Shattered

Scorched #2

by Mari Mancusi

A Girl at the End of the World.

Two Brothers Fighting For Opposite Sides.

And a Dragon Who Can Save Them All...

Or Set the World on Fire.

Trinity's world changed forever the day she stole Emmy's egg. Now she's on the run with the last living dragon and twin brothers from a war-torn future. Connor may have betrayed his mission to kill Emmy, but he'll do whatever it takes to prevent the coming dragon apocalypse. Coddling a temperamental dragon on its away to being the size of a house is no way to keep them safe. But Caleb can't stand to see Emmy trapped and miserable...

When a video of Emmy flying over the skies of West Texas goes viral, the government closes in—and the future they've risked everything for is about to go up in flames.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Young Adult, Time Travel, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Paranormal

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Mari Mancusi grew up where the north wind meets the sea (otherwise known as Massachusetts), but has since made her home in the great state of Texas, mostly due to her love of summer. (And tacos.) A former Emmy Award winning TV news producer, today she is the author of more than two-dozen books for kids, teens, and adults, mostly of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. In addition to writing, Mari loves traveling, video games, and cosplaying. She is also Mom to an eight year old Frozen superfan who, when recently asked by her teacher to describe her hero answered: “My Mom!” (Okay, fine, she said Kristin Bell.)

You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shattered by Mari Mancusi
Book 2 in the Scorched series. YA fantasy with dragons. Best read as part of the series. Two times lines. Cliffhanger.
Trinity, Connor, Caleb, Emmy, and Scarlet continue the adventure. One starting with an egg and a baby dragon. The second where their story is in the history books and the world has changed after dragons destroyed the world.
Caleb and Conner are still at odds. Trinity and Emmy keep trying to go the right thing and poor Scarlet is confused and being manipulated.

I like that the characters are “good” or trying to do the right thing. Kindness isn’t a bad thing. But it can give the other side a lot more leverage and opportunity. Plus they are young. Didn’t we all make stupid mistakes and choices in our teens?
So suspending reality, I enjoyed this suspenseful adventure and look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.

🎧 I alternated between a paperback copy and an audiobook. The paperback helped with the time jumps and keeping the adventure straight. The audiobook is narrated by Mariam Volle. She has a great voice for the young adult format. She actually sounded a bit younger than the teens in the book but that may have been partially since I listened to the book at 1.4 speed to be closer to a comfortable talking rate for me. Voice variations and emotions were clear and distinct.

[Ruman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I. Hate. Scarlet.
She's rubbing me in all the wrong ways, and pissing me off to the third degree.


Also, I can't decide who I want Trinity to end up with, Caleb or Conner.
...
Haha.
I joke, I joke.
That was how I felt in Scorched, but now it's perfectly clear.
I want Trinity to end up with Conner for a few reasons: 1) He at least has logic, 2) He doesn't overreact in situations (especially when he's wrong - like Caleb), 3) And let's not forget that Conner understands what's at stake.
On the other hand, Caleb doesn't understand how dire the situation is. Which is pretty pathetic (he literally traveled back in time). What did he think was going to happen when he and Emmy went on their nightly routines? Nothing? Oh, please, what an idiot.

What I do know for a fact is that I don't want Scarlet to end up with either one. But she'll probably end up with Caleb because they both wove dragons, and don't understand that the apocalypse is on its way because of their stupid choices.

[Victoria Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best sequels I've read. I am OBSESSED with this series. Full review to come!

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bleh.

I was hoping book #2 would be an improvement but the story and characters and dialogue just suck. Like this book takes reasonable logic and tries to justify doing the opposite because it's not nice enough even though they know trying to endlessly act however the fuck the want doesn't go well.

We have established a few things, namely: Emmy, if captured, will be killed, abused, and cloned/mated to make hybrids that will be used to cause the end of the fucking world.

So what does this book do? Everything under the goddamn sun to ensure that exact thing happens. Because we definitely needed a third book right? So let's make up some stupid conflict to toss in.

Not a spoiler free review.

