The Shadows

The first volume in the chilling, thrilling, New York Times bestselling, award-winning Books of Elsewhere series, perfect for fans of Small Spaces, Nightbooks, and Wednesday.

This house is keeping secrets . . .

When eleven-year-old Olive moves into the crumbling mansion on Linden Street and finds it filled with creepy paintings, she knows the place is strange--but it isn't until she encounters its talking cats that she realizes there's something darkly magical afoot. Then Olive finds a pair of old spectacles in a dusty drawer and discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside the house's paintings to Elsewhere, an eerily quiet and sinister place that's keeping secrets. Soon, Olive finds herself ensnared in a mystery more terrifying than she could have imagined, confronting a power that wants to be rid of her by any means necessary. With only the cats on her side and an unusual boy she meets in Elsewhere, it's up to Olive to save the house from the shadows, before the lights go out for good.

Welcome to Elsewhere . . .

First, a pair of enchanted spectacles. Next, a deadly book. Then, magical paints from which a world called Elsewhere spills like a dream turned nightmare. And lastly, strangers, come to take it all for themselves--if even darker forces don't prevail. At the center: the flawed and tenacious Olive, three talking cats, two remarkable friends, and a hard-won trust that binds them all. This is the scary, must-read series widely praised and adored by kids, adults, and critics alike.

Jacqueline West is obsessed with stories where magic intersects with everyday life--from talking cats, to enchanted eyewear, to paintings as portals to other worlds. What paintings might she sneak into if she got her hands on Olive's glasses? "I would probably have to go with Salvador Dalí's paintings," she says, "because they would be such amazing worlds to explore. I imagine everything would feel rubbery and slick, sort of like Silly Putty or fried eggs." An award-winning poet, Jacqueline lives with her husband in Red Wing, Minnesota, where she dreams of talking cats, dusty libraries, and many more adventures for Olive and Morton.