The Shadows by Alex North
You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile - always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet - and has inspired more than one copycat.
Paul Adams was friends with the victim and the murderer and has avoided his hometown for a very long time. But now he’s back, to take care of his mother. As simple as it may seem, things immediately start going wrong when another copycat is found the next town over. And Paul’s mother is insistent that there’s something in the house, something following them.
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This book was chilling to the bone. It wasn’t on my TBR but as soon as I read the synopsis I had to read it. We have all known someone in school who was a bit dark, a bit twisted haven’t we? And sure in most cases, it just always turns out to be a misunderstood kid that probably didn’t deserve the stories that circulated about them. But sometimes it’s true. And this book took that concept and brought it to life. What if? What if that kid who always made you guess twice ended up being just as dark as all the rumours that went around about them? That concept freaked me out so of course, I needed to dive right into it. This book was the perfect thriller, it didn’t focus too much on all the clues and guessing as it did on the actual horrific murder that is the centrepiece of this story. And that was interesting because really, that’s the part that draws us in isn’t it?
This book starts with Paul’s past and then follows back and forth between his time in high-school to his present-day 25 years later. As he returns home to take care of his mom who has fallen and is in a hospice, horrific things start happening around his old town and the neighbouring communities and all seem to be related to the thing that drove him away in the first place. And, worst of all, he seems to be the epicentre of it all. Yet through the whole book, you’re left confused and second-guessing. Thinking you know what comes next and being totally surprised (at least I was). It took on a supernatural aspect as lots of “true crime” stories do. I liked that bit of it. Because for so many reasons, the supernatural seems to be the only explanation for something so horrific doesn’t it? At least we hope. Because knowing that humans have that capacity of evil is terrifying. The author really capitalized on that idea which made it very interesting.
This book was loosely based on a real case of the same "cultish" aspects. The Slender Man murder was a big inspiration for the story. Two girls believing in an entity to the point that they were willing to do anything it says even murdering their friend in order to be taken with him to his world. Chilling. This story really dives into the mentality of that and how easy it is to twist young minds and manipulate people into the most heinous of acts.
I really liked the relation to real-life true crime and the pace of the story. There wasn't a time in this novel that didn't have some sort of excitement happening and it made it such a fast and exciting read. Paul's story was heartbreaking and I wanted to stick with him through the end. I needed to know if he gets out alive or not. However, I didn't enjoy the flashbacks very much. You'd think it would be interesting to see what happened back when he was a kid and the original murder was happening but it felt very uninteresting to me and disrupted the fast and exciting pace of the present chapters. I also wish some of the supporting characters were fleshed out a little more. We barely got to learn much of detective Amanda except for the fact that she was in another book by the same author. That may be the case, but as they're not required to be read together, you still need to give her characterization in this book. I just wish we knew more about the characters than just Paul. It would have made me care for the outcome a whole lot more.
All in all, it was a great read and perfect if you're looking for that "creepy" factor in a novel. It was fast-paced, mysterious, and dark. I do wish we got a bit more out of it than just a plot-driven story (caring about characters is cool too you know). I give it a 3-star review. I really enjoyed it but I wasn't addicted.