Shadowland

Rating:
Summary: It still haunts me to this day!
Review: Like Ceclairbra, I read Shadowland when it first came out and I was about 13 yrs old. The story grabs you and sucks you in and doesn't let go! This was the first book I had read from P. Straub and I now own quite a few of his other books. This is a must read! You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of all time
Review: I read this book when I was 14, and reread it many times since. It never looses it's ability to hold my attention. If you love fiction, fantasy, and even a little horror, get ready for a wonderful treat. I'll bet you can't put it down...16 years later and I still can't.

Rating:
Summary: My favourite novel in any genre.
Review: I like lush, richly-textured prose, and this Straub delivers amply. The storyline is gothic, dense, hallucinatory; all adjectives that appeal greatly to my psyche. If you like Gene Wolfe, Michael Moorcock, and Charles Dickens, especially in a morbid and heady combination, you'll love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Strangly Terrifying
Review: This is the second Straub book I've read and although It was a very confusing and odd story, I must admit that I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put it down. If you want to start reading Straub however, it would be best to read Ghost Story or The Hellfire Club

Rating:
Summary: TOO MANY SHADOWS
Review: "Shadowland" is two stories in one book. The first is set in a strict prep school, the second is set in the confined house of a madman. Though this book had strong imagery and allegory, I found the story to be too complex. Straub tried to tackle too many issues at once and just barely scraped by. The characters are developed well, but I was unable to grasp the emotion of the love between Tom and the mysterious "Rose." If you'd like to read a book with a well-written love affair that is also black with horror I recommend reading "Wizard and Glass" by Stephen King. Overall, I found Shadowland to be too long, and the ending is unsatisfying and abrupt.

Rating:
Summary: A tradition
Review: I first read this in 1984 at a christian youthcamp 'retreat' with compulsory 'outdoor activities' in subzero weather. It was there that I got hooked on quote marks and phonics. It was there that I began to see that adults could be as clueless as children.

I return to this book at Christmas when the weather looks bleak. As a coming of age novel, it speaks more clearly to me than some classics I could name.

One caution
The first pages confuse. Mr. Straub likes to spin you around before telling you a story. It breaks you out of your world and preps you for his. I'm lucky to find such a great story teller.

Rating:
Summary: Very imaginative and original!
Review: The only reason that I didn't give this book five stars was because sometimes I found Straub's writing style awkward. I found myself rereading sentences to figure out what he was talking about. That aside, the story is awesome. The story centers around two high school freshmen, Tom and Del. They are both in a "prep" school in Arizona and share an interest in magic. Strange things are occurring in their school, from students having nightmares, violent encounters with a senior nicknamed Skeleton, a theft, and a fire. After their first year in the school, Tom agrees to spend the summer with his friend Del in Vermont, where they are to receive training from Del's uncle, Coleman Collins, a great magician.
From that point on, the story becomes part fairy-tale, horror story, and romance as the boys go through traumatic experiences and are introduced to Rose Armstrong, an enigmatic young woman whom they both fall "head-over-heels" for. Shadowland is a place of dark dreams and difficult lessons, and proved to be a book that was hard to put down. This was a very unpredictable book and thoroughly engaging. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: what a suprise!
Review: i do volunteer work on an island in the long island sound every may. there is no electricity. in the kitchen there is a wall full of old paperbacks. i had sped through all of the steven king books when shadowland caught my eye. i had never heard of straub, although i had seen ghost story. the only thing wrong with this book is the title. the name is a bit hokey. the book is a hyper vivid read. straub writes most often about kids, coming of age, and magic, and he does so very well. READ IT READ IT. you'll be glad.


Rating:
Summary: Scariest book I ever read
Review: This got me started on Peter Straub. I read Ghost Story, Koko, Mystery, and If you could see me now all because of Shadowland. I could not put this book down. It is easily the most unsettling book I have ever read and I don't think Straub has reached this level of intensity ever again.

Rating:
Summary: Good writing to get lost in
Review: If you are a fan of Stephen King or J.K. Rowling and have read all their stuff too many times, this is a fair substitute. The plot isn't as strong as it could be, but sometimes, you just gotta read for the writing. And Peter Straub has a pretty good imagination.