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    Shadowlands
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    Shadowlands
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    Shadowlands
    Audiobook6 hours

    Shadowlands

    Written by Kate Brian

    Narrated by Amy Rubinate

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a good-bye.

    Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but they haven't gotten along for years. As the sisters settle in at Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems as if 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 start to feel safe, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

    From the bestselling author of the Private and Privilege series comes a heart-stopping new trilogy about a girl who must pick up the pieces after the only life she's ever known is taken from her.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 3, 2013
    ISBN9781469291741
    Unavailable
    Shadowlands
    Author

    Kate Brian

    Kate Brian is the author of the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Private series and its spin-off series Privilege. She has also written many other books for teens including Sweet 16 and Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys.

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    Reviews for Shadowlands

    3.5/5

    91 ratings25 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 4/5
      Pleasantly surprised. Kept my nose to the pages. The ending took everything I thought throughout the story and threw it out the window. Cannot wait to read the next in the series.
    • 2/5
      Thought I would like this one more but it felt too much like a teen movie-of-the-week. Suspenseful at times, with twists thrown in. I had thought it would be more serial-killerish, but was disappointed. Meh.
    • 5/5
      Very good book with a very unexpected ending.
    • 3/5
      Rory is attacked by her teacher, put into police protection, and her family is relocated - or at least that's what you're supposed to think. Can't spoil it, but boy does this book have a killer twist at the end of it. I've read lots by Kate Brian - this was still really enjoyable to read, but very different from some of her other stuff.
    • 4/5
      After Rory survives an attack from a serial killer, she and her family are relocated to a small, coastal tourist town while the FBI hunt down the killer. Things are not quite as they seem in her new hometown and Rory begins to suspect that the killer has followed her there. I enjoyed this book because Kate Brian wasn't afraid to get gritty with the details of Rory's attack right in the first chapter. From then on, I was hooked and wondering what, exactly, was happening in this beach town until the very end.
    • 3/5
      Shadowlands kept me hooked until the last page, in fact I finished it in a few hours. The book opens with Rory Miller being stalked by an unknown assailant. When she finally comes face to face with the person who is her would be attacker initially she is relieved because it is her math teacher, Mr. Knell. Unfortunately, Mr. Knell is not the person she thought he was. After a struggle with her assailant Rory manages to escape. Once the police are notified it comes to light that Mr. Knell is a serial killer. The Miller family has to go into the Witness Protection Program on Juniper Island. What the book lacks in plot structure and character development it makes up for in suspense. The end of the book was a shocker and left me anxious for the next book in the series. I recommend this book to fans of Croaked, Velveteen and Elsewhere.
    • 4/5
      This was a quick read about serial killers and how they effect not only the victim but the victim's family. This book also had a ending I did not see coming.
    • 4/5
      VOYA - Rebecca MooreThe good news: Rory Miller survived a serial killer attack. The bad news: the killer will not stop until she is dead. Knowing this, the police send Rory, her emotionally distant father, and her older sister Darcy into Witness Protection. Their refuge, Juniper Landing, is an island vacation community with no cell or wireless service. It has plenty of attractive teens, though, and party-hungry Darcy quickly hooks up with them. They welcome Rory too, seeming oddly eager to embrace her, but she cannot quite trust them. She also cannot shake her terrifying nightmares and the equally terrifying feeling that the killer has followed her--and is leaving clues to let her know. Then, people start disappearing, and only Rory seems to notice--or care. What is really going on in Juniper Landing? This suspenseful thriller feels like two different books. The first, heart-pounding part will keep readers on the edges of their seats as Rory fights off and flees certain death. The second part, in Juniper Landing, embraces a different kind of suspense. Something odd is going on, despite the community’s outer normality, and readers will keep turning pages until they learn the truth. Whether readers will understand that truth, however, is debatable, as many questions remain frustratingly unanswered at the end. Still, readers will enjoy the ride, and Rory is a sympathetic character, even if most others remain fairly stock. Due to graphic violence, this book is better suited to high school collections. Ages 15 to 18
