Shattered Dreams (Midnight Dragonfly, #1)

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Shattered Dreams (Midnight Dragonfly #1)

by Ellie James (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 421 ratings · 134 reviews

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school...more

ebook, 352 pages

Published December 6th 2011 by St. Martin's Griffin

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Sep 27, 2011 Ddpjclaf rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Received for free through NetGalley*

*Shattered Dreams* is the story of seventeen-year-old Trinity, who, like her deceased mother, gets visions. Both of her parents died when she was a baby and she was raised by her grandmother. After her grandmother's death, she was taken in by her aunt and moved to New Orleans (where her parents were from and where she was born.)

I'd give you the synopsis that I was given that made me want to read this book, but honestly, I felt it was pretty misleading.

The sto...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya

I have mixed reactions to this book. Parts of it were honestly suspenseful and compulsively readable. Other parts were trying too hard to be mysterious and just wound up confusing. There were a number of passages I went back and re-read, trying to figure out what was going on. Keeping vision apart from reality was somethings a bit of a job, but it was more some of the stylistic and narrative choices, trying to keep readers in the dark as much as possible. Writing a mystery is a fine art, and mor...more I have mixed reactions to this book. Parts of it were honestly suspenseful and compulsively readable. Other parts were trying too hard to be mysterious and just wound up confusing. There were a number of passages I went back and re-read, trying to figure out what was going on. Keeping vision apart from reality was somethings a bit of a job, but it was more some of the stylistic and narrative choices, trying to keep readers in the dark as much as possible. Writing a mystery is a fine art, and more than once James veered to the side of not giving enough information for a comprehensive narrative in order to avoid letting readers figure out the ending before the protagonist does.

Character-wise, we also end up with a mixed bag. Trinity herself is a bit of a cipher. With everything that's going on around her, including her dreams and her discovery of her own missing background, the force of her personality gets a bit lost. She spends most of the book confused and letting things happen to her instead of taking control of anything. She's not even motivated enough to go digging into her own history. THe only thing she's ever been told about her own parents is that they died in some sort of incident when she was very young, and while she explains her grandmother was reluctant to talk about it, she doesn't seem to have asked anyone or made any effort to do research on her own. Surely a sixteen-year-old could google their names, especially since she knew the city and approximate date of their deaths.

As for her romantic interest... look, I'll be honest. I really hated Chase. He's supposed to be this dreamboat, but I never warmed up to him. He calls Trinity "baby," he repeatedly ignores her requests to back off, and I found his intensity to be creepy and unsettling. I was actually rooting for him to turn out to be the villain, since it would not only be an interesting plot twist but would justify my hatred for him.

I actually did like a number of the secondary characters, though. Trinity's aunt in particular is interesting, and I kind of wonder if the story would have been more fun if it centred around her instead of Trinity. Her life has been under just as much upheaval by the unexpected arrival of her troubled teenage niece, she was smart and caring and in some cases she knew more about what was going on than the girl with the visions. Maybe if the two of them had worked together more as a team I would have found more to like in this book, but the aunt gets shunted to the side in favour of Chase.

The first two-thirds of the book were full of cliff-hangers, and I had a hard time putting it down. The story moved along at a good pace, and in spite of the occasional bout of confusion, the mysteries built on each other until about the last hundred pages or so, when Trinity decides to wander around aimlessly for awhile, trying to escape her problems. She wanders for quite a long time, avoiding both reality and her visions, and the story crawls to a stop. Unfortunately it never quite recovers from this, even when she finally puts the last piece of the puzzle together and the big hunt for both Jessica and the person who abducted her is on.

Ultimately Shattered Dreams is full of interesting ideas but fails to live up to its own promise. If we spent less time with the alleged love interest and more time actively working on they mystery I might have enjoyed this more, but the constant attempts to keep the reader in the dark were more frustrating than effective.(less)

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May 09, 2012 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trinity girl, I have three words for you: Chase, who? and DYLAN. Okay that as really four, but the “and” doesn’t count.

