Review: Figure "Plot...More Cohesive"

Book review: The Figure in the Shadows

Sometimes I wonder how these stories fare with kids today. Bellairs creates a nice juxtaposition of a boy’s ordinary life, like bullies and homework, with the gothic fear of an unknown power. But the story is a slow build to the climax, waiting for something to happen and capturing along the way the feel of a 1949 rural Michigan town; it may not have enough action for modern standards.

I didn’t find this book as creepy as the first, but in some ways I liked it better. The plot is a little more cohesive, and Rose Rita is a nice addition. The internal drawings are by a different well-known illustrator, Mercer Mayer, who also captures the quirky charm and horror of the plot.

mystrygirl87
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