Shattered by Kevin Hearne

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles (Book 7)

Link to Review of Book 1:

https://www.krwardbookreview.com/2019/05/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_11.html

Title: Shattered

Author: Kevin Hearne

Published: 2014

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Grade Level: Adult

-Movie Rating: R, for mild vulgar language and mild sexual content

 

Audiobook:

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 12hrs 43min

Recommend: Yes!

 

Blurb (from goodreads):

Atticus’s apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What’s more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy.

And Owen has some catching up to do.

Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. For Atticus, the jury’s still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Loki—or merely a pain in the arse.

Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer’s spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.

My Scores:

Writing Style: Solid

Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten some of the main details from the past six novels, there is a short synopsis of it all in the beginning of this novel.

The writing is from three POV’s, Atticus, Granuaile, and Owen Kennedy. I still feel that Atticus and Grauaile have very similar voices, but Owen’s voice is completely unique.

Characters: Memorable

Owen Kennedy is Atticus’s arch druid (like Atticus was Granuaile’s arch druid). Owen is not at all what I picture as an arch druid. He’s brash, reckless, rude, and stubborn. Although he does serve as a comedic release at times, the way he treats Atticus does not earn him any sympathy with the audience. 

Loki didn’t really earn my true hatred until the end of this novel. Until this point he was just another problem to solve. Now I want him obliterated. Therefore, I can now say that Loki is a wonderfully crafted villain. He’s creepy, tricky, and unexpectedly conniving. And I can’t wait to see how our heroines beat him at his own game.

 

Plot: Slow Burn

The plot was sooooo slow that at one point I came close to giving up on the series, but I pushed through just hoping for an ending that would be worth it. Thank God the ending was awesome!

 

Overall: Boring

Atticus is still trying to find out who among the Tuatha Dé Danann is trying to kill him and how to stop Loki from starting Ragnarök. Unfortunately, this plot line isn’t continued until chapter 20, so the majority of the book feels very slow. Luckily the ending is awesome. Because of the massive cliffhanger, I have high expectations for the next novel in the series.

 

Goodreads Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Title: Eliza and Her Monsters

Author: Francesca Zappia

Published: 2017

Genre: General Fiction

Grade Level: Young Adult

-Trigger Warning: Grief, anxiety, suicidal thoughts

-Features: Anti-social personality disorder

 

Audiobook:

Read by: Caitlin Kelly & Kate Rudd

Length: 8hrs 51 min

Recommend: Yes!

 

Blurb (from goodreads):

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

My Scores:

Writing Style: Top Notch

I only wish that I could have read this book sooner and taken it to heart, my life could’ve turned out so differently.

The writing style is remarkable because it showcases a completely new perspective on the world. The POV is from a person who has more human connection through the online world than the real one because they suffer from anti-social personality disorder. The voice is so detailed and realistic that it’s hard for me not to think that the author may have personal experience with the MC’s aliments.

I love that it’s such a raw look into this personality because it helped me to empathize with a whole other group of people. And for what other purpose is literature?

 

Characters: Absolutely Amazing

I don’t often give this rating, so you know that these characters must be something special. These characters are the aspect of this novel that shine the brightest. They are complex, unique, and most importantly they feel real to me.

Our MC, Eliza, is anxious, dark-witted, and remarkably creative. Her state of mind is so well written on the page that Eliza’s anxiety became my anxiety. Her fears became my fears, and her hopes became my hopes. Despite not being able to relate to this character on her feelings about the online world, I could definitely understand and empathize with her.

 

Plot: Slow Burn

It takes a while for the plot to really get going because the novel takes it time building the characters. I was never worried about whether it was going to get good. Having read as many books as I have you tend to get good at knowing whether a book is worth finishing. The writing was too good for this novel not to turn into something great.

And I was absolutely right, the climax is well worth the wait!

 

Overall: Totally Obsessed

I am totally in love with this book and only wish I could have read it during my high school years, my life might have turned out very differently. The messaging is poignant, powerful, and essential for all ages. Just as a fair warning, it does address some very dark themes, but it made the novel feel all the more realistic.  

Messaging:

Chase your dreams because life is too short to waste your life being safe but miserable.

Goodreads Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sadie by Courtney Summers

 Title: Sadie

Author: Courtney Summers

Published: 2018

Genre: Crime Fiction

Grade Level: Young Adult

-Trigger Warning: child sexual abuse, grief, addiction, violence

-Movie Rating: R

-Features: Dysphemia (Stuttering)

 

Audiobook:

Read by: Rebecca Soler, Fred Berman, and full cast

Length: 7hrs 57 min

Recommend: Yes

         -The main voice actors were good, the others not so much

-Sometimes there was weird background noises to simulate real world surroundings

 Blurb (from goodreads):

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

 

My Scores:

Writing Style: Solid

I follow Emily May on goodreads, who rarely gives out five stars. So when May gave five stars to this crime novel, I had to find out why.

The internal dialogue of the MC, Sadie, is quite impactful. Her voice is strong, unique, and engaging. Sometimes her voice switches from first person to third person. Once I figured out it was a way to show the character’s disassociation, I really apricated it.

The other POV’s weren’t as impressive, but they were able to build suspense and create a powerful, heart-wrenching climax to the plot.   

Characters: Memorable

It’s impossible not to love Sadie. She’s been abused, neglected, and scoffed at for her entire life. Her only bright spot in the world was her little sister, Maddie, who was taken from Sadie's life in the most brutal way possible. The entire time I was reading the book I just wanted to give Sadie a hug!

Sadie is also very unique because, despite having a clever mind, people think of her as slow because of her stutter. I can’t seem recall any other fictional main characters with a stutter, which is sad because I think people need more exposure to dysphemia.

 

Plot: Absolute Page Turner

The plot is a classic revenge story, but this book does have a unique twist at the end. As previously mentioned, the other characters aren’t necessarily memorable, but they served to build the plot remarkably well. It made for a very impactful read.

Overall: Enjoyable

This novel hits you hard! Sadie steals your heart from the very onset of the novel and never lets go. Plus, I love that the MC has a speech disability that colors her world view. The plot twist at the end is heart-wrenching and remarkably clever. While I can’t say that I’m obsessed with the book, I can say that it was a very enjoyable read.

 

Goodreads Rating: 4 out of 5 stars