Book Review: Watch the Shadows by Robin Winter

Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: Watch The Shadows
Author: Robin Winter
Publisher: White Whisker Books
Pages: Print/Ebook, 176
Release Date: April 20, 2015

Source: Author/Book Publicity Tour
—————————————————-
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who enjoy darker suspense stories, with a slow burn.

Add it on: Goodreads

In the college town of Isla Vista, California, small, odd things start happening. Science-geek Nicole notes the crows are leaving. Meg Burdigal can’t find her tabby cat, Schrand. Brian the postman feels uneasy at the rustlings, the shadows he’s seen at the edge of his vision on his delivery route in town. Now Nicole sees fewer and fewer homeless in the park. Using her knowledge of biology and forensics, Nicole searches for answers—but will anyone take the horror she finds seriously? In this unusual thriller, ‘Watch the Shadows’, author Robin Winter explores where the ordinary slams against the extraordinary.

I’ve been trying my best to wrap my mind around this book since I finished it. While I’m not sure Robin Winter’s book could be called horror, persay, it’s most definitely a read on the creepy side. If you’re willing to suspend disbelief, and to work your way through some slower parts, the payoff is there. This wasn’t what I was expecting, and that’s a compliment.

You know those movies where the unnamed creature lurks in the darkness, always on the periphery until the very end? I love those kinds of movies. The simple act of waiting for the creature to appear is always my favorite part. You stop, you wonder, you wait. Watch the Shadows makes perfect use of this. I felt the tension. Saw the creature a ton of different ways through the eyes of the characters. When it was finally revealed? It was perfect.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to give this story a higher rating. While the concept was brilliant, the execution was a little choppy. The characters felt a bit flat to me, since there wasn’t a lot of time to fully flesh them out. The writing, too, was a little jarring at times. I knew I was in the head of some characters who weren’t fully there, but it was still confusing. Only when I was in Nic’s head could I really latch onto things. Add in a rather slow middle portion, and I had to knock some stars off.

Still, this is an interesting read. It goes by quickly, the concept is intriguing, and I can see why so many readers praise Robin Winter. I do believe I’ll go out and seek more.
                                                                                

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.