Shattered

by Sarah N. Harvey

March has a perfect beauty, popularity, a great job, a loving family and a hot boyfriend. So when she discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her, she is hurt and enraged. When she lashes out at him, he falls and is badly injured. March panics, flees the scene and then watches her perfect life spiral out of control. In a misguided attempt to atone for her crime, March changes her appearance, quits her job and tries to become invisible until an unlikely friendship and a new job force her to re-engage with life.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Teen, Ebooks

121 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't really sold on the initial plot, and didn't always feel like I knew what March was doing and why. Even when she explained her motives, I wasn't totally with her. But this novel is pretty short (115 rather small pages) so I stuck with it, and in the end, I'm glad I did. My favorite character was Hazel, a girl who sells poems on the streets--a pretty original concept. Mr. Hardcastle, the owner of the gift shop, turned out to be a pretty cool guy, too. Even though I was never that involved with the March-Tyler storyline (I didn't find myself caring much about whether or not they got together in the end), the outside characters were creative and intriguing. Harvey finds her strength in the details, and those are what makes this book a worthwhile read.

[Jdefarno · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminded me of a Afterschool Special episode. It was quick, too the point, and cliché. The main character March hurts her boyfriend and then spends the rest of the book trying to atone for her mistake. The ending wasn't a surprise and was predictable. Although the author shares March's thoughts, this book doesn't have a lot of emotional depth. There isn't a lot of backstory about March and the story focuses solely on the short time after her boyfriend is injured. I think this is a good book for reluctant teen readers because it is a quick read and everything gets wrapped up by the end of the book.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay story. I didn't like how extremely March behaved because of what happened. I didn't feel that it was her fault. She did almost everything she could've, with the exception of staying until the paramedics arrived, so I didn't like the way she blamed herself for it. I also didn't care for the way Tyler's behavior at the party was completely forgotten/overlooked because of what happen to him. This just wasn't all that great of a story and not one I'll be reading again.

2.5 stars

[sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book left me with a lot of thoughts. For one, March is a very one-dimensional character, and a vapid one at that. It is hard to empathize with her and actually understand her motivations, but I also believe she deserved better. I liked the ultimate message of the novel, however, the misogynist and other language was a little hard to bear. In my opinion, it really dates the book, and maybe even older than its 2011 release. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the story was taking place in Canada since I haven't really read any Canadian authors or Canada-based stories. The descriptions of their house and the local landscape were the best part. I also enjoyed the development of the side characters.

My biggest issue with the novel is with the first scene because it creates the most questions for me. March comes across her drunk boyfriend hooking up with another girl, Kayla. He was either so drunk or so concussed that he doesn't even remember it by the end of the novel. He says "you know what vodka does to me" implying that he initiated, but considering his state, he may not have been in the position to consent at all. I can't tell if March's vengeful rival assaulted her boyfriend in this process or if they truly both drunkenly had sex (that they both couldn't consent to) despite his relationship status. Did he drink the whole bottle himself since he has an alcohol problem, or did they share and therefore share the blame? It's impossible to tell for me as the reader. I may be reading too far into this, but I couldn't help but consider this.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a short read, this book was still real well written. I enjoyed it and liked that it was Canadian setting. My only thing I was not sold on was why March was doing the things she did. It all lead up to something huge, like as if she was going to run away, but she never does.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canadian. ORCA Soundings.
Social content - grade 7 and higher

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't bad for a high/low book.

[Vega_girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute short story!!