bittercactus's review
2.0
There were lots of things to like at the beginning for me. And then... Enter Astral Projection. Followed by an unconvincing kidnapping plot, lots of random plot devices that never get tied back in and a romance (yay gay!) that didn't feel grounded in anything. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't recommend it either.
legs_mcgee's review
1.0
I had added Shadow Walkers to my 'to-read' list a while back, and I'm not sure where I got the recommendation. I wish I remembered so I could make sure to either ignore the rest of their suggestions, or at least take them with a grain of salt.
Unfortunately, while I'm pretty willing to let a lot of things slide for good queer books (particularly YA, since I couldn't find any when I was of the actual demographic), there's just too much that made this book fairly unbearable to read. I will give Hartinger credit, though, for a book about a young boy, it feels like it was written by a young boy... or more realistically, an adult trying to act like a young boy. The dialogue was stilted and the inner monologues are so distractingly horrible.
Unfortunately, while I'm pretty willing to let a lot of things slide for good queer books (particularly YA, since I couldn't find any when I was of the actual demographic), there's just too much that made this book fairly unbearable to read. I will give Hartinger credit, though, for a book about a young boy, it feels like it was written by a young boy... or more realistically, an adult trying to act like a young boy. The dialogue was stilted and the inner monologues are so distractingly horrible.
abetterbradley's review
2.0
I try hard to support LGBT authors. And I really love Brent Hartinger's Geography Club books and his writing for After Elton. But this book was absurd. It was about kidnapping and astral projection and it had me rolling my eyes.
amdame1's review
2.0
Set in Washington, on an island near Tacoma, so lots of local appeal.
Zach lives on tiny Hinder Island with his grandparents and his younger brother, Gilbert. One day Gilbert disappears and Zach attempts to find him using astral projection. While he is on the astral plane he meets Emory, who is cute and seems equally attracted to Zach. Together they continue the search for Gilbert, but they are also being tracked by another old being on the astral plane that wants to devour their souls.
I wanted to love this book, because I loved Geography Club and Last Chance Texaco. Unfortunately, I didn't. I don't think I can put my finger on exactly what turned me off either. I like the local setting, I love that there are realistic LGBT teens. I don't know. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
Zach lives on tiny Hinder Island with his grandparents and his younger brother, Gilbert. One day Gilbert disappears and Zach attempts to find him using astral projection. While he is on the astral plane he meets Emory, who is cute and seems equally attracted to Zach. Together they continue the search for Gilbert, but they are also being tracked by another old being on the astral plane that wants to devour their souls.
I wanted to love this book, because I loved Geography Club and Last Chance Texaco. Unfortunately, I didn't. I don't think I can put my finger on exactly what turned me off either. I like the local setting, I love that there are realistic LGBT teens. I don't know. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
hdbblog's review
3.0
What first drew me in to Shadow Walkers was the idea of astral projection. I would love nothing more than to be able to leave my physical body behind and just travel! Brent Hartinger hits the nail on the head with his explanation in this book. By the time I had finished reading, I'd say I had a pretty good handle on the concept. If you have ever wondered about astral projection, you'll find it simply fascinating.
Truthfully though, other than the astral projection aspect, this book had a difficult time holding my attention. The characters are sweet enough. Zach has a good head on his shoulders, although he feels trapped on his island home. Emory is sincere and definitely meshes with Zach. However it was Gilbert that stole the show, let me tell you. This fireball of a little brother was so adorable! When he goes missing I seriously had a moment of panic. Such a cute little kid!
The romance aspect of the book was also a nice addition. I thought it was fabulous that Brent Hartinger included a homosexual romance that wasn't angst driven or a social issue. It did fall a little flat for me though, mostly in the believability department. Although I enjoyed the fact that the boys were able to connect on such an otherworldly level, their relationship moved like lightning. I've heard of stress bringing people together, but even with my paranormal blinders on I had a hard time accepting that they would be so into one another in such a short time.
Added on is a bit of a side story about an astral creature that tries to devour the souls floating in the astral realm. I liked this addition, but I so wished it was a little more drawn out and explained. It was genuinely interesting! It just happened to be overshadowed by everything else going on. I'd honestly have to say that my favorite part of the whole book was the mystery surrounding Gilbert's disappearance. I had no idea where that part of the story was going, and as Zach searched I genuinely worried. When your favorite character ends up missing, well that's just something that you end up worrying about.
