Shadowlands Review

TITLE Shadowlands (Shadowlands #1)
AUTHOR Kate Brian
PUBLICATION January 8th 2013 by Hyperion
READ December 17, 2012
SOURCE Hachette Canada for review

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?

I didn't really know what to expect going into Shadowlands; I had never read any of Kate Brian's work and I'm not exactly one for reading blurbs. I was sufficiently blown away as a I dove in and got a much more intense read than I could have ever expected. Rory is shocked and scared when, on her way home from school through the forest, she is attacked by one of the most beloved teachers from her school. Thankfully she escapes and finds her way home but upon reporting the incident she finds out that it wasn't just her math teacher who attacked her, it was a calculated serial killer who has managed to evade the police for years. Before she knows it, she is packing her bags and being sent to a remote island as part of the FBI's witness protection program.

Shadowlands has a bit of everything going for it, there is some great characters, a whole lot of mystery and just a touch of romance sprinkled in for good measure. I read this one in a single day because i just couldn't put it down. Once Rory, her sister and their father get to the island, Juniper Landing, there is so much weirdness surrounding the locals that I had to keep going to find out exactly what was going on. And what a pleasant surprise that when all was revealed I was completely thrown for a loop as it was a twist I had never even considered in all of my sleuthing with this one.

Rory was a great character; she was so strong and smart that I came to admire her throughout the novel. Not only did she show her strength and determination when she escaped and evaded Steven Nell, but she also showed her smarts in how she was constantly questioning life on Juniper Landing. I wasn't a big fan of her sister, but I think that was how it was supposed to be. Rory and Darcy were polar opposites, while Rory was book smart and pretty reclusive, Darcy was the centre of every party and a social butterfly. I appreciated how each of their voices felt unique and completely authentic.

Not only do we get the story from Rory's point of view but we are also treated to short chapters here and there that are from Nell's perspective and are they ever haunting! This lends to an uneasy feeling as it's always in the back of the readers head that he is never far away from Rory. The suspense was maintained so strongly though out the novel and felt like it never really let up, which was great. I loved Brian's storytelling and her cryptic chapters from the mind of a serial killer. The twist at the end has definitely left me pining for more and I can't wait to see where this series goes.