Where to start with Shattered Soul? Reading this book was like taking a walk on the dark side and thinking I was not going to return. The first paragraph sets the tone for the entire book:“Life. Life’s a bitch and then you die. So, fuck the world and let’s get high. That was my motto. I’m not sure where it came from or where I first heard it. Hell, I could have read it off a bathroom stall somewhere for all I know. My point is this, it doesn’t matter where it came from; it stuck with me, becoming my answer, my solution to everything. Until she came into my life, which was when things began to change for me.”This opening paragraph told me everything I would need to know about Seth who is the main character. Seth has an alcoholic mother, a drug dealing brother who gets high off of his supply, and he is a teen who smokes cigarettes, weed, pops pill, and does crystal meth. To say he is a mess is putting it lightly. That is until he met her. Her is Ali and she seems to be the opposite of Seth. Ali’s demeanor becomes undone once she reveals she would like to be a part of Seth’s life.“The girl I loved was becoming a stranger, and I knew this moment, the moment her soul first began to shatter, would haunt me forever.”Nothing about Shattered Soul, and I mean absolutely nothing about this book made me feel good. It didn’t leave me with a happy-go-lucky feeling. Shattered Soul made me want to jump inside the pages and shake Seth and Ali’s addiction away. And, that’s when I knew this book was a winner! Jennifer Snyder has written a great piece of work and I will definitely be on the lookout for more work by her!DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of Shattered Soul in exchange for an honest review. This book far exceeded any expectations I had for it. And its not like I had low expectations, either. Jennifer Snyder is a new-to-me author, and I just wasn’t sure how it would go. The blurb sounded great, the subject sounded like it was heavy, I was excited. This story is told from Seth’s POV, which I thought was completely awesome. For some reason I really dig the teenage boy point of view on things in books. But the thing about Seth is that his words feel genuine, I just want to hang out with him and get to know him more. I can’t even count how many kids I’ve known like Seth in my life, he feels familiar. He’s just so likeable and real, it made me wish this book was a lot longer just cause I liked being around him. I could see how Ali became attracted to him. And then there is Ali, the new girl in school. She’s light and airy and gives off an innocent feel. She is so accepting of Seth and his not-so-perfect life. The way she just lets him into her life makes me love her. It’s like she came along just when she needed him. “My heart pounded inside my chest as I gripped the door handle. I stepped out into the blazing hot sun to walk behind my brother and his friend into what felt like the mouth of hell.”Seth’s brother, Calvin, isn’t a great guy. He isn’t even a good guy. In fact, there isn’t one point in this story where I even felt like I could waiver on that opinion. He bullies Seth, and he is a major asshole. Right off the bat, when I first saw him in the story I thought, “I wouldn’t mind if something happens to this guy…” Family is supposed to stick together, and Calvin acts like Seth is the enemy. Not cool. I really struggled for a few days on how to write this review without giving spoilers. The story is beyond fantastic. The emotions behind the characters are right there at the surface and ready for you to touch. Sometimes the storyline is light and easy going, like riding in a car with the windows down on a sunny day. Sometimes its dark and… well, dark. This author takes you to a variety of places in a relatively short matter of time, and she does so effortlessly. The story was touching, and I just have to say again how much I fell in love with Seth. The supporting characters were all fabulous, even the very minor ones. They all lent their voice perfectly, and fleshed out this world for me. I felt like I was there; I was smoking that first cigarette of the morning, I was slamming my door to get away from it all, I was finding refuge in someone else’s gaze, and my life was falling apart just when I thought I had it all. If you don’t read this story, you are making a mistake. It might be hard, there are some very delicate subjects here; drug use, abuse, death, teen angst. But sometimes we have to let our safety net go and just feel the story happen. This is definitely a 5 star read for me.
What do You think about Shattered Soul (2011)?
if you like happy endings this is definitely not the book for you
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