Shattered Dreams was a fun filled ride! There are so many twists and turns in this one I wasn’t sure if up was down or down was up! I’m hoping that we get to learn a lot more about Trinity’s abilities in the next novel. There is a next novel, right? I feel like we just started to scratch the surface to Trinity’s ability and her heritage. And of course I want to see how Dylan and...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Lucinda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An exciting, engaging debut novel that will remain with you long after it has been read.

Bestselling US author Ellie James has produced a spectacular sultry thriller that leaves you sleepless…Taut and wrought with spine tingling tension, I was sat rigid to my seat immersed within a darkly sinister love story. Beautifully hypnotic and acutely memorable, this is a teen psychic novel with a supernatural twist and paranormal ambience. Prepare to be dazzled by the intense drama and enchanted by the c...more An exciting, engaging debut novel that will remain with you long after it has been read.

Bestselling US author Ellie James has produced a spectacular sultry thriller that leaves you sleepless…Taut and wrought with spine tingling tension, I was sat rigid to my seat immersed within a darkly sinister love story. Beautifully hypnotic and acutely memorable, this is a teen psychic novel with a supernatural twist and paranormal ambience. Prepare to be dazzled by the intense drama and enchanted by the captivating prose, professing realism and thought-provoking meaning within.

‘I promised never to speak of the things I see…
The things I see happen.
They always happen…
They’re not just dreams, are they?’

Trinity Monsour is in possession of a rare quality, which is both a blessing and a curse. Her haunting dreams and disturbing visions prove more than just nightmares, when a girl whom she dislikes unexpectedly vanishes and is thrown into the path of terrible danger. Within a City of secrets lies the key to Trinity’s gift and as her quest begins to save Jessica, before it is too late, the riddle slowly is unraveled…this is a chilling thriller with an unexpected, shocking twist!

Although a fan of the Young Adult genre I am not usually drawn to thrillers/ horror stories, as I tend to prefer something less spooky which wont have me jumping as I look out the corner of my eye. However, saying this I was pleasantly surprised by this story which is an exquisite tale of love, betrayal and stalking evil perfectly executed. I did not need a light on (as I made sure to read during daylight hours!), and so was able to fully appreciate how well-written this book was as I lost myself within “Shattered Dreams” for several hours, undisturbed. I loved the characters and the inspired plot which was what had captured my interest initially, so as to entice me to read this.

I would definitely recommend this to readers looking for something distinctive, which will linger upon the mind as you never forget such a memorable story.
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Feb 08, 2012 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't believe how long it took me to pick SHATTERED DREAMS up. For one, that cover is gorgeous, and then there's that drew me right in. I wasn't sure what to expect, only that there would be a bit of a paranormal element. I just love it when I am surprised in a novel and James threw in quite a few twists that had me scratching my head. And the boys!!! WOW are they spicy. I think I may have to pack up my things and move to New Orleans if the guys in her book are any indication. You have to pick...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trinity Monsour is sixteen years old when she moves to New Orleans to live with her Aunt Sarah. Her grandmother had died, and since her parents had died when she was two, Aunt Sarah was her only remaining relative. But from growing up in a cabin in the mountains and being homeschooled doesn't prepare her for the big city and high school.

She wants to fit in, so when a group of teenagers ask Trinity to accompany them one evening to a supposedly haunted house, she agrees. When Trinity arrives thoug...more Trinity Monsour is sixteen years old when she moves to New Orleans to live with her Aunt Sarah. Her grandmother had died, and since her parents had died when she was two, Aunt Sarah was her only remaining relative. But from growing up in a cabin in the mountains and being homeschooled doesn't prepare her for the big city and high school.

She wants to fit in, so when a group of teenagers ask Trinity to accompany them one evening to a supposedly haunted house, she agrees. When Trinity arrives though, she feels that something is wrong and that they shouldn't go in. But she doesn't want to be a freak to her possible newfound friends, so she enters the building. They ensue into a game of Truth or Dare that ends with a prank being played on Trinity, but during the prank, Trinity has a horrible vision of a young girl bleeding while lying on a mattress. Trinity is freaked out, scared and madder than a hornet at Jessica, the girl who initiated the prank of locking Trinity in the dark.

