I
went into this book with no expectations, so finding myself up into the wee
small hours, completely gripped by the story and unable to put it down until I
finished was a pleasant surprise.
The
basics? Five friends stumble upon an abandoned lakeside cottage hidden deep in
the English countryside on a hot summer’s day in the eighties. Having just
graduated college, they decide to take something of a gap year, moving into the
cottage, living off the land and dropping out of mainstream society. All is
initially well, but as the seasons change, tensions begin to rise. An
unexpected stranger brings further tension and intrigue to the tale, and things
hit a peak shortly thereafter.
In
a parallel story, thirty years on from the lost year by the lake, Lila is given
a key to the cottage by a mysterious stranger. Her life, filled with sadness
after a recent tragedy, sees her deciding to take a break from life as she
knows it to renovate the cottage. By the books’ climax, it becomes clear just
how the previous tenant’s time at the cottage has implications for her future.
The
Shadow Year draws you in slowly at first – it even came off a little too dark
and depressing for the first few chapters. Within 20 pages, however, I was
firmly gripped in the story and didn’t put it down from there until I had
finished (I have the gravy smudges on a few pages to prove it.) The writing is
skillful and taut, and Richell gives you just enough information at a time to
keep you intrigued and thoroughly hooked.
Having
read a lot of books in this genre over the years, it was a testament to
Richell’s story telling skills that I didn’t start to suspect the final twist
in the tale until very close to the page it was revealed.
RELEASED: May 2013
My review copy
of 'The Shadow Year' supplied by Hachette Australia.
For more
information about this book, click HERE.
About the Author:
British-Australian,
Hannah currently lives in Visit Hannah Richell’s website: CLICK HERE
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