Product Description

Jessica Allendon is bored and Googles her name. Weirdly, she finds another girl, same age, same name, also living in London. They arrange to meet. At the designated time and place, Jess sees the girl, shock registering on both their faces as they realise they look identical. They shake hands and in that instant are catapulted into each other's worlds. Jessica finds herself somewhere which looks like the London of 50 years ago, but the year is still 2008. In this parallel London, the history is different, key war memorials are missing, and the Jessica whose life she now inhabits was involved in a dark and sinister conspiracy. Jess must convince everyone she is the same girl, at all costs, if she wants to get back to her London - alive.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #141685 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
`Engrossing ... different and intelligent'
--South China Morning Post

About the Author
N.M. Browne was born and raised in Lancashire. She went to New College, Oxford, to read Philosophy and Theology and then to King's College, Cambridge, to train as a teacher. After a brief spell teaching, she went back to college and studied for an MBA. She worked for an oil company as a kind of all-purpose executive person, and after leaving, remembered what it was she'd always wanted to do - write. She is now a powerful voice in children's fiction, 'blending history, myth, archaeology and psychology like no writer since Rosemary Sutcliff'. She lives in London with her family.

Customer Reviews

Not a Shadow of a doubt - a Fantastic Read
I was recommended this book by a friend but was not looking forward to it as i read 'Spellgrinder's Apprentice' by the same author and really didn't like it. But within reading the first couple of chapters of this book i was absolutely hooked.
When Jessica Googles her name and finds someone of the same name and age living in London too, they arrange to meet and are shocked when they realise they look exactly alike, Then everything changes for Jessica when she is hurtled into a parallel universe where it is still 2008 but seems like a place from an period long ago, where woman haven't got equal rights and war memorials from her time do not exist in this one.
She must convince everyone that she is the 'other' Jessica if she ever wants a chance to get home.
This book is really gripping and the change between the two London's is very believable, the story is written as if Jessica is talking to you which makes it very easy to get into and relate to her.
I would recommend this to any teen. Some content may not be suitable for younger children as references to 'smoke', 'contries' and the reactions of some men towards young Jessica, may provide awkward questions.
A definite must read.!

Fantastic storytelling
I submitted a review a while back on NM Browne's wonderful Spellgrinder's Apprentice. Once again her storytelling skills are shown in Shadow Web. I wasn't utterly convinced at the start with Jess as a character but a short way into the book the compulsive plot took over. Alternative versions of Britain (or anywhere) are hard to write but her version of London 2008 was a very brave attempt. Really loved the alternative version of the Internet. This is definitely one of those books where you will not be able to stop reading the last 60 pages or so at a sitting.

Fast, exciting and thought-provoking
Shadow Web hits the ground running and 16-year-old Jessica is caught in an extraordinarily frightening situation almost before the reader has time to draw breath. Details of the 'other' London are revealed with skill so that the reader picks up on some clues that Jess does not register, while other differences are revealed to Jess and the reader at the same time, but in such a way that does not suspend interest in the plot or interrupt its pace. There are adult themes - the behaviour of James and some others towards Jess, and the implications of 'smoke' and 'contries' will provoke awkward questions from younger readers, and might disturb those who understand them all too well, and that is not even taking into account the overall political/historical issues. If you are thinking of this book for a younger teenager you might want to read it first. But the elements I have mentioned are not just there for sensationalist purposes: Jessica is frightened, and for good reason. In the portrayal of 16-year-old girl thrown into such a situation, dealing with panic and confusion and trying to retain her sense of self (and her sense of humour), I found the narrative voice of Jess very convincing, and the book very, very readable.