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Sevens #1
Shattered
Seven teenagers in Saratoga Springs, New York, face seven weeks of difficult decisions and life-changing events, including Meena, the only witness to the fire that destroyed her parents' friends' house while she was babysitting.
- GenresYoung Adult
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2002
11 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 5, 2025
Seven friends were torn apart by a tragedy seven years ago. Now they're in their senior year of high school, no longer friends, just living their lives. Every one of them is struggling with something. Because of that and the tragedy years ago, they will start being drawn back together.
I've been reading these books since I was 9 or 10. I give them a re-read every now and then. They hold up every time. And now as a 30 year old, they honestly devastate me even more. While the stories are fictional, they are representative of the lives of so many young people around us. While I know the story has a good resolution, my heart hurts for the suffering of the characters. They, and their real counterparts, shouldn't have to go through these traumatizing things as children, but here we are. These books deal with sexual assault, homophobia, mental illness, disabilities, and academic stress, just to name a few topics. They are handled with care and just the right amount of bluntness.
I've been reading these books since I was 9 or 10. I give them a re-read every now and then. They hold up every time. And now as a 30 year old, they honestly devastate me even more. While the stories are fictional, they are representative of the lives of so many young people around us. While I know the story has a good resolution, my heart hurts for the suffering of the characters. They, and their real counterparts, shouldn't have to go through these traumatizing things as children, but here we are. These books deal with sexual assault, homophobia, mental illness, disabilities, and academic stress, just to name a few topics. They are handled with care and just the right amount of bluntness.
February 28, 2016
The first hundred or so pages deal with Meena, Jeremy and Peter.
The novel opens with Peter Davis having a nightmare. He dreams of six ten-year-old children, Meena, Jeremy, Danny, Jane, Karyn and Reed. They are asking for his help. In reality, he's in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. (Peter is a child of an inter-racial couple)
Meena is an adopted Vietnamese child. Meanwhile some students are going to a party, and one of them, Mike, makes a homophobic remark about another football team's mascot.
We find out the accident was about a month previous to the story. The accident was due to a drunk driver. Meena is at a party and keeps thinking about something that happened with a boy.
She's attracted to a boy named Justin, but as he starts to kiss her she gets sick. Later, she's at a couple's house and it turns out she had kissed the woman's husband. That night he comes home early and rapes her (or just has sex with her, but it wasn't actually rape).
Some hundred pages into the book another character, Danny, is brought up. He is seeking a psychiatrist and is on medication.
There's a reference made to something that happened when Meena was ten, and a number of children being questioned.
Jeremy is revealed to be gay. Peter is still thinking about some kind of “atrocity” he committed seven years earlier. There's also a reference made to his having a gun at the time.
An interesting book with a lot of people who are having major emotional problems, and a whole lot of unanswered questions. There's still six more books to go in the series, though.
The novel opens with Peter Davis having a nightmare. He dreams of six ten-year-old children, Meena, Jeremy, Danny, Jane, Karyn and Reed. They are asking for his help. In reality, he's in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. (Peter is a child of an inter-racial couple)
Meena is an adopted Vietnamese child. Meanwhile some students are going to a party, and one of them, Mike, makes a homophobic remark about another football team's mascot.
We find out the accident was about a month previous to the story. The accident was due to a drunk driver. Meena is at a party and keeps thinking about something that happened with a boy.
She's attracted to a boy named Justin, but as he starts to kiss her she gets sick. Later, she's at a couple's house and it turns out she had kissed the woman's husband. That night he comes home early and rapes her (or just has sex with her, but it wasn't actually rape).
Some hundred pages into the book another character, Danny, is brought up. He is seeking a psychiatrist and is on medication.
There's a reference made to something that happened when Meena was ten, and a number of children being questioned.
Jeremy is revealed to be gay. Peter is still thinking about some kind of “atrocity” he committed seven years earlier. There's also a reference made to his having a gun at the time.
An interesting book with a lot of people who are having major emotional problems, and a whole lot of unanswered questions. There's still six more books to go in the series, though.
January 2, 2023
I lived the entire series. I read it previously years ago liked it then and I still like it now.
February 8, 2016
Actually a 2.5 I think.
As this is the first book in the series, there are a lot of character introductions. Though the cover leads you to believe that this book is focused on Meena, it isn't. I would say about half of this book does focus on this one character though.
Already in this first installment, we see a lot of issues being raised. Each of the characters seem to be going through something serious in the present, but are all linked by something that happened in the past. There isn't a lot of backstory though and I think unraveling that is part of unlocking the mystery of what happened to them seven years ago.
In the end, this book was just ok for me. I will be continuing with the series because I have all installments, though I hope that as I unlock the mystery the series gets more entertaining for me.
As this is the first book in the series, there are a lot of character introductions. Though the cover leads you to believe that this book is focused on Meena, it isn't. I would say about half of this book does focus on this one character though.
Already in this first installment, we see a lot of issues being raised. Each of the characters seem to be going through something serious in the present, but are all linked by something that happened in the past. There isn't a lot of backstory though and I think unraveling that is part of unlocking the mystery of what happened to them seven years ago.
In the end, this book was just ok for me. I will be continuing with the series because I have all installments, though I hope that as I unlock the mystery the series gets more entertaining for me.
February 15, 2019
2019 Reread: I raised my review to five stars. This first book is incredibly important in today's climate, and it's sad to think how relevant Meena's storyline is 17 years after this series was first published. If you have any sort of trigger warnings, they probably take place at some point in this series. But, that's why I love these books. The series is extremely diverse and ahead of it's time. Why did more people not read these books?! I'm do happy my 7th grade best friend recommended these to me back in the day!
Original thoughts: Good start to the series. Gets the mystery going, but the writing is 100% here.
Original thoughts: Good start to the series. Gets the mystery going, but the writing is 100% here.
June 25, 2007
This series is amazing. I couldn't put any of the seven books down. Each book is dedicated to a particular teen in the group of friends. Each person is dealing with different problems and it all leads up to the big mystery. The kids were together on one particular day and it made them grow a part but by the end of the series the memory returns and the kids find themselves and each other. It's an awesome read
December 16, 2007
I read this entire series as, ahem, research for my classroom. I loved it. It's fast-paced enough for kids in the classroom today, and it gets them to read seven books just to find out the big secret. It's not super realistic and maybe too predictable, but each book takes on a big issue in a way that makes even disengaged adolescents want to read.
May 16, 2008
The reason I chose to read this book - I have a mother that is challenging the 2nd book in this series, "Exposed", at my Middle School Library. This series is very interesting - sure takes on some very difficult subjects for YA readers. I'm disappointed that Meena didn't feel like she could talk to anyone about what happened between her and the father.
September 15, 2008
I picked this up at the library on a whim, wasn't really interested enough in the mystery to keep reading the series.
September 30, 2012
Amazing read. Every teenager on the plant earth needs to read this series, it is that good.
July 26, 2013
I've been trying to get a hold of the series, but somehow they don't carry it at my local library. I remember reading this when I was younger and I just couldn't put the books down... Worth reading!
September 3, 2014
good read... a bit below my reading level.. but a very interesting... i plan to read the other 6...Because i can't wait to find out the mystery..
March 21, 2016
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13268188
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13268188
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews