Review- In The Shadows by Sharon McDonnell
Style: 5/5
Writing; 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.75/5
Overall: 5/5
Firstly, I owe a huge thank you to the author of this incredible novel, Sharon McDonnell, for sending me a review copy of this book. I am so grateful as I was able to read this commendable book!
The story evolves around Kiki and her older sister, Tracey. Kiki was a normal teenager until she reached the age of 14. From then things began to change and Kiki’s life would soon be like a dark abyss. The only aspect that truly marked Kiki as different to other teenagers as her strong belief in her imaginary friend, Gabe. I don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say that her belief in Gabe was stronger than anyone could have ever thought.
After Kiki’s fourteenth birthday, Gabe disappeared. Instead of him were creatures, vile and cruel, straight out of Kiki’s most dreadful nightmares. These creatures were truly evil- they wished to have power over Kiki’s life and control every part of her.
Kiki does not tell anyone and tries to hide what is happening, futilely trying to move on in her life with the exception of her sister Tracey. Slowly, as Kiki’s mental health clearly become worse, Tracey has no choice. She had to do something to save her sister.
Kiki is kept in hospital, drugged and submitted to the wrath of her tormentors, her monsters. We soon learn about her journey through her own personal hell and the reader is left sitting on edge at every turn of the page. I was breathless throughout the entire novel as I was in utter awe and anticipation of the next page.
Tracey is a sweet and caring older sister who is extremely worried for her younger sister. She has to face responsibilities and take a stand, even if it meant losing her sister and having her placed in a hospital.
“Basically, they have given up on her and she is condemned to this life forever. I am filled with remorse, why did I start this?”
I really love Kiki. She went through what a child her age should never be subjected to. I could almost relate to her feelings and it broke my heart to see what her demons had done to her.
“At first, I thought they were figments of my imagination. I think that was their plan as I have always had an active imagination. I had spent almost all of my childhood conversing with my friend Gabe, no one else could see him, but that did not make him any less real to me.”
“But he got weak in their presence and soon he disappeared completely.”
“If you could feel their claws pull the flesh from inside you, as they tell you do as they want and they will stop hurting you, yet, when you stop fighting them, their strength grows, and they harm you on the outside, their marks plain for all to see. Then you would know it is real.”
I was pleasantly surprised by the spiritual and more religious aspect of the novel. There were various references to God and, if you read the novel, a very big part to do with God. For a minute, I believed strongly that she had lost her faith but the ending of the novel (a major plot twist, might I add) proved me wrong.
“My connection with anything good in my life was gone. It felt as if they had put a shield around me and nothing could enter. I felt that anything connected with my soul was pushed away. I could no longer feel God’s presence in my life, that my link with Him was gone also.”
“ I loved nature because it brought me nearer to God. My love for God was another good thing in my life. I felt His love as He guided me through life. It was another thing Gabe and I shared, he loved God as much as I did.”
Alex- now what do I say about him? M feelings about him changed rapidly throughout the novel but in a good way. I liked him, hated him and then really liked him. He was Kiki’s nurse and I personally thought he was sweet. There were times where I wanted to slap him but I now understand his choices. I believe that the author did a great job in developing his character.
“I know that in my heart I have always loved Kiki, but in an innocent way; the way you would love a child.”
Now let’s move on to Gabe. Gabe was a complete mystery and I won’t say too much as I might ruin the novel for some potential future readers. He disappeared suddenly, and the novel is like a rollercoaster, trying to find out what happened to him. Is he real? Or is he purely part of Kiki’s imagination?
“The only time I wanted to be alone was when I walked, I loved nature and with Gabe with me on these walks, it was like a little piece of heaven.”
Without giving too much away, I’d like to mention Father Michael. He is a wise and religious elderly man who believes strongly in God. He is a complex character and I really enjoyed reading about him!
So, the demonic creatures. They were terrifying. The author did a brilliant job of describing them and I really enjoyed learning about them. From the author’s description, I felt as though these creatures were real and I half expected them to come out of no-where!
“They come in force, I feel their anger. Their strength is overwhelming. I am in trouble, they will not let me escape. The blackness comes slowly, they are not even trying to hide their anger. It is the first time I have feared them and they know it.”
“Black shadows surround me, it is the first time I have seen their physical form. They are terrifying. At first, they look like black shadows but soon see their features. They are the size of small children. Their bodies are black but the substance of that body is similar to tar.”
Overall, I think this was an incredible book! It was captivating and original. There were no obvious plot twists and it was definitely not predictable. It was simply and formally written but this was effective, and I truly enjoyed it. I hope to read more work from Sharon McDonnell in the near future and I truly do recommend this book if you want something different.