Published by Mason Oldridge, 25 September 2023
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
There is mystery galore in Harlan Coben’s latest adaptation.
Coben has a strong catalogue of novels that have been turned into successful series now, though Shelter is the first young adult novel to be adapted, as well as being the first American series.
The first in the Mickey Bolitar trilogy, Shelter follows the protagonist as he moves back to his hometown to live with his aunt following his father’s death. Along with his newfound friends, he investigates the disappearance of fellow new student Ashley, alongside the historic missing persons case of his dad’s childhood friend and the truth surrounding his father’s death when creepy neighbour Bat Lady tells him his father is still alive.
The mystery is continuously enthralling as the rate of which information is revealed is well balanced, answering questions along the way that keeps the overarching story encapsulating the whole way through. The penultimate episode in which Ashley is rescued is absolutely gripping throughout and the series clings to tension up to the closing moment in the finale when Mickey’s father is discovered.
Also, the chemistry between the main students keeps the series entertaining; seeing extroverts Spoon and Ema come out of their shells and develop more confidence is heartwarming, notably when Ema helps Spoon with his theatre audition, and Rachel’s cheerleading routine outshining the poor basketball performance is particularly empowering. Other elements of the series felt somewhat pointless though, such as the relationship between Shira and Hannah and Ema’s relationship with Whitney as they provide no relevance to the main story and neither are fully resolved by the end of the series.
Despite this, the mix of high intensity mystery and touching emotional scenes earns this series a high rank among Coben’s several adaptations.
8/10