    • 3/5
      After being attacked by a serial killer, Rory and her family are placed into witness protection. They are sent to Juniper Landing, a small isolated vacation island.I'm still not sure how I felt about this book. I don't want to give anything away, but the author seemed to wrap up the greater concepts in only a few paragraphs. I wanted more. More explanation, more description. The author should also know that the Federal Marshall's are in charge of witness protection, not the FBI. Plus, a family would never be sent to find their destination without police escort or some type of police presence. This kind of makes the entire premise of the book, void. I did enjoy
    • 5/5
      Going in to Shadowlands, I really wasn't sure what to expect. The summary had a mystery-thriller-type feel to it, and since it had been a long time since I'd read anything like that, I was pretty eager to start this one. What I got instead was a crazy, intense ride for all 336 pages of the book. I literally could not stop reading this one, and even after finishing, was left feeling uncertain about how on earth I could review a book that had left me reeling, for fear that I would give too much away. Yes, it was THAT good!The book starts off with a bang, when we're placed inside the head of a serial killer, who is currently waiting for his newest victim, Rory, to walk past him. She escapes, and that escape sets off a chain reaction of events that finally culminates in her, her father, and older sister, Darcy, having to go into Witness Protection. However, Brian continues to allow us inside the killer's head, so while Rory and her family are thinking they're getting away, the reader knows just how close he is to them. This made for a very unsettling and absolutely gripping reading experience, because I simply had to know what would happen next.The family is sent to what's essentially a vacation island, where Rory finds herself the focus of the insanely gorgeous and aloof popular crowd. She's unsure what to think of them - and in fact, in the middle of the book, becomes downright suspicious of them when strange things start happening - which just adds to the uneasy feeling of the story. The only part that felt at all lighthearted was when Rory was spending time with Aaron, who I was pleased to see was a generally nice guy. I loved their windsailing adventure and the freedom and happiness that Rory experienced. Good feelings were something that were very few and far between for our main character so it was nice to see her get a bit of a break.Without wanting to get into too many spoilery details, let me just say this: I did not expect the ending we received, and knowing this is part of a series has me instantly intrigued, because I cannot WAIT to see where the author is going to take the story. I have many questions I cannot wait to have answered!If you're looking for something that has edge of your seat excitement, and keeps you constantly turning pages, then this is the book for you. It has something for everyone, from the bruised and battered main character, to the family drama dynamic, to the thrilling insights into the mind of a serial killer. Shadowlands is an exhilarating ride full of non-stop drama and mystery. I can't wait to see what comes next!An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I had no idea that when I started this book that it would capture me so tightly, that I stayed up close to one in the morning to finish it. I literally could not put the book down and instead, found myself immersed in a world where death lurks around the corner. Let me be the first to say," BRAVO! Ms. Brian." The plot is what every reader wants. Exciting and thrilling, lots of mystery and psycho killer on the loose. Once I started this book, there was no going back for me. I was hooked and would not put the book down. Every chapter, the reader is lead deeper into the mind of the killer as well as the victim. Things don't seem to add up and you just KNOW that something is missing...The ending. O.M.G. The. Ending. It totally sealed the deal for me, leaving me jaw-dropped. I DID NOT expect that! I really didn't! The author had me so tied up amongst other things, that I failed to miss the clues. Well played Ms. Brian, well played. Shadowlands is an awesome, amazing book that you want to read. It's one of those stories that will stick in your mind, days after reading it. You'll keep going back to parts, searching for the where you got lost. Clearly, it wasn't that the reader is lost, it's just that Kate Brian is one helluva of writer!
    • 3/5
      Read this review and more like it at Pretty Deadly Reviews.

      I know it's early, but I have the feeling that Shadowlands will be one of the weirdest books I read this year. This book has a lot of things happening all at once, creating in me a lot of confusion and a need for answers. It was compulsively readable, and the writing was rather enjoyable. But I was left with more questions than answers by the end, and I'm honestly not sure if any of it made any sense.

