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Shattered

by Elizabeth Lee (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 1,517 ratings · 115 reviews

Alyssa Boyd had big plans. Big plans that included getting the hell out of the little town she’d grown up in with her two best friends. When she decided it was time to let one of them know her true feelings for him; a change of plans resulted in a tragic turn of events. Now, Alyssa is left alone to find her way out of the darkness that an untimely death has left in its wak...more

Kindle Edition, 270 pages

Published September 26th 2012 by Elizabeth Lee

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Dec 27, 2012 Lucia rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Alyssa and Jesse:

"What started out as wishful thinking, angel given signs from above, was now just an imprisoned lot of dirty, broken pieces that used to belong to beautifully glistening wholes. Just like I used to."

Alyssa's life changed completely and her dreams were gone on a day when one of her best friends died in a car accident, followed by her other best friend, Jesse, leaving her to grieve on her own. All the emotional pain she had to go through lead her into depression and she gave u...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!!!!

Shelves: for-blog-review, favorite-authors, romance-erotica-faves

Every so often I stumble across a book that deserves far more attention than it's gotten, and never before has that statement been proven more fitting than with this incredible story. Elizabeth Lee has created the story of a love that captivates your every thought, grips at your heart, and moves you to tears as two broken souls try to find their way back to each other. It was heartbreaking romance in it's perfect form, and I loved every minute of it!!!

Alyssa Boyd is a hollowed-out shell of her...more Every so often I stumble across a book that deserves far more attention than it's gotten, and never before has that statement been proven more fitting than with this incredible story. Elizabeth Lee has created the story of a love that captivates your every thought, grips at your heart, and moves you to tears as two broken souls try to find their way back to each other. It was heartbreaking romance in it's perfect form, and I loved every minute of it!!!

Alyssa Boyd is a hollowed-out shell of her former self, trudging through her days in her small hometown as she tries to forget what she's lost. With a mother that is cold and unfeeling and a father who can't be bothered, she has little reason to bother with life. It doesn't take long for the reader to be sucked into the abyss that is Alyssa's existence, and oh did I ever feel her pain right along with her. As we see flashbacks of her years with Garrett and Jesse, you can't help but feel the incredible loss that tore a gaping hole in her heart.

"What started out as wishful thinking, angel-given signs from above, was now just an imprisoned lot of dirty, broken pieces that used to belong to beautifully glistening wholes. Just like I used to. The relationship I'd once had with Garrett and Jesse was now comparable to a broken window." ~ Alyssa

"I let the idea of taking her away, and my heart, shatter into a million pieces. ~ Jesse

The loss Alyssa had to endure was so incredibly heartbreaking, especially since we see it from both her perspective and Jesse's. As more of her past with the boys is revealed, I grew to love these characters dearly, and it was so painful seeing her cope while feeling like the one person she'd ever truly loved just tossed her aside. When numbing herself to the pain and living in the moment became Alyssa's solution, it was like watching a loved one walk head-on into an oncoming train. She was in a downward spiral, the guilt and agony slowly turning her into someone she didn't recognize, and the moment Jesse came into the story my heart was racing. I desperately wanted him to be her knight in shining armor and breathe life back into her soul, but he had demons of his own that were eating away at him. The tug-of-war that Jesse and Alyssa go through as he tries to make a place for himself in her life kept me glued to every page, and so did the intense sparks that were flying between these two! It was a battle of wills (and lack of communication-men!) and sexual tension at it's best, and I just loved it!!

Lee takes her readers on a thrilling, captivating journey with these unforgettable characters, and as they struggled to find their way out of the fog and past the obstacles, this became an incredible story that I will hold dear to my heart. I'm giving Shattered a glowing 5 stars only because I can't give it more, but I very much look forward to more from this talented author!

You can also find my review at:http://www.autumnreview.com/2012/1...(less)

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Jan 18, 2013 Tough Critic Book Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

One of the best stories never told...

