Review: A Compelling Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2014
I vetted this book before offering it to my teenage daughter to read. It's definitely for the older teenager, but The Shepherd has a young voice and portrays a real understanding of life for a teen in the modern world. It's also a gripping paranormal story in a popular genre for Young Adults.But beware, the author doesn't hold back, this book walks a fine line of young love, and there is plenty of graphic horror, but (in my opinion) no worse than can be found in many a 15+ film.The gem in this story is Mike. This young man makes compelling reading. He has a strong moral compass and yet he gets so many things wrong! Like girls; relationships with his friends; and understanding Nadia, the strange girl/waif that has wandered into his life. Watching him weave a chaotic path through the disasters befalling him,(Spoiler Alert)as he tries to cope with the responsibility of knowing people's fate, powerless to stop the domino effect his decisions have created, is totally absorbing.I found my daughter reading The Shepherd late into the night. She wants to know when Mr T.W. Luedke's next book will be out. She tells me it wasn't so much the genre or the story that held her attention, it was the way the story was written. She just had to know what came next.So I believe teenagers will love it. But do yourself a favour and read The Shepherd first! It's too good to miss.Reviewed gifted copy.