      Shadowlands started out quite strong. The opening pages are Rory being attacked in the woods by her teacher, who turns out to be a serial killer with quite a number of bodies under his belt. Rory escapes relatively unscathed, but the FBI warns her that he has never let a victim go before. So Rory and her family's home are put under a police detail, and when that isn't enough they are sent off to a new town with new identities.

      Right from the beginning I detested Rory's sister and father. Really, I cannot imagine a family that would act like this! Her father, a professor at Princeton, is more worried about administering a quiz to his students than his daughter who was just attacked my a fucking serial killer. His first words to her, when she gets home from her near-death encounter? "What were you thinking?" What was she thinking? She was thinking she could walk home without being attacked by a serial killer, thank you very fucking much. And Rory's sister, Darcy, is no better. Instead of worrying about her little sister's life and the fact that they are all in danger, she is worried about missing a party and losing a fucking pair of jeans. These reactions are abhorrent and disgusting. They do not ring true in any way, shape or form. For this, the book was immediately knocked down a star.

      The rest of the book is simply confusing. Rory, who really is lacking in personality entirely (that could have been made up for if the plot was the plot described in the book jacket.), is somehow the center of attention in Juniper Landing, her family's new home. The kids there are all beautiful, but pretty damn creepy and exhibit stalkerish tendencies. There is a lot of inconsistencies, and basically the whole time I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Is this a cult? Are the ghosts? Is Rory simply making it all up in her head? I honest to god could not figure out what was going on, and of course that made me furiously flip the pages well into the night.

      The ending was what really took the rating down to three stars for me. As the pages were decreasing, the questions were mounting. Nothing was making sense, and honestly, I'm still confused. Brian left us on one hell of a cliffhanger - the worst I've seen in a long time, and that's saying something in the YA world of trilogies.

      Now, three-star reviewers are tricky beasts. They're not quite positive, but that doesn't mean they're negative, either. Basically, I enjoyed Shadowlands by Kate Brian almost entirely. The actions of the characters, especially in the beginning, really threw me off. But there were very strong horror and tension scenes, and Brian definitely wove a mystery that I did not figure out until the very last pages. I do recommend this, but be prepared to not understand exactly what happened, and then wait for the upcoming sequel.
    • 3/5
      An interesting, if somewhat obvious, twist at the end. Not as fun to read as Brian's Private/Privilege series, but still entertaining.
    • 4/5
      reviews to come.First impression: murder mystery/thriller

      Second impression: woah, paranormal stuff?

      After finishing this book I am left with so much to think about. I wasn’t expecting the switch, and I want to know why people keep disappearing. I need the next one right now, to hopefully answer the many questions I have floating in my brain. I won’t list them because they’ll cause spoilers. I’m definitely buying this for the high school; I have students who’ll love the twist, and some who’ll come back in and yell at me after they are done. Whatever—I love a reaction. It moves the books!
    • 1/5
      I absolutely hated this book. You shouldn't read it. I don't normally say stuff like that, because I know that people enjoy different things in books, and just because I don't like it that doesn't mean someone else won't love it. BUT OMG THIS IS SO BAD. It has a twist at the end, which, whatever. Twists are fine. But the story itself is insanely aggravating. It builds tension on several separate mysteries throughout, but pays out on none of them. Unless you count a single line on the last page which reveals the twist. Which is SO UNSATISFYING. I don't read an entire stupid book just to discover that the REAL story is in the next book.

      I don't care if it's the first in the series and there will be more explanation later, it's ridiculous to have the entire book's plot build to such an anti-climatic ending. I love thriller stories, usually. And I was so interested in the way this book portrayed PTSD, and then the twist completely undid everything I'd appreciated about it. ARGH.

