Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard

Summary: Shelby Belgarden is an average high school student, besides the fact that she has solved a few mysteries in the past. But when a lily that isn’t from her boyfriend, Greg, is delivered to her, it sets in motion a sequence of events that change her overall perspective on life. Someone is stalking Shelby, and he is willing to hurt the people she loves to get to her. Shelby and her parents seek help from the police, but until the stalker is caught, everyone must live with the uncertainty of what he will do next.

Number of Pages: 222

Age Range: 13-15

Review: Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard deals with serious themes without too much grittiness, although if I am haunted by the cover in my dreams, I would not be surprised. Sherrard’s story flows with great tension, and has unforeseen plot twists that I never saw coming. I couldn’t put it down.

I like how Shelby’s brain works. A lot of this book is about Shelby’s internal reactions to the unthinkable situation she finds herself in. At the whim of a stalker who is obsessed with her, Shelby has to learn to live with uncertainty and fear as she never knows what he is going to do next. The experience is a daily mind game, and Shelby knows how to win.

She’s smart and has a lot of self-control, as well as incredibly supportive parents that I particularly enjoyed. It is truly refreshing to read a teen book where the parents of the main character are grown-ups who support their children.

Memorable Quotes:

“‘Aren’t you just the master of wit,’ I mumbled. (There’s no reason to go overboard with the enunciation when you’re being rude to your parents.)” – Shelby from Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard, page 18

“Worse than the external triggers was what was going on in my head. No matter what I was doing or how busy I tried to stay, the fear broke into my thoughts. Someone was out there: someone with strange ideas and obsessions. Someone who, for no reason I could figure out, had chosen me as his target.” – Shelby from Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard, page 49

“As we all dug into our food, I thought how ordinary it was: sitting down for a meal with my family (and Betts). And suddenly, I found my eyes filling with tears.

‘Shelby?’ Mom said. ‘Is something wrong, dear?’

I shook my head and tried to explain but I couldn’t quite find the words to say how I just felt overwhelmingly thankful and happy to have my life back to normal again. How amazing it was to be able to enjoy something as simple as sharing a meal without the burden I’d been carrying around, wondering where the stalker was, what he was doing, what he was thinking, and worst of all, what he was planning.” – Shelby from Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard, page 157

“Don’t think about things like that! I told myself sternly, but keeping negativity out of my head wasn’t easy. Even so, I did my best to concentrate on other thoughts. Song lyrics, happy memories … anything that would keep me from panicking.” – Shelby from Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard, page 198

Eyes of a Stalker by Valerie Sherrard is published by Dundurn (2006).
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