Shadowlands (Shadowlands Series #1)

by Kate Brian

Overview

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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423179146
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	01/08/2013
Series:	Shadowlands Series , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	815 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kieran Scott writes under the pseudonym Kate Brian. She is the author of over two dozen teen novels, including the bestselling Private and Privilege series and The Princess and the Pauper, which was an ALA Quick Pick. Kieran has also written numerous books under her own name, including the He’s So/She’s So and I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader trilogies, the first novel of which was nominated as a YALSA Teens Top Ten. Kieran lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young sons.

Editorial Reviews

After a serial killer attacks Rory Miller, the teenager and her family flee to an out-of-state FBI safe house in the nerve-racking first book in a trilogy from Brian (the Private series). Their destination, Juniper Landing, may not be as idyllic as it seems: the fog-soaked island town lacks phone and Internet service, and a group of powerful young locals is overly focused on Rory. Residents are untroubled when people mysteriously disappear; stranger still, Rory’s older sister can’t remember them after they are gone. Interstitial chapters, told from the murderer’s point of view, reveal that he remains committed to finishing his job (“He’d tasted her fear again, so sweet and salty.... The possibility was almost too much to bear”). The killer (who posed as Rory’s math teacher) is truly frightening, and readers will be haunted by his interludes and by the chilling evidence of his stalking. In contrast, the mystery of Juniper Landing itself is less of a thrill; questions will remain even when the truth is revealed, awaiting exploration in the later books. An Alloy Entertainment property. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Burnes, the Gernert Company. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 8 Up—Rory Miller has just barely survived an attempt on her life. Her attacker, serial killer Steven Nell, is on the loose, so Rory, her father, and her sister must enter a witness-protection program. As the family begins a new life in the vacation town of Jupiter Landing, it appears as if this place could provide the fresh start they all need. Rory and Darcy have been at odds for years. They meet a group of popular teens and party on the beach, hike, and surf. Just as the Millers start to feel at home in their new town, one of their friends goes missing. Rory wonders if this is just a coincidence or if it has something to do with Steven Nell, and she notices that things are amiss in Jupiter Landing. One of the local guys lurks around where ever she goes. Then other people start disappearing, but Rory is the only person who notices. In an interesting ending, Shadowlands leaves readers surprised and eager for the next installment in the trilogy. Teens who like chick lit and bit of a mystery will enjoy this one.—Shannon Seglin, formerly at Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA

School Library Journal

Rory's life is turned upside down when she is attacked by a serial killer who has been posing as a math teacher at her school. The FBI informs the family that over the years, Mr. Nell has murdered 14 other girls and always escaped. He is even able to overcome the alarm system the FBI has rigged at Rory's house to leave a rose and a threatening message on Rory's bed. Quickly, the family is sent from New Jersey down the coast to a Southern resort island town. Along the way, Rory has a vivid nightmare that she, her father, her sister and the attacker are all killed violently. Life in Juniper Landing is partly delicious and partly frightening. It's full of gorgeous boys and girls who quickly make the acquaintance of Rory and her sister, Darcy, but there is no cell service or Internet, isolating them. The juxtaposition of reality against the dream world mirrors the alternation between Rory's account of events and short sections in which the killer describes his thoughts. These passages combine with the peculiarity of the town, its weather and a populace that is gradually disappearing to provide the ample goose bumps and chills required for the genre; it's suspenseful all the way up to its final, disappointing reveal. Suspend disbelief and it's a fun ride. (Horror. 11-16)

Kirkus Reviews