      I can't even articulate how much I disliked the way this story played out. Mainly, I'm reduced to INCOHERENT SPUTTERING. Anyway. If you'd like to know the twist, I'll tell you and you can save yourself the aggravation of reading the book.
    • 5/5
      I had received Hereafter for review though Netgalley, so I borrowed Shadowlands from a friend. As I was reading through the book, I was a ball of mixed emotions. I was horrified about this man, Steven Nell. How could they do that? Throw that kind of drama into this book when I was going to get completely emotionally raw? Totally not fair.

      But the beginning felt a little slow to me. I really did not know what to expect.

      Okay, let me start over. First of all, I love the name Rory for a character. You get so tired of all the names of characters being so common and seeing them over and over again. And there was a Tristan too, so as I am reading I am having major Gilmore Girls flashbacks just by watching the names. Don't worry, this is a good thing.

      Something about Darcy always bothered me. She just seemed snobby, stuck up, difficult. Overall, a typical teenage cheerleader.

      Then there are the boys on the island. Totally full of themselves, like they are God's gift to.. Well, you know. But oh the twist.

      The plot twist in this one came as a complete surprise to me. You almost expected a twist, definitely, but I didn't expect it to come right at the very end. The plot twist is RIGHT at the FRICKING END OF THE BOOK!!! I was like, WTH????

      And I totally didn't see it coming. I am so eager to see what comes next that I had to scramble my thoughts down now, so I can go start to read it this evening!
    • 3/5
      I'm giving this three stars for now because I'm still trying to process what I just read.
    • 5/5
      Well....there's only one word for me that can describe how I feel about this book...


      W.O.W.....

      When I first heard about this book, I still had no clue what it was about...And when I started reading it...I had some idea what it was about...but by the end of the book...I just don't know what to think....

      It's one of those endings that makes you think WTH?!? & HUH?!?....Is this how it really ends?...This is it? Really? ...ugh!!...

      Well, it really does have me looking forward to the next one in the series...I hope it doesn't disappoint...And that it keeps my interest....

      This is the first book I have read by this author...and as soon as I get over the shock of this one, I may try her other books....

      Thank you Book-Tubers for talking about this one! This is definitely a book that is outside the box for me....I really enjoyed it....I've read many who didn't but I guess we all like different things and the fact I went into this book with no clue about what it was about and with no expectations of liking it...Which made me love it even more I think! :-)
    • 5/5
      Well....there's only one word for me that can describe how I feel about this book...


      W.O.W.....

      When I first heard about this book, I still had no clue what it was about...And when I started reading it...I had some idea what it was about...but by the end of the book...I just don't know what to think....

      It's one of those endings that makes you think WTH?!? & HUH?!?....Is this how it really ends?...This is it? Really? ...ugh!!...

      Well, it really does have me looking forward to the next one in the series...I hope it doesn't disappoint...And that it keeps my interest....

      This is the first book I have read by this author...and as soon as I get over the shock of this one, I may try her other books....

      Thank you Book-Tubers for talking about this one! This is definitely a book that is outside the box for me....I really enjoyed it....I've read many who didn't but I guess we all like different things and the fact I went into this book with no clue about what it was about and with no expectations of liking it...Which made me love it even more I think! :-)
    • 5/5
      Well....there's only one word for me that can describe how I feel about this book...


      W.O.W.....

      When I first heard about this book, I still had no clue what it was about...And when I started reading it...I had some idea what it was about...but by the end of the book...I just don't know what to think....

      It's one of those endings that makes you think WTH?!? & HUH?!?....Is this how it really ends?...This is it? Really? ...ugh!!...

      Well, it really does have me looking forward to the next one in the series...I hope it doesn't disappoint...And that it keeps my interest....

      This is the first book I have read by this author...and as soon as I get over the shock of this one, I may try her other books....

