Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

Review: If I could describe Shadow Hills in three words, I would say: refreshing, beautiful, and captivating…it will capture your attention through most of its entirety. Phe is now one of my favorite characters all time (Funny because when I took the character quiz a few months ago, I got her…)

I loved how the plot was played out. Although there are parts that are a teensy bit predictable, others will leave you shocked because you just won’t see that coming. The secret was nothing I could have thought off—and that’s why I liked it. The author gives you hints there and there, but in order to put the pieces together, you have to keep reading. Right when I started the book, I didn’t know who to trust, and I think that’s what the author intended, which is great because my false accusations of other characters make everything worth reading.

The writing is refreshing because in every scene, I could REALLY imagine what was going on. The descriptions were spot on, and the last scene in the book is where it really came to its best. The details were so fitting for every scene, especially the ones that make your eyes pop of its creepiness. As for the romance, it is almost perfect. The whole aspect of the book is fantastic with its suspense, romance, and secrecy. Secrets are nice; everyone is intrigued by a secret. As for the characters, they’re well-rounded and relatable. A California character, in this case, Phe, is awesome! I loved the interaction between Phe and Zach along with all the other characters. Adriana just made me laugh. Characters being stupid is one thing, but in this book, it really worked out well. Everything isn’t serious though; there are moments where you just can’t help but laugh. I loved this book and definitely will get myself a copy. ANASTASIA HOPCUS IS MADE OF WIN. I cannot wait for her future books to come. Incredible debut.

What I thought of…

The Beginning: I was sucked into the first page. I loved the introduction to all the secondary characters. You can see exactly how Phe’s character is through the first few chapters.

The Middle: SECRET REVEALED! Me = O_O Did not see that coming. Pages kept turning and I wasn’t very successful that day in studying for my finals. I mean, who would put this book down?!

The End: It was a great ending, leaving me happy, but also displeased. As usual, I wanted MORE. But that’s normal.

Amazing job, Anastasia Hopcus! :)

FTC: borrowed the ARC from the...lovely Lauren