Afterword, Trinity tries to let bygones be bygones, but Jessica's boyfriend Chase confronts Trinity with an apology and to explain that he and Jessica had broken up. Chase is interested in Trinity. Trinity wants to believe in Chase but she's scared. Especially with the visions that keep coming to her in her dreams. When Jessica doesn't come home the next day, all sorts of rumors abound, namely that Trinity was seeking revenge and murdered Jessica.

Trinity knows she didn't do it, but shares her dreams with the police. The more she dreams, the more clues they receive, but the clues start to make Trinity look guilty. Furthermore, she's been learning more about where she came from and her gift. She's afraid that if Chase finds out she's a freak; he won't want to be with her anymore. Can Trinity figure out where Jessica is before it's too late? Can she prove she isn't crazy and she didn't hurt Jessica? Will Chase back off in horror when he realizes what Trinity can do?

SHATTERED DREAMS is a magnificent debut young adult novel by author Ellie James. With the sensual and secretive New Orleans backdrop, the blossoming romance between Trinity and Chase and the mysterious disappearance of Jessica, the pages just flew by. Seat-of-your-pants suspense, a unique psychic ability and captivating characters, SHATTERED DREAMS will appeal to many!

*courtesy of Romance Junkies (less)

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Jan 12, 2012 Pamela Kramer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shattered Dreams by Ellie James is this author's debut novel. It's a paranormal mystery that takes place in New Orleans, and it has a heavy dose of romance laced throughout the story.

The murder mystery is well done, and despite a few minor typos, the writing is good, and the first person narrative is realistic.

Trinity, the main character, has lived most of her life with her grandmother in a remote town in Colorado. When her grandmother dies, she moves to New Orleans to live with her only remaini...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Mary Chrapliwy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-books

I hadn't planned on reading this book right on the heals of the Demon Lover, but it's been calling to me from my Nook.

The description from the Amazon pages leads me to believe this may be the first in a series of books, but it didn't read like a series book until the very last page, which was a confusing one. I'm not so sure I'll be following up to read any book two in the series.

Trinity Monsour lives hidden away in the Colorado hills with her grandmother until she passes away and Trinity ends u...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started reading Shattered Dreams under the impression that it would be focused on paranormal as the main part of the story, however I soon felt that Shattered Dreams felt more like a murder mystery more than it did paranormal. There was paranormal information in it, like the fact that Trinity dreams about people and has visions and that it has been passed down through her family, but to me they felt more like a back story and didn't feel like it was a big focus on the book. If I would have kno...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Elizabeth Whitford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trinity has lived her life secluded in the mountians with her grandmother. Only the faint memories and whispers of her parents are all that she has left of them. When her hrandmother dies she goes to live with her Aunt in New Orleans, a city rich in the unexplained.

Trinity is trying to fit into the culture of public High school for the first time in her life and Jessica, the girlfrient of the Chase, the boy Trinity likes, has set her sights on Trinity in a game of "Who's the best female" all c...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Jasmyn9 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, urban-fantasy, series, arc, lter

Trinity is special. She dreams true things, things that are or will be happening...and most of the time they are not good. Trinity comes to live with her aunt in New Orleans after the death of her grandmother. After a foolish prank is pulled on her by Jessica, the mean but popular girl at school, Jessica turns up missing. Trinity has "seen" what is going on, but most won't believe her and the ones that do think Trinity had something to do with it. Trinity has to find a way to save Jessica before...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Sally rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok , so the synopsis of the book was interesting enough and made me look forward to reading it but it ended up being a huge disappointment .The starting was decent enough but the transition from normal to mystery was too sudden and too early.There was no gradual development in the intensity and by the time I had read one third of the book everything was way too confusing..!The characters weren't fully developed.
There were far too many loose ends.
Seemed to me like the author just kept compiling r...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Jennavier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-debut-authors

I'm really on the fence about this one. There were a lot of things I liked about it. The story is really interesting. In the midst of all the paranormal romances it's nice to have a mystery. The tension starts off right away. There's a lot of interesting back story. I was really fascinated to see how it all worked out for Trinity. I like how Trinity was really vulnerable in ways that weren't always appealing.
That said, it lost me about half way through. The love interest was just....odd. Not qu...more

