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Shackled
From author Tom Leveen comes a taut, suspenseful novel about a girl’s abduction that leaves her best friend emotionally paralyzed, until a chance encounter points her toward the truth…and a terrifying new danger.
Sixteen-year-old Pelly has a master plan. After years of therapy, medication, and even a stint in a mental hospital, she’s finally ready to re-enter the world of the living. Pelly has been suffering from severe panic attacks ever since her best friend, Tara, disappeared from a mall six years ago.
And her plan seems to be working, until an unkempt girl accompanied by an older man walks into the coffee shop where she works. Pelly thinks she’s seen a ghost, until the girl mouths “help me” on the way out, and Pelly knows she’s just seen Tara.
Too shocked to do anything, Pelly helplessly watches Tara slip away again as she steels herself against a renewed spiral of crippling anxiety. But rather than being overcome by anxiety, Pelly feels more energized than she has in years. Determined to track down enough evidence to force the police to reopen Tara’s file, Pelly’s master plan takes a turn for the dangerous.
Pelly decides she cannot be shackled by her past—and the anxiety, fear, and grief that comes with it—any longer if she wants to save Tara. But in seeking answers through whatever means necessary, she’ll come face-to-face with true evil. And not all the shackles are in her head...
Sixteen-year-old Pelly has a master plan. After years of therapy, medication, and even a stint in a mental hospital, she’s finally ready to re-enter the world of the living. Pelly has been suffering from severe panic attacks ever since her best friend, Tara, disappeared from a mall six years ago.
And her plan seems to be working, until an unkempt girl accompanied by an older man walks into the coffee shop where she works. Pelly thinks she’s seen a ghost, until the girl mouths “help me” on the way out, and Pelly knows she’s just seen Tara.
Too shocked to do anything, Pelly helplessly watches Tara slip away again as she steels herself against a renewed spiral of crippling anxiety. But rather than being overcome by anxiety, Pelly feels more energized than she has in years. Determined to track down enough evidence to force the police to reopen Tara’s file, Pelly’s master plan takes a turn for the dangerous.
Pelly decides she cannot be shackled by her past—and the anxiety, fear, and grief that comes with it—any longer if she wants to save Tara. But in seeking answers through whatever means necessary, she’ll come face-to-face with true evil. And not all the shackles are in her head...
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2015
59 people are currently reading
1659 people want to read
About the author
Tom Leveen
45 books238 followersTom Leveen is the author of nine novels originally with imprints of Random House, Simon & Schuster, Abrams, and more. He has written with Todd McFarlane on SPAWN, the comic book series, and fiction for the TTRPG BattleTech for Topps, Inc.
Recently an early literacy specialist with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different award-winning theatre companies.
Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, SICK, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association).
A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others.
In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom:
Finished a marathon (in six and half hours) and a triathalon sprint in 2 hours, earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He is currently in an MFA program at a major international university.
So if there's something you want to do, go do it.
Recently an early literacy specialist with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different award-winning theatre companies.
Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, SICK, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association).
A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others.
In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom:
Finished a marathon (in six and half hours) and a triathalon sprint in 2 hours, earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He is currently in an MFA program at a major international university.
So if there's something you want to do, go do it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
February 6, 2017
1.5/5
Shackled is about Pelly, a teen girl whose best friend went missing as a preteen, who believes she saw her best friend and suspected kidnapper in the coffee shop she works in. The police appear useless in this small town, so with the help of a coworker, Pelly takes matters into her own hands and tries to track down her best friend and the unnamed male she suspects kidnapped her.
This book was just so problematic. First, the writing was less than mediocre, overdramatic, and used mental illness as the main element of character for Pelly. I can't stand books that glamorize and exploit people suffering with depression, anxiety, and/or self harm just so the author can use that as motivation for their choices. Most of what the author described of Pelly reeks of Psych 101 and it doesn't seem he had any psych experience firsthand. While the plot seemed fine, the actual follow through was poorly done. So many scenes that could have been pulled out and detailed over a dozen pages or more were condensed so quickly into a measly two to three pages and I couldn't settle into the scenes.
Also....after the kids got into the car wreck and were picked up by that older couple....um....so they just took them to their house to stay the night instead of, I don't know, calling their parents?!?! These are high school kids. I thought maybe I wish there wouldn't have been a romance element. That felt distracting. And as far as the ending goes, all I have to say is
And while yes, the second half of the book was more exciting and page turning than the first, altogether it just wasn't good. It wasn't fresh, it didn't bring anything new to the table, and it just seemed so.....typical, like a bad Netflix movie. I'm glad it was so short.
Shackled is about Pelly, a teen girl whose best friend went missing as a preteen, who believes she saw her best friend and suspected kidnapper in the coffee shop she works in. The police appear useless in this small town, so with the help of a coworker, Pelly takes matters into her own hands and tries to track down her best friend and the unnamed male she suspects kidnapped her.
