Shadowlands

Author: Kate Brian
Goodreads Rating: 3.77
Pages: 336
Format: ARC from the Publisher

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 was totally unsure of how to rate this book when I finished it. It was super fast paced and I read it in about 2 hours. I really enjoyed reading it, but the way that it left me was, somewhat confused, and that was caused entirely by the last third of the book. I'm really glad that I waited to write this review because I just found out that its going to be a series/trilogy, so all my icky feelings that I felt about what happened, were just resolved.
I loved the thriller part of this. When we start the book we see Nell stalking Rory and his process and while Rory doesn't seem to suspect a thing until it is too late. I loved that we were given a chance to see things from the mind of this serial killer once in a while and then bounce back into Rory's mind. The first chapter and a hand full after that are told from the point of view of the killer, and although it was erratic, I did feel that it helped to add to the overall suspense of the book.

I liked how it was Rory who was noticed in their new town as opposed to her bratty older sister who was so used to being the center of attention. I really didn't like Darcy because she was a big baby about what was happening to her little sister. She was panicked for about 10 seconds before she turned into a super bitch about what was happening to Rory. I mean, for shits sake, your little sister was assaulted by a serial killer and you're more concerned about the fact that you can't go to a party. Seriously? Seriously.

I loved that the book kept the adrenaline pumping as we were introduced to other characters and mysterious events. I liked meeting Tristan although his air of mystery was a little too much for me and I know why Rory was so confused by him and what his presence meant for her. I'm excited for him to explain a lot of what is going on with the island and its inhabitants. 

Like I said, learning that this book was going to be a series as opposed to a standalone made me feel so much better about what happened in the book because I wasn't really sure what anything meant, but now, knowing that I'm going to get a full explanation, I feel a lot better.

The Courts Decision: