Mosaic

by Deborah Jackson

It wasn’t until Carlos helped me put the pieces back together that I realized how many were missing.

Shattered. Tormented. Brain on disconnect.

A car accident leaves Erin Rocheford, a seventeen-year-old hockey player, fractured, disfigured, near death. Not only has her future career in the NHL been erased, but when she’s finally released from the hospital, she can barely walk, her thoughts stumble into each other, and people grimace when they see the scars crisscrossing her face.

Erin's parents decide that a vacation in Florida, on an island of palm trees and pirate lore, is just what she needs to recover. But in her post-traumatic state, Erin is vulnerable to attack, to a ghostly invasion, and to a further fragmenting of her troubled grey matter. Soon after arriving on the island, a tale of an odd English pirate and his feisty captive—a story of defiance and decapitation—weaves itself into her mind, threatening her very soul. Erin will need to call upon every reserve in her hockey-toned body to keep from falling apart altogether, to fight back, and to protect her star player—the one boy who can see beyond the scars.

Genres: Young Adult

307 pages, ebook

First published December 6, 2014

About the author

Deborah Jackson grew up in the Toronto region, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Ottawa and worked for many years in the healthcare field before beginning her writing career. She is the author of several science fiction and historical fiction novels. Deborah is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Speculative Fiction Canada. Articles about Deborah and reviews of her books have appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, MORE Magazine, the RT Bookclub Magazine, Canadian Teacher Magazine, SF Site, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine and many more.

Reviews

[Deborah]

At the end, a hush falls over the arena as the crowds are absorbed into the night. At the end, the flashing red light on the ambulance fades like a distant star. At the end, the scoreboards are wiped and every hard-fought point is forgotten. You do one last skate over the slush and cracks in the ice. You feel the cracks zigzag and widen; you extend desperate fingers to avoid the collapse. You stop at the hole, the entry point, the garish splotch of blood. The lights dim until nothing is visible but the silver streaks of a broken mirror. A tiny voice whispers, Game over.

So begins Mosaic. This novel was a labor of four years, endless rewriting, re-imagining and replacing until the novel was the most unusual I've ever produced. So be prepared for "different." Mosaic is structured to match its theme, which is easy to determine from the cover and title. But easy ends there. If you become disoriented or confused, bear with the story for a while. After all, this is about a girl who experienced trauma, particularly head trauma, so her thoughts and imagination will not always be status quo. But there's still enough action, adventure and mystery to keep you turning the pages, I believe, since it involves a murder or two, Florida pirates, and a ghost . . . I hope you will enjoy this odd tale, and maybe it will even speak to you. It spoke to me for many years ;-)

[Monie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew that Mosaic wasn't going to be a suspense novel like the two other Jackson books I've read, Ice Tomb and Sinkhole but I wasn't disappointed. Mosaic is geared towards older teens and hits the mark unlike some YA reads that tend to shock me with the amount of sex and drugs in the story. It has just the right amount of sexual tension and relationship drama to give the book a realistic teenage feel.

The story itself is pretty interesting. Pirates, serial killers and ghosts all lend themselves to a twisting tale. Throw in a troubled teen getting over an accident, a spoiled rich girl pouting over the bad boy who dumped her, a suspicious cop who lost a daughter and an over-protective dad and you have a winner that stands above most YA books I've read.

I recommend Mosaic for anyone who loves YA suspense.

[NAL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing.
I was not expecting this.
First I thought this would be like all the books about a girl having an accident and slowly loosing herself but it wasn't, and i was not expecting this at all.

The characters are amazing, I related to both of them and I understood them and their family. I shared their love and their story.
And I like Carlos for being a selfless and caring person, and the fact that he can see her beauty behind her scars makes me love him more. I like the way he sees her, and it's different from the way she sees herself, her new face that she can't recognize. She feels different and she IS different physically. I understand Erin, and I see the good in Carlos and I like how he sees the beauty in her behind her appearence. Also, i like how their love is challenged and they always find a way to get to each other until the end.

Deborah Jackson I enjoyed every page of your book and i'm really glad I won this one because i was so surprised by the story i couldn't get enough.
AND please tell me that there will be a second book because it can't finish like this!

PS: I need to find a ship name (for those who read it THIS BOOK, IT IS ALSO A PUN RELATED TO THE BOOK haha did you get it?..ok i'm out) what about Carrin? (and it also makes a word carin' haha ok i'll stop)
Anyway.. THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME

Also you can find out i reacted when the book arrived: http://ghettofangirl.tumblr.com/post/...
AND see where are my favorite parts in the book (this book as more post-its than my other books!): http://ghettofangirl.tumblr.com/post/...

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book started off great. Really captured my attention. Loved the dual perspectives from the characters. Loved the historical connection. The ending lost me, though. I feel as though the story was left hanging too much. Too many questions unanswered that a second book couldn't deal with. Would like to read this author's work again.

[Frances Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the characters Erin and Carlos. I particularly enjoyed their courage and tenacity in the face of danger and obstacles. There are many life lessons here. Great read.