This book was just so problematic. First, the writing was less than mediocre, overdramatic, and used mental illness as the main element of character for Pelly. I can't stand books that glamorize and exploit people suffering with depression, anxiety, and/or self harm just so the author can use that as motivation for their choices. Most of what the author described of Pelly reeks of Psych 101 and it doesn't seem he had any psych experience firsthand. While the plot seemed fine, the actual follow through was poorly done. So many scenes that could have been pulled out and detailed over a dozen pages or more were condensed so quickly into a measly two to three pages and I couldn't settle into the scenes.
Also....after the kids got into the car wreck and were picked up by that older couple....um....so they just took them to their house to stay the night instead of, I don't know, calling their parents?!?! These are high school kids. I thought maybe I wish there wouldn't have been a romance element. That felt distracting. And as far as the ending goes, all I have to say is
And while yes, the second half of the book was more exciting and page turning than the first, altogether it just wasn't good. It wasn't fresh, it didn't bring anything new to the table, and it just seemed so.....typical, like a bad Netflix movie. I'm glad it was so short.
July 20, 2015
Solid, fast read for teens who enjoy realistic thriller / crime novels; ideal for readers who will go on to enjoy Thomas Harris, Robin Cook, etc, but need to start with a more age-appropriate book. Gripping, fast read with clear writing and a solid voice throughout. Characters are well-drawn and very interesting, they make believable mistakes and the tension escalates nicely throughout.
Would recommend for readers who enjoyed Cheryl Rainfield's STAINED.
Review based on an ARC supplied by the publisher at ALA 2015.
Would recommend for readers who enjoyed Cheryl Rainfield's STAINED.
Review based on an ARC supplied by the publisher at ALA 2015.
December 11, 2016
As I had left my other two currently reading books in the car and it's much too cold to go get them I picked this up out of my library pile and I enjoyed it as a quick read with a twist I did not expect.
May 19, 2017
TW: Self Harm, kidnapping and rape
I was actually planning on taking a little hiatus from reading until next month because its just been so long since ive REALLY been engrossed into a book, but for some reason I decided to pick this up since I knew I was going to be in a car for an hour, and before I knew it..I was over halfway through the book.
Then, I had to leave the book...and I thought about it the entire time. I then finished the rest of the book in 30 minutes.
While this definitely isn't the BEST book, I still enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, based on the pretty mixed reviews.
Our main character, Pelly (horrible name, I know) suffers from anxiety and OCD (which is relatible AF). I was expecting it to be bad representation but it was acfually really good rep.
Overall, this is a book that i will probably forget about in a few months from now, but I found myself connecting with the mc and I couldn't stop flipping the pages to see what would happen.
I'd reccomend this if you are just looking for a short and easy read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just don't be expecting a masterpiece or anything, that's Gillian Flynn's territory.
3.75/5 stars
I was actually planning on taking a little hiatus from reading until next month because its just been so long since ive REALLY been engrossed into a book, but for some reason I decided to pick this up since I knew I was going to be in a car for an hour, and before I knew it..I was over halfway through the book.
Then, I had to leave the book...and I thought about it the entire time. I then finished the rest of the book in 30 minutes.
While this definitely isn't the BEST book, I still enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, based on the pretty mixed reviews.
Our main character, Pelly (horrible name, I know) suffers from anxiety and OCD (which is relatible AF). I was expecting it to be bad representation but it was acfually really good rep.
Overall, this is a book that i will probably forget about in a few months from now, but I found myself connecting with the mc and I couldn't stop flipping the pages to see what would happen.
I'd reccomend this if you are just looking for a short and easy read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just don't be expecting a masterpiece or anything, that's Gillian Flynn's territory.
3.75/5 stars
June 23, 2018
Sigh.
Good ending, suspenseful climax. Enough said.
Good ending, suspenseful climax. Enough said.
October 10, 2016
This is an amazing book but I believe they should make a second book to this
July 12, 2017
ehhhhhhhh. Clunky writing and inconsistent characters and a misleading title. Nothing happened really?? So my reaction is basically eeeehhhhhhhhhhh
June 14, 2018
Full review tomorrow
February 7, 2017
I picked this up because it looked like an interesting quick read. It was interesting but I didn't read it as quickly as I would of liked mostly cause life happened, but also because sometimes I got bored and didn't feel like continuing. Honestly I thought of DNFing it but then I thought I'm almost done! Don't do that. Anyway on to the review.
It had a romance and I'm kind of disappointed that it did. I wasn't really expecting one and I thought it was mainly gonna be focused on Pelly dealing with her mental health and the fact that she saw her kidnapped best friend at her job. It kind of bothered me cause I felt like it was gonna make it the whole girl gets a boyfriend and suddenly her mental health gets better! trope but thankfully it didn't really happen that way. I wasn't really interested in the book until the endish when things started happening. Don't get me wrong I loved David and he treated Pelly really well, but I would've rather it had been just about Pelly and the kidnapping.
It had a romance and I'm kind of disappointed that it did. I wasn't really expecting one and I thought it was mainly gonna be focused on Pelly dealing with her mental health and the fact that she saw her kidnapped best friend at her job. It kind of bothered me cause I felt like it was gonna make it the whole girl gets a boyfriend and suddenly her mental health gets better! trope but thankfully it didn't really happen that way. I wasn't really interested in the book until the endish when things started happening. Don't get me wrong I loved David and he treated Pelly really well, but I would've rather it had been just about Pelly and the kidnapping.
