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You Can't Shatter Me

by Tahlia Newland (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 25 ratings · 22 reviews

This book has received the B.R.A.G.MedallionTM and the Awesome Indies Seal of Approval for excellence in fiction.

When superhero wanna-be, Carly, stands up to a bully, he turns on her, forcing her to battle cutting words, flying hooks, a doubt dragon and a suffocating closet. Her karate-trained boyfriend, Dylan’s desire to stop the harassment sets off a struggle to control...more

ebook, 160 pages

Published June 22nd 2012 by Catapult Press

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Sep 05, 2012 Jenny Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, authors-i-know, childrens, romance

I first encountered the beautiful clarity of Tahlia Newland's style in her short story, "A Hole in the Pavement". The same clarity, and the same magic use of metaphor, is here in "You Can't Shatter Me".

The story starts slowly, wistfully, and builds into something special. A very effective use of the wish people often have that they could script their own lives ... a wish that helps along the way, but can't be where our journey stops. We have to move from a sometimes desperate desire for control...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Urban Fantasy Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

To read this review and others like it check out my site, www.ufreviews.com

I think everyone now a days is aware of the problem of bullying. I think everyone has at least one experience with bullying, be it being the victim, the person doing the bullying, or the person standing on the sidelines observing it. There has been a lot of talk about this issue, and a lot of different ideas about how to teach kids and teenagers about this problem. This is a book geared toward young adults, and it fits t...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Annie Evett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Focusing on the very real psychological traumas of teenage bullying, “You Can’t Shatter Me” is one that aught to be compulsory reading in all Middle Schools.(Schools who teach 12 yr olds to 16 year olds) Author Tahlia Newman is no stranger to the young adult genre, having several acclaimed titles published. She brings a mature warmth to this subject area, without being overly preachy or stilted. Readers will be enchanted with the character and storyline within moments of beginning their journey...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I’m turning 42 on Friday, but I still love young adult (YA) fiction. In fact, I firmly believe that YA offers some of the most empowering stories and empowered female characters available in modern literature. I also believe that Tahlia Newland’s fiction is some of the best YA on the market, so when she asked if I’d read and review You Can’t Shatter Me, of course I said yes.

I was not disappointed.

In fact, I was awed.

Newland refers to this story as an example of magical realism, and it is. Sixtee...more

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Aug 05, 2012 M.A.CHASE rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this little novella, the reader follows Carly and Dylan through an epic journey of good vs. evil, handwritten scripts and the thought that life can be written the way a person wants it to be written.

Ever since I first picked up a book, I've thought changing point of views were a really awesome way of conveying a story. Whether it be changing points of view in third-person or it be changing points of view in first person, I liked the idea that a reader could see into the thoughts of multipl...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Darcy Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

"You Can't Shatter Me" is a moving young adult novel that grapples with the universal problem of bullying. A blend of magical realism and philosophy, it is at heart a very spiritual story without being heavy-handed about it.

Sixteen-year-old Carly Simmons, a girl with "insipid grey eyes, mousy hair and thunder thighs," daydreams about being a courageous, avenging superhero. Both she and the nerdy Dylan have both suffered at the hands of Justin, the school bully, and watched helplessly while he ab...more "You Can't Shatter Me" is a moving young adult novel that grapples with the universal problem of bullying. A blend of magical realism and philosophy, it is at heart a very spiritual story without being heavy-handed about it.

Sixteen-year-old Carly Simmons, a girl with "insipid grey eyes, mousy hair and thunder thighs," daydreams about being a courageous, avenging superhero. Both she and the nerdy Dylan have both suffered at the hands of Justin, the school bully, and watched helplessly while he abused others.

Carly and Dylan share a love of art and a hatred of injustice--commonalities that nudge their friendship toward first love as they grapple with the problem of Justin. When Carly takes the initiative and stands up to him (a parallel to Dylan's standing up to a father who bullies him about his choice of art over engineering as a future career), she becomes the focus of his abuse.
But Newland reaches well beyond the act of bullying itself and the often devastating effect on its victims, examining not merely the complex reasons many kids don't report such incidents, but the reasons bullies choose to abuse others in this way.

With the help of her hippie grandparents, Carly learns how to rid herself of the fear that feeds the bully's need for attention, instead using the spiritual light inside her to disarm him--offering friendship to one who has himself always been abused and afraid, in hopes of helping him relate to others in a more healthy way.

Newland's characters are well drawn and realistic and the story emotionally satisfying, but for this reader the real joy of the novel is the author's structural vision and creative use of metaphor. Throughout the book, which alternates between Carly's and Dylan's perspectives, the problems they face take on actual physicality, becoming outsized physical objects that have to be vanquished superhero-style with the right attitude or action. In addition, the storyline is peppered with metaphors to writing, to the scripting and crafting of one's life being much like the creation of a story (which, of course, it is!)--sometimes even backing from the actual narrative so the characters can discuss the decisions involved in the scene they are trying to create.

With "You Can't Shatter Me," Newland has given the teen reader an accessible and engaging primer on ways to handle what, for many, is a devastating situation-one they often feel powerless to change. Parents should be advised that the story contains sexual innuendo and occasional rough language, so is perhaps not best suited to younger readers. (less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Review: You Can’t Shatter Me by Tahlia Newland (June 30, 2012)
By Katherine Ashe

Young Adult fiction is not my usual reading matter, in fact until these last two weeks (7/1/12) I had never read a YA book. But I've been asked to review a couple of books and I find that, judging from this little sampling, YA as a genre appears to have some considerable virtues, not the least of which is the wholesomeness and good will of the authors. This venture into YA has been for me quite a relief from the comme...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Mardel rated it 4 of 5 stars

You Can't Shatter Me is a story about bullying. A young girl witnesses a "misfit" being bullied, and suddenly not able to watch this one more time with no one intervening steps in. Which of course bring the focus onto her. At the same time, another student, who has been watching her from afar, steps in to protect her...Now they are both under fire from the bully.

Carly and Dylan are now targeted by this bully, a very angry young man named Justin. The story deals with the beginnings of a relations...more You Can't Shatter Me is a story about bullying. A young girl witnesses a "misfit" being bullied, and suddenly not able to watch this one more time with no one intervening steps in. Which of course bring the focus onto her. At the same time, another student, who has been watching her from afar, steps in to protect her...Now they are both under fire from the bully.

Carly and Dylan are now targeted by this bully, a very angry young man named Justin. The story deals with the beginnings of a relationship and how the two finally end up dealing with this bully in unexpected ways along with empowering a few other people.

Newland used a lot of imagery - in the form of very fantastical imagination on the part of the characters. The things they imagined - reminded me of a film with .... Well, I could totally picture this as a short movie, with their imaginings shown in animation. While at first I was a bit confused (being a reader of mostly urban fantasy or fantasy I thought at first these imaginings were really going on - maybe they were) I soon came to believe that the kids were using their very strong imagery to cope and come to decisions.

But not only is the bully cast as a bully - his own demons are shown. The kid not only has a drunk dad, but deals with abuse as well, causing him to be angry and pass it on. But then, usually a bully is someone who is so angry at their circumstances that they "pass it on" to others.

The narration was interesting- uniquely done. The kids sounded like kids when they spoke to each other. The bullying situations are completely believable. And I enjoyed Carly's unique way of disarming Justin, though I wonder how well that would work with some of the most shut off predators. Anyway, it's hopeful that some young people will read more of these type of novels and take heart that there are solutions that don't rely on violence. Sometimes it IS as simple as showing a confidence even if you don't feel confident. Fake it until you make it.