Caleb takes Emmy out flying in the open. Emmy heals a cut on a girl. Girl takes a video of dragon and uploads it, alerting EVERYONE to Emmy's presence. Caleb still wants to somehow push the belief that dragons are here to save the world therefore Emmy shouldn't be kept hidden despite knowing how easy it'd be for an entire world to defeat 1 adolescent dragon. Emmy, being a dumb dragon, is pissy and has 0 concept for why her showing off the world is bad despite knowing how her DNA will be used to cause the end of the fucking world. Girl, named Scarlet, goes to look for dragon and lets her out of the barn because "God it's so cruel you're in this barn watching TV you should, like, BE FREE, lol, your guardian sucks and is cruel." Emmy immediately makes a scene because she's dumb. Connor and Trinity and Caleb and Scarlet find the dragon and Trinity and make their escape. Scarlet runs into the special drackon kids and go with them to find the dragon, once again dumbly acting before thinking because she's too nice to be smart.

From here on out it's another long round of running from the drackon and the government and the chosen kids and kidnapping and dealing with Caleb's Nether addiction and Trin getting cozy with Connor.

Then when Trinity and Emmy meet with Trinity's dad and a scientist who created time travel and they put forth the very reasonable plan of sending Emmy back in time to an era where dragons were okay and chill and not ruining the world, fucking Emmy and Trin BALK because """"""destined bond""""""" so after this Emmy is once again captured by the drackon and essentially the start of the apololypse is beginning literally because Trinity and Emmy couldn't stand to part for the sake of the entire fucking world even though Emmy would be with dragons and happy and the world wouldn't be ending in fire at the hands of man made monsters

And like I get it, when you're young complex morality is harder to grasp, but this book is literally so STUPID because it always defaults to "kindness and friendship is the way!" even though it's proven time and time and time again that dumbly plowing forward with good intentions can backfire SO easily and the characters lament about their mistakes but NEVER LEARN FROM THEM.

Like did no one ever hear the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Caleb is fucking dumb. Emmy is fucking dumb. Trinity is less dumb but still pretty dumb. I fucking hate Scarlet with her whiny ass "save the dragon" nonsense because everything is her fault for having no goddamn brain and never thinking "wow, maybe I shouldn't stick my nose into things I don't understand." Like the only one I can accept is Connor because for all his faults he's trying very hard to save the world and giving other methods besides killing Trin and/or Emmy a chance. Like Caleb is all "Let's just fucking let Emmy rule the world you're so mean for not letting her fly when the government is after her to cage and abuse her!" like dude it's been literally a few weeks like, the fucking dragon can DEAL for a while. It's not like Emmy's been in a cage for years being abused with electro shocks as her offspring are made the burn down the world.

But yeah sure being in a barn watching TV is the cruelest possible fate.

Stupid, stupid, stupid book.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling and unpredictable sequel that had me on the edge of my seat, Shattered was a fantastic YA read. I really liked this book. It had everything that made book 1 so good and did it better.

All the characters in this book were great.
Trinity grew stronger in this book. She struggled to find the right path for her and Emmy and had to learn exactly how much she would have to sacrifice for the good of the world. In the end, she always wanted to do what was best for the ones she cared about.

Scarlet was the new addition and, at first, I was really annoyed with her because she managed to single-handedly mess everything up. But, as the book went on, she proved that she was tough and willing to do anything for what she though was right. In the end, I quite liked her.

Connor was more in the background in this book. Not that he wasn't there, but the book was more focused on the others. But, I did really like how he came to understand dragons more and why people would be willing to risk so much to save them.

Caleb was struggling to deal with letting go of his dragon and finding a way to fit into the group when he felt so excluded. I felt the most sympathy for him in this book and I hope he gets a happy ending...eventually.

Emmy really became her own character in this book. And, she was great. She was likable and easy to sympathize with. She wanted to help people, but people weren't exactly so welcoming of her. She proved herself very loyal to the people she cared for, especially Trinity and I grew to like her much more.

The romance in this book was very light. However, it did change the game a bit. With a new player in the game, one of the boys had a new love interest and it seems like the love triangle might split into two pairs. But, we'll see how that goes.

The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were tons of thrills and unpredictable twists that I never saw coming. I really liked the story and the ending was definitely crazy. It was totally unexpected and has me anxious to read book 3. Can't wait to read it!

Shattered was a fantastic YA read. Thrilling and full of twists, this book was great. Fans of book 1, you won't be disappointed with this wonderful sequel. And YA lovers, this is a series you'll want to check out.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Good things about this book.

1) The cover.
2) It is a hot seller in our store.

I am less than happy with the TSTL characters and DNF'd at 13%, because I didn't want to read an entire book where the plot only moved forward because the characters all did dumb things to further the story.