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Sep 22, 2011 ephrielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Talk about master of misdirection. This book was just full of confusing side paths. So confusing, that by the end of the book I was rather lost as to the ultimate bad guy. I am not really sure who he was or much else about that. Although, the confusion was a good mirror of what Trinity was feeling. I can't imagine what it would be like having to learn to navigate those images. I am amazed she held on to reality as well as she did. Is anyone else a bit ready for Chase to leave the picture? In man...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-galley, arc-book-read

I see this book has gotten quite a few mixed reviews. Some seem to hate it while others love it.
Honestly, I really enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting it down in fact. I read it every spare moment I could yesterday and even times when I probably should have been doing something else.
Is this story perfect? No.
But like so many other new books in a series (I hope this will be a series!!) there is some world building and some unanswered questions. Some things that aren't quite perfect. But...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Tonyalee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, ya

To to honest, this book wasn't on any to read shelves. I stumbled on this book while browsing titles at my library, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It turned out to be an OK read. I like the spin of Trinity's abilities.

The writing was decent. I wasn't fond of how the story starts though. I felt as if I was jumping to the 3rd or 4th chapter. AND-it was confusing. Through out the story I had to keep going back to re read certain parts. I didn't know which way was up or down, real or vision or dre...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Lisa Nabel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trinity is an interesting character with an interesting gift which should make for an interesting story but.....

The writing style is inconsistent (too much information for some scenes but then little information for others) and jumbled (bizarre scene changes), chapters end in strange places plus the book was way too long.

The synopsis give a paranormal vibe but for the first 100+ pages it is hinted about Trinity's gift but never mentioned outright. Trinity has a strange family background which...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Book Whales rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted @ Book Whales

She can see visions of death…

And it’s up to her to stop them from happening

The book started with a group of friends inside an empty house which is said to be haunted, wherein they started a “harmless” game of Truth or Dare. For everyone, it was just a game, but for Trinity, it’s not. She’s different from any other teenage girls. How so? She can see visions of deaths, and they come true. There she sees an image of one of the girls with her, Jessica, and in that ve...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Anary828 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, 2011-read

Shattered Dreams was all about Trinity Rose who moves in with her aunt after her grandmother died. There, her visions came back—that keeps haunting her—and unravels the secret behind it with the people around her.

I won’t and don’t want to finish it. The story was confusing; it was hard to determine where the visions of Trinity started, what was the real score about her visions and though they explained it in the story it was obscured. They try to explain it bit by bit with every chapter which is...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Shelley Daugherty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book about a young psychic. This book is face paced and leaves you always wondering what is going to happen next. I found the characters realistic and very well developed as well as shrouded in mystery which added to the plot line. Though a YA book, this can even keep paranormal adult fans engaged and wondering.

I also enjoyed the idea of the setting being New Orleans after Katrina. The addition of the desolate buildings and the constant rebuilding left me wondering how people survived and...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Sandy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-reviewed-2012, disappointment-in-characters, not-genius-but-reading-series-anywa, paranormal

So this review isn't going to be one of the nicest I've written and it's one of those books I have mixed feelings about.

Shattered Dreams is about a girl named Trinity who dreams about a girl in danger, but the twist is she doesn't know if it's herself or another girl. As the story unravels, secrets are revealed and her life is changed forever.

The characters had a lot to be desired in this book. I can't really think of any character that stood out to me. I know Trinity should have been the one...more So this review isn't going to be one of the nicest I've written and it's one of those books I have mixed feelings about.

Shattered Dreams is about a girl named Trinity who dreams about a girl in danger, but the twist is she doesn't know if it's herself or another girl. As the story unravels, secrets are revealed and her life is changed forever.

The characters had a lot to be desired in this book. I can't really think of any character that stood out to me. I know Trinity should have been the one I loved, and I did like her for the most part, but she did some really stupid, immature things that really turned me off her. I can handle a lot of immature things, but not when those stupid things can put your life in danger - not when it isn't self-sacrificing. To her credit though, she does use her gift to try and find Jessica before it's too late. Even though Jessica had been nasty to her beforehand.