      Thank you Book-Tubers for talking about this one! This is definitely a book that is outside the box for me....I really enjoyed it....I've read many who didn't but I guess we all like different things and the fact I went into this book with no clue about what it was about and with no expectations of liking it...Which made me love it even more I think! :-)
    • 4/5
      Do you ever start reading a book, and go "Whoa. This is different. And scary. Me likey."? Don't lie! Anyway, my point is that Shadowlands was a very unique book that also had me prominently feeling the chills of suspension rolling from the pages. Kate Brian is a genius!

      The beginning is very chilling, violent, and totally sucks you into the plot. That killer is so creepy and evil. The chapters in his point of view were disturbing, once again, good job Kate Brian! We are also introduced to the characters, amidst the action. There is never a dull moment! While not everything is a raging car chase, there is always a heavy layer of suspension clouding the problem with the killer, the town, and it's people. This keeps the readers on their toes, and may perhaps even bring nightmares.

      The characters are also very well-devolped for a Thriller, which is the genre I find usually lacks the development. I loved seeing the relationship between Rory and her sister, Darcy, as well as with her Dad. Darcy has been rebelliously acting out ever since their Mother died, and the dad has simply become a shell. The family has a lot of tension building around them, and I loved how you got to see the relationship evolve and bonds mended.

      The island itself, the place where the FBI kept Rory and her family in disguise to keep them from the killer, was a very memorable setting. If we ever have another "Top Ten Book Settings" list, the island, Juniper Landing, would definitely make it, perhaps even placing itself at the very top. Juniper Landing is mysterious, vivid, and odd. It leaves the reader with this strange sensation in their stomach, which I loved! The people inhabiting the island are also pretty odd. Why are they turning their head when people disappear? Does everyone except Rory and a few other suspicious teens have amnesia?

      Also, I enjoyed that there was close to no romance. I see some in the future of the series, which I know I will like. I am not fond of first books that lay heavy-romance. Where is the rom to expand the relationship? What about the plots? Where is this "love" going to go? (Or, my common reaction, "They met a freakin' WEEK ago! C'mon!") In Shadowlands, we see plenty of eligible males yet none so far have legitimately "fallen hard" for Rory. I possibly see a well-done romance in the future, that is not the main plot, and I have no idea who it will be between! Yay! And if there isn't, I don't care because the plot is a wild enough ride and, in general, support for the series.

      And, lastly, that ending! I loved it! In one simple sentence, everything came together. (SPOILER: I KNEW it wasn't a dream... SPOILER OVER) It is such a creative and startling twist. This also makes my lists of top endings. It is utter brilliance, and well thought out, so the audience won't pick up on the twist until the end. I literally looked at the pages, and then closed the book, smiling. However, it is pure evil of the author to make us wait for the sequel, Hereafter.

      Overall, Shadowlands is a highly recommended read, especially to those who are a fan of creepy, suspenseful stories with unpredictable twists and well thought out characters. Also, the book was very well written, and set the readers in the right mood. Now, go read the book. I especially want to see your reaction to the end. *duh, duh, duh*

      4.5/5 Stars
    • 5/5
      So I stumbled upon this book at my local Barnes and Nobles, and I read the inside cover and thought it looked pretty interesting. Sara Shephard had given it an excellent review, so I purchased it on my nook that night. It was really, really good. It was creepy and mysterious and left us hanging at the end, I hope this will continue into a series or a least a second book. There were a couple times it gave me chills and reading in the dark probably didn't help either.I really felt bad for Rory, she had a really scary encounter and I felt that at times, her family was not very sympathetic or caring. Her sister, Darcy annoyed me, especially in the beginning, I was glad to see Darcy come around towards the end. The people of Juniper Landing all seemed very odd, especially when Rory would feel like everyone staring at her whenever she was in a group setting. Also, Joaquinn always seemed very interested in Rory's safety, which was weird and never really explained. So much that I want to know and hopefully will be answered.”
    • 5/5
      I have to admit one thing, the cover is what originally drew to me this book. I mean look at it. But it was a lot more than I was expecting, and I am happy that read it. The synopsis give a eerie account of what this is about and it boy it starts with Rory’s attack scene, makes you want to dive right in and find out what is going on. How does she escape? What does it mean? I finished this in one day, because I simply didn’t want to put it down.

