Algonquin Books, August 1, 2017.
Three Stars
Ten years ago, Matthias graduated from the
prestigious Blackburne boarding school, shortly after his best friend and
roommate Fritz disappeared. Matthias and Fritz had had an argument about the
school’s strict honour code, after which Fritz took off into the woods and was
never seen again. While a search for the young man was conducted, he was
eventually declared legally dead by his family – a decision that destroyed
Matthias’ relationship with Fritz’ sister.
Ever since Fritz disappeared, Matthias has carried
the guilt for his part in their argument. Living in New York City as a
successful novelist, Matthias' career has stalled and his most recent relationship
has ended. He is at his lowest, feeling like a failure as a writer and as a
man. He never wanted to return to Blackburne, but when he is offered a job
teaching English there, it suddenly feels like a lifeline.
Two stone lions guard the gate of Blackburne school,
and when Matthias passes under them, all his old feelings return. Once he is
back on campus, he quickly gets wrapped up in an investigation into Fritz’s
disappearance – meanwhile, he is pulled into faculty politics and the tragic
death of a student. Matthias’ search also leads back to Fritz’s wealthy and
powerful family, who may know more about the past than they let on.
Shadow of the
Lions is a coming of age story that takes several
dark and surprising turns – it shows that sometimes growing up means leaving
the mysteries of the past behind. While I found the novel perhaps relied too
much on the readers’ previous knowledge of life at a boys’ boarding school –
which I do not have – I think the story was strong and the character
development was impressive. The plot kept me mostly intrigued, although it
could have been more concise, and the ending was kind of random and
implausible. It wasn’t all that suspenseful or surprising, but that wasn’t
really the point – it was more about Matthias’ growth through these unusual
experiences. While Fritz was the boy who disappeared, the impetus of the novel
is Matthias’ search for his own lost youth and ultimately for his place in the
world.
I received this book from Algonquin Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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