Review: Heartshaped Shards
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 25, 2013
One of the best things about novels like this is that they take a very sensitive subject and bring it to the forefront allowing for discussion on the topic.  Even though a great deal of individuals would like to ignore or even deny its existence, spousal abuse does exist.  MacAlister takes the subject and creates an amazingly realistic and very gripping story from it.I loved the fact that this was not your stereotypical romance novel.  Yes, it had the elements.  Girl falls for boy.  Boy falls for girl.  They live life happily ever after.  But this novel was so much more.  The characters had real issues to overcome and they were not 20 year olds from the highest strata of society.MacAlister's writing is clear, concise and to the point while still full of detail that breathes life into the story.  Her writing is not overly flowery, powder puff writing.  She creates such realistic scenes that you feel like you are there, feeling pain and/or joy with the characters.  She is also able to make that unmistakable feeling of the unreality of a situation come to life on the pages.The characters in this novel are also phenomenal.  MacAlister has nailed the actual aggressor, victim, and alpha male (swoon) behaviours and responses, rather than relying on cultural stereotypes.  I am very impressed that she took the extra time for this.  In my opinion, this increases not only the reliability of the novel, but also the enjoyment level for the reader.As much as the plight of the protagonist is heart wrenching, I definitely laughed my butt off more than once while reading this novel.  MacAlister manages to evoke the entire emotional spectra in her readers throughout the novel.  By the end of the novel I was simultaneously in love (with Shay), in lust (with Patrick), and in hate (with Tony).  It was absolutely brilliant.