Splintering: Poems

by Eireann Corrigan

From the remarkable author of the PUSH bestseller YOU REMIND ME OF YOU, a searing novel in poems about a family falling apart after a violent assault.

It's about the aftermath. It's about what happens after a stranger breaks into a house and attacks a family. It's about the sisters who must barricade themselves behind a splintering door while tethered on the phone to 911. It's about the father who nearly dies. It's about the son who hides. And everything after.
Told in alternating perspectives, this is a powerful, moving story about a family that has its facade shattered by a random act of violence -- and must deal with what is discovered underneath.

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Contemporary, Novel In Verse

184 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Eireann Corrigan was born in 1977. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and New York University. She currently lives in New Jersey with her kitten Sumo. When she grows up, she hopes to marry Bob Dylan.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay but not great. I agree with some of the other reviewers who said that the alternating narratives (in two different fonts) were confusing. It took me a while to figure out that both Paulie (the girl) and her brother (what was his name...?) were telling two different versions of the same story. Once I figured that out the next obstacle for me was that the storytelling just wasn't very engaging. I didn't really care for Paulie and Evan. I didn't care for Mimi and Matthew. I didn't like the mom or dad much and I didn't feel very connected to anyone. I finally became interested towards the end when the brother starts becoming interested in Nina, a character that I thought was actually likable. I think the other problem for me was that I kept waiting for some great final revelation and nothing like this happened. I didn't feel like the characters changed a lot from beginning to end of the book, which was disappointing because I had expected them to grow.

[Emily Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that this author seems talented in that it was written well, but I didn't like the two different narratives. It took me about 1/2 way through the book to figure out that it was Paulie's brother. On top of that, I wish that the plot was more based on the attack and the background of the defendant rather than everyone's (stupid) relationships. I feel like whenever authors don't know what else to add to a story they add a relationship. In this case, Mimi, Paulie, and Jeremy's relationships were all extremely bland compared to what the author COULD have talked about in more depth.

[Izzy Schmidt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Splintering by Eireann Corrigan was a very different novel from what I usually read. Splintering was a story told through poems from the point of view of siblings Paulie and Jeremy. It was a story about the aftermath of a break-in and attack on their family. Each family member is dealing with the tragic invasion differently, and it's engaging to see how they all, as a family, work through it together, even at times when it's more complex. I'm giving this book two stars because it was hard to follow as a different child told each chapter. I didn't realize each chapter flipped until I only had a few chapters left. There was no proper introduction for the story, starting at an odd spot. The story was very undescriptive, and the details were sometimes confusing. I felt no connection to any of the characters and finished the book very confused.
This story revolved around fifteen-year-old Paulie and her older brother Jeremy after their family was left traumatized after they were attacked in the middle of the night. Jeremy tries to learn how to cope with the trauma but manages it in unhealthy ways, like substance abuse. Paulie deals with the trauma by disconnecting herself from her family and rebelling by getting involved with a college student. The story gets repetitive and circles around the same topics for the entirety of the book. I found myself getting confused, bored, and disconnected from the characters. I didn't even realize that each child told every-other chapter until I realized the font difference and had to reread and retrace my reading.
Splintering had good intentions of being a fantastic book. It had all the key points and could've been a great novel-in-verse if it hadn't been so disorganized. I loved the idea of reading about a family dealing with the aftermath of the tragic event, but I couldn't follow along very well. Maybe if there was a bit of context at the beginning of the book as to what would happen and how it would be written, I could've understood it better, which is why I gave this book a two-star rating.

[Terry]

Got thirty pages in and it was getting interesting. I may go pick it up again some day, but I was so frustrated by the first twenty pages that it will be a while. Why the frustration? The narration switches between two characters and this took me longer to sort out than necessary. At least Ellen Hopkins has the courtesy to announce each new voice; Corrigan is more coy. Only after 20 pages of scratching my head and feeling dumb did I realize each speaker has his or her own font. Why'd it take me so long? I'm probably a dolt. And the fonts are nearly identical. So why even bother with it?

[Kc · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't at all impressed with this book, it's a very short book but it took me days to read because I couldn't get into it. The story line is kind of clever but it goes back and forth from past to present way too quickly and there's absolutely no quotation marks to know when the conversations end and begin. The end, however, was very good. Or maybe it was just because it was finally the end. In my opinion, I wouldn't waste time on this book. .

