Actual rating: lowering this to a 3. While the story is very quick-paced and there's a big twist that can catch you off guard, it's kind of all given away pretty easily and ruins how clever it can be. 
 First line: "His hands felt like ice." 
 Reread October 2017: Was looking for something quick to read instead of another book I was slogging through. Since I finished this one so fast, it has me motivated to get to the rest of the series! It's definitely not the best story out there but it's fast and entertaining, and I've always been a big fan of Kate Brian's books. 
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 Actual rating: 3.5 
 I wasn't quite sure what to expect heading into Shadowlands but having read Kate Brian's Private and Privilege series, I knew that she was amazing at writing novels that combined teenage reality with a good murder mystery. 
 The story opens with a frightening bang as Rory Miller is attacked in the woods by serial killer, Stephen Nell. Forced to go into witness protection, Rory, her sister Darcy, and their father are sent into hiding in the vacation town of Juniper Landing. Seemingly picturesque and peaceful, there starts to be weird and unexplained occurrences that add to the already eeriness vibe the book has going for it. 
 I was impressed with Rory and how faithful she remained to herself. She was very much her own person and never let others dictate how she was going to be. There was some romance bits sprinkled throughout the book but I never really got caught up in it, which for this book, I think is fine since it focuses on bigger things. Although this could be further developed in future sequels. 
 I'll be honest and say I had no idea where this book was going. I knew that there would be some type of paranormal element involved but up until the last chapter, I was oblivious. My reaction to the ending can be summed up as "whaaaaat?!" 
 Fast-paced and addicting, Kate Brian wrote what she knows best, as Shadowlands had me hooked from its opening chapter all the way until its mind blowing last page.