It would be great if books like this were made required reading in schools. (less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Kate Policani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: win

What would you do about a bully? When Carly is faced with a harassing boy named Justin, will she be the superhero she wants to be, or will she wilt before his tyranny? She has in her favor a new hairdo, a wild imagination, a supporter named Dylan with surprises behind his nerdy exterior, and people around her who care about her and encourage her to take the high road. Sometimes the high road seems pretty darn high.
Tahlia has woven a tale of high imagination with You Can't Shatter Me. Though the...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Krisi Keley rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: ya, magical-realism

In this unique YA magical realism novel by Tahlia Newland, teenager Carly Simmons tries to write her own superhero story by standing up for an overweight boy who is being tormented by the school’s resident terror. As all superheroes are apt to do, she earns herself an archenemy in the angry, bullying Justin. But she also finds a boyfriend in smart and sensitive Dylan, karate student and brainy nerd, who admires her for taking a stand.

This fast-paced, short novel combines an extremely original mi...more In this unique YA magical realism novel by Tahlia Newland, teenager Carly Simmons tries to write her own superhero story by standing up for an overweight boy who is being tormented by the school’s resident terror. As all superheroes are apt to do, she earns herself an archenemy in the angry, bullying Justin. But she also finds a boyfriend in smart and sensitive Dylan, karate student and brainy nerd, who admires her for taking a stand.

This fast-paced, short novel combines an extremely original mix of real life difficult situations and magical elements sprung from the imaginations of main characters Carly and Dylan, as they envision ways to overcome everyday challenges, problems and obstacles. I loved the dual perspective of the two main characters and their individual voices as they faced issues all young people struggle with, and their personalities shined through in both their daily lives and relationships and through the inventive analogies constructed by their minds while they worked out their own special roles in the story they choose to make of their lives. The wonderful messages of the novel, about learning compassion, recognizing the suffering in others and combatting hate with love are blended naturally into realistic situations and conversations to offer advice on how to deal with difficult and painful experiences in a positive way, while the sweet, blossoming romance between Carly and Dylan, based on respect and trust, gives a story that deals with the harsh reality of bullying a softer side and underscores its hopeful belief that understanding and concern for others really can make a difference.

It was a honor for me to have been able to read an advance copy of this creative and wonderfully-written story as its copyeditor, and I highly recommend it to both teenagers and adults for fantasy author and high school teacher Tahlia Newland’s interesting and inspiring approach to the issue of bullying – something people of all ages often experience at some point in their lives.
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Jun 24, 2012 Kevin Berry rated it 5 of 5 stars

This short YA novel deals with a serious subject (bullying amongst high-school kids) and is imaginatively told from the perspectives of the two main characters, Carly and Dylan, with a unique blend of realism and fantastic elements which add to the overall power and imagery of the story. The reader is quickly pulled into the inner world of these two teenagers as they interfere with the activities of the school bully, Justin, only to become targeted by him themselves. But there is a far greater d...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Mar *How I see it reviews* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, arc-or-galley, contemporary-set, psychological, read-in-english, to-review, ya

originally posted on my blog, How I see it

You can't shatter me was a truly revolutionary book for me, because it was all so true. I recognised myself in Carly. I could easily imagine myself in this story, or her being my twin sister. The book was not like any other book I have ever read. Yes, it was about bullying, but not about how miserable it made people feel, but about how to stop the bullies, and how to understand them. And that's the best thing about the book.

Carly is just a plain normal...more originally posted on my blog, How I see it

You can't shatter me was a truly revolutionary book for me, because it was all so true. I recognised myself in Carly. I could easily imagine myself in this story, or her being my twin sister. The book was not like any other book I have ever read. Yes, it was about bullying, but not about how miserable it made people feel, but about how to stop the bullies, and how to understand them. And that's the best thing about the book.

Carly is just a plain normal girl, until she starts to date Dylan, the cute nerdy boy, and gets bullied by Justin. Justin is the stereotype bully, only worse than most. Carly tries to stop the bully, not with hate, but with love and compassion. Because hate can't be cured with hate, only with love.

Carly was a very strong kick-butt character, very likeable and full of love for every single soul. I could easily relate to her, because I was bullied, too. It was a long time ago, but reading this book reminded me a lot of that time. I wasn't bullied very much, but it really had an enormous impact on my life. I was not as strong as Carly was, and started to hide the real me. Only just a year ago I started to take off those covers, and show the world the real me. I really admire Carly for feeling compassion for the bully, because I still am not capable of feeling that way,and it was years ago. I really feel like this book has helped me take a step to really put it behind me.

The plot of this book was interesting, and full of knowledge that will be useful for the rest of my life. The romance was very cute and so realistic. Most contemporary books have this 'normal girl starts dating school hottie' scenario, which really is not so interesting after reading a gazillion books with exactely the same pattern of events. I love to see something new, and this book definitely was new and unique. The writing style was easy to read, I just was floating through the book.

I feel like this book could really help people with their lives, and that they won't even percieve that they're actually learning something because of the cute story that covers it up. I think it would solve a lot of problems on high- and middleschools if everyone read this. A book definitely worth 5 stars!(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Cynthia Shepp Book Reviews & Editing rated it 4 of 5 stars

Carly is a spunky sixteen years old and in the face of standing up to a bully, she puts herself in his path. While standing up to the bully she is asked out by Dylan, the smart nerd. She sees him in a different light and agrees. The bully harasses her throughout the book while she tries to live with it and forgive him for how he is because she realizes he has a bad home life. She tries all sorts of different things to stop the bullying, but the more she turns the other cheek, the more he bully’s...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Emily Devenport rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is well-written and engaging – but it's also brave, because it addresses a tough subject while other YA books are content to pursue vampire romance and zombie infestations. Don't get me wrong, those topics are fun. But if someone is bullying you, Edward isn't going to show up to toss the bully's tookus across the schoolyard, and the chances of getting bitten by a radioactive spider and developing superpowers are pretty slim. You need good advice.

I'm impressed by Tahlia's use of Zen Bud...more

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Sep 08, 2012 S. Winters rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended by a friend and I enjoyed reading it. The YA story revolves around Carly and Dylan their fledgling romance and their attempts at dealing with bullies. All through the book, Carly and Dylan faced bullies in various situations.

I especially loved the ending where they encouraged others to deal with their bullies (or self esteem issues) as well. Kinda cute when Izzy began to grow as well. This book was written from an English school (girl/boy) point of view.. and it was qui...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Delightfully whimsical magical realism with a seriously helpful message, is how I would describe this novella. Through a series of 'episodes' the characters Carly and Dylan use their highly active imaginations to get through the various difficulties of high school, mainly focused around dealing with bullying. Carly writes her own life as a story in which she is a superhero, she battles dragons and avoids nasty fish hooks which try to ensnare her, even fighting a giant walking thistle at one poin...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Lynxie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: School aged children, teachers of young children

Shelves: indie-review-copies, 4-star-review, indie-author, made-me-think, smirk-worthy, ya

I tossed up between a 3 and 4 star rating for this one. I went with a 4 as you can see. The reason I wasn't sure was because I felt that the imagery and the fantasy aspect seemed a little too prominent within the story.

Hold up, I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Tahlia has a very strong story here, the characters are realistic, honest and believable. Their reactions are true to being a teenager and the situations they find themselves in is a realistic representation of what a teenager might go th...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Jill Swanson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-and-giveaway, blog-review, young-adult

