Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Author: Kate Brian
Title: Shadowlands
Publication: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Audience: 14 and up
Source: Publisher via Netgalley

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?

Thoughts: This is my kind of fiction filled with mystery, suspense and a mind bender of an ending. The thrill of the chase is addictive. Rory has just had the scare of her life when a teacher that she trusts turns out to be a notorious serial killer that has tagged her as his next victim. He never expected her to fight back and escape as he was close to fulfilling his twisted fantasy. Thinking that the worst is behind her and that the FBI will catch him, she never believes that he would shatter any possible hope at normalcy. Steven Nell will never stop until he has her, his lucky number fifteen. 

This story is so much more than the mystery aspect; things start to shift gears once they move into their new home. The people in the town seem strange and something weird is going on with them. Not to mention that Rory keeps seeing and hearing things that remind her of Nell but she shrugs it off as paranoia. It’s also strange how quickly Rory and her sister Darcy adapt to their new environment, even sneaking out at night to go to parties, which I thought was extremely irresponsible considering a serial killer is after them. Darcy seems more focused on fitting in with the "it" crowd, who to her dismay are more interested in Rory. As things start to become more peculiar and people start to disappear Rory must come to the realization that she will never be safe as long as Nell hunting her. Overall, the writing flows fluidly from page to page and the story is intriguing. I was baffled by the ending and had to contemplate whether I missed the signs that lead to such a conclusion. Seriously mind boggling!