| Plot Summary of Shadows of the Past |
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"The main character, Sam, goes through a major rebellion and leaves her mother's house. Learning the harsh reality of being on her own, Sam winds up living out of a truck. Running out of options, Sam becomes "roommates" with a guy she meets named Kyle. Kyle traps Sam, and she becomes a prisoner in her own home - suffering severe physical and emotional abuse.
When Sam finally breaks free of Kyle and escapes her physical prison, Sam worries and looks over her shoulder all the time, but as soon as she lets her guard down, Kyle reappears. Will Sam ever be let go from his grip?
"Shadows of the Past" by Sherry Moore portrays the crime of stalking, the affects stalking has on the victim, and the mind of the stalker. "
Sarah V. Richard, Resident Scholar
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"Samantha Higgins is a seventeen year old who is tired of trying to keep a "perfect" image. With peer pressure from friends pulling her towards alcohol and sex, and having a continually stressed relationship with her mother, Sam finds herself living on the street and sleeping out of the back of her small pickup truck. Feeling alone and vulnerable, Sam immediately finds comfort in Kyle, who is an older man declaring that he wants to help her.
Kyle eventually convinces Sam to move in with him as "roommates". At first things are comfortable and Sam enjoys her new friend, but after three short months, things drastically change. Kyle starts to show his temper and when he is fired from his job, he takes out his anger by beating Sam. This day proves to only be the beginning of what turns out to be a nearly two year ordeal where Sam is held prisoner in her own home. At one point, after nearing the breaking point, Sam finally escapes and leaves to live with her sister. Her sense of safety is shattered, however, when Kyle finds her. No matter where she goes, Kyle continually finds her, hurting her family and friends along the way.
At one point Sam enrolls in college and while trying to rebuild her life, she meets another man, Austin. Austin sticks by her side and proves to be an important person in Sam's life as she tries to find justice and hopes to finally put Kyle behind bars.
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Sherry Moore, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Shadows of the Past |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- escape/rescue from kidnappers
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- crazed boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted...
- hunted by dangerous boy/girlfriend/spouse
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
- student
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
The antagonists are:
- cults
Monster of some sort?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 2
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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