What do You think about Shattered Sky (2013)?
Now I remember why this has always been one of my favorite trilogies. I had a general idea, but I had forgotten most of the content of the stories, to the point where I was genuinely able to re-read the series and not know every single thing that was going to happen before it did. I truly like what Shusterman does in this series, playing with the idea of superhuman powers in a way that shows how those powers can be a burden as much as a blessing, and how with great power comes great responsibility. I very much enjoy Shusterman’s conception of the role of each of the shards and how they are incomplete without one another in fundamental ways. I also enjoy how the ending is brought about, and some of the musings that Shusterman hints at as a look into what human evolution might look like. This is an excellent trilogy, and I’m very very happy to have re-read it as an adult. I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone who will pick it up.The characters are so realistically human, and Shusterman does not shy away from the ugly or the painful to think about, even to the end of the story and even when talking about our protagonists. He does not shy away from morally ambiguous issues, and really makes the reader think in perspectives that are unique to what we are used to.
—Rose
A fantastic conclusion to a thought-provoking and unique trilogy. The ending was a perfect summation of the plot, the twists throughout kept me reading even though this book was significantly longer than the first two, and the new characters introduced (particularly Tessic and Maddy) were great additions. I liked the moral quandaries the Shards faced, as they made me think and raised the type of philosophical issues I have always enjoyed pondering. I was also intrigued, as I was with the Everlost trilogy, with Shusterman's ability to create links with history through his books. Everything he writes has a purpose--nothing is left to chance. There is a literary trope called a "Chekov's Rifle"--in essence, if you write a rifle into a story, it should be used at some point or it doesn't need to be there at all. Shusterman never has a single bullet, let alone a rifle, laying about purposelessly; if a character or event doesn't seem to make sense, it will by the end of the story. This consistency is why I believe he is one of the most gifted writers for teens; he provides great stories with complex plots, as well as a model for young writers to follow. This trilogy was quite impressive, even though it was an early work of his; I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.
—Erikka
Once again, I'm faced with the dilemma of how to rate this book. With the resurfacing of Okoya, Shusterman once again falls back on old and disturbing tropes regarding nonconventional gender and equates genderfluid/agender traits with menacing or "evil" traits.The other most disturbing aspect of this book to me was Lourdes's rapid downward spiral. This, at least, is understandable within the context of the character's history for the most part and given the trauma she experienced in Thief of Sou
—Anne
