A Place of Shadows


Young Adult - Paranormal
466 Pages
Reviewed on 05/03/2019
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

“Feelings of utter sorrow and loneliness hit me in a wave. I sagged, holding onto the door for support as I choked back an involuntary sob. But I knew right away that those feelings weren’t my own. I knew it was my gift soaking up powerful emotions from someone—something—else.” In A Place of Shadows by David Lafferty, Ben Wolf and his mother Connie moved to Windward Cove after she inherited a property and a considerable sum of money from her late aunt, Claire Black. Gifted with a sixth sense, Ben instantly detects a presence in the cupola as they are settling into Claire's former house. When his mother's health is badly affected by a dark entity, Ben has to find answers to the mystery of the Black family house, one connected to the tragedy that occurred in the 1940s, before it's too late.

From its simple beginning, David Lafferty’s A Place of Shadows becomes increasingly intriguing, complicated and terrifying. Its steady plot easily creates the jittery and chilling moments which are deftly described with clean prose and an engaging narrative. The drama and suspense are balanced with realism and relief, including the casual stroke of humor. The characterization is solid and the protagonists are easy to root for. I found it admirable that despite his hidden ability and experiencing weird events in his new house, Ben still has a healthy sense of skepticism. I gravitated towards self-professed paranormal enthusiast Abigail ‘Ab’ Chambers who becomes the vital voice of reason for Ben in his mission to unravel the mystery and save his mother. It’s an absolute page-turner-a paranormal story that both YA and mature readers can enjoy. The subtle indication of a possible sequel in the epilogue gives me hope that Lafferty will give fans of the genre more ghost mysteries of Windward Cove.