December 27, 2015
I'M CRYING ACTUAL TEARS. That was such a traumatizing experience.
March 24, 2020
FROM THE AUDIOBOOK BOOTH: I just completed recording Shackled by Tom Leveen. It's a YA mystery/thriller with references to mental health issues focusing on panic. It's a shortish read for me, and one that went very smoothly. It's first person POV (which is really my favorite type of book to narrate.) This was a big surge in the COVID-19 week, so my booth was a welcome place for me to hide. Once again, I am narrating a teenager; the older I get the more teenage POVS audiobooks I am reading. weird, huh? I think maybe it's my emotional connection with the adolescent angst that propels me into these books. Anyway, enough about me. I REALLY liked this one. I loved voicing Pelly (Penelope), the teenager who is dealing with panic attacks since her 10 year old friend was kidnapped. There is a very intriguing mystery which begins to unwind, and ends with a very satisfactory conclusion at the end. When I prep mysteries, I never read the conclusion of the plot. I find that that allows the listener and me to "discover" the mystery together rather than foreshadowing plot points or spoilers in my performance. It's something Stefan Rudnicki taught me years back, and it never fails. It also emotionally builds my personal suspense during the recording process. I found the dialogue very natural, and the budding romance between Pelly and David very funny, endearing and realistic. The author did a fine job developing the characters. Nothing struck me as unnatural in the performance. Also, the book is well copy-edited which is always a HUGE relief for a narrator. I enjoyed this one very much, and it went by much too quickly for me. I would say it's suitable for over 16, due to one violent scene and some references to sexual assault and perversion by the villain in the piece. Thank you, Tom, for trusting me with your book. Well done.
April 6, 2017
At age ten, Pellie and her best friend Tara play hide and seek. Tara disappears, leaving Pellie with severe anxiety. When Pellie thinks she sees Tara in a coffee shop with an older, Pellie is convinced her friend is SHACKLED in that house.
A lot about SHACKLED defied logic. Pellie's anxiety is so disabling, she can barely leave the house and never at night. She's able to hold down a job one mile from her home. She quit therapy and her medication, which I'm not sure why her parents allowed. Pellie's PTSD kept her on constant alert, she not only pushed people away, she was unfriendly. Yet, her cute coworker, whom she treats poorly, wants to date her. After seeing Tara, Pellie is able to put her anxieties aside to play detective and stalk out the alleged abductor. Who knew the cure for anxiety was breaking into a suspected kidnapper's house?
Still, SHACKLED was an enjoyable, quick read. I liked Tom Leveen's writing. At $2.99 on a Kindle sale, it's a great bargain.
A lot about SHACKLED defied logic. Pellie's anxiety is so disabling, she can barely leave the house and never at night. She's able to hold down a job one mile from her home. She quit therapy and her medication, which I'm not sure why her parents allowed. Pellie's PTSD kept her on constant alert, she not only pushed people away, she was unfriendly. Yet, her cute coworker, whom she treats poorly, wants to date her. After seeing Tara, Pellie is able to put her anxieties aside to play detective and stalk out the alleged abductor. Who knew the cure for anxiety was breaking into a suspected kidnapper's house?
Still, SHACKLED was an enjoyable, quick read. I liked Tom Leveen's writing. At $2.99 on a Kindle sale, it's a great bargain.
December 4, 2017
I don't know if this book was too short to do justice for the mental health parts of the book or too long (at 212 pages, I was still kind of bored for the first 100 pages). I at least liked the ending.
Read
October 26, 2021Epic.
December 15, 2021
This book was very... okay. Honestly, I don't have a huge amount to say about it. Nothing really stands out as particularly good or particularly bad. I wouldn't recommend this, probably because I wouldn't even think of this book when not directly looking at it.
September 26, 2017
Shackled by Tom Leveen is a book that’s not very popular but definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s all about mental illness, kidnaping, and love. If you are into books about mysteries you will without a doubt be into Shackled.
Pelly is a 16 year old girl who’s best friend Tara went missing 6 years ago and left Pelly with bad mental issues. One day at work Pelly was taking an order from a older man that was with a girl that looked like a “ghost”, Pelly soon recognized the girl and had a strong supposition that it was Tara. After that she does everything she can to get her back, when the police can’t do anything she takes matters into her own hands and things take an unexpected dark turn.
Tom Leveen wrote Shackled back in 2013, he wrote the book to raise awareness about mental issues and kidnapping . He claims that “this book is about a person not an issue.” He said that because many people see people with mental issues as problems not people and he wants to help people realize that they are in fact people with problems and not objects.
The characters in Shackled are very easy to relate to and all have the same problems as most people today. An example is, Pelly’s family have been having a hard time financially, the mom is having to work long hours and her job is very stressful, the dad is a pilot for the post office so he is gone most the time flying. This book is a book I recommend to everyone that does not understand mental issues, which is a very important thing to understand today in 2017 because more and more people are getting mental problems and not everyone can help people that do have mental problems. The book also helps raise awareness about kidnaping and that it can happen to anyone.
