Customer Reviews

The Shadow Within

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

 

 

I don't usually read Young Adult novels and didn't really expect to like The Shadow Within very much, but I picked it up on the recommendation of some friends and couldn't put it down! It's well-written, with well-drawn characters who grow and change in a believable manner as the story unfolds. The main characters are likeable, the plot compelling and well paced. The scary parts are scary, but though it has its dark moments, I didn't think the darkness was overly glorified and would feel comfortable allowing younger teens to read it. In fact, I enjoyed how the characters learned valuable lessons in how to deal with the common problems that plague young adults these days (such as school bullies, divorce, rivalry, shyness) as well as the more esoteric problems of how to handle monsters and demons.

Only once toward the end did I come upon a part that confused me, and that could have been my own fault for reading the book so quickly. (I won't give any details as I don't want to include any spoilers.) I thought The Shadow Within was so good overall that I gave it 4 stars, bought 3 copies to give as gifts to a couple of teenagers (and kept the 3d copy for my library), and added YA horror to the list of genres I enjoy reading. I can't wait for Ms. Wilson's next YA novel to come out in a month or so!

P.S. Also loved the cover art!

It takes a really good book to keep me up until two in the morning, desperate to know what happens next. The Shadow Within is an excellent addition to the young adult paranormal romance genre, although I believe people of all ages will be entertained. With vivid, relatable characters and a suspenseful plot, I found myself drawn into the book only disappointed by the fact that the book ended!! But I'm happy to hear that there will be a sequel.

Fans of Meg Cabot's The Mediator series and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight are sure to enjoy The Shadow Within.

Jessie Connor is a senior, and not a very popular one at that. Reece and Amber are the two that give her the most trouble. They constantly call her names, prevent her from opening her locker when she does go, and basically makes her life at school miserable. Luckily she has one true friend that makes school manageable. Annie and Jessie have been friends since the fifth grade even though they are complete opposites. Where Jessie is plain with untreated brown hair, Annie has a pierced lip and short, spiky, purple hair.

Jessie's uneventful life gets turned upside down when she clumsily falls into the arms of Wesley Peterson. Even though he has attended the school for months, Jessie can't recall ever seeing him. Once she officially meets him she can't take her eyes off of him. She notices he even sits across from her in science class. Eventually, they start eating lunch together and become much closer. The one strange thing she notices about him is that no one seems to remember who he is. Teachers in the classroom don't remember if he was in class and students don't remember him after he has walked away. Jessie is the only one who seems to remember him from day to day.

Once Wesley realizes that Jessie is special, he decides to tell her the truth about himself and introduce her to his brother. It turns out Wesley and his brother Brian are from another dimension. They were sent to Earth by their mother to avoid the dangers of their world. The problem is, some of the danger has followed them to Earth. Jessie, Wesley, and Brian will have to work together in order to survive.

THE SHADOW WITHIN is a real page-turner. Jenine Wilson does a spectacular job writing about high school life. The way she blends fantasy with the real world is done so smoothly that you can almost believe there are good-looking guys from other dimensions walking around on this planet. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down--and when you are finished, you'll be asking for more.

Reviewed by: Karin Perry

As both a teen librarian and a reviewer of children's/ YA books, I can say with great certainty that this is a great book! I loved the characters, the story, and the fantasy feel to it and am definitely looking forward to a sequel! I have been recommending it to all the teens I know who read fantasy/supernatural books. Read this book!

I think it was around page 50 or so that I discovered the supernatural layer to this book - and it was there that I found myself at the point of no return. 2 AM must be the magic hour; that's the time I reached the end, I could not put it down. And on a work night!
Sincere, distinctive, relatable characters... good flow - nothing dragged on, good detail and not TOO much detail... creative story line. Very enjoyable. A definite re-read - and not much qualifies for that category! You feel the chills & excitement from Wesley's gazes, you worry over the characters to the point you wished you could physically read faster to know if they are ok. If the rumor is true there will be a sequel, add me to the pre-order list!

Reviewed by Tabytha Joy (age 15) For Reader Views (7/07)


"The Shadow Within" is about a girl named Jessie. One day, while at school, Jessie ends up falling. A boy named Wesley ends up catching her. Jessie wonders why she had never seen this boy before. Wesley and Jessie end up befriending each other and start sitting together at lunch.

One day Jessie is sure that she witnessed a murder. But the person she saw as the murderer is Wesley. All Jessie could do was to try to convince her self that Wesley could not be a murderer. Suddenly, odd things start happening, and Jessie cannot figure it out; that was until Wesley told Jessie that he is not human. At first, Jessie does not believe him. She even considers stopping all contact with Wesley. But then, Wesley explains to Jessie what she had seen. He also proves to her that he is not human. Jessie is not a part of everything that is happening. She is also at risk along with Wesley and Wesley's brother. Will the good side win? Or will evil take over?

"The Shadow Within" is a must read for everyone! This book takes you into a whole new world. I really like how the author included a lot of emotions in this book. For example, when Wesley is in the hospital, everyone was saying that Wesley was going to die. Wesley would not allow his brother to heal him. This part of the story was really sad. I also like how the author ended the story. Not one question seemed to be left unanswered. I am really looking forward to reading many more books by Jenine Wilson.

Book received at no charge.

As a Young Adult novel, he found the book riveting and totally engaging and kept reading it even whenI could not (then I'd have to scramble to catch up to where he was in the book).
If you want to know a bit about the plot, it concerns Jessie Connor, a senior at Leland High. The world of high school and a difficult home life are described believably. When a new student arrives, things get very spooky and Jessie is both drawn to him and frightened by him. This ambivalence and the resulting events make for a very good book!
I think this one might be most attractive to teen girls and seems to be aimed at that market but it is also a good choice for struggling readers or those who need prodding to read. The print is not tiny, the story moves quickly and it won't discourage budding teen readers, who need just a bit of urging to move on to become lifelong readers.

Jessie is your normal teen girl with a lot of problems. Her Dad has left her Mom and wants Jessie to go with him. Her Mom is using alcohol to forget her troubles. At school, Jessie has to deal with Reese, the school bully.

One day Jessie literally falls into the arms of the new boy in school, Wesley Peterson. She's immediately attracted to this gorgeous looking guy. She starts hanging out with him at lunch. Things are going good, until strange deaths start happening around town. Wesley keeps popping up at the places where the deaths occur. Is he involved in the murders? Could he be killing the people himself? Jessie doesn't want to think that, but she has to find out the truth of what's going on. Finding out the truth is going to take her on one strange adventure.

I started reading this book and could not put it down. The imagination in it is absolutely amazing. You find yourself sympathizing with the main character and can actually put yourself in her shoes. The suspense is very good, I couldn't wait to find out what happens next. I would recommend this book to anyone.

"The Shadow Within" was an enjoyable book to read. I was very impressed by the way the author wrote about what teens have to go through in and out of school. I would recommend this book to everyone regardless if they were a pre-teen, teenager or adult.