Customer Reviews

Shadow Falls

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The ending made me cry a little, and I'm a 35 year old man. I was actually interested in the main character's thoughts as she struggles with the anguish of having lost a loved one. Very sweet story. There are some moments of suspense in the story when she faces danger from a bear, and also when she is forced to climb down a cliff-face at great risk. I will save a copy for my children when they are old enough to read.

15 year old Annie McGraw doesn't want to spend the summer at her grandfather's home in the Tetons. Because every stone there reminds her of her beloved brother Cody, who died in a climbing accident some months ago. But she has no choice because her mom thinks that it's just what she needs to go on with life.
Annie and her grandfather never had an easy relationship and with Cody gone things have changed for the worse. Both don't know how to talk to the other and how to deal with Cody's death. Even though Annie doesn't want her summer to be special and worthy, she soon relaizes that maybe it's just what she needs to learn how to handle the loss of Cody.

I bought "Shadow Falls" right after I finished reading "Vibes" by Amy Kathleen Ryan because I enjoyed the book so much and wanted to read more by the author. "Shadow Falls" is absolutely different from "Vibes" and still I enjoyed both a lot.

The main theme in this book is loss and grief. At times it was heart-breaking to read how Annie dealt with Cody's death. The author showed in a haunting way how difficult it can be to go on with life when an important member of your family died. I loved the contrast between what happened in the now to what happened in Annie's flashbacks. This way the past and present were interwoven and I could understand why Annie felt the way she did.

The relationship between Annie and her grandfather is another major part of the story. Cody's dead brought to light what was wrong between them and in the end gave them a second chance. I enjoyed that their relationship didn't change from one second to another, this fit to their personalities and to the overall pace of the book.

The description of the wilderness and especially the woods was beautiful and captivating. I could see every little detail of the nature in my mind and even felt surrounded by it at times. In general Amy Kathleen Ryan's powerful, haunting and vibrant writing style was one of my highlights. Every little detail in this story was important and the author didn't use any superfluous words or story elements.

The little parts of Native American mythology and belief, that were added to the story, fit perfectly to Annie, her feelings and the wilderness she stayed in. A grizzly is playing a major role in Annie's stay in the Tetons and I loved how this powerful & wild animal was used to support Annie recovery.

What I especially enjoyed about "Shadow Falls" is that in the story there were no easy solutions or fast changes in people or relationships. These things take time and that's a message the author delivered in a beautiful and impressive way.

cover
At first I wasn't very happy with the cover, however after seeing it in reality and after reading the book I like it. It captures the mood of the book beautifully.

final appraisal
"Shadow Falls" is an emotional and heart-wrenching book with a strong heroine that deals with the aftermath of a horrible loss. The description of the nature in this book is beautiful and the story fascinated me through it's haunting writing style.
I would recommend this book to all readers who enjoy beautifully written stories with finesse and deep emotions.


what will I read next by the author
Next up on my list by Amy Kathleen Ryan is "Zen and Xander Undone" (already published, stand-alone novel) and then "Glow" (the first book in a new dystopian trilogy) in autumn.

This is a beautifully written, moving novel about teenage Annie's search for answers after her brother's accidental death. Ryan's writing is fluid and poetic, her characters are engaging and real-to-life and the descriptions of the Wyoming wilderness are fantastic. I highly recommend this novel to both teenagers and adults.

This touching and page-turning story contains beautiful descriptions of its locations in Jackson, Wyoming. Annie was someone I, when I was a shy, searching-for-answers teenager girl myself, would have like to have been friends with - she's realistic, quirky, and wins you over. I love the complexity of the characters (especially Marcus), and the lovely flashbacks to scenes with Cody. Very enjoyable!

I read this book about a year back and absolutely loved it. The woman who wrote it is actually my stepmothers' cousin. I am not a book worm and it takes a certain book to capture me, but this had what it took to keep my attention. I love it!

Having grown up in Wyoming, it's refreshing to see such a wonderful story using Wyoming as a backdrop. Ms. Ryan's characters are alive and real in their struggles to overcome grief. Her characterization of the mountains and its terrain really made me feel as if I were home again. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Annie and her grandfather. Their struggle to reconnect to one another in spite of the loss they shared is heartwarming and extremely touching. I hope that Ms. Ryan will go on to write more books of this caliber.

I couldn't put this book down. The characters are all compelling and very complex, you believe in them and in the story. And the descriptions of the natural beauty of the mountains make you feel like you are there. The relationships between Annie and her grandfather and all the other people around her are finely tuned and beautifully developed. This is a very honest, believable story of how different people deal with and, eventually, begin to recover from a devastating loss.

I read Shadow Falls in just a few sittings. Annie's conflicted emotions regarding her brother's death are refreshingly honest, painful and realistic.
Poetic setting descriptions put me right into those Teton mountains, into Jackson, into that stretch of Wyoming, which happens to be one of my favorite places in the world.
If you've ever wondered if it's truly possible to see a difficult family member in a new light (her grandpa), if you're curious about the dangers of rock and ice climbing, if you love adventure stories that also exercise your mind, this is your book.

A wonderful story dealing with life and death in the wilderness of Wyoming - Annie, changed forever by the loss of her brother, comes back for the annual summer visit to Grandpa's (one that she used to make with her brother) feeling insecure, unloved, inadequate compared to her vibrant, exciting, outdoorsy sibling. This book does justice to the complex layers of adolescent as well as adult grief, and introduces us not only to a cast of well-rounded, interesting characters but treats the wilderness itself as a character, embodied by the grizzly bear who appears to Annie throughout the story.