Book Review Wednesday: The Shadows by Alex North

I chose "The Shadows" by Alex North as a Book of the Month pick months ago but just got around to reading it over the past two months. Sometimes I buy books or I add books to my TBR list and forget about them or forget what drew me into them initially. That's what happened what this book...  I chose it, forgot about it and then when I read the description I was intrigued. It was like buying the book all over again.

This book was a little scary, very interesting, and super twisted in a really great way. I would classify it as a paranormal thriller which is really different for me and I really loved that. It's a new genre that I've been reading a bit more and definitely think it suits my reading interests.

Publisher's Summary

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and suffering from dementia, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It's not long before things start to go wrong. Paul learns that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating another copycat that has struck in the nearby town of Featherbank. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn't just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again...

My Thoughts

I had no idea where this book was going... it was really out there on so many levels and I loved every second of it. This was a very complex and interesting story; it wasn't what you expected in the slightest bit and you don't realize that until more than halfway through the book.

I thought I had an idea of where the book was going; I thought I knew where Charlie was hiding, who killed who, and more but nothing is as it seems which I love in a book. Without revealing too much, Charlie, Paul, and the others were experimenting with lucid dreaming and that is the main plot of the book. That is what is the catalyst for the murder, for the disappearance, and everything that follows. 

The book in general is about Paul coming face to face with his past; he has to come back to the town he left after his friend was murdered and all his ghosts come back to haunt him. He has to face his mother, the girl he left behind, the murderer and the people who remember everything. Also, paired with Amanda Beck investigating a new round of murders that resemble the one from 25 years ago... it's a lot for one person to handle. However, good for us because it makes for a really interesting story.

What I loved most about this book was Paul; I loved his character, I thought he was really likable and an interesting person to read through the eyes of. It was also interesting to read Amanda's POV and get both stories at the same time. You're able to read what happened years ago to Paul, what's happening to him now, and 

"The Shadows" was unlike anything I've ever read. It was such an adult mystery with multiple plots, lots of twists and a really satisfying ending. It was a little murder, a little mystery, and a little paranormal. If you're someone who doesn't like thrillers, you might really enjoy this book. It wasn't your traditional mystery novel which I think can draw a wider audience in. 

I also found this book to be incredibly sad. Of course there was a lot of death but there was also disease, loss, and at one point, a twist so large I never saw it coming. I kind of felt my heart break in the moment that I realized what was happening... it was like a punch in the gut.

While the ending of the book was satisfying, it felt a bit random but in the grand scheme of things, it made a lot of sense. There were multiple reveals about the killer, the person(s) involved, and a few other things. It was so interesting and made the book that much more rich. 

As I said before, I think if you're someone who doesn't usually like stories like Gone Girl, or those 'domestic' thrillers, you might like this. There were so many layers and each page gave you more information and added to the story. Nothing felt like a filler which is so rare for a book. 

"The Shadows" definitely made me want to read more Alex North books so I might have to pick up his others. 

Have you ever read Alex North? Did you read "The Shadows"? What did you think?

xoxo

B