Review: Another emotional novel from Tracy Wolff
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2014
Why I Picked It UpI absolutely adored Shredded and the emphasis on snowboarding in this series. After the cliffhanger/lead-in at the end of Shredded, I couldn’t not pick this one up!PlotShattered is Ash’s novel and follows his life after his parents die and his brother becomes paralyzed in an accident on the way to watch Ash at a competition. Ash has decided to give up snowboarding because of it and to take care of his little brother. Tansy is a cancer survivor working for a company that grants terminal children a wish. Her first assignment is to get Ash Lewis to agree to board one last time so the little boy, Timmy, can have his wish. However, it isn’t easy at all because Ash refuses to get back on a board. After some conniving planning from his manager, though, and a mysterious donor, Ash and his gang are off to grant little Timmy his wish.Like Shredded, Shattered is big on following Ash’s emotional journey after a tragedy. The story was compelling and heartfelt and it made me feel everything from anger to sadness. The characters were very relatable and realistic and the events in the novel were as well. We see a lot of internal struggle in this novel like we did in Shredded, although snowboarding doesn’t have quite as big of an impact in this installment.Leading LadyTansy was a unique character. She was spontaneous ad lived her life to the fullest because it was a privilege for her–she was in remission from a deadly cancer. I liked her enthusiasm for life and for helping kids like Timmy who reminded her of herself. She didn’t let much get her down and she refused to be a burden for anyone. She always had me smiling.Leading MaleAsh was suffering in this novel because he basically lost his life as he knew it. He gave up everything to care for his little brother. In this, he was selfless and selfish. The line between those blurred a lot in this novel for Ash. He was using the accident and his brother as an excused for a majority of the novel and it took a while for him to snap out of it. Ash grew a lot over the course of the novel and I enjoyed watching that growth from saddened, depressed victim to the stronger, determined Ash we saw in Shredded.RomanceThe romance in this novel was one of those sweet ones you can’t help but love. Tansy had an interesting effect on Ash because she pushed him to be more than the man-whore that he had turned into. They had some problems because of Ash’s inability to deal with sadness but that really didn’t stop the chemistry. Tansy pushed Ash to be better. She helped him crawl out of the hole of depression that he was sinking into. While they did eventually have a physical relationship, the emotional connection that they shared was much more evident over the course of the novel.Other CharactersLogan was Ash’s little brother and the source of a lot of conflict in Ash’s life. The accident left Logan paralyzed from the waist down. The conflict between the two brothers came from Ash not being able to see Logan as Logan instead of as the kid affected by the accident. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship hit rock bottom and heal. It gave a familial feel to the novel to see the two boys hang onto each other after the tragedy of losing their parents.ConclusionShattered was another emotional novel from Tracy Wolff about learning to live after tragedies, learning to life life to the fullest, and the supportive effects of those who love you.