Shade by John B. Olson

The Bottom Line

The best feature of Shade is the suspense. Olson repeatedly turns the tables on the reader. Once you've come to accept one line of thinking, he throws in a twist that leaves you wondering what’s really going on. As a result, Shade is a real page-turner. But it takes more than suspense to create a book that’s really memorable and touches people. If you’re looking for that kind of novel, Shade really doesn't fit the bill. It does provide an interesting read, though.

Pros

• Olson makes good use of suspense to keep the reader glued to the book.
• Shade provides an alternative from the Christian publishing world for those who are riding the recent upsurge of interest in vampire novels.

Cons

• Character development doesn't play a large role in the story.
• The ending seems vague and doesn't resolve questions.

Description

• Genre: Christian Suspense
• Release Date: October, 2008
• Author: John B. Olson
• Publisher: B & H Publishing
• ISBN: 978-0-8054-4734-7
• Format: Paperback, 410 Pages

Several strange episodes leave a grad student, Hailey Maniates, grappling with whether she’s schizophrenic. Her rational, scientifically-driven mind insists that her experiences must be products of her imagination. Her Christian faith, however, allows for certain experiences that fall outside the realm of “normal.” A part of Hailey wonders if there’s something more to her episodes, something frighteningly real.

Hailey believes a homeless man saved her from a shadowy attacker in a park. At first, she’s grateful. But then the same homeless man seems to be present during all her other strange episodes. She can’t determine if he’s responsible for them or trying to save her from them. Because no one seems trustworthy, Hailey can’t decide where to turn for help against her unidentified enemy—especially when she doesn't know if the enemy lies outside her body or inside her own mind.

_{Rachelle Dawson is author of No-Spoilers Book Review Blog. To read more of her work, visit: http://no-spoilers.blogspot.com/.}