Chase was all right. He was just the normal-type mc male who was there for the heroine for the most part. He seemed more relatable to me then any of the others. I understood him more.

And I positively loathed Jessica. She acted like a psycho ex-girlfriend who couldn't let go of the guy who dropped her because he discovered he liked another girl. Sorry, honey, but he didn't cheat on you with Trinity, he did the right thing and dumped you first. Not that he wanted to be with you anyway. If I recollect the story correctly, you emotionally blackmailed him into staying with you when he had tried to dump you earlier and that was BEFORE he met Trinity.

Anyway, let's just say she really got on my nerves. She had played these stupid disappearing games in the past, which is part of the reason why nobody thought much of it when she first disappeared - because she had done it all before. Done it before as part of a ploy to get back at people. That's probably a spoiler. I'm usually very careful not to go into what may possibly be a spoiler, but in this case I don't really care. The sad thing is where I would have felt sorry for any other person in her position, I couldn't. I just couldn't connect to her as a victim - and I hated that.

The only thing that saved this book for me and the reason I would go on to read the next is because of the story line. I like reading paranormal books - especially when it involves clairvoyance. I've always had thing for books that include it. Even though the book felt disjointed, I have to admit I still liked the way it was done. And I liked the idea of a game and matching wits with the bad guy.

I don't know who I'd recommend this book to - I guess it would be to anyone who likes paranormal books, because, well, when it comes right down to it, this is only my opinion.

Anyway, now for my rating:- 2 out of 5 stars

This review can be found here:- http://magicalmanuscriptsandwritingth...
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Jul 31, 2011 Amie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: early-review, young-adult

Trinity Monsour has spent her life in the secluded mountains of Colorado, raised and homeschooled by her grandmother. After her grandmother passes away, Trinity moves to New Orleans to live with her aunt. Trinity knows virtually nothing about her parents, or the city she was born in. Once in New Orleans, Trinity strives to fit in and lead a normal life. Unfortunately, Trinity herself isn’t normal. She’s psychic.

Trinity’s life begins to change as her visions accelerate. But not everyone believes...more Trinity Monsour has spent her life in the secluded mountains of Colorado, raised and homeschooled by her grandmother. After her grandmother passes away, Trinity moves to New Orleans to live with her aunt. Trinity knows virtually nothing about her parents, or the city she was born in. Once in New Orleans, Trinity strives to fit in and lead a normal life. Unfortunately, Trinity herself isn’t normal. She’s psychic.

Trinity’s life begins to change as her visions accelerate. But not everyone believes that she is having visions; some people believe that she is really responsible for the disappearance of the school’s head cheerleader. Trinity is pulled into a world she never believed was possible, a world her mother was involved in. As Trinity learns secret after secret and more truths are revealed, things around her begin to spin out of control. Will the truth push her over the edge?

Shattered Dreams is a compelling, intriguingly unique story with well-written characters. Trinity is the seemingly typical high school girl, a little bit confused and scared, but wanting everything to be normal. The “mean girls” at the high school, in particular Amber, are the epitome of the nasty, self-centered teenage girls every one has experienced. The male leads of the story, especially Chase, at first seem like bone-headed jocks, but grow into characters with more depth than imagined. My favorite part of the story was the characters.

I enjoyed Ellie James’ descriptions of New Orleans. She captured the beauty of the city, as well as the haunting loss the city has experienced since Hurricane Katrina. She obviously has a vast knowledge of the city and she utilized that knowledge to bring the city to life.

While I enjoyed the story James’ wrote, at times it felt a bit out of sync. This became more noticeable as the book neared the end. New characters were brought in, seemingly out of nowhere, and became an integral part of the story. A love triangle appeared in the last 60 pages of the book, one that was totally unexpected. The motives of some characters seemed odd, even questionable, and were never explained. Fortunately, the story ended well, redeeming itself.