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does a family survive a break in? A novel in verse about a family's struggle to overcome the fear and anxiety of living through a break in by a drug enraged man. This shows how even mental struggles remain after the incident and what lengths we go to to feel "normal" again.

[Katrina Rigsbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in free verse, this dual pov novel is about a family falling apart after a random act of violence.

I first read this book in the early 2000s, probably soon after it came out. It left such an impression on me that I think about the story after all these years. I chose to re-read it to see if it lives up to my memory and the test of time. Incredibly well written, it is a tad dated with it's constant mention of emails instead of texting. It also unfortunately has three racist references that probably weren't even on people's radar at the time (example: "going at each other like cowboys and Indians").

All that being said, it is still a very powerful book about the aftermath of a traumatic event, and how each member processes the pain, fear, regret, and change differently.

Content warning: abuse, assault, suicidal ideation

[claudia croteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this book a solid four stars. This was a story told through poems. It's told from the point of views of siblings Paulie and Jeremy. It was a very touching story about the aftermath of an attack on the family. Each family member is dealing with the tragic attack differently and it's interesting to see how they all as a family work through it together and even at times when it's harder. Being a teen myself I can easily relate to some of the feelings Paulie and Jeremy are going through. Also i've never been in their situation its very touching. It is also a very realistic situation. That being it's easy to connect and almost relive what they are going through as you read. Although I liked the book there was very little character development. While reading I was expecting something out of the ordinary to happen. To my disappointment it stayed fairly neutral. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a story about family and love.

[HollandWelch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This month, I read Splintering by Eireann Corrigan. The book is a story about a family surviving a home invasion and dealing with its aftermath told through poetry. I confess that I do not like the book very much. The story does not interest or engage me, with its overt emphasis on interpersonal drama and, to me, unrelatable characters. Examples of this include the mother’s tumultuous and abusive relationship with Paulie, and Paulie’s rebellion with a college student. In its favor, I do like the simple, lyrical writing. However, it is ultimately not worth reading, so I would not recommend it to anyone. I rate this ⅖ stars.

[Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style was interesting, and the concept was even more interesting but even though the book was short, I feel like it went on too long in some ways. I guess it could be that the characters were trying to focus on the more mundane life events after such a traumatic event, but at the same time, it could have just been poor writing.

3.5 stars

[Miss Bookiverse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kurz und knapp
Eireann Corrigan hat sich einen ernsten, interessanten Sachverhalt für ihren Roman überlegt. Wenn sie mehr Worte und Seiten investiert hätte, wäre da sicher auch ein tolles Buch draus geworden, aber diese Gedankenfetzen sind einfach zu wenig, um so ein gewichtiges Thema ausführlich zu präsentieren.

Lang und breit
Mal wieder ein kleines Versbuch. Eireann Corrigan hat durchaus Talent zum Schreiben. Ihre Art der Verse sind zwar nicht besonders abwechslungsreich, enthalten aber interessante Satztrennungen, die für Zweideutigkeit sorgen. Leider fand ich die Versform für diese Geschichte völlig fehl am Platz, was mehrere Gründe hatte.

Zum einen wird die Geschichte aus zwei verschiedenen Perspektiven erzählt (Bruder und Schwester), was sich für mich nur in der Schriftart und der Versform erkennen ließ. Die Stimmen klangen leider ziemlich identisch und ich musste beim Lesen mehrmals überlegen, wer eigentlich gerade die Geschehnisse schildert. Eine ausführlichere Erzählform hätte hier sicher helfen können.

Ein weiterer Aspekt, der gegen die Versform spricht, ist die Komplexität der Geschichte. Mit Büchern handhabe ich es meistens so, dass ich sie irgendwann mal aufgrund von Cover und Inhaltsangabe auf meine Wunschliste setze, später kaufe ich sie dann und wenn ich sie endlich lese, gucke ich mir die Inhaltsangabe nicht noch einmal an, damit ich so unbefangen wie möglich in die Geschichte eintauchen kann. Im Fall von Splintering war ich allerdings dazu gezwungen die Inhaltsangabe noch einmal zu lesen, weil ich nach den ersten paar Seiten einfach nicht verstanden habe, worum es geht. Nach der Inhaltsangabe haben die Gedanken der Figuren mehr Sinn ergeben, aber viele Andeutungen fand ich immer noch rätselhaft und schwer zuzuordnen.