Elizabeth Lee had an amazing story to tell, but I only caught glimpses of it here and there. It was a four/five star book hidden underneath things that could have been less and under developed by things that could have been more. I needed more.

I totally fell in love with the idea of this book! Never regretting for one second getting to know Alyssa and Jesse! I would have loved for the story to have started with the three of them being best friends allowing a...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Taryn at My Secret Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: emotional-angsty, favorites, jerk-of-my-dreams, new-adult, rekindled-love, reviewed-by-me, small-town-romance, very-light-romance, romance

This review is posted at My Secret Romance

Almost 4 stars!

This is not a rock star kind of book in the least, but this song was made for this book... Brantley Gilbert, You Don't Know Her Like I Do

"The relationship I'd once had with Garret and Jesse was now
comparable to a broken window."

Best friends torn apart by an unfortunate and untimely death. For Jesse, Garret and Alyssa, they were inseparable. Rode four-wheelers, ate lunch together at school, and were each others prom dates. They were each ot...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: buddy read w/Bethany

I loved the Terrific Trio. Alyssa-the drama queen. Jesse-the sarcastic bad boy. Garrett-the all around good guy and the glue of the group.

Alyssa is one year younger than Jesse and Garrett. They take her on in the 7th grade as their new friend. Jesse felt bad for her as she looked sad because her BFF January gained a new boyfriend that year. From that day forward they became inseparable. Until one fateful night in to the first week of Alyssa's senior year of high school. That's the night Garrett...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Kami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut-still-needs-refining, love-stories-romance, it-could-happen, twinged-with-saddness

" I noticed small cards sticking out from each cluster of flowers. All with my name scribbled across them. I pulled the first one from the Roses: the first time I saw you in the junior high hallway. The Lilies: The day you stuck the jeep in the mud. The Peopnies: The night of your birthday, when you wore the green sundress. The Hydrangas: You in the navy blue prom dress, the one your mom hated. The Tulips: The day you said you'd be my girl. The Daisies: everyday that you wake up in m...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, nook

I found this book quite enjoyable. It is a new adult book about friendship, tragedy, and love.

This is the story of Alyssa and her two best friends, Garrett and Jesse. They have been inseperable since Jr. High when January got herself a boyfriend and the boys rescued Alyssa from being sad and lonely. A tragic accident tries to tear the friendship apart, but in the end love helps them heal. I love stories of love that develop after being childhood friends. That part kind of reminded me of That Boy...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Elizabeth Lee added it · (Review from the author)

I found my Jesse & Alyssa... You know, just hanging out!

like 8 likes · see review

Nov 09, 2012 Angela Mclaurin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie-bookshelf, 5-star-books

Maybe one of my all-time favorite YA books!!

Shattered was a brilliant and thoughtfully written YA love story. The small town setting was personal for me and took me back to that unsure time being a teenager myself with dreams reaching far beyond my own small town.....

“The only thing greener than the money in the vault were the John Deere tractors that help generate it.”

Alyssa, a young girl in a small town, grew up with two boys as her best friends who would eventually change her world forever....more

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Dec 31, 2012 Nana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-and-galleys

This is such a complete young adult novel. It's fun, tear-jerking, and also romantic. I love this novel so much!! Thank you Elizabeth Lee for giving me a free e-book for this novel. And also thank you for writing it.

The friendship Alyssa had with the boys is a type of friendship that can make people envy of it. They were so close to each other and they really care for each other. The boys treated Alyssa like a princess and Garrett was the sweetest. It was very contrast to what Alyssa had at her...more This is such a complete young adult novel. It's fun, tear-jerking, and also romantic. I love this novel so much!! Thank you Elizabeth Lee for giving me a free e-book for this novel. And also thank you for writing it.

The friendship Alyssa had with the boys is a type of friendship that can make people envy of it. They were so close to each other and they really care for each other. The boys treated Alyssa like a princess and Garrett was the sweetest. It was very contrast to what Alyssa had at her home. Her mother never truly care of her and all she thought about was her reputation. It even worse after the accident because her mother never really cared about her and only suggested Alyssa to take all the drugs from the psychiatrist. Alyssa's father didn't help at all because he was too drowned to his work. That's why, everything that Alyssa felt and did after the accident feels so real. I can totally understand how torn she was and how she wanted to forget everything by doing all those stupid actions.

After Jesse came back, the interaction between him and Alyssa soon became so intense as Alyssa was such a drama queen and Jesse was so stubborn. Jesse tried so hard to take Alyssa back to her true self but Alyssa fought it by doing things that she knew would make Jesse angry at her. They argued and fight a lot although deep down inside they still had feelings to each other. As the time went by, both tried to cope with their past and forgive each other as well as themselves.

Told in two POVs, Alyssa's and Jesse's, this book makes the reader can easily understand the story through two different perspectives.

Besides the beautifully written story, I think the message this book has is great. People deals with pain and regret every day and not all in this world are so clear so that we can easily point what's wrong or right or what's the cause for something that happens. But it's important to keep going and try to learn from our mistakes as we continue our journey.

Read my full review here: http://readinginthemorning.blogspot.c...(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Becky N rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tours-reviews

**review can be found on blog**
http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...

Alyssa, Jesse and Garrett are the best of friends. They have been inseperable since the day the boys rode up on their 4 wheelers and asked her to go for a ride. That was in the 7th grade. Now the boys have just graduated from high school and Alyssa is getting ready to start her senior year. But in this trio, the dynimacs are about to change. You see, Alyssa has realized she feels a little more than friendly for one of them. A...more **review can be found on blog**
http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...

Alyssa, Jesse and Garrett are the best of friends. They have been inseperable since the day the boys rode up on their 4 wheelers and asked her to go for a ride. That was in the 7th grade. Now the boys have just graduated from high school and Alyssa is getting ready to start her senior year. But in this trio, the dynimacs are about to change. You see, Alyssa has realized she feels a little more than friendly for one of them. And just as she finally decides to confess her feelings, tradegy strikes

Alyssa is left to pick up the pieces of losing the two people she cared about most. She blames herself for the events of that night. And the hurt is still as fresh as it was 9 months ago. All she wants to do is numb the pain. Her mom thinks she should do that with a prescription bottle. And Alyssa hopes to find it in the bottom of a liquor bottle. As Alyssa begins to spiral even further out of control, the one that holds her heart returns. Will Jesse coming back be the thing that finally pushes Alyssa over edge or pull her back from the ledge?

Jesse has returned to his hometown with one goal in mind. Finally confessing his feeling to Alyssa. He should have done it a long time ago and he hopes it is not too late. But the girl he comes home to is not the same one he left 9 months earlier. She is so angry and hurt that he left her when she needed him the most. Can he convince her that he regrets his decision to leave? That he wants a future with her?

I loved this book. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. I feel in love with Jesse. He was so sincere and sweet in his feelings for Alyssa. My heart broke for her as she tries to hold on to the anger she feels for Jesse leaving and the temptation to finally have what she always wanted with him. I like how we got to experience alternately POV's. and the flashbacks to the past really added a special touch to the story. I believe it gave us a better understanding of the characters and the emotions they were feeling.

While the storyline is one that has been done many times over, I believe Ms. Lee has added her her own special touch to Alyssa and Jesse's story. Definitely worth the read!(less)

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Feb 28, 2013 BookHookup rated it 3 of 5 stars

The original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

Christina's Review:

**Note:** Christina received an e-copy of this title from the author. However, that did not influence her review in any way.

The Lowdown: Alyssa Boyd was one part of the Terrific Trio. Ever since Junior High, her days had been spent with her two best friends, Garrett and Jesse. With the boys one year ahead of her, they were all waiting until she graduated to blow the lid off the little town they called hom...more The original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

Christina's Review:

**Note:** Christina received an e-copy of this title from the author. However, that did not influence her review in any way.

