Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Watcher in the Shadows

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

When fourteen-year-old Irene Sauvelle moves with her family to Cape House on the coast of Normandy, she's immediately taken by the beauty of the place—its expansive cliffs, coasts, and harbors. There, she meets a local boy named Ishmael, and the two soon fall in love. But a dark mystery is about to unfold, involving a reclusive toymaker who lives in a gigantic mansion filled with mechanical beings and shadows of the past. As strange lights shine through the fog surrounding a small, barren island, Irene's younger brother dreams of a dark creature hidden deep in the forest. And when a young girl is found murdered, her body at the end of a path torn through the woods by a monstrous, inhuman force, Irene and Ishmael wonder—has a demonic presence been unleashed on the inhabitants of Cape House? Together, they'll have to survive the most terrifying summer of their lives, as they try to piece together the many mysteries and secrets hidden in a town torn apart by tragedy, amidst a labyrinth of lights and shadows.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 2, 2013
      Zafon's YA gothic horror novel follows 14-year-old Irene Sauvelle as she moves with her destitute family to the coast of Normandy. There, her mother finds a job as a housekeeper at Cravenmoore, a vast estate owned by the mysterious toymaker Lazarus Jann and his wife. He seems like a kind, lonely eccentric, though his leering puppets populate the mansion. Jonathan Davisâwho has read previous novels by Zafonâturns in an exceptional performance. His narration is eerie and full of with gothic menace, and his pacing slows as he describes the various set pieces that give the novel its atmosphere. Additionally, lends effective voices to a variety of characters (Irene, her younger brother, her mother, and the elderly Lazarus) without ever over performing. Ages 12âup. A Little, Brown hardcover.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Shortly before the start of WWII, a single mother with two teenage children moves to the coast of Normandy. The mother takes a job as a housekeeper for a mysterious toy maker, and soon the entire family is embroiled in paranormal goings-on with the toy maker and his sinister clockwork contraptions. Zafón's story is very atmospheric, with lush, descriptive language, and narrator Jonathan Davis performs with a whispery intensity. It's difficult at times to distinguish characters since there's not much chance to get used to their individual voices as the story begins with a lot of exposition and little dialogue. Listeners must pay close attention or lose track of the narrative. G.D. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading