Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Title: Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1)

Author: Kate Brian

Publisher: Hyperion (HBG Canada)

Publication date: January 8, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Mystery)

Source: Publisher

Format: Physical ARC

Pages: 336

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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?

My first reaction after finishing Shadowlands: "AAAAAAHHHH SIHDKJSJDKHAKJ DHJAHDJAHS HDSAJDAH;!!!! How can this happen to me? WHY? OH GOD WHY? WHERE IS THE SECOND BOOK? GIVE ME NOWWWW!" Yes, it was crazy. Now, let me start off by telling you how awesome this book is. Shadowlands has always been a book that was high on my TBR pile. Being a huge fan of mystery novels, I was so excited about it! The book starts off with the main protagonist, Rory, being chased in the woods. Apparently, the chaser turned out to be her school math teacher, who also turned out to be a genius serial killer. *goose bumps* Thankfully, Rory somehow manages to escape from him. After the FBI comes, and identify him as this major serial killer they are hunting for more than ten years, Rory's family is sent to Juniper Landing to go into "hiding".

For me, it's probably the first time reading a book that made me extremely creeped out. I was reading it at home, and everyone was out, and it was dark, and it TOTALLY scared me!! When Rory, her sister Darcy, and her dad drive for 7 hours to reach Juniper Landing, they are welcomed by weird stares from the locals. While reading Shadowlands, there were SO many things that confused the hell out of me. When Rory meets Lauren and Olive, she starts learning more about the "locals". We also meet Joaquin, Bea, Fisher, and the guy who always seems to be staring at Rory, Tristan. (Did I miss anyone?) Rory is usually overshadowed by her sister Darcy, but this time, the local guys and girls seem to have an interest in Rory, and not her sister. That's when conflicts between the two start developing. Now despite the mystery, it was refreshing to read about sister relationships. Anyways, Rory seems to be convinced that there's something fishy about that group. Not only them, but the island itself is a bit weird. 

I can't say much about the book without having a bit of spoilers, so I'm going to stop here. I will say that the characters were very interesting to read about. Kate Brian also did a tremendous job in the mystery of this book. There were also a bit of shockers, like how there's a bit of fantasy in this book when I thought it was completely contemporary. Anyhow, I definitely enjoyed reading Shadowlands, and just thinking about the second book makes me want to jump up and down. The cliffhanger is killing me, which rarely happens. I totally recommend this to all you readers out there, ESPECIALLY if you're a fan of mystery books! You will not be disappointed!