The Shadows by Alex North is a compulsive horror book that brings the reader dual timelines, lucid dreams, and murder. After 25 years away, Paul Adams is forced to return to his home town to care for his elderly mother. He has some good memories of home, and is able to reconnect with his old flame, Jenny, but the good memories are vastly overshadowed by his memories of the murder of one of his friends by 2 of his other friends when they were all teenagers - a murder that he was blamed for and that caused him to leave town for more than 2 decades. The ringleader of Paul's friend group was Charlie Crabtree who introduced them to lucid dreaming one day when they were teens. Charlie vanished right after the murder. But now there's a copycat and Paul has to find Charlie and the answers. The story is told from the points of view of Paul and police detective Amanda as she investigates the recent copycat murder.

I thought this book was pretty creepy to begin. Lucid dreaming is a mystery to me and scares me. The woods scare me. I was creeped out. But the second half gets a little muddled and confusing.

I think that Alex Norths first novel was a bit better than this one, but The Shadows is still a creepy good read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Felt like the book was a little long, but I definitely enjoyed it. Some twists and unexpected turns helped with that and I was kept guessing through the whole novel.

Alex North is such a great writer! I love the blend of horror and mystery. I do think The Whisper Man was much creepier, but The Shadows definitely had its moments.

Alex North is quickly becoming one of my go to authors for all things mystery and suspense. I really got into this book. He creates an atmosphere that makes me feel like I am right in the story!

This one was kind of middle of the road for me. I didn't dislike it, but I also think a month from now, I won't remember much about it. I did find it intriguing at the beginning learning about Paul and his friends as kids, but then too many characters and such started to make things confusing and not as enjoyeable of a read.

kids get messed up in a cult-like group who think they can control dreams. They meet in an area called The Shadows where somebody ends up dead. Twenty five years later, one of the boys shows back up to see his mother and people start dying again. Nice little ghostly twist but not as good as The Whisper Man.

The Shadows by Alex North is a compelling novel that deals with ritualistic murder and lucid dreaming! Fun stuff. I particularly enjoyed this book because it walked right on the edge of reality and supernatural. The book is split between two timelines and a very large cast of characters, which could be mildly confusing at times. Still, it was an interesting and unique read.

Another great creepy read this fall. Hard not to compare it to The Whisper Man, which I loved. I still enjoyed The Shadows, but not quite as much as I did his first book. There are multiple points of view in the storytelling, including Adam's present day voice, his younger self, and then the female detective's voice. The only one I did not fully enjoy was Adam's younger self, it maybe moved too slow. But I loved hearing the story unfold in the present timeline. A solid thriller, would recommend.

After loving the authors previous book I think my expectations were too high here because this one fell flat for me. I was actually a little confused which took me out of the story

Good lord, why did I put this one off?!? I have had this book sitting in my to-read pile for easily, a whole year, maybe longer! And YET! I think I completely forgot just how much I had loved The Whisper Man, how much it sucked me in and gave me the creeps, and The Shadows did the very same. The Shadows is a disturbing and eerie read that’ll have you shocked at the twists and turns, as well as checking over your shoulder every few minutes with the feeling of being watched.

Paul Adams experienced tragedy as a teen. Wrapped up in a toxic friendship with other boys, he remembers a year of lucid dreaming, manipulation, dark woods, and a murder he was very nearly implicated in. He returns now to the village he grew up in to care for his mother as she lays dying, and gets wrapped up in a very similar mystery happening miles away in another small town: Detective Amanda Beck is looking into the story that started it all in attempt to solve the murder that’s just rocked Featherbank.

But something is still lingering in this town. Someone is lurking in the woods, delivering memories of a time Paul would rather put behind him. And something needs to be done about Charlie Crabtree…

This is one of those books I just know I’m going to do a horrible job describing, because there are so, so many pieces to put together and you also don’t want to spoil anything for the reader. I encourage you to read the full description of the novel, which does a far better job explaining than I can.

