The Figure in the Shadows: Amazon.ca: John Bellairs: Books

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Product Description

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Sure that his Grandpa Barnavelt's 1859 lucky piece is really a magical talisman in disguise, Lewis wears it around his neck and begins to be followed by a shadowy figure who seems to want nothing less than his life. Reissue. SLJ. PW. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence
Lewis Barnavelt stood at the edge of the playground, watching the big boys fight. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great spooky book, Jul 8 2004

By	Kimberley Wilson (VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Figure In The Shadows (Hardcover)

I was about 8 or 9 when I first read Figure in the Shadows. It's about orphaned Lewis who comes to live with his uncle Jonathan. Uncle is a wizard but Lewis is too miserable to discover that until much later. Lewis is an extremely well written character. He's a nice kid whom the readers will identify with. He's smart, and funny but becuase he's shy and overweight the town bullies turn on him. His unhappiness at school leads to what he thinks is a gift. Instead it's a trap that takes all his uncle's strength and his best friend Rose Rita's love to fight.

I spent many happy hours with this book.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Good fun, Jun 24 2004

By	Michael Cornett "Madman" (Takoma Park, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Figure In The Shadows (Paperback)

Lewis Barnavelt (introduced in THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS) is having problems. He's picked on by bullies and he's afraid his best friend, Rose Rita, doesn't respect him because he's not rough-and-tough. When he finds his great-grandfather's lucky coin, he starts wearing it, hoping it will bring him luck...only to discover that it's actually a powerful talisman and a sinister hooded figure is watching over him.

This isn't quite up to the level that HOUSE was, but it's still a grand entertainment. We feel Lewis' pain and rage at being a target and at his inability to intervene when Rose Rita is attacked by bullies. Lewis' love/hate relationship with the talisman can also been seen as a symbol of drug addiction.

It all ends well, with a good message about loyalty and a caution against using outside props (talismans or drugs). Next in the series: THE LETTER, THE WITCH AND THE RING.

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5.0 out of 5 stars enthralling, but with an inconsistency, Aug 19 2003

By	Neal Whitman (Reynoldsburg, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Figure In The Shadows (Paperback)

... there is one plot inconsistency: Lewis receives the mysterious Latin message from the evil figure *before* he has read the incantation to invoke him!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars spooky fun!
This is one of those books that stays with you for the rest of your life. It is sheer spooky fun. What sets it apart from the rest are the vivid images painted by Bellairs's... Read more

Published on Dec 17 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
This was a great book! It was a spine chiling tale that I read in one day. It was almost as good as The House with a Clock in its walls. Read more

Published on Jul 21 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars This story will stay with you.
I read this book 25 years ago, when I was 9. Since then, I have read thousands of books, but I remember this story, almost by heart. I did not know it was a series. Read more

Published on Jul 9 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Horror books ever
I read this book in the 70s or early 80s. I was so frightened by it that I stored it under my sister's bed at night just to keep it out of my room and away from me. Read more

Published on Jul 27 2000 by malicia