Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Review: The Shattering by Karen Healey

From Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers. As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year's Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most. As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?

My Rating: 3 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: The Shattering by Karen Healey is an interesting blend of mystery and paranormal, which I wasn’t expecting. I requested it thinking that there would be a murder mystery to solve, but halfway through the book, the story entered into the realm of paranormal. Unfortunately, that’s when the plot became less compelling; and in the end, my initial hunch about Jake’s death proved to be correct.



There were some positives about The Shattering though. It is the first book I’ve ever read that is set in New Zealand and Healey manages to successfully convey the country’s beauty. As well, the group of characters in The Shattering is diverse and they’re created well enough so that they won’t become reduced to stereotypic labels like “the rich kid.” The alternating perspectives from Keri, Janna and Sione also allow the reader to understand each character better and know what is going on when they aren’t together.



The Shattering was released by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 5, 2011.



Comments About the Cover: I didn’t realize initially that the purple in the background made a face, but once I did, the cover just became oddly creepy to me. 

In exchange for an honest review, this ARC was received from the publisher (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) for free via NetGalley.

14 comments:

  1. Great honest review! I liked the Guardian of the Dead, the debut of the author. So I think I'll go for this one! I like the unexpected blend that you mentioned in your review!

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  2. Great review! I was curious about this one. The New Zealand part is interesting but it sounds like another average novel huh..

    Giselle at Xpresso Reads

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  3. Hmmmm I have read a few 3 star rated reviews for this. It seems like it starts off good but doesn't meet it's full potential. Great honest review :)

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  4. I appreciate an honest review. I think you need to be prepared when reading paranormal otherwise it just doesn't feel right.

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  5. This one sounds interesting but maybe not necessarily one I'm going to drop everything for and pick up:) I like that it's set in New Zealand and that the alternating perspectives work well though, thanks for the review Zahida!

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  6. I have some Kiwi family so that aspect is interesting to me. Such a shame that you were able to guess the mystery though and that the paranormal aspect wasn't as interesting. I'm thinking I'll try the author's other book though, The Guardian of the Dead.

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  7. Yeah, this one wasn't that amazing for me either. I was so intrigued but a little thrown off when it veered into the paranormal. Not very great, but it was a little interesting. Like you, I loved the unique setting. =)

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  8. Sounds like the mix of mystery and paranormal didn't work very well for this book. I probably will be skipping this one even though I have yet to read a book that takes place in New Zealand.

    But then again, I am a big fan of alternating POVs.....hmmm.

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  9. From the blurb, I wouldn't have thought it went into paranormal either. Sorry it didn't work better for you. Until you pointed it out, I missed the purple face on the cover too!

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  10. Hm, I would be annoyed with the out of the blue paranormal twist, too. I was expecting a murder mystery. I was already kinda iffy about trying this one to begin with, but I think I'll pass for now. Thanks!

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  11. I haven't heard too much about The Shattering but after reading the synopsis I thought it would be a murder mystery too.

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  12. oh indeed, I didn't know that about the bookcover! Nice. I'm not sure about this book. I like a really great plotline. ;)

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  13. Sounds good!
    btw, if you like the New Zeland setting, you could read Guardian of the Dead. It is an interesting read and talks a lot about the Maori. Before reading that book I had no idea about them at all!! Im glad I did and It just came out in papaerback! a beautiful cover!! Im so jealous! I got it in hardcover a long time ago. I prefer the paperback version so much more. XDDD

    btw, how is The Mephisto Covenant going? is it good?

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  14. This does sound like a mystery book. I may read this if it stayed that way. But alas, I'm not a big fan of paranormal/mystery books. I'd love to read about New Zealand though...

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