      How we meet is both chilling and completely engrossing and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Rory’s nightmare attack, is done by Mr. Nell who is one of her teachers, and boy he is one sick man. Now that Rory has escaped his attack, she has to deal with the aftermath and affect on her family as well. Moving and trying to start over is never easy. Mr. Nell wasn’t caught, so now there is a whole new nightmare to deal with. Rory seem to be a down to earth girl, not the popular, outgoing girl. She really has no idea how pretty she is and is just the sweetest young girl. Rory is complete opposite is her sister Darcy who the beautiful popular girl at school. Their Father has been a bit off since the death of their Mother, and who could really blame him, but he makes a great turn around. With all that is happening the family dynamics was was thing that I enjoyed. Family coming together.

      The setting and world building was phenomenal. I knew there something off about the island and the people living on it, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I know that the island is a tourist place, but the events that took place were creepy, and with Nell’s short accounts, it was frightening, especially to see how deranged this man really was. All of this led up to an ending that blew my mind, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Brian did an amazing job at keeping me guessing and since this is going to be a a series, I am intrigued to find out where the shocking ending leads us.

      Shadowlands is an amazing thriller with a mystery that will give you chills and wanting more. It is a must read and I will be anxiously waiting to find out when the next books will be released.
    • 4/5
      I’ve never devoured a book of this size so fast in my life! It took me just over four hours, and had me flipping pages like a lunatic.The action starts right on the first page as the book opens with main character, Rory, being watched by a serial killer. For the first ninety pages or so I was absolutely terrified and almost stopped reading because I wasn’t sure I could handle it. As I was trying to decide whether or not to keep going, I did something I’ve never done before: I read the last page! =O (I know, I know, shame on me!) Anyways, that sealed the deal, I HAD to finish reading.The chapters from the killer’s perspective SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! Seeing inside his dark and twisted mind left me with a dark, unsettled feeling that I wasn’t too fond of. Luckily, as the story went on his chapters became far and few between, with the majority of the story told from Rory’s point of view.While it was both terrifying and riveting, there were also a number of instances that were highly unlikely and plain unbelievable. For example why would the police send you into protective custody without so much as one officer to escort you? Once at said “safe house” why is there no alarm system, body guards, etc. AND if you had just survived an attack by a crazed serial killer, why on earth would you a) Go out for a jog by yourself b) sneak out in the middle of the night to go to a party! SERIOUSLY?!? Locking herself in a room and never leaving again would be more realistic, but I guess that would make for a pretty boring book, huh?I have to admit that when it ended I was still really confused and unsure of what was going on. After scouring Goodreads for spoilers, I sat there in shock when I found out the truth. So if you’re like me and finish the book not knowing what happened, email me and I’ll let you know ;)
    • 2/5
      2.5ish territory, but this one has a pretty fluid rating, I think - apt to change depending on my mood.Okay, Shadowlands...I feel like I would write a different review of this every day of the week. Frankly, I'm really torn, and have even held off giving it a rating on Goodreads. Here's the thing:There are going to be people that are so shocked and amazed by the way this ends that they'll love it.There are going to be people that are so shocked and dismayed by the way this ends that they'll hate it.There are going to be people that find this gimmicky and disjointed, something that relies too heavily on a twist (and today, at least, that's where my opinion is hovering.)This is a difficult book to talk about without spoiling something, but essentially, Shadowlands is a contemporary thriller that reads like a movie trying to be a book. And that doesn't really work. Things that work in movies often don't work so well when they're written out because your brain processes them differently. Fog, for instance; fog rolling up right at the opportune (or inopportune) moment, there at the height of tension and then gone - seeing that on a screen works, even if later you think it's cheesy; we sort of process it in the background. But when in writing, it ceases to work because it's being pointed out; you are forced to focus on it, which gives you the time to reflect on it, realize how cheesy it is immediately, roll your eyes, and then begin to question everything. It jars you out of the flow a little, and each time this happens, you get further and further away from connecting with or believing in the story. Things like this, and the unrealistic way characters react and/or interact with each other, kept eating at me. But this is where it becomes tricky, because those same things can actually be kind of interesting by the end. I spent the first half of this book being really frustrated with damn near everything, laughing and rolling my eyes when I should have been, I don't know, shivering in sympathetic terror, I guess. And then there came a point right about the middle when I thought, you know what would be kind of neat? If this had a twist ending where [big fat spoiler]. And then I started to think that the only thing that could redeem the book and make me look at all of my little annoyances in a different light would be that [big fat spoiler]. But the book kept going on and on, and though things got a little weirder, and then occasionally less-weird, I started to doubt the book would be redeemed. But wouldn't you know it? [Big Fat Spoiler] right there at the very last second. Well, I'll be. And so there is was, the BFS, and I'm sitting there thinking 2 things:1. This gives the book interesting reread potential, which is funny because I didn't think I'd want to finish it, let alone reread it; and2. This is going to piss people off. Or maybe amaze them. Or mostly piss them off, but amazingly so.So it happened, the one thing I thought could maybe save this and make me like it, and for that, I have to kind of smile at Kate Brian and admit that there's a part of me that likes this. But I have to wag my finger at her, too, because she really drew it out to the very last minute, and is it too little, too late? Well...sorta, yeah; there needs to be a balance. In the end, the things I didn't like about it made sense and even seem almost necessary, but to get to a place where it works, readers have to make it all the way to the end. In an often-frustrating book, that may not always happen. If this weren't fairly engaging and quick, I probably would have given up on it, and I never would have known that things worked for the world. You have to give the reader a reason to go with it, and if you don't, it doesn't matter how snazzy or perfectly-suited your twist ending is. If you give me piece of pie and the first few bites taste like crap (or even just bland and pedestrian), you can't be surprised when I don't want to finish it, even if you insist that the last few bites will totally change my mind. I want the whole slice to be good, dammit. There are a lot of calories in pie. Each bite should be worth it.I've gotten offtrack.*What I'm trying to say is, I'm TORN. A twist ending is 10% of a book, tops. I need to care about the other 90%, too. So, yes, part of me likes this in hindsight, and even thinks it will make for an interesting reread; but part of me thinks it's just silly and slapdash, and full of really unlikable characters and unlikely events, that is hastily (but interestingly) pulled together in the end. Personally, I could have done with a lot fewer cliches and a lot more slow-burning thriller. There could still have been unlikable or questionable bits that click into place in the end, but with something more worthy to pull me along. But this would make a good movie, I think, and I have to wonder if perhaps it was written to be? A lot of authors seem to be writing things with the goal of having it optioned and potentially making bank on a franchise, and though that's another pet peevish trend I do want to discuss someday, I'm not going to use Shadowlands as a platform to do so. In the end, this book is truly going to come down to each individual reader, and I find it nearly impossible to predict which side of the fence any one person will fall on. Maybe it comes down to whether you figure out twists waaaay too f*cking far in advance (like me =/) or whether they sneak up on you. I dunno. I will go so far as to say that I'm curious enough about the setup for the rest of the series - and more specifically, the main character's reaction to it - that I may even read book 2.So there's that.But there are a lot of pages in a book. Every page should be worth it.See, it all comes back around...OH! OH! OH! AND: This cover? Pretty much nothing to do with the book.*Have you guys ever noticed how many food metaphors I use? Lest you think I'm some binge-eating, calorie-counting, obsessive foodie**: 1. for a long time I thought I was going to be a chef; 2. everyone eats. Food is something we can all relate to, so it's a good go to.At least, that's what I'm going to tell myself the next time I compare a book to food.**Okay, I sort of am an obsessive foodie. But not of the binge-eating type, and certainly not of the calorie-counting type. shudder.

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