Shadow Grave
Shadow Grave
In the twilight, Arlo could see the outline of buildings. He had been expecting something like what they’d passed on their drive, but this town-if you could call it that-was little more than a smattering of old structures on either side of a narrow street. In the distance, he could see the silhouette of a church steeple and a mill, which he recognized by its enormous wheel.
“Welcome to Livermore,” said Lola. “Population: us.”
Arlo smiled, but something told him she might be right. “Come on,” he said, urging them onward. He helped his mother over the low wall and then down the hill. “Let’s get help.” …
As they approached the first building, Arlo’s senses sharpened and he became acutely aware something wasn’t quite right. Despite the early hour, there should have been light-a porch light left on, a streetlamp lit, the iridescent glow of cable boxes, clocks, and digital devices emanating from windows. There should have been sounds-creaking floors, the hum of electronics. Instead the silence was so thick he could taste it. …
He felt like an intruder in this strange place. Like he ought to turn around and head back to the main road. But they’d come a long way. He was exhausted and cold, and he could see that the dark spot on the T-shirt wrapped around his mother’s ankle had grown.
He summoned his courage, walked up to the first house, and opened the creaky wooden gate. He mounted the porch steps and gave the door a timid knock. He waited, hopeful, but nothing stirred. Not even a curtain twitched. …
He left his mother and sister and crossed the street, opened yet another gate, and approached a third door.
He paused for what felt like an age. And then he made a fist and gave the warped wood a gentle rap. He counted ten seconds. Fifteen. Time seemed to warp along with the wood, curling around him.
…Arlo checked his phone-the battery had switched to low-power mode. He attempted to find a signal. Still nothing.
He knocked again, this time harder. There was another long pause. He’d nearly turned from that door as well when suddenly it creaked open.
When Arlo is in a car accident with his mother and sister on a dark, abandoned road, they are forced to walk to the nearest town to get help as there is no phone signal in the forested area. They stumble across the town of Livermore which, despite its looking thoroughly abandoned, does, in fact, have a few residents. At first, no one wants to help Arlo and his family, but his mother’s need for a doctor wins out, and they’re given rooms at an old bed and breakfast while they wait for a ride to show up. The longer Arlo stays in the town, the more suspicious he becomes that something strange is going on and that there may be some residents who don’t want his family to leave at all.
This book does an excellent job at setting a spooky tone throughout the story. Everything is dark and cold, eerily quiet: the trees seem like they’re watching you, the townsfolk are strange and unfriendly, and the town, itself, is rundown and old. Readers are immediately immersed in a dark atmosphere that will pull them through the story. The main character, Arlo, has anxiety, and, while this isn’t a focus of the novel, it’s present enough to be a main character trait with which readers can identify. Despite Shadow Grave’s being a longer book, the story moves pretty quickly, and the line spacing and font are slightly larger so that the pages don’t look too daunting or text heavy. The story was a little lackluster, but the eerie mood and mystery of what is going on in the town will keep readers engaged. There were some fantasy elements in the story, but most of these parts occur near the end of the novel, and so this book would work well for readers who aren’t big fans of the fantasy genre.
Shadow Grave is a fun, mysterious chapter book that is perfect for readers who like a dark atmosphere.
Stephanie Johnson is a graduate of the Master of Library and Information Studies Program from the University of Alberta and is the Director of Devon Public Library in Devon, Alberta.