Als ich erst mal kapiert habe, worum es geht, nämlich um eine Familie, die von einem verrückten Kriminellen überfallen wird und mit den Nachwirkungen dieses Aktes umgehen muss, wurde mir schnell klar, dass die paar Worte, die in Gedichtverse passen einfach nicht ausreichen, um die ganze Trauer, Angst, Zweifel und Scham zu beschreiben, die so ein Ereignis mit sich bringt.

Das ist auch der Grund dafür, warum mir das Ende nicht gefallen hat. Auf den letzten Seiten beschließen die drei Kinder der Familie, dass sie nun endlich alle über den Überfall reden müssen und nichts mehr totschweigen dürfen. An sich klingt das nach einem passenden Ende. Leider hatte ich davor überhaupt nicht das Gefühl, dass die Familie dieses Problem überhaupt hat.

Als wenn all dieser Psychostress nicht schon schlimm genug wäre, kommt mehr oder weniger zwischen den Zeilen heraus, dass eine der Töchter ständig mit der Mutter streitet und diese ihr Kind deshalb schon öfter geschlagen hat. Ich finde dieser Sachverhalt könnte ein komplett eigenes Buch füllen und hätte in diesen Roman nicht auch noch hineingestopft werden müssen.

Das Einzige, was mir richtig gut gefallen hat, war der Geschwisterzusammenhalt und die Entwicklung, die gerade gegen Ende auftritt.

Die Unbeantworteten
Warum wurde Paulie von ihrer Mutter geschlagen?

Die Kameraden
Ich bin definitiv nicht abgeneigt ein anderes Buch von Eireann Corrigan zu lesen, vor allem, wenn es in Prosa verfasst ist. Besonders gespannt bin ich auf Accomplice, dass im August 2011 auch bei Chicken House unter dem Titel Die Komplizin erscheinen wird.



Die Optik
Soweit ich weiß gibt es für Splintering nur ein Cover und das ist keins, das ich mir gerahmt an die Wand hängen würde, aber es passt sehr gut zum Inhalt des Buches.

Der Doppelgänger
Laurie Halse Andersons Twisted setzt sich sehr stark mit den Themen Familie und Gewalt auseinander. Es geht weniger um das Leiden unter einem Überfall sondern mehr über das Nichtfunktionieren einer Familie, die nach außen aber ganz anders tut.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3 and a half. Its a poetry book but its a bit different than the poetry books I usually read simply because it is all based upon 1 story, 1 family actually and the event that occurs that transforms them. It reads as a narrative, each poem a continuation or a response as to the previous poem or the previous scenario. It's told from two perspectives and there is no clear distinction, meaning it isn't now here is what this person thinks it's through the characters that you realize which one is talking. I did enjoy it, I think that it is geared to a younger audience primarily because the perspectives of the story are through a 15 year old girl and an 18 year old boy. It does not mean that you have to be a young adult or a teen to enjoy because i did enjoy it very much actually. It merely means that because of the subject matter and the perspectives I believe that a young adult or teen would enjoy it more than perhaps an adult would, but since it is poetry it isn't as a novel where the target audience is teens there is no target audience. The downside was that there were two poems that felt more like poems as oppose to the narrative poetry that makes up more than the majority of the book and there were two or three poems that rhymed which felt out of place. Besides that though i really did enjoy it and I liked the idea that through the each poem added to the complete image of the story, and as a prose piece it is done very well.

[Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splintering is told in series of 1-2 page poems. It's a story about family and the aftermath of what some may describe as a tragedy. The poems alternate from Paulie, the 15 year old daughter/sister, and Jeremy, the high school senior son/brother. The book is a very quick read at 184 pages, but the message is so intense and raw that it cannot be ignored.

I found this book to be tragically moving and rooted so deeply within the psyche of these teens that I was enthralled with it. Corrigan presents the story through poems and it works really well. Paulie and Jeremy get to tell their sides of the story and their feelings are shown in clipped vignettes that somehow get under the reader’s skin. The book hit me really hard and even though I’ve never gone through what these teens go through, I could still easily relate. Fundamentally, it is a story about family and the love [or lack of love in some places:] of a family. This isn't for the faint of heart though. There are drugs and there's some sexual content, but it's all realistic. Splintering is hard-hitting for a reason and the drama, conflict, emotional isolation, and pain make it an unforgettable story.

In my opinion, this is a must read.

My two favorite poems were “The Love Story” and “The Greenhouse Conspiracy.”

[Lisa Rathbun]

This story is told as a series of free verse poems, some from 15 year old Paulie and some from her older brother, after a home invasion. The shifts in points of view can be confusing as well as the flash-backs, but for the reader willing to focus, this is an intriguing way to reveal the story and to reveal the characters as well.



There are many objectionable elements: profuse profanity, drug use, and sexual references and activity. In the middle of this though, the deepest desires of the characters shone through: their need to be known, to be loved, to be matter to someone. The characters seek for solace in many places but fail to find it. Drugs and sex, even hiding, cannot meet their needs; they must find someone to love, they must reach out and connect with one another. A Christian, of course, knows that true peace is found in Christ, in the command to love God and love one another.



I liked this imagery describing the night of the crime after the police got there: "I remember turning back and wondering if a house could melt in all that light." Another phrase that I liked: "But I'm beginning to understand that everyone's got their story, some private grief they're guarding like a secret scar." Again, though, anyone bothered by profanity should NOT read this book since it's very prevalent.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book two stars because it was very confusing and you couldn’t tell who was speaking. The speaker changes through the story between two siblings. The story is very undescriptive and the detail are sometimes confusing.

I rated this book with three stars because at the beginning of the book the characters speakers changed and one is a boy and the other is his little sister. The book doesn’t tell you or give indication that the point of view is changing.

I don’t like how the speaker changed because it made the story sound jumpy, I was lost most of the time because the point of view would change. When the attack in the story happened it was from Jeremy’s point of view then in the next part it was from Paulie’s point of view. The author never really showed who was talking and there was no conversation between characters.

The details of how the attack happened is brief. They give very good detail in the beginning of the book and start to fade with detail and it’s not as good. At the end it has very good detail too. The book was an okay book but would not suggest reading it if you get confused easily.

Not a very long but or boring book it is just confusing and the story doesn’t tell you that the speaker changes or who is speaking which is confusing. Over all a decent book for a quick read.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Told in alternating brother-sister perspectives, this is a powerful, moving story about a family that has its facade shattered by a random act of violence and must deal with everything that is revealed underneath. As she did in You Remind Me of You, Eireann Corrigan uses poems to cut to the heart and the bone - with startling results." That's why I picked this book up. This is what the cover promised me. However, this is not what it delivered.

While I didn't hate this book, I can't say I really enjoyed it. The alternating brother-sister narrative was confusing. There were no distinct differences between the two characters other than their versions of events and the brother cursed a bit more. None of the characters ever really dealt with what was revealed to them all after their lives were "shattered by a random act of violence." They didn't seem any more shattered than they would have been if their lives had continued on the course they were on before the attack. I thought the poetry was terrible. I honestly would have probably liked it better if it was written from the perspective of one of the siblings as a straight up novel. And as for the "startling results" I can only say that I saw a glimmer of growth in the characters. Hardly startling.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family is attacked in their home by a drug crazed madman. They all survive, even though the dad has a heart attack during the attack, but they are not the same. Mom and dad see the attack as a wake up call and focus more on each other. The three kids do not do so well. Mimi, the oldest, is going through a divorce and she shuts down. She spends her days in front of the tv. Jeremy, who hid in the basement during the attack, becomes withdrawn and begins stalking a girl from school. Fifteen year old Paulie starts dating a college stoner and sneaking out of the house. She has nightmares and is now scared of the dark. Their stories are told in alternating poems from Jeremy and Paulie.

This was a story about a family dealing with tragedy. Instead of bringing them together it splintered them into separate beings. Each went their own way and retreated from life. It is a tragic story, but beautifully told. I think the free verse style really works here. The sparse language really drives home the emotions of Jeremy and Paulie.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in verse from alternating brother and sister perspectives, this story describes the fallout a family experiences after a random act of a violence. While the family had issues before the crime occurred, after they were forced to fight off a violent man with a knife, who broke in during dinner, the issues from before have rising to the surface. Paulie, the sister, has nightmares and begun smoking weed regularly to dull her mind. Jeremy feels worthless based on his inability to act as he was expected to during the altercation. As things begin getting worse and worse with the familial relationships, how long can the family continue?

I enjoyed Jeremy's perspective far more than Paulie. She wasn't likable and hard to connect to, but Jeremy was hard to remember. It appears that there were many layers to this family, I just wish the reader could explore it more. I think this is a well-done novel in verse, though, like with many others, I wish I had been given more information about characters.

[NECaruso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, and fortunately ended on a note that I could live with. I absolutely loved the format, I have never read a novel in poems before and I am hopeful I will read many more going forward.

Regarding the plot, due to the format, the story progresses contemplatively, as if viewed from inside the characters' heads in a stream of consciousness. The roundabout way events were addressed is true to life, which would be too difficult to handle (or voyeuristic) considering the story addresses sex, the breakup of a marriage, abuse, and assault, but Corrigan captures the sidelong, self-censoring way people approach traumatic memories and translates it to the page in a way that a reader can digest and is not a cop out.

Also manages to create a few characters that I love to hate while letting them be human rather than caricatures.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. After I started to understand the narrating switches, it made it much easier to understand. In this book there are 3 narrators, Jeremy, Paulie, and Mimi. Mimi is the oldest, and lives with her husband. When the family was at Mimi's house, an intruder tried to attack them. The book follows each sibling, living life, and coping with what happened to them. Throughout the book, they have some struggles. They fight, like most siblings, they deal with parents, etc. But in the end, they finally realize that they will always be there for each other. I like this book because it is a life that I've never experienced. I would recommend this book to people who like dramatic, and (some-what) mysterious books. I loved this book, and can't wait to read more from this author.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at a family and how they're functioning after living through a home invasion. It pays special attention to Paulie, the 15 year old daughter, and Jeremy, the slightly older brother. Both have separate experiences during the attack and the book shows their different perspectives. The book, told in verse, bounces back and forth between the siblings and their thoughts. An interesting read, and one of the few that I've found that actually deals with the topic of home invasion, but there doesn't necessarily seem to be a full conclusion. Still worth taking a look over.

[Thalianny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because I actually felt like i was a character in the book. It made me think about why would a person do that to another. I felt so mad throughout the book because the whole family does not talk to one another and thats sad. After this tradgety that just happened i would be best friends with my sister and mother , but they got even more separated. But I absolutly loved this book and I recomend it to everyone.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "verse" novel about the aftermath of a brutal home invasion and what it did to an already semi-disfunctional family as told by the two youngest members of the family. It was a fairly gritty story (probably best for high school students not younger) and evolved in a sometimes confusing manner, disjointed but effective. The ending was suspenseful but also necessary for healing. Pretty well-done.

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a super hard time following the book, even going into it knowing it takes place after the attack and with two different POVs. I was hoping there would be a bit more on the attack, and maybe just a bit more clarity on what exactly is happening. Maybe it could have been more successful if it was still in verse, but told in two parts, not alternating view points? But overall, just my thoughts on reading it.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corrigan does a great job with this novel in verse about a family that is terrorized by a stranger hopped up on drugs and brandishing a knife. It explores the before and after effects on the three children Paulie, Mimi and Jeremy. Wow, I learned they all needed to get help after this happened and they didn't, but the outlook is hopeful for these 3 and their parents.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Normally I think that novels written in verse are kind of pointless, but I think it worked for this one.
I think Corrigan was trying to do something similar to what Jodi Picoult was going for in My Sister's Keeper, except I think that Corrigan did a much better job.

[Rad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A verse novel that FEELS long ... and those are the WORST. Not really. I would have liked to have heard from Mimi, though. My brother also read it because I left it lying around the house and we had a good discussion on it, but for the life of me I can't remember what we said about it. Read for a YA lit class.

[Maren · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was too much bad language in this book for me to enjoy reading it. There was also way too much talk about sex and drug use. I realize it is very prevalent with young adults, by I didn't like reading about it. It is an interesting study in how traumatic events can affect our choices, especially in adolescence, but overall not a book I would recommend.

[Aiyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one nearly as much as "You Remind Me of You." Still, Corrigan has a powerful ability to tell large stories in few words. The simple free-verse paints a dramatic and believable picture of a family struggling to survive after trauma, their initial breakdowns and distancing from each other, and ultimately their drawing back together and beginning to heal.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corrigan takes you to the edge of your seat with the attack then effectively allows you to see into the minds of the two youngest characters. Her verse style is beautifully and powerful. The plot drags and seems a bit redundant in portions, but those who persevere will be highly rewarded.