I recommend this book to all teens and adults but no one under the age of thirteen as there are intense parts of the book and language. Overall I rate this book at 5 out of 5 stars because the author did a great job at building suspense and really throwing a curveball at you in the end. Read for yourself to see if Pelly ever gets over her mental problems and breaks from the shackles in her head.
Pelly is a 16 year old girl who’s best friend Tara went missing 6 years ago and left Pelly with bad mental issues. One day at work Pelly was taking an order from a older man that was with a girl that looked like a “ghost”, Pelly soon recognized the girl and had a strong supposition that it was Tara. After that she does everything she can to get her back, when the police can’t do anything she takes matters into her own hands and things take an unexpected dark turn.
Tom Leveen wrote Shackled back in 2013, he wrote the book to raise awareness about mental issues and kidnapping . He claims that “this book is about a person not an issue.” He said that because many people see people with mental issues as problems not people and he wants to help people realize that they are in fact people with problems and not objects.
The characters in Shackled are very easy to relate to and all have the same problems as most people today. An example is, Pelly’s family have been having a hard time financially, the mom is having to work long hours and her job is very stressful, the dad is a pilot for the post office so he is gone most the time flying. This book is a book I recommend to everyone that does not understand mental issues, which is a very important thing to understand today in 2017 because more and more people are getting mental problems and not everyone can help people that do have mental problems. The book also helps raise awareness about kidnaping and that it can happen to anyone.
I recommend this book to all teens and adults but no one under the age of thirteen as there are intense parts of the book and language. Overall I rate this book at 5 out of 5 stars because the author did a great job at building suspense and really throwing a curveball at you in the end. Read for yourself to see if Pelly ever gets over her mental problems and breaks from the shackles in her head.
January 8, 2017
Pelly has been an emotional wreck ever since her best friend, Tara, was abducted from the mall where the two were playing hide-and-seek when they were ten. Tara was never found and Pelly lost herself that day, overcome with fear and anxiety of just about everything outside of her house and holding herself responsible for Tara's abduction. Now sixteen, Pelly is clandestinely off her meds and ditching her therapist as she tries to return to the land of the living by taking a part-time job as a barista. Then, she sees Tara come into the coffee shop with an old guy and she is determined to find a way to rescue her.
Tom Leveen has a gift for writing young adult novels that explore current issues and the stories behind the headlines, all set in Arizona. The fears of abduction and stranger-danger take a new twist with the after-effects on Pelly, the one who wasn't taken. This isn't my kind of book but I can see its appeal for teens who enjoy contemporary novels that explore their own fears. The story takes numerous twists and Pelly finds her strength -- partially derived from her own pain and weaknesses -- to not only take action but find a life for herself. There's a low-key, realistic romance as well.
Book Pairings:
Another take on abduction with a plot filled with mysteries is Nick Lake's There Will Be Lies -- also set in Arizona.
Other takes on dealing with mental illnesses of various sorts: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness and Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman.
Tom Leveen has a gift for writing young adult novels that explore current issues and the stories behind the headlines, all set in Arizona. The fears of abduction and stranger-danger take a new twist with the after-effects on Pelly, the one who wasn't taken. This isn't my kind of book but I can see its appeal for teens who enjoy contemporary novels that explore their own fears. The story takes numerous twists and Pelly finds her strength -- partially derived from her own pain and weaknesses -- to not only take action but find a life for herself. There's a low-key, realistic romance as well.
Book Pairings:
Another take on abduction with a plot filled with mysteries is Nick Lake's There Will Be Lies -- also set in Arizona.
Other takes on dealing with mental illnesses of various sorts: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness and Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman.
February 23, 2018
“The truth doesn’t always set you free.” The truth will or will not always set you free. Tom Leveen’s novel Shackled captivated my attention from start to finish. I rate the book a five out of five rating without hesitation. Two strengths of this novel include the plot and the mood.
The strength of the plot include, building up to the suspense in the story. The author didn’t jump right into the theme right away. He gave enough background information on what happened and he gave good description of the characters. I have never heard of him as an author so I was pleased with the book . I want to read his other books that he has and see how they turn out.
The weakness in this book is the amount of spelling errors. When I would read something and it was a spelling error I kind of laughed, only because I thought when they went over the book they didn’t catch the mistakes. If Tom Leveen made part two from Shackled I would enjoy reading the book. I don’t usually read authors who I’m not familiar with I like to give them a chance to impress me and if they have more books out than I will check them out and read them.
Simply, Shackled by Tom Leveen is a must read. It is a page turner and you don’t ever want to put the book down. If you like mystery then this is a book for you to read, you will enjoy reading this book. This is my first time reading a book by Tom Leveen and I suggest reading the other books he has out. I plan on reading more of his books because I myself like mystery books.
The strength of the plot include, building up to the suspense in the story. The author didn’t jump right into the theme right away. He gave enough background information on what happened and he gave good description of the characters. I have never heard of him as an author so I was pleased with the book . I want to read his other books that he has and see how they turn out.
The weakness in this book is the amount of spelling errors. When I would read something and it was a spelling error I kind of laughed, only because I thought when they went over the book they didn’t catch the mistakes. If Tom Leveen made part two from Shackled I would enjoy reading the book. I don’t usually read authors who I’m not familiar with I like to give them a chance to impress me and if they have more books out than I will check them out and read them.
Simply, Shackled by Tom Leveen is a must read. It is a page turner and you don’t ever want to put the book down. If you like mystery then this is a book for you to read, you will enjoy reading this book. This is my first time reading a book by Tom Leveen and I suggest reading the other books he has out. I plan on reading more of his books because I myself like mystery books.
July 25, 2018
there isnt nearly enough character development in the supporting characters, however the main character has so much depth that it largely makes up for it. the struggle with anxiety and a loss of a friend, it all hit me very hard. this book is very quick to read, but incredibly intriguing and heartbreaking. the friendship between David and Pelly that grows to a romance is hilarious and cute, and i love how realistic David is. He's that guy that doesnt understand whats going on but "Hey i think youre cute and wanna make you feel better even though you have a lot of mental issues right now !!!!" but doesnt even know where to start. He says some wrong things, but so does Pelly, and i think together they grew as people in the few days they spent getting to know each other better. I also love that Pelly is shown as this vulnerable and anxiety-ridden girl, and eventually becomes strong and empowered when it comes to fighting for others. she found strength in her selflessness and i truly think thats beautiful. Oof. this whole book is beautiful. y'all should read it if you havent yet !!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2017
I picked this book up hoping for a psychological mystery and was not disappointed. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I immediately identified with the protagonist, Pelly. The author did an amazing job at portraying the every day horrors of dealing with mental illness without falling back on standard cliches.
I've read stories similar to this and most tend to end the same with revealing that the entire plot was in the characters head all along. This is something that's shocking the first time but gets old and disappointing pretty fast. I was happy to find that this was NOT one of those stories, and although not all problems were solved in the conclusion, the ending was generally good and happy.
My one complaint would be the length of the book. It was a bit in the short side and did move a bit slow considering that.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology, thrillers, or mystery.
I've read stories similar to this and most tend to end the same with revealing that the entire plot was in the characters head all along. This is something that's shocking the first time but gets old and disappointing pretty fast. I was happy to find that this was NOT one of those stories, and although not all problems were solved in the conclusion, the ending was generally good and happy.
My one complaint would be the length of the book. It was a bit in the short side and did move a bit slow considering that.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology, thrillers, or mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2019
I picked up this book while on a vacation in Grand Cayman. They have a small library with books for sale and this was one of the two I picked up. This book was so good that I am looking forward to reading more by Tom Leveen. It hits on anxiety issues and how debilitating they can be. Post traumatic stress from real life events. Loved the characters and the story. Really good book!
This is the story of 16-year-old Penelope whose best friend was kidnapped when they were 10 years old. She has spent the last six years with PTS from the event and anxiety at the world around her. But when her best friend walks into the coffee shop where she works accompanied by an older man and mouths the words "Help Me" to Penelope she must try to get past her personal issues to save her friend.
If you enjoy young adult, hard hitting stories, thrillers, and stories about overcoming obstacles...this book is for you!
This is the story of 16-year-old Penelope whose best friend was kidnapped when they were 10 years old. She has spent the last six years with PTS from the event and anxiety at the world around her. But when her best friend walks into the coffee shop where she works accompanied by an older man and mouths the words "Help Me" to Penelope she must try to get past her personal issues to save her friend.
If you enjoy young adult, hard hitting stories, thrillers, and stories about overcoming obstacles...this book is for you!
June 23, 2016
Following the disappearance of her best friend several years ago sixteen year-old Pelly is struggling with the aftermath of the tragic event. Pelly has recently gone off her meds and is working to control her anxiety and return to high school. When a man appears in the coffee shop where she works with a young girl resembling her missing best friend, Tara, Pelly becomes obsessed with finding Tara. Shackled is an engaging read although at times the main character is somewhat unlikable.
March 3, 2017
I liked this book. Don't get me wrong, it was a fast read and I did enjoy it. However, the ending was so problematic to me that I had to rate this book one star less. It was all just a big coincidence. This completely unrealistic aspect kept me from enjoying the story like I thought I would have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2016
Good book, fast paced, a bit of a reach in many places, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!
November 18, 2025
Ten year old “Pelly”, or Penelope and her best friend Tara are playing hide-and-seek in the mall when Tara is kidnapped. Six years later, Pelly is still suffering from the affects when an odd couple comes into the store and she thinks it is her long lost best friend…especially when the girl mouths “help me” as she is dragged away by an older gentlemen. This sets Pelly, along with her friend David on a path to discover the truth and hopefully Pelly can find herself in the process.
The problem I had with this book is that it felt really rushed. Pelly suffers from depression, anxiety attacks, and she cuts herself, but I don’t think I had enough time with her to actually empathize. All her emotions that have just been stewing for the past six years were stuffed into this book and weren’t given enough time to actually play out. Because of that, it didn’t feel very realistic. Pelly felt like a caricature of a teenager going through trauma. And all the stereotypical signs were there as I mentioned: the cutting, the depression, the withdrawal from friends and family, etc. I also found it very unrealistic that Pelly is still suffering from all these things SIX years after the fact. That is a lot of time to recover to me, more than enough time. I would understand if she had flashbacks or exhibited some of these symptoms, but to have them all six years later seemed highly unlikely.
Another thing I didn’t really like about this book was the writing. It was really choppy and awkward. I cringed so many times reading Pelly and David’s interactions, and even her interactions with her family because it felt so elementary and underdeveloped. It was like reading a stage play; the lines were there but the words lacked the emotion that draws the reader in. I also felt like there was a lot of useless dialogue. Some of the dialogue didn’t even seem to move the story along, and with such a short book to start, I don’t think the author should have wasted precious pages on awkward interactions.
Most of the characters in this story didn’t have much depth, let alone growth, but I wasn’t surprised because the book was so short. However, as I mentioned, there were some awkward and repetitive scenes and language. It irked me whenever Pelly called her little brother “dude” because it felt like the author was trying too hard. Nobody even says “dude” anymore. It also irked me when Pelly would start saying something and then just stop…matter of fact, Pelly as a narrator just plain irked me. Everything she did and said seemed so over dramatic. She kept saying things like her parents didn’t like her, they didn’t understand, blah blah blah, that she was scared to love again because they would get taken away, blah blah blah. Like I said, these feelings would be normal in the first stages of trauma, but the big event happened when she was ten…SHE IS NOW SIXTEEN! She should be moving on by now.
I think Pelly and David’s super sleuth skills were lackluster at best. In the end, it wasn’t even Tara that Pelly seen, but another kidnapped girl. I’m glad she got to save the day, and got to play hero or whatever, but the things she did still seemed incredibly stupid. Breaking into the man’s house who supposedly kidnapped your friend with no weapon and no phone to call for help was just dumb and didn’t make sense, especially for a girl who was afraid to even be out after dark. I am glad to hear that Pelly was trying to go back to school though.
The romance I could have done without. David was nice and all, but it didn’t feel believable that he liked this girl who was always a major bitch to him and everyone else, but because she was “so fucking cute”, it made everything okay. And he seemed really pushy and annoying. And he was also very awkward. Not your ideal boyfriend material. I did like that he didn’t judge Pelly for what she had been through, and although he had a feeling she was wrong about Tara, he still tried to help her the best way he knew how.
The problem I had with this book is that it felt really rushed. Pelly suffers from depression, anxiety attacks, and she cuts herself, but I don’t think I had enough time with her to actually empathize. All her emotions that have just been stewing for the past six years were stuffed into this book and weren’t given enough time to actually play out. Because of that, it didn’t feel very realistic. Pelly felt like a caricature of a teenager going through trauma. And all the stereotypical signs were there as I mentioned: the cutting, the depression, the withdrawal from friends and family, etc. I also found it very unrealistic that Pelly is still suffering from all these things SIX years after the fact. That is a lot of time to recover to me, more than enough time. I would understand if she had flashbacks or exhibited some of these symptoms, but to have them all six years later seemed highly unlikely.
Another thing I didn’t really like about this book was the writing. It was really choppy and awkward. I cringed so many times reading Pelly and David’s interactions, and even her interactions with her family because it felt so elementary and underdeveloped. It was like reading a stage play; the lines were there but the words lacked the emotion that draws the reader in. I also felt like there was a lot of useless dialogue. Some of the dialogue didn’t even seem to move the story along, and with such a short book to start, I don’t think the author should have wasted precious pages on awkward interactions.
Most of the characters in this story didn’t have much depth, let alone growth, but I wasn’t surprised because the book was so short. However, as I mentioned, there were some awkward and repetitive scenes and language. It irked me whenever Pelly called her little brother “dude” because it felt like the author was trying too hard. Nobody even says “dude” anymore. It also irked me when Pelly would start saying something and then just stop…matter of fact, Pelly as a narrator just plain irked me. Everything she did and said seemed so over dramatic. She kept saying things like her parents didn’t like her, they didn’t understand, blah blah blah, that she was scared to love again because they would get taken away, blah blah blah. Like I said, these feelings would be normal in the first stages of trauma, but the big event happened when she was ten…SHE IS NOW SIXTEEN! She should be moving on by now.
I think Pelly and David’s super sleuth skills were lackluster at best. In the end, it wasn’t even Tara that Pelly seen, but another kidnapped girl. I’m glad she got to save the day, and got to play hero or whatever, but the things she did still seemed incredibly stupid. Breaking into the man’s house who supposedly kidnapped your friend with no weapon and no phone to call for help was just dumb and didn’t make sense, especially for a girl who was afraid to even be out after dark. I am glad to hear that Pelly was trying to go back to school though.
The romance I could have done without. David was nice and all, but it didn’t feel believable that he liked this girl who was always a major bitch to him and everyone else, but because she was “so fucking cute”, it made everything okay. And he seemed really pushy and annoying. And he was also very awkward. Not your ideal boyfriend material. I did like that he didn’t judge Pelly for what she had been through, and although he had a feeling she was wrong about Tara, he still tried to help her the best way he knew how.
October 12, 2019
I would rate this book 3/5 Stars
The book "Shackled" is about Pelly, a teenage girl whose best friend went missing as a when they were both ten. One day she thinks that she sees a girl who she thinks is her best friend and her kidnapper at a coffee shop where she had worked. She then imediately calls 911 after they leave, asking the police to come to the cafe. The police are skeptical, since her friend had gone missing years ago, so they began trying to pick up more information regarding the matter so they could possibly get a warrant and search his house. Pelly however, was not satisfied with this course of action. She wanted something done imediately. So, in response, she got information on the suspected kidnapper and had he coworker come along in her quest.
This book wasn't horrible, but extremely predictable and unfocused. The author had made the main character, Pelly, suffer from depression, anxiety, self harm, and more, which made her thought process predictable, as well as her actions. This made the book almost overwhelming, because it continued to add even more and more elements onto this, in a really fast moving manner. The author had also inclueded a romance between both her and her coworker, which made the book even more unfocused. And, it's extremely unlikely that her coworker who she was rude to and who was rude to her in return, would actually have interest in her, let alone try to form a relationship with her in such a horrible cercumstance. Adding on to that statement, I also was kind of disgusted when he expressed intrest in her, because it felt like she was being taken advantage of. He knew she had a weak mental state at the time, and was extremely sensitive, yet he still tried to date her.
Another problem I had was that through out the book, was that Pelly, as well as her coworker, are treated like adults through the whole book. They both get into an accident where bystanders offer them a place to stay rather than calling their parents, they go on multiple dates, they drive hours away from home, commit crimes, Pelly smokes and does self harm, they hardly inform their parents of their plans, and provide for themselves for roughly two days, despite being only 16. Not only is this unrealistic, but is kind of weird.
I know that this review may sound very critical right now, but I did actually enjoy the book. When I first read it I heard the genre was horror, so I was kind of disappointed when they introduced romance in it as well, since I wasn't really expecting it, but it wasn't unbearable. The plot was actually pretty good, it just was unfocused. So many things happened in the book to the point where I feel as though someone could have just taken one of the topics and write a whole book with it, but still, it was fairly well written. I think that anyone into romance, horror, and phycology would enjoy this. I feel like this book is probably more enjoyable for teens rather than adults, but the main problem with that would be is that it has some mature themes.
The book "Shackled" is about Pelly, a teenage girl whose best friend went missing as a when they were both ten. One day she thinks that she sees a girl who she thinks is her best friend and her kidnapper at a coffee shop where she had worked. She then imediately calls 911 after they leave, asking the police to come to the cafe. The police are skeptical, since her friend had gone missing years ago, so they began trying to pick up more information regarding the matter so they could possibly get a warrant and search his house. Pelly however, was not satisfied with this course of action. She wanted something done imediately. So, in response, she got information on the suspected kidnapper and had he coworker come along in her quest.
This book wasn't horrible, but extremely predictable and unfocused. The author had made the main character, Pelly, suffer from depression, anxiety, self harm, and more, which made her thought process predictable, as well as her actions. This made the book almost overwhelming, because it continued to add even more and more elements onto this, in a really fast moving manner. The author had also inclueded a romance between both her and her coworker, which made the book even more unfocused. And, it's extremely unlikely that her coworker who she was rude to and who was rude to her in return, would actually have interest in her, let alone try to form a relationship with her in such a horrible cercumstance. Adding on to that statement, I also was kind of disgusted when he expressed intrest in her, because it felt like she was being taken advantage of. He knew she had a weak mental state at the time, and was extremely sensitive, yet he still tried to date her.
Another problem I had was that through out the book, was that Pelly, as well as her coworker, are treated like adults through the whole book. They both get into an accident where bystanders offer them a place to stay rather than calling their parents, they go on multiple dates, they drive hours away from home, commit crimes, Pelly smokes and does self harm, they hardly inform their parents of their plans, and provide for themselves for roughly two days, despite being only 16. Not only is this unrealistic, but is kind of weird.
I know that this review may sound very critical right now, but I did actually enjoy the book. When I first read it I heard the genre was horror, so I was kind of disappointed when they introduced romance in it as well, since I wasn't really expecting it, but it wasn't unbearable. The plot was actually pretty good, it just was unfocused. So many things happened in the book to the point where I feel as though someone could have just taken one of the topics and write a whole book with it, but still, it was fairly well written. I think that anyone into romance, horror, and phycology would enjoy this. I feel like this book is probably more enjoyable for teens rather than adults, but the main problem with that would be is that it has some mature themes.