It didn't work for me at all and I don't feel like getting into what didn't work for me, as others have written very well-thought out reviews. I have nothing to add to what they say, other than to agree.

However, this series does extremely well in our store with the YA readers, so maybe I'm just too old for this book.

2, I will recommend it to the right reader but I won't be pushing it onto anyone, stars.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This year is definitely the year of underwhelming sequels. I really loved Scorched, the first book in the trilogy. I just found it such an addictive, creative fantasy adventure. Unfortunately, this sequel just did not have the magic that the first book did.

Overall, this definitely felt like a filler novel. In fact, the first half almost read like the beginning to a whole new series to me. I think the political tension and who-can-you-trust dynamic wore off in this one, and those were some of the most captivating elements of the first installment.

That said, this book was still an overall easy read. I never quite knew where the story was going to go, and the angst between the characters was still certainly there. I also still really like the overall concept, namely the dragon and time-travel elements.

I’m still deciding on if I will continue on with this series. I definitely still have an interest in knowing how everything wraps up. However, it’s hard for me to justify picking up this conclusion when I have so many more promising picks on my TBR. We will see, but I think this unfortunately might be where I stop with this series.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. This is the second book in the Scorched trilogy. I haven’t heard any news on when the third book will release. I actually ended up liking this book even more than Scorched. The story took some excellent twists and really made this a refreshing YA read.

Trinity, Connor, and Caleb along with the dragon Emmy are still in hiding and running from place to place. They are all struggling. Emmy is unhappy with being forced to hide, but when she is exposed to other humans things get much worse. Now Trinity, Connor, and Caleb have to come up with a longer term plan. Surprisingly help comes from someone in Trinity’s past.

This was a well done continuation of this series. There is a lot of action and a lot of running from place to place. Social media plays a large role in the story, as videos of Emmy are captured and broadcast widespread very quickly. We hear from a number of different viewpoints throughout the story and that format works really well in this book.

Some new characters are introduced into the series and they added a lot to the story. The new character with the largest role is Scarlet, she is the one who gets the initial video footage of Emmy. Scarlet has had a rough life and sees Emmy as a way out. Scarlet is in the story a ton and I really liked her character.

I was concerned about the whole Trinity, Connor, Caleb setup. However Mancusi actually makes fun of the love triangle scenario in the story and breaks away from this traditional YA plot device quickly. Love triangles are something I really dislike in YA books, so I was glad to see Mancusi take the story in a new direction. After all why should the heroine be dependent on any of these boys to get done what needs to be done?

We get to spend a lot more time with Emmy in this book and I really enjoyed that as well. There were a lot of twists and turns and surprises in the story too. There is more about time travel as well and we learn where the Dracken got their beginnings.

The writing is well done and flows well, making the book engaging and easy to read. I am so curious to see how everything plays out in the next book, so far the story has been completely unpredictable.

Overall I actually liked this book quite a bit more than Scorched and I am definitely going to keep reading this series. I enjoy the creative storyline and how Trinity makes mature choices throughout. I would recommend this book to those who like dragons and like reading sci-fi/fantasy. There was a lot here to like and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and SourceBooks Fire for giving me this book to review.

Trinity has been on the run with Emmy, Caleb and Connor, since she stole back Emmy from the Dracken. However, she is unprepared for what it takes to look after a growing teenage dragon. Trinity is unsure whose advice she should listen to, Connor, who has betrayed his mission to kill Emmy, but is still very wary of her, or Caleb, who wants what is best for Emmy but is becoming addicted to the Never. When Scarlet, a teenage girl who wants to protect her mother, uploads a video of Emmy, it goes viral and everyone closes in on Emmy with their own plan for her, but will all that Trinity has worked for go up in flames?

Shattered is the very good sequel to Scorched, as it is fasted paced, action-packed and has romance, though less of a love triangle than the last book. Like I said about Scorched, this book is not amazing but it is a guilty pleasure.

Trinity is struggling with staying hidden and also keeping Emmy happy but she is still strong and really cares for Emmy. Emmy is growing up and starting to act like a teenager, testing the rules, but is still always loyal to Trinity and the rest of team dragon.

There is a new character in this book, Scarlet, who has had a bad start in life but is tough, caring and stands up for what she believes in. Caleb is struggling in this book as he cannot stop using the Never to see his dragon Fred, and he feels like he does not fit in the group. Connor is the strong backbone of team dragon and is slowly learning to accept and understand dragons and Emmy.

