Review: Shattered by Jody Calkins

Four Stars

Marris Sheffield and her friends are orphans living in a cold and spartan facility for unwanted children, and become caught up in a sinister plot that ultimately results in their deaths. What follows is a young adult novel that is part thriller, part ghost story, and part tragedy. While it is too late for Marris, Cullen and the other orphans who have died as a result of horrendous medical experimentation, Marris and her friends resolve to uncover the truth about their deaths and perhaps spare the remaining children who are still alive.

When I first picked up Shattered, I wondered how the author could sustain a story that asked the reader to bond with a main character before her death, and then continue to be invested in her after her death. Happily, this was done quite well and in fact, I think I liked Marris even more following her death.

To that end, while this story has a very strong and intricate plot with plenty of twists and turns, I think Shattered is a character-driven book. Marris is a strong heroine, and the author is not afraid to push the limits. Although some of Marris’ actions are questionable, I was one hundred percent on her side. How could I not be? They were necessary for good to triumph over evil. I particularly liked the parts where Marris had to “learn” to be a ghost. The book presented many such obstacles for her to overcome if she was to achieve her goals, and kept the story clipping along at a good pace.

Ultimately, Shattered is a sad story. But that doesn’t make it any less powerful. And while the distinction of good and bad are, of course, obvious, there are some grey areas in the story that help Marris to grow as a person (or should I say “ghost”?) and to understand the spectrum of the human condition. 

All in all, a very good read that kept my attention until the very end. Look for more books by the author on her Amazon author page.

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