Shelter Me was a very creepy little book and a good read, but it wasn’t at all what I expected after reading reviews on Amazon. I was expecting a story more Gothic with at least hints of the supernatural. The reality was a terrifying portrayal of Great Britain during World War II.
Once Maggie reached the coast of Wales and was delivered into the hands of the sadistic nuns I found myself holding my breath and quickly turning the pages to discover what would happen next. With all of the twists and turns throughout the plot, the ending itself was a great disappointment. I love a “happy” ending as much as anybody else but in this case it was unrealistic and highly improbable. I just kept hoping for more – some great twist to end it all that I wouldn’t see coming.
I never really liked Maggie Leigh. I wanted to but she never felt as fully developed as the other characters, and she certainly didn’t have as much personality. I loved the eccentricity of the brash Kate and the “speechless trauma victim”, Eileen.
So would I recommend this book? It’s hard to say really. Once I got past what I was expecting from the book, I was actually enjoying it. Up until the ending. It was a well written book that really drew me in and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Up until the ending. It reminded me of Alex Garland’s The Coma in that respect. The Coma was another great book that quickly drew me in but fell apart at the end. It left me sitting there, furrowing my brow and scratching my head, going “huh?”. Jenn devoured Shelter Me in one sitting earlier this week and agreed about the ending. ;o)
Maggie Leigh just wants to be a normal teenager, but when German bombs tear apart London during World War II, her ultra-religious mother sees the destruction as divine punishment. She sends Maggie to a remote boarding school in coastal Wales, supposedly to keep her safe, but also to keep her in line. The school is creepy, the headmistress is a lunatic, and the students range from spoiled rich girls to speechless trauma victims. But when a tragic accident happens on the beach, Maggie and three friends are forced to flee the school, plunging into the nightmarish world of Europe during wartime. Now every decision Maggie makes is fraught with danger, and living to see another day depends on how quickly she can think and act…and how far she’s willing to go.
The Forest Beyond 