**REVIEW** Shadowlands by Kate Brian

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?

Release Date: January 8, 2013

Published By: Hyperion

Review Copy: ARC
*Provided by publisher

Review

  You know I'm really not sure how to go about this review.  Did I enjoy the book? Yes.  Do I fully understand what went down? Maybe.  You know when you have this feeling that what is going on is more than it appears?  Well that's how I felt almost all of this book.  The fact that no one else felt this or would listen to Rory made me want to shake them.  That's basically all I can say without giving the entire ending and basically the book away.  

  The story itself did pull me in.  Rory was your average girl, not so popular but mostly content with the way things were going.  Minus the crush she had on her older sisters ex boyfriend.  Then life turns into chaos, Rory is attacked and gets away.  That however is just the beginning because Rory's attacker is a serial killer and has never missed his mark.  The FBI decides the best course of action is to send Rory, her dad and her sister away and make them part of the witness protection program.  Problem was they did it in broad daylight right from the house...  Yup, big hole for me because seriously how many people were there watching?  Then after some minor blips the family makes it
 to their destination.  This is where everything that was supposed to go right, 
seems to go wrong.  Though I had issues with these things it kind of turned out to be a part of Brian's cleverly structured writing.

  Rory doesn't strive to be the center of attention and is actually just more comfortable being herself than trying to impress others.  When the islanders seem to take to her faster than her sister she tries to step out of the spotlight because that just isn't her.   Though now that I have had time to reflect maybe I liked her because there was nothing spectacular about her.  She wasn't the gorgeous girl that didn't think she was, she didn't realize out of the blue she had some special power but in all her glorious normality I found a character that I didn't exactly connect with but could appreciate.

  There are actually quite a few other characters that play important parts though out this one but to avoid a ridiculously long chunk of the review being on them I will give you a quick break down.   Darcy, Rory's older sister is the girl that is used to getting what she wants and being the one in the spotlight.  Though she drove me mostly because she just wouldn't listen to Rory but at the same time it's hard to listen to someone that never really spoke up before then.  Tristan and Joaquim are the love interests.  Well Tristan is the love interest and Joaquim is the guy that wants Rory but she seems to think he is far to arrogant for her.  I will admit I did kind of like Joaquim and well... Him in general I guess.  The entire time I wanted Rory to com around with him but then she just wouldn't have been her.

  Okay so I have to fess up now.  The story pulled me, the characters interested me and 90% of the time I thought knew what was going on.  I didn't.  I had no freaking clue because everything kept moving, kept me questioning.  At one point I wondered if her sister was in on it.   When I finished the book I thought it through and then went back and read the last few chapters again because honestly I thought I had missed something.  I hadn't but was relieved to find out that this was not a stand alone like I had thought (I need to look into these things first) because if it wasn't I may not have felt the same or been as calm about the ending.

  If you want something that will stay with you, haunt you this is the read for you.  Through thrills, chills and maybe a few moments that I myself wanted to  hide, I didn't want to put this one down.  I'm in dire need of some sort of clue as to where this is going and while I wait I will be looking into more of this authors novels.

Quotes

My blood turned to ice.  Fourteen girls.  He'd murdered fourteen girls.  And I was supposed to be next.  I was number fifteen.

Messenger stared her down. "Not my style.  Now I suggest you all start packing.  You're leaving here in fifteen minutes.  No photos, no personal items or IDs.  Nothing that connects you in any way to this life."

Every time I saw Tristan, it was like I was surprised all over again by how gorgeous he was-his blond hair grazing those insane cheekbones, his deep tan, his strong-looking arms.

I leaned both hands into the desk, struggling to get a hold of myself.  Clearly, I was on edge if an old lady and. Bird could take this much out of me.