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littlespookysmut's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of this book was really good and I was like on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what’s going on. The lucid dreaming stuff was so good and then the twist in the middle??? Like the whole point of the lucid dreaming was to show that he can create a whole scenario in this head?? Ugh this book was disappointing.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
3.0
This was fine. Some interesting dream stuff. Very 'true crime' feeling.
bplum27's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
kimgunn's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Solid mystery/thriller. It wasn't particularly creepy or as good as The Whisper Man, but still a decent enough read/audiobook.
paulabrandon's review against another edition
3.0
Paul Adams returns to his hometown upon learning that his mother is dying. He left 25 years earlier after two of his friends brutally murdered another classmate in a Slenderman-type scenario. One of the boys, Charlie Crabtree, the manipulative ringleader of the group, was never seen again.
25 years ago, Paul and his friends were big into "lucid dreaming" and believing in shared visions of Red Hands, a mysterious shadowy figure. Paul never really bought into it, but the legend of Charlie Crabtree and Red Hands continues to this day, and has inspired several copycat murders.
As Paul reconnects with childhood girlfriend Jenny Chambers, he gets the sense he is being followed. The latest copycat murder has brought Amanda Beck to town. It appears as if the past isn't at rest and Paul could still be in danger.
The Whisper Man was a ripper thriller, managing to be both scary and suspenseful. Sophomore slump is very evident here. The author takes on the over-used "then" and "now" format to describe current events, and the events in the past that led to the murder of one of Paul's classmates. The present proceedings are decent, with the same sort of spooky imagery and scenes found in The Whisper Man. However, the chapters in the past often drag the story to a halt. There was WAY, WAY, WAY too much talk about lucid dreaming, which led to one of my pet hates in books of describing what happens in a character's dreams.
There was a plot twist about three quarters of the way through that I did not see coming at all, but it still felt a bit cheap, and on reflection, I could see how the author was only able to achieve this through characters not saying out loud what you would expect any character to say out loud with that sort of knowledge. It's a case of all the characters knowing something, but not the reader, and I think that's a bit lazy.
The plot involving the copycat murders throughout the years just seems to get dropped halfway through the story and nothing interesting comes of it.
Paul's character was a bit too mopey and boring as an anchor for this sort of story, but the relationship with his mother was sad and handled well.
The Shadow Friend is a decent thriller, but nowhere at the standard of Alex North's first novel. It will keep you interested, but there's nothing here you haven't seen or read before.
25 years ago, Paul and his friends were big into "lucid dreaming" and believing in shared visions of Red Hands, a mysterious shadowy figure. Paul never really bought into it, but the legend of Charlie Crabtree and Red Hands continues to this day, and has inspired several copycat murders.
As Paul reconnects with childhood girlfriend Jenny Chambers, he gets the sense he is being followed. The latest copycat murder has brought Amanda Beck to town. It appears as if the past isn't at rest and Paul could still be in danger.
The Whisper Man was a ripper thriller, managing to be both scary and suspenseful. Sophomore slump is very evident here. The author takes on the over-used "then" and "now" format to describe current events, and the events in the past that led to the murder of one of Paul's classmates. The present proceedings are decent, with the same sort of spooky imagery and scenes found in The Whisper Man. However, the chapters in the past often drag the story to a halt. There was WAY, WAY, WAY too much talk about lucid dreaming, which led to one of my pet hates in books of describing what happens in a character's dreams.
There was a plot twist about three quarters of the way through that I did not see coming at all, but it still felt a bit cheap, and on reflection, I could see how the author was only able to achieve this through characters not saying out loud what you would expect any character to say out loud with that sort of knowledge. It's a case of all the characters knowing something, but not the reader, and I think that's a bit lazy.
The plot involving the copycat murders throughout the years just seems to get dropped halfway through the story and nothing interesting comes of it.
Paul's character was a bit too mopey and boring as an anchor for this sort of story, but the relationship with his mother was sad and handled well.
The Shadow Friend is a decent thriller, but nowhere at the standard of Alex North's first novel. It will keep you interested, but there's nothing here you haven't seen or read before.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC.
Twenty-five years ago, Charlie Crabtree committed a gruesome murder - a murder so shocking that mention of it can only be found in the dark corners of the Web. After the murder, Charlie conveniently vanishes without a trace. His friend at the time, Paul Adams has successfully put his life back together and moved on. Then it happens – a copycat is on the loose. Is it Charlie or totally new monster? Creepiness factor = 8/10.
Twenty-five years ago, Charlie Crabtree committed a gruesome murder - a murder so shocking that mention of it can only be found in the dark corners of the Web. After the murder, Charlie conveniently vanishes without a trace. His friend at the time, Paul Adams has successfully put his life back together and moved on. Then it happens – a copycat is on the loose. Is it Charlie or totally new monster? Creepiness factor = 8/10.
leahpoplestone's review against another edition
4.0
A psychological thriller based on a ritualistic murder that took place in a small town 25 years ago. Two friends, Paul and James, are introduced to fellow classmates Charlie and Billy in an INTERESTING way. The reader follows along as these young boys encounter various twists and turns once Charlie introduces the crew to lucid dreaming.
This was my first read by Alex North, and I really enjoyed their writing style! So many things were unfolding over the course of this book, I found it difficult putting it down
This was my first read by Alex North, and I really enjoyed their writing style! So many things were unfolding over the course of this book, I found it difficult putting it down
emilye3's review against another edition
5.0
Very atmospheric and enjoyable to read. I loved this authors other book and will continue to read anything he comes out with. This book was creepy and I loved all the plot twist. Highly recommend!