This book ends on a cliff-hanger and I am looking forward to the next book. I would recommend Shattered to fans of the first book, Scorched.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much going on in this book and sometimes I wasn't sure what was going on. We get introduced to more teenagers, namely Scarlett, not sure about her, more bad people and some teens who run a website to Save Emmy. Caleb and Connor remain at odds but we get more backstory so I'm hopeful there is resolution for them in book 3. The last third of the book just moves along a dragon speed and has a definite cliff hanger. I sure hope these teens start working together and the author answers questions because I do not like what is happening to Emmy!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

*eye twitch*

This book was... I don't know, but I didn't like it. All the characters are pathetic. The guys were always mooning over Trinity. LIKE NO YOU HAVE A DRAGON TO PROTECT STOP TRYING TO GET A GIRLFRIEND. Trinity also mooned over both of them. Make it stooooop. Also scarlet was introduced really for the sheer purpose of making trinity jealous. Even the dragon was pretty pathetic. Aruughh.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this book 3.5 and rounding up to four because these endings always leave me wanting more. More thoughts to come.

[Crystal P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have wanted to return to this series since O read Scorched 2 years ago. I was not disappointed. There is some teenage romance drama but it simmers below the surface. The real drama centers around the dragon and her adolescent moments really take the story on turns. The Potentials re-enter the scene and we get a dragon support group o more teens to liven things up. Scarlett is an interesting addition. I really want to know how all gets ironed out as I just know everything has to eventually work out!!!

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like author, so finishing here where my library ends holdings, works. Mancusi keeps Caleb / Connor reactions to each other and Trinity more important than time jumps, that added toys, skills, visions. That is, people over facts.

[Janus the Erudite Artist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t a big fan of the first book from this series, Scorched. But I always saw the plot as something intriguing. Even though the book didn’t meet my expectations, I was hoping to see it improve with the next books to come. So in spite of my uncertainties, I thought to give Shattered a try.

Shattered started off with a rather confusing prologue. It made me wonder, “Did I mistake this sequel for another book?” Always the impatient reader that I am, I suppose I should have waited until I reached the first chapter. What? I couldn’t help but react too soon!

I was glad to see that Shattered turned out way more eventful than Scorched. I had complained before that Scorched had an inconsistent pacing. Shattered on the other hand, showed off an exciting flow to the story.

I don’t think I felt improvement character-wise though. Trinity is struggling but she has that ever-determined persona that she always had going for her since book one. Caleb was turning into a weary yet redeemable character. Connor’s still self-righteous. He was boring to begin with in my opinion and I don’t find him any more interesting with this book.

The addition of Scarlet as a character first felt like it was unnecessary, then upon the Caleb-encounter, it felt like a consolation prize for him since he felt like being singled out by Trinity and Connor. Finally by the end I see the purpose behind the emergence of her character.

I’m beginning to understand Emmy a lot more now. I perceived her as simply a newborn dragon. I didn’t see it in a way that I could look at her as a growing teenager as well. Still, she felt way more human than dragon to me that way so I’m still skeptical.

The ending of Shattered was an unexpected turn out for something I thought to be more of a love story than anything else. Although I may have gripes with this book, I can’t deny that I’m excited to see how this would continue on. I’m still hoping for more improvements though, but overall this was a quick and momentous read.

*Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for granting my request to view Shattered

For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com

[M Liu · Rating 1 out of 5]

same problem
at first i was going to give it two stars but honestly.. it's just - the characterization, the writing, the plot, just. maybe it's bcuz i've been reading too much brandon sanderson bcuz i have a feeling i would have liked it fine three years ago in 5th grade which is not all that bad since i already had pretty high standards for a 10 year old but i just can't give this this a so-so rating bcuz the thing that really stricked this for me was how UNREASONABLE everything was and oh my god the characterization was awful and Scarlet and Emmy are just *facepalm*

[P.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like dragons and I like time travel books. This one was just ok mainly because I don't care for the characters besides Emberlyn. I also didn't like the callous way Connor killed Caleb's dragon. It made me nervous about walking through a Walmart parking lot.

[Kate]

I am interested to see how the live triangle works out. I think she is closer to caleb right now...

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate open endings when the next book is so far away. ....

