Gaby Winters is still haunted by the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude, a year earlier and left her broken and scarred. Despite her grief, she is slowly putting her life back together in the small seaside town of Pan Beach, away from her family and former life.
But every night she dreams about killing demons, a beautiful and brutal man by her side.
When Rafa turns up for real, Gaby begins to realise that everything she thought she knew about her past is a dream and the truth might actually be closer to her nightmares.
After last week’s review of Anna Dressed in Blood, this is another fantastic YA supernatural romance. From the very first page I was swept up in the story and the pace and force of the writing never let me go.
Shadows is beautifully written; the author manages to construct both gorgeous descriptions and blistering action with a deft touch. Although this book deals with the supernatural, the emotional core of the story is grounded in reality, with Gaby struggling to deal with the loss of her twin brother and rebuild her life in a new place. Her emotions are raw and powerful, but totally believable.
Gaby’s relationships are also central to the novel, and they are brilliantly rendered. She lives with best friend Maggie, a free-spirit who alternates between caring and partying as required. When Rafa appears, Gaby is thrown straight into a complicated will they-won’t they romance, as she begins to discover more about her past life and the person she used to be.
My main issue with this genre is always when the male love interest is written as a complete dick, who treats the girl with scorn and abuse, yet she still seems willing to fall for him and make any sacrifice the plot requires. The character of Rafa fits nicely into that stereotype, yet he isn’t a bad guy. He and Gaby at times have a very tender relationship and although he plays up his image as a bad boy, he does actually care for and protect her, which makes me root for the relationship even more.
This novel is primarily set in Australia, which I felt gave the story a totally different feel as it manages to have an undertone of humour and the characters embody the relaxed surfer lifestyle, before the action kicks in.
I powered through this book in one evening and can’t wait for the sequel.
9/10
Please note: I received an advance copy of this book as part of the Amazon Vine programme, however opinions are my own.