The Lowdown: Alyssa Boyd was one part of the Terrific Trio. Ever since Junior High, her days had been spent with her two best friends, Garrett and Jesse. With the boys one year ahead of her, they were all waiting until she graduated to blow the lid off the little town they called home and head to Florida. However, even the best of plans fall victim to life’s cruelty and when tragedy strikes this group, things will never be the same. Alyssa and Jesse both had trouble coping with Garrett’s passing, and through a lot of misguided information and a little sabotage, Jesse eventually made his way down to Florida, but left Alyssa behind.

At the beginning this novel, Alyssa is a day away from graduating and is still trying to sort through the fog of losing one friend and being abandoned by another. But her pain went deeper than she let anyone see. A small part of her felt responsible for Garrett’s accident, but a bigger part of her aching heart concentrated on the love lost with Jesse. They had been a trio, but there were brief moments where she felt like her and Jesse could have- and were starting to become- more. But when she finally decides to give up on that way of thinking, Jesse blows back into town and turns everything upside down.

My Thoughts: Told in alternating POV’s, you really get a sense of who Alyssa and Jesse really are as characters. Through both of their recollections, you learn about Garrett and how much he truly meant to them individually and as a group. What caught glimpses of how their relationship had formed, where love started to blossom, and how it was all blown to hell in a matter of minutes. I liked these characters, and enjoyed getting to know them.

Overall, I felt like the story was good, but could have ultimately been a great deal better if it had taken a different route. I felt like I was being tugged in a million directions, and so it made it harder to connect to the story. Perhaps if the story would have started with the Terrific Trio being together and I would’ve gotten to experience their union for a few chapters instead of glimpses of it spread throughout memories in the story, I would’ve better understood their grief and the subsequent turmoil that followed. Even more, I felt like the misunderstanding of Jesse’s departure carried on longer than it should have just for the sake of dramatics, and so that brought down my rating a little because it proved to aggravate me more than pull me in.

Furthermore, and something that I feel needs to be noted, there were quite a few editing errors that tended to pull me out of the story as well. It wasn’t anything too horrible, just repetition of words and cases of where it look like the author had forgotten to delete words or phrases that caused the sentence to read incorrectly.

Verdict: All that being said, the ending was cute and the story was good– though a bit theatrical at times. If you’re ever looking for a quick read in-between other novels, you might want to give this one a go.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Jess rated it 1 of 5 stars

I've read some really great YA books, and this wasn't even close. I was surprised how bad it was by how many great reviews it had. I don't get it, AT ALL. The premise seemed great, but the story was flat. I didn't feel for the characters, they didn't make me want to cheer for them and the only reason I finished the book was because I absolutely hate starting a book without finishing it. The dialogue was lacking and childish. There were numerous times that sentences were missing words or had too...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Spoiler Alert: Shattered started off interesting. I felt like the book dragged out in some parts and sped up too much in others. I felt like there wasn't enough character building and side stories such as January's mom took away from time better spent on Jesse and Alyssa. Neither Jesse's nor Alyssa's family back story were expressed enough. It left me feeling like there was a lot missing. Then, there was too much random back story about Garrett. It felt like wasted space. There was too much livi...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Scott-robert Shenkman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow.

I was leery about reading this book. I don’t normally like to read books when I know that one of the MCs dies, especially when I know that from both the blurb and the first page (sorry, I won’t be reading any of your books anytime soon, Mr. Sparks). I don’t enjoy reading books that revolve around death. I’m a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. But I read so many reviews saying how amazing this book was, so I decided to give it a shot.

I’m really glad I did. It was pretty awesome.

First off, it is not...more Wow.

I was leery about reading this book. I don’t normally like to read books when I know that one of the MCs dies, especially when I know that from both the blurb and the first page (sorry, I won’t be reading any of your books anytime soon, Mr. Sparks). I don’t enjoy reading books that revolve around death. I’m a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. But I read so many reviews saying how amazing this book was, so I decided to give it a shot.

