Elmer Foster's Reviews > Shadowland

Underrated Horror master! Straub is detailed, eccentric, and is a natural story teller. No wonder King keeps wanting to write books with him.

Shadowland was intense. From the multi layered timeline approach to investing in prep school students as lead characters, this story covered much ground for a singular title. There were parables within the story that related to where the story was intending to go, provided clues as to who was tricking whom, and added dimensions that expanded the tale beyond the pages being read.

Oh to be sure, the casual reader will quit during the stereo typical prep school hazing segment. But venture beyond and the tale continues to unfold, yet be mindful of what you've read! We have seen these characters before, elsewhere certainly, but under different names. Yet in Carson, they have a role to play.

I guess the "hero" would be Tom Flanagan, since it is his tale to share to the unknown writer/classmate from years ago. But do we drink in his tale whole-heartedly? or do we remain skeptical throughout? You decide. But then who, when, and where does the villain appear? Read and find out.

The engagement of the reader from the here and now, relating to a story of teen years that includes further historical tales of relevance beyond that, with cautionary Grimm's Fairy Tales, every so often, only to have a digression into the nearer present era, then return to the teen story involving staged productions to distract...worked for me.

(Would have loved to see his storyboard of ideas when drafting this story.)

I didn't feel any true terror, per se, but felt the tension between the characters as displayed. And eagerly, vicariously, shadowed their footsteps throughout their adventure. There were singular moments that Straub nailed from the age perspective, that made you know what he was putting into the story, and that he knew those moments deeply.

I read elsewhere and would agree, this was a known precursor to the Potter series, easily read by Rowling and interpreted by her, toward a more family friendly audience. The character beats are there, certainly (two boys, and a girl traipsing thru magic-ville, for starters) and the over whelming and likely unacknowledged occult parallel world around the characters involved.

This tapestry was expertly woven, until you are left breathless.

Thanks for reading.