[Jennifer (DigiWrit) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. Scorched was a page-turner, but Shattered is a filler novel with little action and a weak plot that takes too long to get anywhere. I expected this story to pick up on the whole saving the world bit, but all I found was tangled loyalties, a frustrating new addition to the characters--Scarlet, a needy, pain-in-the-neck chick--and the continuation of a stupid love triangle.

Sibling rivalry, teen angst, raging hormones and two deaths pepper this novel with most unsavory flavor. It appears that Connor, the "perfect" twin, will win again. It seems the author will pick him to stay with Trinity. For my part, I preferred Caleb, the troubled twin who really just needed someone to tell him: "Hey, you're not so bad. You don't have to measure up to anyone--just be your own powerhouse, and I'm with you to the end." I thought he was more relatable. I also found that the near-sex scene between Connor and Trinity was in poor taste. Who can get horny after seeing their loved one die, being chased all over the country, and knowing that you're hurting someone else because you can't make up your mind?

I was really stoked with Scorched, but now I don't really care anymore. Too much death and tragedy, and I wanted Caleb for Trin. It's no fun anymore, just a plod. Well, on to the next. The buck stops here; no Bk 3 for me.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book and very solid plot. I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the whole book as well as how the author isn't making the journey too easy for the characters. I really like how there is a real feeling to the struggles. A couple things that I have not been enjoying is some mix up with the characters. The author frequently gets the twins eye color mixed up and the habit of Trinity biting her lip gets mixed up/used too often with another female character. The same "biting her lower lip" phrase was used 3 times on one page! But all in all, maybe these small critiques were just my personal problems. Overall, it was a great book! The last few chapters were surprisingly and unsuspectingly very emotional for me as well, so get ready for that. I would recommend reading this book trilogy! :D

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the one with the girl trying to raise her dragon in secret, with the fractured future-- or maybe it's the past that's fractured, since multiple bunches of people from the future have shown up, all fighting each other. I couldn't remember from the first book just who which group was or what they wanted, and it wasn't especially clear in the story, but there was a lot of running and hiding and tricking people. But it was interesting and exciting and it held my interest. And I intend to read the next book in the series. I liked it.

[Jassicca · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart shattered when I finished reading this book. It's a very appropriate title to this story, and I must say I have moments of heart racing, anger, gut-wrenching and fear while reading this book. I couldn't think of any enjoyable moment for the team dragon though, and I hope the last book would bring some happiness to these brave teenagers!

I also finally understand what happened to Caleb and Connor in their past/future world with the alternating POV featured in the story. I look forward to getting to know more about the new character, Scarlet, as well as the solution to the crisis.

[Valery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed in the language and content of this story. Not one I would recommend for teens. There are references to books and shows that many people would not understand, such as a reference to Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. Very few people will get this, let alone teens.

For my clean readers: violence-murder, kidnapping, physical abuse, drug addiction, and alcoholism. Language-tons, but I think there was only 1 f-bomb, if any. Romance-kissing, discussion of sex.

[Dolorianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the continuation of this series. The addition of a new main character was unexpected, and I'm still not sure how I feel about her yet. But I know that I love this world and am excited to see where the author takes us next. Based on these first two books, I really don't see how dragons and humans will be able to live in harmony going forward, but I am still crossing my fingers.

[Freethings Forme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Product Details
Release Date: Sep 2, 2014
Language: English
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Whispersync for Voice-ready
Copied above from Audible App

Overall good book. Drags a little here and there but picks back up every time. I believe I was able to complete the book because the pace recovered before I gave up.

[Eva Nieves · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Loved this sequel, it has action from beginning to end and I was screaming by the end. But how the main triangle dissolved was ridiculous and there is something about Scarlet that I don't quite like, idk what it is tho.

[P.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like dragons and I like time travel books. This one was just ok mainly because I don't care for the characters besides Emberlyn. I also didn't like the callous way Connor killed Caleb's dragon. It made me nervous about walking through a Walmart parking lot.

[Priscilla Reinart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Its well written, fun cute story. It's not a romance. Just a fansty fiction. Good characters that follow the first book and there story continues. I am sad to see emey falling into the wrong hands and I am ready to read how she gets rescued.

[Danielle Crail · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much potential.

The main characters in this second one didn't add to the story but made it more obvious for younger readers. I didn't bother finishing 50% in. Didn't care enough.