''Shelter'' is the

first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

of the "Mickey Bolitar"

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

series by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

writer

Harlan Coben Harlan Coben is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple twists. Among his novels a ...

. It features the teenage nephew of Coben's popular protagonist

Myron Bolitar The Myron Bolitar series of thrillers are written by Harlan Coben with a series protagonist of the same name. The Myron Bolitar series debuted with '' Deal Breaker'' (1995) and is currently 11 novels through ''Home'' (2016). A spin-off young adu ...

. The novel was first published on September 15, 2011, by

Orion Books Orion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It was founded in 1991 and acquired Weidenfeld & Nicolson the following year. The group has published numerous bestselling books by notable authors including Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, ...

in the UK and

Puffin Books Puffin Books is a longstanding children's imprint of the British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s, it has been among the largest publishers of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world. The imprint now belongs t ...

in the US.

Reception

Geoff Adams, for the ''

Otago Daily Times The ''Otago Daily Times'' (ODT) is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand. The ''ODT'' is one of the country's four main daily newspapers, serving the southern South Island with a circulation of around 26,000 and a c ...

'', found that the novel provided "mystery, suspense and thrills enough" and concluded that "you will enjoy reading it to find out more. And it is not too grisly." The ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'' stated that, while it is a series aimed at teenagers, "older folk will love this cracking new series, too." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' stated that the novel "benefits greatly from oben'strademark crackerjack pace and multi-layered plotting." They found that the short attention span of the protagonist was "both age appropriate and believable" and that Mickey Bolitar's "mother's struggle with drug addiction adds poignancy" to the novel. In conclusion, they found it to be "a not-bad-at-all entry into the teen market for this adult author."

Plot summary

Mickey Bolitar, 15, tries to figure out why his new girlfriend, Ashley Kent, stopped coming to school and has seemingly vanished. Getting no assistance from teachers or administrators, Mickey turns to a couple of fellow students for help. All the while, Mickey deals with having to live under the same roof as his estranged uncle, Myron, while his mother is checked into rehab for a drug addiction. Also, a strange neighbor woman who lives in an eerie mansion tells Mickey that his father is alive, even though Mickey saw him die in a car accident more than a year ago.

Main characters

*Mickey Bolitar: a high school student and talented basketball player, son of Brad and Kitty Bolitar, and nephew of Myron Bolitar. *

: a sports agent and Mickey's estranged uncle. *Ema: An

goth A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were: *Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history *Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history Goth or Goths may also refer to: * Goth (surname) ...

with a sarcastic wit, whom Mickey rescues from humiliation in gym class. *Spoon: A socially awkward nerd à la

Steve Urkel Steven Quincy Urkel is a fictional character on the American ABC/ CBS sitcom ''Family Matters'', portrayed by Jaleel White. Originally slated to be a one-time-only character on the show, he broke out to be its most popular character and gradual ...

who uses his hacking skills to assist Mickey in saving his father's life. *Bat Lady: A strange woman who tells Mickey that his father is alive. *Kitty Hammer Bolitar: Mickey's drug-addicted mother who has checked into a rehab facility.

Television adaptation

In April 2021, it was announced that

Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...

had ordered a pilot for a possible series based on the novel.

Ed Decter Edward Ichabod "Ed" Decter (born May 19, 1959) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Early life and education Born in West Orange, New Jersey, Decter graduated from Wesleyan University in 1979. Career His credits include, ...

will act as showrunner and executive producer. In March 2022, it was announced that Amazon had given the production a series order. The cast will include Jaden Michael as Mickey,

Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for playing Dana Gordon in the television series '' Entourage'' (2005–2011) and Claire Simms in the television series ''Boston Legal'' (2006–2007). Sh ...

as Mickey's aunt Shira, Adrian Greensmith as Spoon, Abby Corrigan as Ema, and Sage Linder as Rachel Caldwell.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelter (novel) Novels by Harlan Coben 2011 American novels Orion Books books G. P. Putnam's Sons books American crime novels American thriller novels