My final verdict on this book is that it is a sweet, short and unique read. Although it didn't sate my whole literary appetite, there was definitely enough there to keep me coming back! If Zach, Emory and Gilbert come back in a second book I'll be there to follow them on their adventures.
Truthfully though, other than the astral projection aspect, this book had a difficult time holding my attention. The characters are sweet enough. Zach has a good head on his shoulders, although he feels trapped on his island home. Emory is sincere and definitely meshes with Zach. However it was Gilbert that stole the show, let me tell you. This fireball of a little brother was so adorable! When he goes missing I seriously had a moment of panic. Such a cute little kid!
The romance aspect of the book was also a nice addition. I thought it was fabulous that Brent Hartinger included a homosexual romance that wasn't angst driven or a social issue. It did fall a little flat for me though, mostly in the believability department. Although I enjoyed the fact that the boys were able to connect on such an otherworldly level, their relationship moved like lightning. I've heard of stress bringing people together, but even with my paranormal blinders on I had a hard time accepting that they would be so into one another in such a short time.
Added on is a bit of a side story about an astral creature that tries to devour the souls floating in the astral realm. I liked this addition, but I so wished it was a little more drawn out and explained. It was genuinely interesting! It just happened to be overshadowed by everything else going on. I'd honestly have to say that my favorite part of the whole book was the mystery surrounding Gilbert's disappearance. I had no idea where that part of the story was going, and as Zach searched I genuinely worried. When your favorite character ends up missing, well that's just something that you end up worrying about.
My final verdict on this book is that it is a sweet, short and unique read. Although it didn't sate my whole literary appetite, there was definitely enough there to keep me coming back! If Zach, Emory and Gilbert come back in a second book I'll be there to follow them on their adventures.
lorny's review
3.0
Summary: Zach’s life on a small island off the coast of Washington State is interrupted when his younger brother is suddenly kidnapped. The police doesn’t seem to be trying hard enough, so Zach takes matters into his own hands—he learns to astral project. In this shadowy plane, Zach meets a cute boy, and the two work together to uncover who kidnapped Zach’s brother.
My thoughts: I’d never read about astral projection before, so Shadow Walkers was definitely interesting. Brent Hartinger developed the idea of walking through a dream world really well, and I felt as if I understood the concept pretty well by the time the story was over. The astral projection world was creative, too—I enjoyed the little obstacles that got in Zach’s way as he navigated around, especially the evil squid-thing (don’t laugh!).
Other than the unique astral projecting concept, I wasn’t too thrilled with Shadow Walkers. Almost all of the characters seemed pretty flat to me, with the exception of Zach and his little brother, Gilbert. The little dude had such a great personality! Zach’s feelings of isolation and loneliness were laid out pretty well, and I liked that he had such a strong relationship with friends over the internet. I’m sure most of us bloggers can relate to that! Other than those two characters, though, I didn’t feel any connection with others in the story.
Zach’s romance with Emory, the boy he meets while astral projecting, seemed extremely unnatural—they meet, and two days later are professing their love for each other. Even for a paranormal romance, I felt it was way too unrealistic (I actually snorted when Emory told Zach he loved him! I just couldn’t believe it!).
The mystery aspect of the story was a bit predictable, and Zach’s “I have to be a hero” attitude got stale after a while. Still, I managed to finish the book easily in two hours, and was content with the (somewhat unbelievable) ending. Though I can’t say that I completely enjoyed Shadow Walkers, others, especially younger readers, might find the suspense of the shadow world fascinating.
2.5/5 stars
My thoughts: I’d never read about astral projection before, so Shadow Walkers was definitely interesting. Brent Hartinger developed the idea of walking through a dream world really well, and I felt as if I understood the concept pretty well by the time the story was over. The astral projection world was creative, too—I enjoyed the little obstacles that got in Zach’s way as he navigated around, especially the evil squid-thing (don’t laugh!).