This is a book I would recommend to my girls, though I don’t think I would encourage them to move it up on their list. Definitely readable and enjoyable.
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Dec 01, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. A new power. A psychic combined with real life drama always makes for a great story. Ms. James took amazing characters filled with an dynamic plot and gave the reader a great read!
As the reader began this book, we meet Trinity tormented by dreams she doesn't understand. I really like how the reader is captivated from the beginning of whats these dreams mean. Ms. James give the reader clues piece by piece as the reader delves deeper into dreams. I like how the reader i...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, paranormal, read-2011, young-adult, science-fiction

Posted on Book Chelle

3.5 stars

I have one word for you. Creepy.

Well, that was the first thing that popped into my mind as I started to read Ellie James' Shattered Dreams. I mean, the first line had the word haunted. The descriptive words that followed gave a goose bump-inducing imagery. James knew the significance of the first scene's setting. And all this from the first few pages?

Sold.

Shattered Dreams begins with a group of teenagers on their way to a long-ago abandoned mansion, aged and consume...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ARC received courtesy of Netgalley

In Ellie James’ debut novel, Shattered Dreams, sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to be a normal teenaged girl. Free from the isolation her late grandmother purposely imposed, Trinity moves to New Orleans to live with her aunt, and it is there that Trinity feels as though she can be like her peers. Attend school, eat the awful cafeteria food, and, maybe, have a boyfriend.

The only problem? Trinity Monsour is anything but normal.

Trinity drea...more ARC received courtesy of Netgalley

In Ellie James’ debut novel, Shattered Dreams, sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to be a normal teenaged girl. Free from the isolation her late grandmother purposely imposed, Trinity moves to New Orleans to live with her aunt, and it is there that Trinity feels as though she can be like her peers. Attend school, eat the awful cafeteria food, and, maybe, have a boyfriend.

The only problem? Trinity Monsour is anything but normal.

Trinity dreams of events that are going to happen, and worse, there is little that she can do to stop the events from taking place. However, when she dreams of a classmate, Jessica, who is missing, Trinity knows that she must do everything she can to find her—even if that means her being marked as the prime suspect in Jessica’s disappearance. With the help of her potential boyfriend, Chase, and a young man, Dylan, sworn to protect her, Trinity must discover the secrets of her late parent’s past, and learn that some secrets are best kept hidden.

The writing in Shattered Dreams is surprisingly strong for a debut novel. James hooks readers from the very first page and manages to keep them entrenched in Trinity’s world until the final page. The plot provides plenty of twists, but perhaps a bit too many—leaving readers feeling confused at times. Overall, the characters are well written, but they could have been further developed (a fixable problem considering Shattered Dreams is first in the Midnight Dragonfly series). Readers will most likely put the novel down knowing about Trinity, but they will not know her. Trinity is a likable character, but her indecisiveness could potentially irritate readers. Her relationship with Chase is endearing at first, but is almost immediately out shadowed with the introduction of Dylan who, in this reader’s opinion, is the star of the novel.

Despite it’s flaws, however, Shattered Dreams is a strong debut novel from a promising author. The novel is compulsively readable and entertaining, leaving this reader to have high hopes for Ellie James and the Midnight Dragonfly series.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Ellie James Presents a Strong Debut Novel - Atlantic City Young Adult Fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/young-adult-f...
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Oct 22, 2011 Sallysmurf rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shattered Dreams could be best described as a YA paranormal thriller. Set in New Orleans post Katrina it tells the story of sixteen year old Trinity Monsour. Having lost her parents whilst very young Trinity has been raised by her grandmother and now after her recent death she finds herself moving to New Orleans to live with her aunt.

As the story begins we find Trinity trying to fit in with the kids in her new school as they play a game of truth or dare in an abandoned house. We get an insight i...more Shattered Dreams could be best described as a YA paranormal thriller. Set in New Orleans post Katrina it tells the story of sixteen year old Trinity Monsour. Having lost her parents whilst very young Trinity has been raised by her grandmother and now after her recent death she finds herself moving to New Orleans to live with her aunt.