This book is complicated in the very best way. I love how intricate the details of this story are. There’s so much substance to it, which I guess made me realize there hasn’t been tons of substance to what I’ve been reading lately. I picture North writing this book with a huge wall in front of him, connecting characters and plots by strings and pushpins. If you’re in the mood to go “Whaaaat…” and “Oh my god noooo”, boy do I have the book for you. Around three-quarters of the way through the book, I was laying in bed listening to the story trying to figure out where the hell the curveball I’d just been thrown had even COME from (loudly), and my boyfriend leaned over and asked, “Crazy book stuff?”. Yeah, crazy book stuff.

The characters make this book. They are so well rounded – so very real to the reader, which makes it even crazier the farther you read (gosh, I am really walking the line of spoilers today, aren’t I??). There’s so many of them but they all play a really important role in this story. It’s an incredible small town tale, and everything is important: don’t write off any little detail.

My only complaint, and it’s not even really a complaint, was that some of the language is very repetitive. I think North does it on purpose to draw attention to the importance of certain statements and their bearing on the story, but after a while I felt like saying “Yeah, man, you just said that”. Other than that: the language is beautiful. Incredible. Sophisticated, even, for a horror novel, in a way that brings it up a notch in my book.

Soooo, I actually received a copy of The Shadows in exchange for an honest review by the publisher through NetGalley…approximately a year ago. Whoops. I finally got to it! At least I have great things to say! Naturally, The Shadows is already available for purchase…and I highly recommend reading it. Grab a copy if you’re looking for something to blow your mind. 🙂

Have a great week friends!

Alex North knows how to appeal to readers. The Shadows is such a great read! I cannot wait for what comes next!

Overall, Alex North created an entertaining thriller. I didn't find it that unique or memorable. However, he did a splendid job in creating a couple of moments that bring your heart rate up and scare you.

I loved this book! It kept me on my toes. I loved the history of the killings. I enjoyed this book and the other book written my north. I give this book 4 stars. I’m excited to read more of what Alex North comes out with

I became aware of Alex North in 2019 with the publication of the Whisper Man, a thoroughly enjoyable mystery/paranormal-ish thriller, so I was looking forward to The Shadows. Although I found The Shadows to start a little slow (and a bit confusing if I'm honest) once I found the groove of the story, I could not stop reading. I think as soon as I gasped out loud at the first death, I knew I was in for a wild ride.

Told in alternating timelines, now and then, we slowly piece together what exactly happened at that park and what if anything does Paul have to do with it. This method fills the reader with dread and anticipation. I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what exactly happened all those years ago.

All of the characters you meet from then and now, were interesting and added to the story. I enjoy piecing together the stories and trying to figure out the real story. I admit, I didn't figure them all out until the reveal and I LOVED that. Nothing worse than figuring everything out in a mystery.

What I especially like about Alex North and his novels are the implications of the paranormal. Never exactly coming out as paranormal, but with hints of it here and there. It is something I'm drawn to as a reader and I think he straddles the line of reality and supernatural very well. Because he blurs the lines so well, as a reader you will believe just about anything is possible. Highly recommend!

Alex North has done it again. After reading "The Whisper Man," I had to request an ARC when I saw Alex North came out with a second book. Sooooo good.

Great thriller that borders on horror! Couldn't put this one down. Wasn't quite sure who did it or how it was all going to tie together, but thought it was all completed really well.

I LOVED The Whisper Man and had really high hopes for this newest book. Unfortunately it just didn't hold up to expectations. It was slow and often confusing and I'm still not totally sure why I finished it. I listened to the audio of this and the narration was well done. The story just wasn't my favorite.

Not my fave by this author I preferred the whisper man to this one but still had some totally creepy vibes and a decent thriller none the less

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy. Alex North does it again. I greatly enjoyed The Whisper Man and had high hopes for this one. It did not disappoint, I was engrossed and couldn't put it down.

I had reviewed the audiobook of The Shadows. I loved the storyline, and the concept of controlling your dreams: something children can think they do. but making it real. I wish that I would have read instead of listened, as the narrator made it easy to zone out, taking away some of the creepyness of the book.