Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

9:51 PM by Cierra 0 Comments A ⁺ a ^-

Shadow Hills

Author: Anastasia Hopcus

Release Date: August 24, 2010

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary (Goodreads):

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

My Thoughts:

This book starts off with Phe waking up from a scary dream and going to her new home of Shadow Hills. At Devenish (The school), she meets Graham, a fellow student and transplant from California. They become fast friends. While she's waiting for him to finish up in the office (where he works), she encounters a graveyard, and then the boy that is literally from her dreams.

I liked this book, but some parts seemed really reminiscent of the Twilight books, and no offense to you Twilight fans, but I'm not really a fan, myself, and that's putting it mildly.

I did like the hint of magic in it, though. My all time favorite series so far has been The House of Night, and although the goddess' name was different (Hekate in this, Nyx in THoN) the ritual was still the same. I actually thought the book would've been better if there was more witchery in it, because I love books with witches.

I thought that Zach and Phe's relationship was about to fast and a little to mushy; they're fifteen! (But, then again I see some of my peers doing a bit more than them). And the sneaking out and partying and underage drinking was a stereotype that I felt (very) offended at. *Tears* I'm a bookworm! I don't do that type of stuff.

Anyway (and away from my dramatics), I did think this story was pretty good. It did end on a sort of cliff hanger, though, with the 'you meddling kids!' tone to it. I wonder if Anastasia will write any more for this book?

Unanswered questions: Why didn't the other BVs wonder why Phe knew about them, and didn't get Zach in trouble? Will Toy and Graham ever get together? What's up with Graham's absent girlfriend at MIT? Is she a BV too?

So, this book got four hearts, and if you have to ask why, then read the book!