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A review by sarahscupofcoffee
The Shadows by Alex North
5.0
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In The Shadows by Alex North, we discover the dark side of lucid dreaming as two teens decide to sacrifice a best friend of theirs, in the hopes that they will be able to live permanently inside of their dreams.
Bite-Sized Summary
In Alex North’s newest release, he explores the possibilities of lucid dreaming. Charlie is the weird kid. The kid that everyone thinks is a bit off, but just weird enough to be interesting. Fifteen-year-old Paul and his friends get wrapped up into some weird stuff that Charlie is dabbling in: lucid dreaming. Apparently, there’s a way to enter your lucid dreams permanently, living in a world you create rather than reality. The price is sacrifice. The Shadows is about the murder that happened twenty five years ago, when a fifteen year old was brutally stabbed to death. One of the teen murderers were caught and thrown in prison. The other, Charlie, disappeared. Poof.
Going In Expectations
I’ve heard so many good things about Alex North, so when an excerpt of The Shadows popped up on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. Since it was a chapter sampler, I knew that I would get hooked and I would end up buying the book. I was just about to purchase the book (literally with my next paycheck), when NetGalley dropped audiobooks. The Shadows was nestled in the “Listen Now” section and I about keeled over. I grabbed so fast and started listening to it immediately.
Raves & Critiques
I have so much to say about The Shadows. There were so many things that I adored about this book and not a single thing that I would’ve done differently. With that in mind, I did feel as though the beginning dragged a little bit, but I wouldn’t change it. The build up was necessary and really aided in the suspense throughout the rest of the novel, so if you DNFed it early on, keep going!
Keep in mind, too, that I’m a young adult reader. I’m not an adult book fan, although I find myself picking up quite a few of them as of late. I’m a YA book nerd and I loved this so much! So, if you’re not a thriller fan… you may want to try this one as a first go.
Perspectives
The perspective changes were interesting… in a good way! The Shadows is told from three different perspectives, but from two people. So, we Amanda Beck, a detective that gets invested with the case. There were other murders years later that were inspired by Charlie’s disappearance, other kids thinking that they can live in this dream land and escape their realities if they sacrificed someone. Amanda is covering one of those cases.
The second perspective is of fifteen-year-old Paul. When Paul was a teenager, he met Charlie and got swept up, along with a few friends. This perspective sheds light on what happened to Charlie first hand, trying to decipher what it is that Charlie wants. The third perspective is adult Paul, returning to the town twenty five years after he left. Adult Paul is trying to figure out what happened to Charlie, while dealing with some seriously creepy events.
The Narration
This is the first time that I’m reviewing an audiobook. To be honest, I’m not a fan. I don’t like a narrator telling me how to picture voices, especially if the narration is bad. If I’m laughing at the narration, I can’t do it… so long story short, I’m picky about my narration.
Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan did an amazing job. The perspective changes were easily followed because Hannah told Amanda’s side of things, while John told Paul’s. Both narrators aided with the suspense that comes with thrillers, making it a rollercoaster ride. I’m actually really happy that I ended up listening to The Shadows via audio instead of reading it print just because of the suspense they both added to the story.
The Battle Between Crime and the Supernatural
There was an intense struggle as we tried to figure out if this story is supernatural or just a run-of-the-mill crime happening. I loved that we were second guessing the plot throughout the novel. It aided in the suspense. I’ve never read a supernatural-type novel executed this way before and now I’m a huge fan.
Reason for Rating ~ Should You Read It?
The Shadows by Alex North is an intense thriller, where we explore the affects of lucid dreaming and if it’s possible to stay in the dream state. Local legends. Writing competitions. Seriously spooky shit. Supernatural elements. Crime. This book is a perfect thriller and I easily rated it five out of five stars. I would recommend this book for thriller fans in general. I haven’t read enough thrillers to make specific suggestions, but this is easily one of the best adult books I’ve ever read.
In The Shadows by Alex North, we discover the dark side of lucid dreaming as two teens decide to sacrifice a best friend of theirs, in the hopes that they will be able to live permanently inside of their dreams.
Bite-Sized Summary
In Alex North’s newest release, he explores the possibilities of lucid dreaming. Charlie is the weird kid. The kid that everyone thinks is a bit off, but just weird enough to be interesting. Fifteen-year-old Paul and his friends get wrapped up into some weird stuff that Charlie is dabbling in: lucid dreaming. Apparently, there’s a way to enter your lucid dreams permanently, living in a world you create rather than reality. The price is sacrifice. The Shadows is about the murder that happened twenty five years ago, when a fifteen year old was brutally stabbed to death. One of the teen murderers were caught and thrown in prison. The other, Charlie, disappeared. Poof.
Going In Expectations
I’ve heard so many good things about Alex North, so when an excerpt of The Shadows popped up on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. Since it was a chapter sampler, I knew that I would get hooked and I would end up buying the book. I was just about to purchase the book (literally with my next paycheck), when NetGalley dropped audiobooks. The Shadows was nestled in the “Listen Now” section and I about keeled over. I grabbed so fast and started listening to it immediately.
Raves & Critiques
I have so much to say about The Shadows. There were so many things that I adored about this book and not a single thing that I would’ve done differently. With that in mind, I did feel as though the beginning dragged a little bit, but I wouldn’t change it. The build up was necessary and really aided in the suspense throughout the rest of the novel, so if you DNFed it early on, keep going!
Keep in mind, too, that I’m a young adult reader. I’m not an adult book fan, although I find myself picking up quite a few of them as of late. I’m a YA book nerd and I loved this so much! So, if you’re not a thriller fan… you may want to try this one as a first go.
Perspectives
The perspective changes were interesting… in a good way! The Shadows is told from three different perspectives, but from two people. So, we Amanda Beck, a detective that gets invested with the case. There were other murders years later that were inspired by Charlie’s disappearance, other kids thinking that they can live in this dream land and escape their realities if they sacrificed someone. Amanda is covering one of those cases.
The second perspective is of fifteen-year-old Paul. When Paul was a teenager, he met Charlie and got swept up, along with a few friends. This perspective sheds light on what happened to Charlie first hand, trying to decipher what it is that Charlie wants. The third perspective is adult Paul, returning to the town twenty five years after he left. Adult Paul is trying to figure out what happened to Charlie, while dealing with some seriously creepy events.
The Narration
This is the first time that I’m reviewing an audiobook. To be honest, I’m not a fan. I don’t like a narrator telling me how to picture voices, especially if the narration is bad. If I’m laughing at the narration, I can’t do it… so long story short, I’m picky about my narration.
Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan did an amazing job. The perspective changes were easily followed because Hannah told Amanda’s side of things, while John told Paul’s. Both narrators aided with the suspense that comes with thrillers, making it a rollercoaster ride. I’m actually really happy that I ended up listening to The Shadows via audio instead of reading it print just because of the suspense they both added to the story.
The Battle Between Crime and the Supernatural
There was an intense struggle as we tried to figure out if this story is supernatural or just a run-of-the-mill crime happening. I loved that we were second guessing the plot throughout the novel. It aided in the suspense. I’ve never read a supernatural-type novel executed this way before and now I’m a huge fan.
Reason for Rating ~ Should You Read It?
The Shadows by Alex North is an intense thriller, where we explore the affects of lucid dreaming and if it’s possible to stay in the dream state. Local legends. Writing competitions. Seriously spooky shit. Supernatural elements. Crime. This book is a perfect thriller and I easily rated it five out of five stars. I would recommend this book for thriller fans in general. I haven’t read enough thrillers to make specific suggestions, but this is easily one of the best adult books I’ve ever read.