As the story begins we find Trinity trying to fit in with the kids in her new school as they play a game of truth or dare in an abandoned house. We get an insight into the personalities of the main characters fairly early on as we travel around the house. It’s clear that Chase likes Trinity and that she likes him too. It’s also clear that Jessica, his ex-girlfriend, is really not happy about it. It’s also during the truth or dare we first become aware that Trinity can see things that other can’t. As the night unfolds a prank is played on Trinity which triggers a sequence of events that leaves one of the group in danger and Trinity comes to realise that she is the one that has the ability to help.

There are many storylines running through this book which are typical of the YA genre, that is, a girl who is unaware of her past, the need to find acceptance, friendship, romance and the challenges one faces when trying to do the right thing. There are however other aspects that set this book apart from others in the same genre. This book is more of a thriller than your typical paranormal story and so in that respect makes a refreshing change.

I love the detail that Ellie James puts in when describing New Orleans and it’s very easy to imagine yourself in the places that she writes about. There are twists and turns that run through the story which continually throw you off track when it comes to figuring out exactly who the baddie is. I certainly had no idea of how the story would end. Whilst I liked the characters of both Trinity and Chase I did think that their behaviour in some circumstances was not typical of your average sixteen year old. The way that they react and talk to each other was far more mature than one would expect of children. There were also smaller plotlines within the story which seemed to take the story off at a tangent and did not appear to relate to the main plotline or contribute towards its conclusion. That said, James has an excellent ability to add a beautifully dark element of suspense through the tale and this only increases as the tale goes on. There are many characters I’d like to hear more about including Drew and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the next book to find out what happens next.
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Jun 19, 2012 Lili rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointing

Before I begin, I feel obligated to say that the synopsis above, taken from Goodreads, is totally misguiding. I thought that I was getting a paranormal romance novel, but the entire thing seemed more like a murder mystery to me. A murder mystery that a girl with paranormal psychic-like powers played a huge part in, but the murder mystery dominated every else. While Trinity's powers were important to the plot, we barely got a back-story to them. There was a decent bit of paranormal occurrences in...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Julie Witt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, reviewed

I received this book free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

"A young psychic discovers the truth behind the terrifying visions she can neither predict nor halt in this fabulous start to the Midnight Dragonfly series."

16-year old Trinity's life has been turned upside down by the death of her grandmother, who was raising her following the deaths of her mother and father when she was just a little girl. Her grandmother moved her to Colorado from New Orleans at that time under suspicious circums...more I received this book free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

"A young psychic discovers the truth behind the terrifying visions she can neither predict nor halt in this fabulous start to the Midnight Dragonfly series."

16-year old Trinity's life has been turned upside down by the death of her grandmother, who was raising her following the deaths of her mother and father when she was just a little girl. Her grandmother moved her to Colorado from New Orleans at that time under suspicious circumstances, and in essence, isolated them in the mountains. When Trinity moves to New Orleans to live with her Aunt Sara, her father's sister, everything is different: a new school, new friends, a whole new life. The one thing that stays the same is her visions. Her grandmother always told her not to talk about them, to anyone, so at first Trinity tries to hide them, but the longer she's in New Orleans, the more they draw her into a mystery involving a girl at her high school who goes missing, the night after she pulls a very nasty prank on Trinity. To make matters worse, and make her look even more suspect in the eyes of the police, she is drawn to Chase, Jessica's ex-boyfriend. Once her visions get too be too much, and too scary for her to ignore, she goes to the police with what she has seen. This, of course, makes the police suspect her.

This is a mystery, that's for certain, but more important, I think, is Trinity's search to find her parents and where she fits into the world around her. Everyone she sees is so normal to her, while she is a cowering mass of nerves who just wants to run and hide and pretend everything is fine. That doesn't work so well after a while, so we get to see her stand up and take charge of her own life, and find the connection she feels with her mother.

I did like this book, but I had a few small problems. First, this book could have been shorter because a lot of it was unnecessary twists and turns that instead of being full of suspense just confused the story more often than not. The reader would be taken here and there with information that was totally irrelevant. I wouldn't have mattered so much if the information had propelled the story along, but it didn't. It was just sort of there, not doing much but interrupting the flow of the story. I'm always afraid of giving too much away in a review, so I can't really be specific, but you would be in the middle of a tense scene, and then all of a sudden you were being told a story that had absolutely nothing to do with anything, and then when you were nice and out of the scene, they threw you back in right where you left. This did not add anything to the story, but it definitely broke the flow for me quite a few times.

