other Jessica seemed older than 16. But, minor gripes on my part aside, the story was fast-paced and (with the risk of sounded like a 16-year-old), cool.
December 2, 2022
I've read this book about 2/3 times now and I must admit, it's turning into one of my favourite books. Even when I was reading the last couple of chapters yesterday, I was thinking to myself, I wish this was a movie. It would just be so good.
This book for me, has everything. There is action, feelings, romance, secrets, adventure, twists and turns and if it was a movie, I'd be on the edge of my seat. I love the character of Jess and the book follows her growing up and becoming mature and appreciate her own world which is better that Jessica's. Jessica (the double), I think, is a bit of a selfish, bad character compared to Jess. It sort of shows that even if someone look like you, they can also be completely different. My advice is to read it. It really makes you think and I assure you that when you get to the end, the rest of it will make sense and will link up.
This book for me, has everything. There is action, feelings, romance, secrets, adventure, twists and turns and if it was a movie, I'd be on the edge of my seat. I love the character of Jess and the book follows her growing up and becoming mature and appreciate her own world which is better that Jessica's. Jessica (the double), I think, is a bit of a selfish, bad character compared to Jess. It sort of shows that even if someone look like you, they can also be completely different. My advice is to read it. It really makes you think and I assure you that when you get to the end, the rest of it will make sense and will link up.
August 9, 2011
This was a very interesting premise that wasn’t developed as well or as much as I think it could have been. This book was at times difficult to read as ideas were very carefully, and at time too slowly, teased out. While this created a sense of mystery very well, at times it felt too slow and plodding. Perhaps tighter pacing could have worked better.
I particularly liked trying to identify the places in the book that had been ‘changed’ from their world from ours. In this respect, readers who have been to or live in London will get the most out of this aspect. Worth mentioning is the brave and ultimately successful weaving of politics into what can fairly be classified as a young adult book-not a move that is often tried, let alone successfully. Overall, although it was a fun and diverting read, I don’t think I’ll be rereading it in a hurry.
I particularly liked trying to identify the places in the book that had been ‘changed’ from their world from ours. In this respect, readers who have been to or live in London will get the most out of this aspect. Worth mentioning is the brave and ultimately successful weaving of politics into what can fairly be classified as a young adult book-not a move that is often tried, let alone successfully. Overall, although it was a fun and diverting read, I don’t think I’ll be rereading it in a hurry.
March 2, 2014
It wasn't amazing, but it also wasn't by any means a bad book. The characters were fun and the alternate reality was lightly and deftly rendered in all kinds of interesting details. The main character did feel like she was just being swept along by events (they were big events and she had no idea what was going on! And yet!) although I liked her a lot, so I couldn't really be mad at her. I wasn't really satisfied by the ending, but I didn't know what else it could have done to be better. All in all I think I just wanted something this book wasn't able to achieve rather than disliking it for anything it was doing in and of itself, which it did perfectly competantly. I don't really know where I'm going with this but I very much want brightly coloured culottes now.
July 10, 2012
This book has the potential to be amazing. It has a well thought out and entincing storyline. Unfortunately though, it's boring. It is written with the common misconception of how adults believe teenagers speak. It becomes tiresome and annoying having "like" involved in almost every other sentence. Admittedly, this does lessen throughout the story but remains dominant over all other words. I only continued in the hope that it would improve and I would love to say that it did. However, the ending was very abrupt and it didn't amount to anything. As I said before, this had the potential to be brilliant but was just incredibly disappointing.
October 10, 2012
This book is very unique and makes you think deeply about real life and history.
Jessica googles her name and finds another person who has the exact name and birthday as her. She decides to meet up with this mysterious person. They do. But there is something strange...
Jess gets transported to a sort of less developed parallel universe. This new world of hers is sexist, racist and discriminative. Jess has a low ranked job and some thing she has a bad reputation. This isn't Jessica though this is her parallel self. How can she explain this to anyone? Who should she trust?
Is she stuck there forever? What happens when you fall in love with someone in a parallel universe?
Jessica googles her name and finds another person who has the exact name and birthday as her. She decides to meet up with this mysterious person. They do. But there is something strange...
Jess gets transported to a sort of less developed parallel universe. This new world of hers is sexist, racist and discriminative. Jess has a low ranked job and some thing she has a bad reputation. This isn't Jessica though this is her parallel self. How can she explain this to anyone? Who should she trust?
Is she stuck there forever? What happens when you fall in love with someone in a parallel universe?
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