Review - Shattered by Melody Carlson

Shattered

By: Melody Carlson

ISBN: 978-1-60006-949-9

Published by: NavPress

Released on April 15, 2011

208 Pages

Back Cover (description from Amazon):

Everybody does it—sneaks out of the house now and then. It's harmless enough, right? Not this time. Cleo Neilson faces the chilling consequences of her actions. Now she has a secret and can’t tell anyone, and it’s breaking her heart. As Cleo fights through her grief and guilt, she learns about faith in God and forgiveness through him. As teenage girls read Cleo's journey, they too will learn the value of having faith and receiving forgiveness as well as just how dangerous it really is to keep a secret.

[series copy]
Every teenage girl has a secret. And every teenage girl loves hearing someone else’s secret. But some secrets are big enough to detour, derail, or even destroy a young person’s life. Each of Melody Carlson’s Secrets novels will propel readers into a world where promises are broken, life is not fair, and challenges can make or break them, while ultimately helping readers discover that solid faith, loyal friends, and a persistent spirit will see them through.

Review:

I have loved Melody Carlson since I read her Diary of A Teenage Girl Series, and she's one of my favorite authors. She wrote the True Color series, which is another one of my favorites. When my mom asked me if I wanted to review this new book in Melody Carlson's new series, I jumped on the opportunity.

This book is about Cleo and a lie she tells to her mother that completely shatters her from the inside out. I liked the surprising turns that this book took. I thought I had this book pegged when I first started reading it (because I always read the ending first!!) but Melody threw me a couple curve balls during the story.

Shattered was a quick read. I read it in a couple of hours, but throughly enjoyed it. I cared for Cleo and everything she went through. I related with a lot of the feelings she had in the book about her mother, and the guilt she felt for keeping secrets. I think the Secrets series is a great thing that Melody is doing.

Secrets can tear any teenager, or adult, apart. They will eat you from the inside out. It's amazing the way that Melody delves into the mind of Cleo and how she tries to not think about everything that's happening around her. She has a mentality that if she doesn't feel it, it's not really happening. It was very interesting watching all the puzzle pieces fall into place.

This book could have taken a lot of turns, and I appreciate the turns that it took. I wish the book had been longer, maybe more in depth and that her kind-of "break down" had been more intense. But I know she probably had a page limit, and it's probably just that "soap-opera" side of me kicking in. :D 

You will absolutely love this book, it deals with a couple of tough issues in a great way. If you're looking for a fast, but deep and enjoyable read check out Shattered by Melody Carlson. You won't regret it!!

About the Author(taken from here):

Melody Carlson has written around 200 books for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her books range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including the Rita and Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Other series by the author(check out all her books here):