Customer Reviews

Valley of the Shadow

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4 star:		(7)
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Vanish was terrifying. I remember reading through the night just to make sure there would be sunlight shining through the slats if I woke from a nightmare. There is nothing more frightening than waking up to a pitch black room that still manages to have shadows playing tricks on your mind.

And sometimes it's more about what you don't see than what you see. Because, as I sit here and consider Pawlik's latest offering, Valley of the Shadow, the sequel to Vanish, I don't recall blood, guts, or gore that would haunt my visions at night. That seems to be Pawlik's strength--allowing your imagination to run wild. He's a minimalist like that. Your mind does most of the work for you, while he tells the story.

Pawlik uses the same formula he used in Valley's predecessor, an ensemble cast of characters traversing a strange place between life and death called "Interworld." The first book's protagonist and hero Connor Hayden is back, as are Mitch and Devon. Only, this time around, Pawlik spends more time outside "Interworld" than he did in the first one.

But, this time around, there seems to be more a malevolent, pointed force trying to destroy our wandering souls. A mystery surrounds farmer Howard Bristol and that forces the reader to grapple with questions about our choices and the consequences of abusing the free will given to us. The interplay of the story and moral are not as easy to ascertain as the first book, but its there if you're looking for it. The characters, at times, come across as a little cookie cutter, but they're easily identifiable and believable enough that it's forgivable. Also, Pawlik does a good job of humanizing these cardboard cutout characters, making them infinitely relatable, despite the fact we've met them time and time again in novels, both Christian and secular.

My only difficulty with this story is that in one sense it panders to those kinds of readers who need tidy bows and resolution to make their faith-based reading make sense. Vanish left the story open-ended. You didn't exactly know what way it went for certain characters, but you got the sense that it continued and you didn't have to know what happened to them in order for the present story to feel complete. Actually, that gave the story a sense of beauty and mystery that I appreciated. Thus, creating a sequel messes with that beauty somewhat. Those readers got their nice tidy bow and we all got more story, but we lost a little of the beauty we were initially left with.

My personal concerns aside, Pawlik's Valley of the Shadow is still a strong offering that will leave the reader looking for things that go bump in the night. And, more than that, Pawlik treads theological minefields that make for really interesting dialogue between the characters. In many ways, the dialogue is so good, it feels as if you're watching a good movie on DVD. Though, if I'm honest, it didn't always feel as organic as it was in the first book. I wonder if this is a problem of all sequels? Did I so fall in love with Vanish that Valley of the Shadow could never live up to it? I hope that is not the case, but I freely admit that it could be.

If you haven't read Vanish, I'd suggest starting there. Valley of the Shadow will be a much richer experience if you do. In the end, Pawlik never preaches. He tells a story. A parable of sorts. And the lessons our characters learn of choice, temptation, sacrifice, risk, influence, and reward are all lesson we would do good to learn. An emotionally compelling thriller that will keep you up at night. Nice job, Tom. Keep `em coming.

All told, I'd recommend Valley of the Shadow to anyone. It is fast-paced, engaging and is a great continuation of what was started in Pawlik's debut, Vanish. A strong second offering, we look forward to reading more from this exciting author.

In my review of the previous book in this series, Vanish, I mentioned that the book didn't go to very many possible story angles. In this book, however, much more possibility is explored. Many, many things were unexpected. Also unlike the last book, the story ended in a very satisfying way. It also presents more opportunity to delve into the idea. The Christian themes of the book were pretty apparent, some being Heaven, faith, and prayer.

This book was excellent! It was so engrossing! I couldn't wait to read what happened next! Recommendation: Read Vanish first to get the background. It is just as good!

Vanish was a very good suspense novel and Valley is a worthy sequel. More overtly Christian in perspective but with surprising turns. These works by Pawlik are part Frank Peretti mixed with a dash of Paul Bunyon and a dose of Dean Koontz.

A page turner and a good sequel to Vanish. The chapters hop from one character to the next intertwing you through their journey, thus making you anticipate the next chapter even more. No dull spots, but for the plot to make sense Vanish is a must read. I cannot wait to read more by this author, as this is my kind of science fiction.

I loved the first novel in this series "Vanish" and recomended it to friends and family. I am not quite as taken with this sequel. I felt there were characters who appear in the book for no good reason, and extra characters put in to fill a void. This is an exciting series, but the first one is the best. As with many series books, the sequel never is as good.

"There's two guys--two kids in a car," Jim's voice was shaky. Out of breath. "I think they've just been shot..." Tom pulls you into his story quickly and he never stops drawing you deeper and deeper into his thoughtfully woven story.