I’m really glad I did. It was pretty awesome.

First off, it is not as “heavy” as it could be, so you don’t get mired in grief. Oh, there is plenty of that, but I’m sure you’ve read books where you finish and feel like you’ve been sitting at a wake for the past 3 days. Not like that at all.

Quite a few people have called Alyssa a drama queen (including Alyssa). Guess what? Most teenage girls are drama queens to some extent. Just like most teenage guys are actually drama kings in some way. It’s called being a teenager. Being a teenager is not easy. Being a teen who loses both of her best friends within a few days is impossible. I think she reacted the way any normal 18-year old girl would, given a similar situation. I really liked her.

I also really liked Jesse. As far as the male MC of a YA/NA novel goes, he has a limited amount of time being a jerk. Minimal. He loves this girl and he will get her no matter how much she’s shut herself off from the world. He will save her. They will save each other. I liked January, and Alyssa’s father as well. Her mother is a witch. But she means well, and even though her actions are pretty nasty, you get exactly where she’s coming from. Once you get to the end of the book, you might even like her…a little. And finally, you really like Garrett, even though he’s dead from page one.

Oh, there is the Big Misunderstanding (twice) but it really isn't their fault and Alyssa makes the Stupid Decision around 90% into the book, but she doesn't waste too much time allowing it to be fixed.

One other side note – never let anyone talk you into talking antidepressants for grief. That isn’t how they work and that isn’t what they’re for. You are supposed to grieve. And when you do, try to remember how lucky you are to have had someone in your life to be ABLE to feel that magnitude of pain. Some people never have anyone to grieve for, and that in itself is a tragedy. That thought has pulled me through more than once.

So why the loss of a star? This was a book about relationships. Between parent and child, between friends, between lovers. Around 60% through the book, a somewhat psycho-abusive-jerk-possible love interest for Alyssa is introduced. I really thought that this little subplot detracted and distracted from the main story line. You figure out within a few pages exactly what Collin’s place in the story will be, and it’s frankly a waste of time. I know it was meant to further the plot, but I think it could have been done differently. Collin really has no place being in this book. The book also needs more editing, but if a writer can write, I never let that pull down my rating. So what if the word “to” is dropped about 50 times during the first half of the book? It’s only 2 letters, right?

That being said, I think Ms. Lee is a really amazing writer and I will definitely read her next book.

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Dec 27, 2012 Farah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am truly amazed to have come across this beautiful story....
This is why I am so thankful for Goodreads and thee most amazing chat groups on here which makes us discover books like these. I hadn't heard of this book ever and I'm so glad I did.
I got the book immediately and read it in ONE day!!

This is an emotional story of great friendship till death and love.... Unconditional love!

The story starts with Alyssa... A girl in deep pain. She had two BEST friends in the whole world and they were lit...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars

There’s nothing new in Shattered with its Heartbroken Girl, unsure as to how to proceed or even guy off in the shadows wanting to make things better for her. Heck even the shared heartbreak over someone’s death was not new; piece things apart and things could have gone better but at most this was just an OK story.

My issue they each are just as they are summed up, not once do any of them behave contrary to their respective labels. They call her over dramatic, and boy does she act that way! He’s...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Radiant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alyssa heart is shattered..she's a zombie for past few months after the sudden death of her one of best friends Garrett ..too add that her other best friend Jess and her long crush/love leaves her without telling her anything and now he comes back?

Jesse didn't think seeing the girl he loved all her life like dead will break his heart more than that it is..but he knows he was a reason for it..cos he left..but now he came back and hes going to get her back from herself...even if she denies..cos th...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Eva rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: two-points-of-view, sexual-tension-bullshit, reviewed-books

Besides the obvious grammar and spelling issues that littered this book, the main problem I had with "Shattered" was the Alyssa and Jesse's childish narrating. Their talking was in general immature, and it was hard to follow at times. Overall I'd say they were more "tell me" rather than "show me," which got old pretty fast.

