The Figure In the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) [Mass Market Paperback]

John Bellairs (Author), Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Lewis Barnavelt

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updated cover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with this haunting new look!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Is there no end to the suspense John Bellairs can create? (School Library Journal, starred review)

There’s suspense and action aplenty. . . . Perfect for the pre-Stephen King set. (Booklist)

Brace yourself for a wild ride. (Kirkus Reviews)

About the Author

John Bellairs died in 1991, leaving a rich legacy of critically acclaimed, best-selling Gothic novels.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142402605
• ISBN-13: 978-0142402603
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Horror books ever, July 27, 2000

By 

malicia - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Figure in the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book in the 70s or early 80s. I was so frightened by it that I stored it under my sister's bed at night just to keep it out of my room and away from me. It scared me that much - It's very vivid. To this day, the smell of wet ashes reminds me of the book. I mean this all in the best way, of course. I was, perhaps, a little unprepared for the depth of spookiness found in this book, but now I realize that while it frightened the living daylights out of me, it also thrilled me. I credit this book and MacBeth (also read when far too young and impressionable) for my love of "unseen" psychological horror fiction today. Definitely talk with your child after they read this, though. You don't want them spooking at every imagined figure in the shadows.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good fun, June 24, 2004

By 

Michael Cornett "Madman" (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Figure in the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lewis Barnavelt (introduced in THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS) is having problems. He's picked on by bullies and he's afraid his best friend, Rose Rita, doesn't respect him because he's not rough-and-tough. When he finds his great-grandfather's lucky coin, he starts wearing it, hoping it will bring him luck...only to discover that it's actually a powerful talisman and a sinister hooded figure is watching over him.

This isn't quite up to the level that HOUSE was, but it's still a grand entertainment. We feel Lewis' pain and rage at being a target and at his inability to intervene when Rose Rita is attacked by bullies. Lewis' love/hate relationship with the talisman can also been seen as a symbol of drug addiction.

It all ends well, with a good message about loyalty and a caution against using outside props (talismans or drugs). Next in the series: THE LETTER, THE WITCH AND THE RING.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, July 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Figure in the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a great book! It was a spine chiling tale that I read in one day. It was almost as good as The House with a Clock in its walls. The Figure in the Shadows is a story of a boy who finds a magical amulet and says a spell that raises the powerful spells on the coin. It allows him to have good luck, but that all changes when he starts getting followed by a shadowy creature. I reccommend this book to other kids. And I will be willing to give more than 5 stars.