Tom Pawlik has a very creative imagination and an exciting writing style that keeps you turning the pages to see what he's created for you to experience next. Tom gives you a glimpse into a universe--interworld--beyond the physical, into heavenly realms and beyond.

I haven't read anything this creative, refreshing and eye opening since Frank Peretti hit the book world with This Present Darkness. Tom Pawlik has a gift of lifting the veil for us so he can give us a peek into the spiritual struggle we can't see here on earth.

The main characters thought of Eternity. "It was serious business after all. Eternity. Conner was surprised--and saddened--at how little thought most people seemed to give the topic. Death was the one thing they could be certain of, yet they acted as if ignorance would make them live forever."

This author also has a good sense of humor, "Conner, you've gone from being a hard-core agnostic to the apostle Paul in a matter of weeks. Didn't you think that might be a little disconcerting to some of your friends?"

This book is not for the faint of heart. Although there is a very powerful spiritual thread throughout the entire story the author reveals the evil side of this world and that of the next. It may make you feel uncomfortable, but it does make you think. There are haunting situations that are woven in the middle of some spiritually amazing scenes. Tom Pawlik stays away from being totally gruesome; I wouldn't have been able to read this book if he would've gone over the edge.

I think Tom Pawlik has a good balance of good and evil portrayed in this novel. Please push through the parts that make you go `Hmmm,' my friend, because this author also takes you to the mountain tops and your spirit will soar! It will give you hope, and a new perspective of just how much the Lord cares for you. You won't stop thinking about this story after you've finished. You can count on it!!

Finding Hope Through Fiction
Book Club Servant Leader

Connor Hayden died from a heart attack (see VANISH) and his spirit was sent to Interworld, a place that connects the mortal realm with the spiritual one. Having been resuscitated, Connor checks on those people who died and were resurrected that same night. He finds out about Devon, Mitch and a few others. Some went to the other side. Mitch is in a coma while Devon is in juvenile prison when a stranger, someone he brought back from the other side, helps him escapes and tries to "save him

Mitch is in Interworld with farmer Howard Bristol who is keeping him alive preventing him from moving on thanks to a deal he made with Death. If he keeps him there too long, Mitch's body will die in the mortal world and his spirit go to hell. God has allowed Nathan, a spirit like him, to help him return to his body on the mortal plane. Devon's "helper" orders him to kill but his family and the Good Samaritan makes him hesitate. Connor is led to the Bristol farm to learn the truth of farmer Howard Bristol.

The lesson in VALLEY OF THE SHADOW is that people take actions and must be held responsible and accountable for them even when influenced by malevolence like Howard, the personification of evil who intends to abuse God's will to turn the flock from the lord. This inspirational supernatural thriller never deeply preaches (though more so than its predecessor); as Tom Pawlik subtly uses his cast and story line to bring his message of spiritual choices and healing to the reader. Filled with twists including a great finishing one, this is an emotional uplifting thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Valley of the Shadow is a sequel to Vanish. MAJOR SPOILERS for Vanish are present in this review.

Valley of the Shadow takes place two months after the events of Vanish. At the end of Vanish, Connor and Devon learn the truth about where they were and what they experienced. Connor recovered from his heart attack, a changed man, but disturbed by nightmares of the farm. Devon survived to find himself in a juvenile prison, haunted by his experience. Mitch's body is still in a comma and his spirit on the farm, not truly understanding what happened to him. While Mitch tries to discern the truth, Connor is in a race against time to discover the meaning of his nightmares.

Valley of the Shadow was a step up from Vanish. Vanish spent too much time on the `what's going on aspect' and too little time developing the story. Valley of the Shadow moves along at a nice smooth pace, switching between the three plots and building a good amount of suspense. There were several events that were quite surprising, especially in the last 30 pages. I enjoyed the different plot twists and was quickly turning the page to see what would happen next.

There's quite a few supernatural elements and speculation in Valley of the Shadow. Most of it worked for me. Pawlik was original in his descriptions and he obviously put a great deal of thought into the supernatural aspects of the book.

While Vanish did not have a great deal of blatant spiritual teachings, Valley of Shadow did. There were some parts that were quite heavy handed, but that's a feature prominent in many Christian fiction novels. There were some themes I would have liked for Pawlik to have dug deeper into, like the chains of actions that lead to a particular event. I also would have liked to have further explored the relationship between the characters and the events that lead them to where they were and into the future.

I enjoyed Valley of the Shadow. Pawlik improved his writing technique and wrote a well thought out, suspenseful novel. I don't know if there are plans for another book in the series, but it would be nice. Several of the character's stories could use a little more tying up.

Good stuff and well written. I was a little disappointed in the way it ended but then again I didn't write the book!