January 31, 2018
I think Shackled by Tom Leveen was a very interesting book that kept you hooked to it at all times. The tremendous effort Pelly shows all throughout the book to find her best friend is amazing. The story itself I found was very moving because she went all this way to find her long lost friend and, even though she didn't succeed, it demonstrates her love for Tara and everything she'd give to be with her. But the way it turned out at the end is actually not that great. The whole book has you excited and under the belief that everything Pelly is doing to find Tara will actually work. But in the end, it doesn't. They just find another missing girl that Pelly thought was Tara. The book creates all this suspense and hope that Pelly will find her best friend after all these years, but ending the story like that, I feel it was just a waste of time reading the book if she wasn't going to ever find her. But I also like the love story the author creates with Pelly and David. It's surprising how Pelly actually starts to like David even though she's always thought she had no friends and was well beyond normal to even have a boyfriend. But I feel that their love story, although it's cute, is quite tacky and rather predictable. They spend all this time together, at work and looking for Tara, you can just see that eventually, they're going to start having feelings for one another. Overall, Shackled is a good book worth reading but it isn't what you expect, especially towards the end.
July 14, 2021
"Shackled" by Tom Leveen
Sixteen year old Pelly (Penelope) Wells is a serious hot mess express, but it's not entirely her fault. Six years ago on a mall trip with her best friend Tara and her mom, Tara disappears. Since then, Pelly is barely managing her anxiety and panic attacks to go to work at their local coffeehouse. It's at the coffeehouse that Pelly believes she sees her best friend Tara, who is accompanied by an older man. The only interaction the two girls have is when look a like Tara leaves and she mouths "help me" as she goes. Unsure of what she just saw or what to believe, Pelly and her coworker David set off in search of the truth. But the truth doesn't always set you free and both Pelly and David are going to learn the hard way.
This was a random book I had on my TBR bookshelf and I really think I only finished it for two reasons. The first being that the story isn't very long and the second being I wondered what happened to Tara. The writing style isn't bad, the story itself was interesting. But unfortunately, there wasn't very much I found horrifying or exciting, making it was a real flop for me. 2.5/3 🌟
Sixteen year old Pelly (Penelope) Wells is a serious hot mess express, but it's not entirely her fault. Six years ago on a mall trip with her best friend Tara and her mom, Tara disappears. Since then, Pelly is barely managing her anxiety and panic attacks to go to work at their local coffeehouse. It's at the coffeehouse that Pelly believes she sees her best friend Tara, who is accompanied by an older man. The only interaction the two girls have is when look a like Tara leaves and she mouths "help me" as she goes. Unsure of what she just saw or what to believe, Pelly and her coworker David set off in search of the truth. But the truth doesn't always set you free and both Pelly and David are going to learn the hard way.
This was a random book I had on my TBR bookshelf and I really think I only finished it for two reasons. The first being that the story isn't very long and the second being I wondered what happened to Tara. The writing style isn't bad, the story itself was interesting. But unfortunately, there wasn't very much I found horrifying or exciting, making it was a real flop for me. 2.5/3 🌟
November 18, 2021
Did not expect to read this book as quickly as I did, but I was home after dose three of the vaccine hit me hard. It’s a quick read and the story is exciting.
My issues: the main character is annoying. She’s extremely “I’m not like other girls” and her calling herself “insane” constantly is annoying. It’s also frustrating how there is a scene where—don’t worry—we learn that she has anxiety and not something gross like schizophrenia. As a schizophrenic this stuff is tiresome.
The main guy is delightful but it is frustrating how frequently he’s “right” about stuff. It ends up falling into that trope in romantic stuff where the guy just tells the girl all the ways she sucks.
For a book that goes into explicit detail on the ins and outs of cutting, I was surprised how restrained it was when it came to dealing with kidnapping and potential sexual violence. I kind of thought that was strange and wish it had been clearer given the book’s straightforward approach to other issues.
Those were my problems with it but all in all I did enjoy the book and tore through it as I seldom do.
My issues: the main character is annoying. She’s extremely “I’m not like other girls” and her calling herself “insane” constantly is annoying. It’s also frustrating how there is a scene where—don’t worry—we learn that she has anxiety and not something gross like schizophrenia. As a schizophrenic this stuff is tiresome.
The main guy is delightful but it is frustrating how frequently he’s “right” about stuff. It ends up falling into that trope in romantic stuff where the guy just tells the girl all the ways she sucks.
For a book that goes into explicit detail on the ins and outs of cutting, I was surprised how restrained it was when it came to dealing with kidnapping and potential sexual violence. I kind of thought that was strange and wish it had been clearer given the book’s straightforward approach to other issues.
Those were my problems with it but all in all I did enjoy the book and tore through it as I seldom do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2018
This book is about a girl named Pelly who has received therapy and was in a mental hospital. Pellys mental state was messed up since her friend Tara was kidnapped. Pelly has panic attacks and is very anxious. When Pelly was released from the hospital, she think she sees Tara and her kidnapper in the coffee chop. The sudden burst of energy to find Tara helps Pelly cope with her anxiety. So now Pelly is on a mission to find Tara. The book is not just about Pelly finding her best friend, but also Pelly facing her anxiety in the real world and trying to solve her inner issues. I recommend the book to people who like mystery and triller, but the book was boring at times, however a great read. The author, Tom Leveen also wrote a book called Random, that I liked which attracted me to this book of his. Overall, personally I liked the book and would highly reccomend.
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