Review: Shadowlands (Shadowlands #1) by Kate Brian

Shadowlands (Shadowlands #1) by Kate Brian

Publication Date: January 8, 2013
Page Count: 336
Format: Hardcover
Published by: Hyperion
Source: Library

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Be prepared to put all logic aside while reading Shadowlands. Or, at the very least, most of it. I thought this was a pretty good read overall. There were a few times that I thought the story to be very unrealistic, and at times it didn't really make any sense. But if you can suspend your disbelief long enough, there is quite an intense and emotional story underneath.

Rory and her family are placed into the witness protection program after Rory survives an attack by a serial killer. They are sent to live on an island while the FBI tracks down the bad guy. From the beginning, the island's inhabitants and the overall atmosphere really creeped me out. There was just so much weirdness and suspicious behavior going on. It's not difficult to see that things are 'off', but I could never put together what it all meant.

Rory has a lot to deal with - the circumstances that brought her to her new home, her grief stricken father, and her discontented sister. And it doesn't help that Rory has ongoing nightmares of her attacker. Mysterious events begin happening, and Rory starts thinking that her killer is there on the island hiding amongst the thick fog that rolls in every day.

I enjoyed most of the characters, and I thought each one brought something different to the story. The suspenseful writing kept me turning the pages in an attempt to solve the mystery. The ending was a complete shocker to me. I really did NOT see that coming at all! I enjoyed the ending, and it makes the whole book really come together and make sense. Overall, I thought Shadowlands was a terrific beginning to a new series, and I can't wait to read the next book.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


2013 YA Contemporary Challenge