A Thrilling Ride That Surpassed My Expectations

First Impression - I'm blown away by this edition. I was more excited about the softcover than the hardcover, and I deliberately chose this one, and it's amazing. The thick white pages are a joy to read, with a clear font that doesn't smudge your hands. Value for money at 101 ruble, purchased at VTB. Now the book costs more - up to 150 rubles on Ozon, and up to 250 rubles on VTB for the softcover edition. The hardcover, of course, is more expensive.

Tenes Teney. Alex NorthBook Cover - the matte, velvety finish is a pleasure to touch, with partial embossing and varnishing on the raised elements. The flaps inside have quotes from well-known people and publications that have read the book and shared their thoughts. I used these flaps as bookmarks instead. It's not super convenient towards the middle of the book, but the start and end are fine.

Have you ever met a kid like Charlie Crabtree? Dark imagination, a menacing grin, always to himself... It seems this guy is capable of something very bad. And that's exactly what Charlie did twenty-five years ago - a murder so shocking that it inspired a string of copycats. The guy himself vanished without a trace... like a shadow. All these years, Paul Adams tried to erase the memory of what happened: both the killer and the victim were his friends. But now, with his mother on her deathbed, Paul has to return to his hometown. And the shadows of the past start to come alive... First, there's a similar murder, then another. And then Paul finds strange - and terrifying - signs in his own home...

But the real story is about Paul, who had a huge tragedy in his youth - he was friends with three guys in school who later committed murder. This changed his life, but he tried to move on and forget about it, which he managed to do pretty successfully until his elderly mom fell down the stairs and ended up in hospice. As her son, he had to go back home to say goodbye. While waiting for her inevitable death, which was slowly taking its toll, he stopped by the house where he grew up and dove headfirst into memories he'd been avoiding for so long. There are going to be a lot of flashbacks, and they'll be developing alongside the 'present' storyline, moving in tandem. And in the past, this is what happened. Paul and his awkward friend move to a new school, where they get caught up in a crew of rugby thugs. After a confrontation, two other guys - Charlie Crabtree and his friend, who's always sticking his nose in - side with the newcomers, making our duo a quartet. But Paul isn't thrilled about this new friendship - Charlie's got some pretty out-there ideas about how to control your dreams, and use them to influence the real world. Charlie and his crew are dead serious about making this work, training themselves to master their dreams, while Paul, being the voice of reason, decides to distance himself from it all. In the end, the guys commit a crime (this is where the book starts, it's not a spoiler), and it ruins a lot of lives. And the mastermind behind it all, Charlie Crabtree, just disappears into thin air.

And then there's the rest of the story - you'll have to read the book for that. There are some hints at the author's previous work, but it won't spoil anything. I've only read The Woman in the Window and The Shining Girls by Alex North, and I didn't have any issues with either of them.

So what's the verdict?

I was pleasantly surprised. At first, my inner skeptic was grumbling because I've had experiences with lucid dreaming, and the reality presented in the book didn't quite add up. But as I kept reading, the story developed and I found myself really invested in it. I'm left with a positive impression. I think a second read would be even more enjoyable than the first. But I'm not sure I'd bother with a third. So, from me, it's a solid 4 stars and a recommendation. It's not a horror story that'll leave you sleeping with the lights on, but it's a great read nonetheless.