Furthermore, the plot got predictable pretty fast. It seems like there was some miscommunication between Jesse and Alyssa. Alyssa's mother hated Jesse so she essentially lied...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Rachmi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: bully-abuse-dysfunctional-family, ebook, contemporary-romance

2.5 stars

The blurb made me read this story, it intrigued me. The first few chapters were still interesting I especially liked the scene when Alyssa explained the night Garrett died.

When Fire and Rescue finally made it to the scene, Jesse was pacing back and forth, not saying a word. I’d fallen to my knees and began picking up pieces of the broken glass that was scattered around me, absentmindedly shoving in my pockets. Doing the only thing I could do in the surreal, out of control moment.

I can...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Tonya rated it 4 of 5 stars

A sweet YA book about love, loss, friendships, forgiveness and happiness.

You fall in love with Garrett and Jesse there is no way you can't. They befriend Alyssa When her best friend January starts dating Hap and spends less time with her.

Garret was just a all around good guy and I don't think of Jesse as a bad boy more like a boy afraid of loving anyone for fear of losing them. You can blame his parents for that one. I realize they were good people it was just that they had their priorities all...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romances, favorites

Thank you Ms Lee for bringing Jesse into my life! I was so appreciative of a hero actually being 100% the good guy. And while I did sort of understand Alyssa and her view point on the whole situation, I just didn't agree with her. Yes, Jesse left, but she knew why now, and so I felt the ending the relationship after the fire incident was insane. However, now thinking about it as a big picture, it was very true to Alyssa's character. From the very beginning we were told that Alyssa was a drama qu...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Amanda (Hootie) Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

What do you get when you put romance and heartache into a blender and add in a guy and a girl?

A felony most likely! LOL Ba doom Ching! Anyway Shattered was a beautiful story about what happens when tragedy changes your life. It's about a guy and a girl, Jesse Vaughn and Alyssa Boyd who both lost their best friend to an accident and how they struggle to pick up the pieces afterwards. Starting with Alyssa, I really felt her pain throughout the book because I know how it feels to lose your best fri...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: acknowldgments

I started Shattered and by page two my heart was already wrenching for Alyssa Boyd. A newly graduated high school senior, Alyssa carries a lot of guilt and pain on her shoulders. It has been nine months since her best friend Garret died and her other, Jesse, left her without so much as a goodbye. Garret and Jesse had taken a sad little Alyssa Boyd under their wing in 8th grade and ever since they have done everything to keep her smiling. Jesse has been in love with Alyssa since he first laid eye...more I started Shattered and by page two my heart was already wrenching for Alyssa Boyd. A newly graduated high school senior, Alyssa carries a lot of guilt and pain on her shoulders. It has been nine months since her best friend Garret died and her other, Jesse, left her without so much as a goodbye. Garret and Jesse had taken a sad little Alyssa Boyd under their wing in 8th grade and ever since they have done everything to keep her smiling. Jesse has been in love with Alyssa since he first laid eyes on her but has never made his move from best friend to boyfriend. Nine months after he left in the wake of his best friend’s untimely death, Jesse is back in town. And this time he isn’t chickening out.
When Alyssa Boyd is first presented she is a mess of raw emotions and hurt and anger. Her voice is desperate and delicate and my heart broke for her. As Jesse entered the story and told his side more of the pieces fit together and as they both retold tales of their escapades with Garret I found myself totally falling for these two amazing boys who would do anything to see Alyssa smile. I could help but see them as two big brothers to Alyssa, always looking out for her. The whole first half of this book, two words kept coming to mind to describe it: Beautiful and Broken. But somewhere in the middle there the beauty was lost. The story just became broken and frustrating. I would read one chapter full of Alyssa doing stupid things and get to the next chapter just to tell me everything that just happened in the last chapter from his side. It was going nowhere. So when Things finally did come around I noticed something else was lost. No long was the story about them being broken either, it seemed that I was just to forget about the fact that all of a week ago Alyssa could walk into the gym because of memories of Garret and now all the sudden Jesse is here and she is completely fine, she is over it. Well that was disappointing, because what I was really looking forward to most was the two of them working through moving past their pain of losing Garret together. The storyline seemed to turn from this brooding, grief filled plot full of raw emotions to this fluff piece where everyone is just looking for trouble where it doesn’t need to be. It was really disappointing.
I’m giving this book four stars (out of five) because the beginning really was spectacular, it had me want to cry and smile all at the same time. The second half had potential, I just feel that the essence of the book was lost and that is saddening to me. But overall it was a great read.
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Mar 30, 2013 Sami W rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was very inspirational, and it kept me emotional throughout the whole book. It held some very important lessons, and I think that's what Elizabeth Lee wanted. The author makes things very easy for you to understand and I think that really helps the readers pay more attention.
It was held in basically a two person standpoint. It went back and forth in between the two main characters points of view. Sometimes there was an added view point, but it stuck mostly between the two main chara...more

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Dec 31, 2012 ♥ Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na

If the characters and plot were fleshed out, and explored further, the story could have been 5 star worthy; Shattered definitely had potential. I enjoyed the flashback scenes and the narration, but the execution was weak, consisting of mostly telling rather than showing. I felt like I was reading a summary of every thing important, and being force fed information, rather than being shown what was happening, and deciding what was important for myself. Also, the initial misunderstanding between Al...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Bayan Basri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, heros-or-heroins-i-adored, multiple-pov, my-book-boyfriends, never-wanted-to-end, no-love-triangle-thank-god, realistic-fiction, stand-alone, strong-heroin

I knew that I'd love this book ever since I laid eyes on it. It was love at first sight. *sigh*

First of all, I fell in love with all the characters; Alyssa, Jesse♥, January, Hap, Wendy and-even though we only see him in flashbacks-Garrett. But my favourites were definitely 'The Terrific Trio'. Hands down.

Alyssa was the quirky drama queen who was best friends with Jesse and Garrett since 7th grade. Emphasis onwas. After Garrett's accident she turned into a reckless walking zombie and lost both Ga...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Being from Southern Illinois I really wanted to love this book and really it did have a lot of potential but it seemed to just drag on and on and not really get anywhere then when it finally does start to look up it flips and theres more of the same drama that was in 70% of the book. Don't get me wrong I love to read backgrounds of the characters and I do like some angst but this book was just filled with a lot of what ifs and it was hard to get a feel for the characters and their feelings towar...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love, love, love books that make me feel something. They do more than tell a story; they get into my heart and bring me on that rollercoaster ride that makes me feel alive! This book has a definite sad tone throughout the first half as Alyssa tries to cope with life without her two best friends. The story was unique, well-written and the characters captured my heart.

Alyssa is a very sad and depressed teenage girl and after reading about her home life and her recent losses, it is very easy to u...more I love, love, love books that make me feel something. They do more than tell a story; they get into my heart and bring me on that rollercoaster ride that makes me feel alive! This book has a definite sad tone throughout the first half as Alyssa tries to cope with life without her two best friends. The story was unique, well-written and the characters captured my heart.

Alyssa is a very sad and depressed teenage girl and after reading about her home life and her recent losses, it is very easy to understand why. She has given up on happiness, essentially, and lives her life on auto-pilot. Her life is spinning out of control; she doesn’t care what people think of her or how she looks or even if she has clean clothes.

“Every time I feel like I take a step forward, the walls come down on me and I’m right back where I started. It is not as if I like feeling this way. I’d give anything to go back to the way things were.” – Alyssa

Jesse, how I love thee! Jesse was everything I love in a guy and so much more. He was sweet, protective, bad but not too bad, sexy, romantic, honest and really he was EVERYTHING! His character was very well-written and his personality fit so well into the story line. The way he approached Alyssa upon returning to town and giving her the space she needed was very believable. Don’t get me wrong, when he returned to town, I wanted him to hurry up, go to her house and get his girl but in Alyssa’s state, that probably would not have ended well.

“Please, I can make you happy. It’s going to be hard. I’m stubborn, I know, but we can make this work. I can make this work. I can be the man you want me to be.” – Jesse

My favorite romances are friends who become lovers. If written well, it is easy to feel the connection and why they are attracted to each other which was the case here. The one person who held Alyssa and Jesse together, who kept the sanity, was now gone and neither of them quite know what to do with that. Add in a few meddlers and it just makes things all the more complicated! If there was one thing I wanted it was more of Alyssa and Jesse, which is a good thing! The complimented each other so well.

I liked the flashbacks of the three friends in happier days. It really connected me to their loss, their connection and why Jesse left town. If there was one thing I would change, it would be the level of Collin’s “involvement” and some of the incidents that were caused by him. I thought the story could have been great and beautiful without it!

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a raw, emotional Mature YA/New Adult read by an amazingingly talented new author!
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Feb 28, 2013 Allyson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I feel like I should say something about this book because, honestly, it deserves a little more credit than it has received.

So I got an iPad for Christmas. Before I had it, I was a big advocator of real books. You know, the kind with pages made out of paper and words made out of ink. I could've started a fight about the superiority of books over ebooks. In fact, the whole tablet phenomena was lost on me. This world is overrun with computers! I would say. I still have trouble admitting that I was...more I feel like I should say something about this book because, honestly, it deserves a little more credit than it has received.

So I got an iPad for Christmas. Before I had it, I was a big advocator of real books. You know, the kind with pages made out of paper and words made out of ink. I could've started a fight about the superiority of books over ebooks. In fact, the whole tablet phenomena was lost on me. This world is overrun with computers! I would say. I still have trouble admitting that I was wrong. But I mean what I say: I was wrong. So, so, so wrong.

I have not one, not two, but three, yes THREE ereader apps on my iPad now. I can't even say how many ebooks I've read in the two months that I've had this tablet, but I promise that it's over 20, probably closer to 30. And 80% of the books I've downloaded are exclusively self-published ebooks, such as Shattered by Elizabeth Lee.

I get it. I totally get it. You have this amazing story in your head, and you have to get it out there, but there are all these things standing in your way, like the politics of book publishers and literary agents, and then you have to go through editing sessions, and revisions, where strangers pick apart your work and tell you that you have to change it so that its sellable, and after that you probably have to spend a lot of your own money just to get a couple copies of your book on a shelf at Barnes and Noble.

description

The ebook makes it so easy for unpublished authors to get their stories out there. And unpublished authors aren't necessarily bad authors. They just don't have the connections, or the patience, or the time, to deal with publishers. They just have a story and they want to share that story with anyone who will listen. I totally get that.

So I've been digging up these ebooks that really do deserve recognition. Shattered is one of my favorites. It's just a love story, a pretty simple one. But its poignant, lovely, sad, and sweet. It takes place in a country town and some of it seems a little cliche. I mean, i grew up in Oklahoma and there is a difference between the actual small town life and the stereotypical version that you hear about in country songs. Shattered's setting is a little more on the stereotypical side. But the story itself is still worth reading. Especially if you've ever known someone who's lost someone too soon, or if you've lost someone too soon. Shattered delves into topics of depression, anger, self-blame, and regret, all things resulting from the death of a loved one.

No, I haven't turned my back on real books. I still have book shelves stuffed to the max with them. And I still have that dream where my house will be wall to wall book shelves so it will look like I live in a library. But I will keep reading ebooks, too, especially the unpublished sort. Thank you, Dad, for giving me my iPad and knowing what I want even before I know it myself. (less)

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About Elizabeth Lee

Born and raised in the middle of a Midwestern cornfield (not literally, that would be weird), I’ve spent my entire life imagining stories. Stories where the right guy always gets the right girl, first kisses are as magical as they are on the big screen and anything is completely possible if you believe.

Although this journey began years ago, it recently took on a whole new life. After years of devo...more

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