Shadows: A Novel Paperback – 1 May 1993

Entertaining read

This is a yet another formulaic horror story by the author of multiple bestsellers in this genre. Plot driven, with little character development, and a prosaically written narrative, the book is mediocre fare, at best.This time, the horror takes place at The Academy, a school for gifted children. When ten year old, whiz kid Josh McCallum tries to commit suicide after enduring the endless taunts of his less gifted classmates in a mainstream school, his single mother enrolls him in The Academy, thinking that she has found a haven for her gifted son.There, Josh feels at home, meeting other extraordinarily gifted children and making friends. Run by a Dr. Engersol, the resident mad scientist, and presided over by an ostensibly motherly woman named Hildie, Josh is, at first, taken in by the seemingly comfortable atmosphere of The Academy. Soon, he finds himself becoming friends with a precocious, freckle-faced redhead named Amy.When a mysterious suicide takes place at the school, it is quickly swept under the rug. Josh and Amy shortly find themselves enrolled in a special seminar run by Dr. Engersol, where it is obvious all is not what it seems. Josh and Amy's idyllic and brief relationship soon comes to a grinding halt, when Amy is caught in the vortex of Dr. Engersol's madness, and Hildie is revealed for what she really is. It is up to Josh to set things right, a substantial burden for any ten year old, no matter how smart.All in all, this is a book that only dedicated fans of author John Saul will love. All others will find it to be nothing more than a quick, throwaway read.