The subject of bullying is one that definitely deserves to be addressed. I am happy to see that lately it has taken more of a center stage. Teens especially should be aware of how devastating the effects of bullying can be. In You Can't Shatter Me, author Tahlia Newland embraces this topic and delivers it in an imaginative yet informative way. In my opinion, this is a book that all young adults should read. It is also a great book for parents and educators who may need a fresh look into teen str...more The subject of bullying is one that definitely deserves to be addressed. I am happy to see that lately it has taken more of a center stage. Teens especially should be aware of how devastating the effects of bullying can be. In You Can't Shatter Me, author Tahlia Newland embraces this topic and delivers it in an imaginative yet informative way. In my opinion, this is a book that all young adults should read. It is also a great book for parents and educators who may need a fresh look into teen struggles and bullying. The main character Carly has big dreams and the reader will be quickly swept up in her story. In short this book is a coming of age novel, but I feel it also goes deeper than that. This story tells about the power of friendship and how supporting one another is priceless. It also deals with finding your inner strength. Carly is a constant reminder that everyone has a power, the power to write their own life. That sentence is one I will be reminding myself of often. I loved Dylan's character! He is sweet and smart, two of the best qualities to have. There is one part in the story where Dylan is figuratively and literally battling words in his room. Words like, angst and anger. I thought this was such a great peek into how many people feel. I know I have. When he finally cuts down the last word he feels relieved and some what stronger. His relationship with Carly made me smile. They are able to help and support each other while also growing as individuals. Both of them find their strength and figure out how to cope with what life brings.
Tahlia does a brilliant job making an other wise tedious topic fun and relatable for readers. This book will make you think and really reflect on the subject at hand. The writing style was enjoyable and fluid. Although short in length, this book contains a powerful message and the author manages to drive this message home without over doing it. You are left feeling complete and some what light. I would definitely recommend giving this story a read!(less)

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Dec 27, 2012 Elizabeth Jasper rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel by Tahlia Newland to the extend I chose to read it twice - and got even more from it second time around. On the surface this is a story about high school teens - boy and girl becoming aware of one another, while outside that is the constant threat of bullying by an unhappy individual who knows no other way to escape his own, very real demon in the form of an abusive parent.

The way the story is written, with a strong magic realism aspect to it and emphatic un...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, aussie-authors, own-read, read-on-kindle

Sad and heartfelt, yet sweet and sassy….that’s the story of Carly, Dylan and Justin. One day in school, Carly sticks up for a young boy who is being bullied by Justin, defying Justin, standing her ground, and from that day, Justin makes Carly’s life a misery.

With Carly writing her life’s script, becoming a superhero is her dream….the magic and reality collide throughout this reasonably short story, with terror being a solid part of reality….with Dylan becoming a part of Carly’s life, the sweetn...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Kenya Wright rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-99-and-lower, ya

3.5 Stars

This was a great story about Bullying. There was mulit-point-of-view which was fine. Extremly well written. Great capture of narrative voice and well-developed characters.

The reason why I took 1.5 stars away is because for me I believe the book was more in between two genres--fantasy and contemporary. This book is in the Magical Realism genre.

I would have liked it to be fully fantasy, which is more of a personal choice. I also would have enjoyed it more if it was more adult... but this...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Tahlia Newland rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: ya, magical-realism, buddhist-fiction

This book is both sweet and gritty. The story is a real situation that we can all relate to, but I've given it a magical twist, one that I hope will give the inspiration and confidence to change the way we handle bullying, whether we are the victim, the bully or the bystander. I hope you enjoy it and that it becomes a positive force for solving the bullying issue.

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May 20, 2013 M.G. King marked it as to-read

May 19, 2013 Ruth marked it as to-read

May 18, 2013 Karen marked it as to-read

Apr 22, 2013 Indiebrag rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-r-a-g-medallion-books

Apr 19, 2013 Cruth marked it as no

Mar 27, 2013 Valerie Schmeisser marked it as to-read

Mar 24, 2013 Paris marked it as to-read

Mar 22, 2013 Reyna Carrillo marked it as to-read

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Aussie Readers: Heartwarming magical realism - You Can't Shatter Me, Giveaway- ends Dec 20th	2	45	Nov 18, 2012 05:44pm
Aussie Readers: A new YA novel with real relevance to teens	4	55	Aug 21, 2012 03:03am

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About Tahlia Newland

Award winning author Tahlia Newland writes contemporary fantasy and magical realism with a metaphysical twist.

Two of her novels have received the Awesome Indies Seal of Approval for excellence in independent fiction and her young adult magical realism novel ‘You Can’t Shatter Me’ was awarded a B.R.A.G Medallion for an outstanding independent novel in 2013.

Tahlia has been writing full time since 2...more

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