One other point is that I really didn't think Trinity and Chase acted or talked like normal 16 year olds half the time. With all the meaningful pauses, and deep, catching breaths, and feeling the riffs of each other's hearts in their chests, it just didn't ring true. Half the words out of Trinity's mouth were broken by pauses and breaths, and it just got annoying.

All that being said, I did like the basic story. It was suspenseful, creepy at times, and did have some good twists and turns. I just think it could have been better, and that's why I had to give it a 3 out of 5. I am going to read the second book, because I think if they stick with what worked in the story, the next book could be very good indeed, and I am looking forward to reading it.(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Jessica Salt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoying this book Shattered Dreams. The book is really good. I am reading on Chapter
Twenty-one, On Page 217. I can't put down this book. I am so excised to finish reading this book. I can't wait to read book two. I am so excised to read Haunted Destiny. I really want to know when that book will come out soon. the Midnight Dragonfly Series reminds me of Twilight, and Harry Potter. In some parts in the book of Shattered Dreams. Trinity reminds me of Bella in a way, because how Chase mak...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Tina (yAdultReview) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books, paranormal, ya, 2011, arc-netgalley, book-owned

Review originally posted at Nose in a Book

This book is exactly what I needed after a self-imposed break from serious reading. This book has a tight plot and it definitely kept me guessing as to who the abductor was. I must have changed my mind three or four times regarding the bad guy. Trinity is a normal angsty teenager with a precognition problem. She knows next to nothing about her abilities, other than she knew when her dog was going to be run over and her grandmother, who raise Trinity, pre...more Review originally posted at Nose in a Book

This book is exactly what I needed after a self-imposed break from serious reading. This book has a tight plot and it definitely kept me guessing as to who the abductor was. I must have changed my mind three or four times regarding the bad guy. Trinity is a normal angsty teenager with a precognition problem. She knows next to nothing about her abilities, other than she knew when her dog was going to be run over and her grandmother, who raise Trinity, pretends her ability doesn’t exist. Everything changes when Trinity’s grandmother dies (which Trinity saw happening) and she lands on her aunt’s doorstep, where the story begins.

Trinity is the new girl, so people take an interest in her, none more so than Chase. In the first scene, I believe Chase and Jessica are still dating, but Case is making eyes at Trinity and Jessica is not happy. (Know what just popped into my head? Super Bass by Nicki Minaj. ”And yes, you’ll get slapped if you lookin, ho”) Jessica takes Nicki’s warning a little too far, and she leaves Trinity inside a seriously haunted house where Trinity sees Jessica tied up and alone in a room. She flips, but it’s all a joke, so she storms home. Off camera, Chase is breaking up with Jessica.

The next day, Jessica is missing. This starts everything off, and there is way too much to explain because it will all spoil you. Even the smallest details end up being important to the overall mystery, so it’s really hard to decided what to give away. This book isn’t creepy like Anna Dressed in Blood (look for that review later this week!), but it’s definitely got some elements of horror, and James does a great job with grabbing you and keeping you interested. Trinity is angsty, but not overly so, plus she has talents and interests. She overreacts more than once, but it doesn’t help that no one, not even her aunt, will tell her what’s going on. I would rebel and freak out too.

Check this one out! It’s supernatural YA with just a little romance. What’s not to love?(less)

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About Ellie James

Ellie James believes in dreams, destiny, and possibility. A native of south Louisiana, she grew up immersed in legend, surrounded by history and drenched in mystery. She penned her first work of fiction at six, turning to suspense three years later with Jacquie and the Swamp. Even before graduating from the LSU Manship School of Journalism, Ellie always had a tragic poem, tender story, or intrigui...more

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Books by Ellie James

Broken Illusions (Midnight Dragonfly, #2)

Haunted Destiny (Midnight Dragonfly, #1.5)

Fragile Darkness (Midnight Dragonfly, #3)

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Shattered Dreams (Midnight Dragonfly #1)

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