Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published July 13th 2010 by Egmont USA
After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA — a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.
Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach — the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after — seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.
Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach — the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after — seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.
Leanna (Daisy Chain Book Reviews):
Shadow Hills has been a hotly anticipated 2010 release around the blogosphere, and now I know why! Anastasia Hopcus has delivered a great story combining elements of gothic mystery with Greek mythology, shady town secrets, great characters, and one of the hottest YA romances I’ve read in a while. If you’ve been getting a little tired of the same old paranormal romance, then this book is for you. I can guarantee you won’t have read anything quite like it before! I raced through this book in one sitting, and have been totally left wanting more!
I liked the character of Phe right from the start. She’s come to Shadow Hills to attend Devenish Prep, the subject of her dead sister Athena’s last diary entry, and the place that has been haunting her dreams. Phe is a great protagonist - her character is so well written, and she’s very likeable and easy to relate to. I also loved the fact that Phe is by no means perfect. She’s a complex character, who is dealing with a lot of grief, she makes mistakes, likes to party, and takes a lot of risks.
One thing I really loved about Shadow Hills is that it has a great cast of characters all round. I really love character driven novels, and I often complain when I finish a book and don’t feel like I know the characters at all. That didn’t happen here. Even the fringe characters are beautifully described. Phe has some great friends, each with their own unique personality and quirks. I particularly loved reading about Adriana, who I thought was going to be a stereotypical beautiful ‘mean girl‘, but turned out to be one of the characters who made me laugh the most, and the opposite to what I was expecting. I also loved that the not-so-nice characters in this book were not just one-dimensional, and pure evil. Even the ultimate villain of the piece has understandable motivations, while Zach’s cousin Trent and sister Corinne are just characters you will love to hate!
I have to mention the relationship between Phe and Zach. These two are instantly drawn to each other, and their romance is hot. Phe falls hard for Zach, and he sounds totally dreamy, but I liked the fact that in embarking on this relationship, she didn’t ditch her friends like so many other characters in YA fiction. And why would she ditch these friends? They are awesome!
I loved that the story of Shadow Hills was completely unique. Often when I pick up YA fiction these days, I am just waiting until I encounter a vampire, werewolf, fairy or angel - that’s all well and good, but sometimes you want something a little different, and that’s provided here. This was such a refreshing read, with a really interesting storyline that is meticulously researched. This book kept me guessing right to the end. There are lots of twists and turns along the way, and more than a few surprises!
Overall, Shadow Hills is a great debut and one of my favourites of 2010. If you’re looking for a really great read with lots of mystery, suspense, action and romance, then this one is for you! Highly recommended!
I liked the character of Phe right from the start. She’s come to Shadow Hills to attend Devenish Prep, the subject of her dead sister Athena’s last diary entry, and the place that has been haunting her dreams. Phe is a great protagonist - her character is so well written, and she’s very likeable and easy to relate to. I also loved the fact that Phe is by no means perfect. She’s a complex character, who is dealing with a lot of grief, she makes mistakes, likes to party, and takes a lot of risks.
One thing I really loved about Shadow Hills is that it has a great cast of characters all round. I really love character driven novels, and I often complain when I finish a book and don’t feel like I know the characters at all. That didn’t happen here. Even the fringe characters are beautifully described. Phe has some great friends, each with their own unique personality and quirks. I particularly loved reading about Adriana, who I thought was going to be a stereotypical beautiful ‘mean girl‘, but turned out to be one of the characters who made me laugh the most, and the opposite to what I was expecting. I also loved that the not-so-nice characters in this book were not just one-dimensional, and pure evil. Even the ultimate villain of the piece has understandable motivations, while Zach’s cousin Trent and sister Corinne are just characters you will love to hate!
I have to mention the relationship between Phe and Zach. These two are instantly drawn to each other, and their romance is hot. Phe falls hard for Zach, and he sounds totally dreamy, but I liked the fact that in embarking on this relationship, she didn’t ditch her friends like so many other characters in YA fiction. And why would she ditch these friends? They are awesome!
I loved that the story of Shadow Hills was completely unique. Often when I pick up YA fiction these days, I am just waiting until I encounter a vampire, werewolf, fairy or angel - that’s all well and good, but sometimes you want something a little different, and that’s provided here. This was such a refreshing read, with a really interesting storyline that is meticulously researched. This book kept me guessing right to the end. There are lots of twists and turns along the way, and more than a few surprises!
Overall, Shadow Hills is a great debut and one of my favourites of 2010. If you’re looking for a really great read with lots of mystery, suspense, action and romance, then this one is for you! Highly recommended!
About this author
I'm a YA author (and addict). My debut novel, SHADOW HILLS, is out July 13th 2010 from Egmont! I love going to see bands, singing in the tiny rooms at Austin Karaoke, and making an idiot out of myself at the Alamo Drafthouse sing-alongs.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6920820-shadow-hills
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