Other than the unique astral projecting concept, I wasn’t too thrilled with Shadow Walkers. Almost all of the characters seemed pretty flat to me, with the exception of Zach and his little brother, Gilbert. The little dude had such a great personality! Zach’s feelings of isolation and loneliness were laid out pretty well, and I liked that he had such a strong relationship with friends over the internet. I’m sure most of us bloggers can relate to that! Other than those two characters, though, I didn’t feel any connection with others in the story.
Zach’s romance with Emory, the boy he meets while astral projecting, seemed extremely unnatural—they meet, and two days later are professing their love for each other. Even for a paranormal romance, I felt it was way too unrealistic (I actually snorted when Emory told Zach he loved him! I just couldn’t believe it!).
The mystery aspect of the story was a bit predictable, and Zach’s “I have to be a hero” attitude got stale after a while. Still, I managed to finish the book easily in two hours, and was content with the (somewhat unbelievable) ending. Though I can’t say that I completely enjoyed Shadow Walkers, others, especially younger readers, might find the suspense of the shadow world fascinating.
2.5/5 stars
evila_elf's review
4.0
Book wasn't one of the best Brent Hartinger book I have read, but it was very enjoyable and a quick read. I really hope there is a sequel to it, as I would love to know some more about the boys' relationship. Very happy about the epilogue, which gave me just enough info to be satisfying, but still wanting more.
sweeettea's review
3.0
I'm slightly conflicted about my opinion of this book (novella?). It's a decent read, but this might sound a little strange, but it almost felt like fanfic. I don't mean that in a condescending way, it's just that Shadow Walkers doesn't try to be ground breaking or make any statement, it's just to the point entertainment.
For the record (the characters are pretty adorable to be honest), Shadow Walkers is great for a quick popcorn type read, just nothing that I would suggest anyone go out of their way for.
For the record (the characters are pretty adorable to be honest), Shadow Walkers is great for a quick popcorn type read, just nothing that I would suggest anyone go out of their way for.
hollowspine's review
3.0
3.5
What to do when your younger brother goes missing? First a frantic search of all his favorite spots and call all his friends, but then what? When you live on an island what do you do? Although both Zach and his grandparents thought that Hinder Island was a safe place, far away from the dangers of the world, but it turns out nowhere is safe. After having a sense that something wasn't right, Zach finds his brother missing and is frantic to save him.
So, desperate he turns to some strange incense the woman at the natural healing store gave him. Once he breaths it in he finds himself floating outside his body, able to travel great distances while his physical self remains still on the bed.
Once on the astral plane he can hear his brother crying, but can't do much about it without his body. He also meets Emory, another astral traveler, who has his own mysterious sadness to him. Zach needs Emory's help to save his brother, but will that be enough? Added to that is the dangerous shadow creature that lurks nearby, ready to attack them.
This was a rather short, quick read. It did have a bit of a creepy atmosphere to it and an interesting idea with the astral projection, but progressed too quickly. The two main characters seemed to immediately develop feelings for each other, with very little to support it and the tension wasn't enough to really create suspense. The characters seemed to defeat the forces against them easily even when the odds seemed overwhelming.
Overall it was a nice story, but it lacked the oomph to really carry it for me.
What to do when your younger brother goes missing? First a frantic search of all his favorite spots and call all his friends, but then what? When you live on an island what do you do? Although both Zach and his grandparents thought that Hinder Island was a safe place, far away from the dangers of the world, but it turns out nowhere is safe. After having a sense that something wasn't right, Zach finds his brother missing and is frantic to save him.
So, desperate he turns to some strange incense the woman at the natural healing store gave him. Once he breaths it in he finds himself floating outside his body, able to travel great distances while his physical self remains still on the bed.
Once on the astral plane he can hear his brother crying, but can't do much about it without his body. He also meets Emory, another astral traveler, who has his own mysterious sadness to him. Zach needs Emory's help to save his brother, but will that be enough? Added to that is the dangerous shadow creature that lurks nearby, ready to attack them.
This was a rather short, quick read. It did have a bit of a creepy atmosphere to it and an interesting idea with the astral projection, but progressed too quickly. The two main characters seemed to immediately develop feelings for each other, with very little to support it and the tension wasn't enough to really create suspense. The characters seemed to defeat the forces against them easily even when the odds seemed overwhelming.
Overall it was a nice story, but it lacked the oomph to really carry it for me.
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