The Shadow Club

I'm no stranger to Neal Shusterman, so when I saw this book with his name on it at the library, I had to pick it up. Once I read the back, I convinced myself that it would be interesting.

When fourteen year old Jared and his friends decide to form a club of "second-bests" and play anonymous tricks on each other's arch rivals, the harmless pranks escalate until they become life-threatening.

This book had more potential than it did worth. It was all right. Very quick, I read it in less than a day. But it could have been more, ya know? If only Shusterman could have went deeper and really explored his characters then it would have been fantastic. I felt the characters were nothing more than a name on a page, instead of well-developed show more individuals. The story was kind of disturbing and a tad unrealistic. Like these guys were in a life-threatening situation and are making jokes about piss. Anyway, I would say the writing is for middle-schoolers, but the material might just satisfy older readers too.

I don't particularly recommend it, but if you like Neal Shusterman, give it a shot. I don't think I'll seek the sequel, but if I come across it, I might read it. show less

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Meet the second-bests: a group of kids who, although they have one thing they're best at, still get beat daily by the "unbeatables." Although these kids are good kids, well-behaved, smart, athletic, interesting, their lives are being ruined by those who always seem to be one step ahead, stealing the limelight and rubbing it in until you just wish they'd never been born.

Thus is the basis for THE SHADOW CLUB, a secret group of seven kids who decided to get back at those who make their lives miserable by playing harmless pranks on them--pranks that will embarass them before their admirers, and give the second-besters their just due.

Except revenge, as revenge always seems to do, comes back to bite you in show more the butt. Pranks start getting out of control, even though they're not being comitted by the Shadow Club members. Someone's out to sabotage their club, and one of the "unbeatables" could wind up getting seriously hurt--even killed. As the Club seeks to get the biggest loser in school, Tyson McGaw, to confess to the pranks, the Shadow Club comes to realize that they might not be the all-around good kids that they thought they were.

What started out as fun is turning into something darker, and no one seems to know how to make it stop.

THE SHADOW CLUB is a great read by Neal Shusterman. Dealing with human nature, the fact that kids can traumatize each other more than anyone else can, and the fact that we all have anger inside of us is forefront in the story. A great read! show less

Recommended Ages: Gr. 7-10

Plot Summary: Jared and Cheryl start a club of people who are second best, whether in running, singing, playing the violin, or basketball, and play practical jokes on the Number Ones. But when the practical jokes become dangerous and costly, they try to figure out who is behind the them, knowing they didn't plan them.

Recurring Themes: hard work, self-esteem, bullying, fire, life and death, first love, friendship

Controversial Issues: violence and crime (bullying the school loner, some pranks)

Personal Thoughts: While this book took me about 50 pages to get into, I finished it quickly once I got wrapped up in the moral decisions and mystery. This book needs some serious discussion after reading because of the dark show more themes. show less

The Shadow Club is a novel that focuses on a group of kids that live "in the shadows of others," and begin to pull pranks on people they view as above them. Eventually, things get out of hand, and the novel really portrays an interesting perspective on human nature. I think for a lower-level reader, this book would be a great one to get them invested in the reading. It's a book that immediately grabs the reader, and the plot and devices are very surface-level. I think that with the easiness of the actual reading, it would be a great way to be sure everyone felt comfortable discussing their thoughts on the novel, which would be an excellent conversation.

The Shadow Club was an easy read - I was able to finish it in a day or so. Though the experience only lasted a little while it taught a moral that one could grasp their entire life. Between third and first there is second, am I right? Well, this is a thriller that'll share with you the life of a young man that felt second best. I enjoyed the twisting ending myself.

A good book with an exciting story. I really liked the characters, with the exception of Tyson and Darren, who really bugged me.

I really liked the story and the Author really knows how to write from a teens prospective. It was a real page turner. I sometimes wonder why I didn't read the sequel.

Well I did read it but I do not think I am going to read book 2. Maybe I will. A lot of YA books are great reads for adults as well, but this one not really imo. Definitely not a bad read. Maybe the characters were lacking. I did not like one person and could not really relate to them.
3 stars an okay read.