A review by jlennidorner
Shattered by C. Lee McKenzie

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

This book was an emotional powerhouse.  I've followed this author for years, have read four other books by her, and share membership in several online communities with C. Lee McKenzie. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion. I won a paperback copy of this book in November 2021. 

This is listed as a Teen and YA book in the disabilities category. I can imagine recommending this to former coworkers and friends, such as physical therapists who would pass it along to teen patients struggling to adapt to their new reality. 

A bright, sunshiny character who is recovering from a life-altering injury, one of those optimistic types who joyfully tackles every challenge life offers, plays the mentor and new best friend. The main character is Libby, who experiences pain, devastation, heartbreak, and hopelessness. Her dreams and goals are taken away, her boyfriend dumps her, and her friends fade away. There's about a fifth of the book where everyone wants her to be strong, overcome, and buck up. But she's not made of sunshine and hope, she's devastated and afraid. It's the more frequent reaction to such trauma. However, the first third of the book is hard, it packs an emotional punch (more so if the feelings are identifiable). In the next chunk of the book, Libby grows and gradually gets adjusted. It isn't until nearly the end that she isn't weighed down and held back. There's a happy enough ending full of hope and possibilities. The ending chapter really ties everything together and is kind of a "where are they now" type of ending.

It also has a mystery woven in, the whodunit of the on-purpose accident which puts her in a wheelchair. Those chapters, each called "The Arrangement," are in third-person so as to not give away who did it. I honestly thought I knew, and I was "right-adjacent," but there was one aspect I hadn't considered. The guilty party not only makes sense, but serves as a wonderful reflection of the growth and change of another character.

This does feel like realistic fiction. There are some romantic parts, but it isn't central to the plot. Libby is more focused on her sporting goals and regaining control of her life than on romance. It is complex and somewhat inspirational. The author feels like an authority on rowing. 

Sit-ski was a new term I learned from this book. I live near a few ski resorts (Pocono Mountains in PA) and confess I never knew about any such options. 

The title is definitely used in the book, and twice around the end the title really clicks. The cover is very artistic. I like the skier who is sort of blurred on the upper left. (I have the cover with dark blue hues with white accents and words.) Shattered may upset some readers in the first third as Libby is very depressed. There's a pet cat who lives well through the whole book. Some readers may have strong feelings about the various parenting styles in this book. The only possible typos I found were "Then his eyes met nine," {mine} and "She knew what the next three words were" {I knew}, so I would say this book is well-edited. 

I believe the theme is one of perseverance, with a sprinkling of patriotism, a heap of friendship and family, and a dash of love. Some of the settings did come alive, mainly the outdoors. The mystery element does hold a mirror up to society in a way I cannot explain without spoiling the book. The Bechdel-Wallace test is certainly passed, as there are named female characters with whom Libby speaks to about subjects that are not men. 
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