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Shattered Script
Fourteen-year-old Alan Green wonders if someday, something interesting might happen in his sleepy Indiana town. But when a high-pressure test at a mysterious academy goes from stressful to sinister when it turns out to contain questions about his own family, he gets more than he bargained for. Knee deep in a labyrinth of secrets, Alan tries to unravel the truth in a race against time - and destiny.
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 30, 2017
11 people want to read
About the author
Aiden Heavilin
1 book75 followers“In art as in lovemaking, @heartfelt_ineptitude (check out my instagram!) has its appeal and so does heartless skill, but what you want is passionate virtuosity" - John Barth
I write stuff and read stuff. If you'd like a pdf copy of the ya book "Shattered Script" that I wrote when I was fifteen, send me a message. There's a lot of grammar errors, but also a character tries to fight a twenty-foot long slug with salt packets.
I'm currently working on a big fantasy novel called "His Unfinished Symphony."
I write stuff and read stuff. If you'd like a pdf copy of the ya book "Shattered Script" that I wrote when I was fifteen, send me a message. There's a lot of grammar errors, but also a character tries to fight a twenty-foot long slug with salt packets.
I'm currently working on a big fantasy novel called "His Unfinished Symphony."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 14, 2018
I'm finally finished! Mainly got held up because of life, but yeah. Really enjoyed this book.
The first thing that stood out to me was that the narrator came across as very genuine, and this continued consistently throughout the novel--a boon for the setting and story progression. With a flair for storytelling reminiscent of Trenton Lee Stewart's whimsy and Lemony Snicket's darker bluntness--yet still entirely his own--young and imaginative Alan Green brings us down the path of memory lane; inviting us along to, hopefully, reach the suspenseful heart and answer to the mystery.
While I'm wary of YA these days, Shattered Script is one of the rarities that doesn't anchor in cheap thrills or exploitation of character and emotion. It's always a breath of fresh air to read a story like this--something that is more concerned with being able to construct and tell a good story, populated with realistic characters, and not hyper-dramatic rubbish that emphasizes, well, cliche and stupidity. I would almost dare to say that this doesn't feel like fiction sometimes, even though it is. Also, really enjoyed the relationship between Alan and Rose, quite the adorable and resolute duo.
I do have a couple gripes, first was that sometimes, sentences felt somewhat clunky, or some repetitiveness appeared (such as two adjacent sentences restating the same thing). Second one is that . Oh, and there were some places that lacked periods or commas, too, which would halt my immersion for a brief moment. But, on the other hand, this was offset by some very clever or poetic lines that I couldn't help but smile at. The writing style, while straightforward (and reflective of a fourteen-year-old), delivers the story in a way that flows, and is quite good in terms of building imagery and character development. All of the twists and turns have a good payoff, and the vivid world described on the back cover as a "sleepy Indiana town" is never boring at all.
Even though I remember myself exclaiming aloud, "Ah wow, that's a really neat line" a bunch of times, all of the examples I wanted to insert here escape me now. It's almost as though I lived through a lengthy dream and can't recall what I want to recall the most. Bah. Well, you'll have to take my word for it, then: it felt like there was a slew of quotables, all lending themselves to Alan's neat style.
At its center, Shattered Script contains a key ingredient that makes it such a fun read, and that is a childlike earnestness. The book isn't only a story about what happens to Alan, but an adventure within Alan's mind itself, chock full of thoughts, phrases and levity that supply an essential, good touch. Without the 1st person perspective, it wouldn't have been nearly as effective.
Sooo, yeah, what a ride. A good ride, not the "are we there yet" ride. I appreciated the thematic direction of the ending a lot, and I'm really glad that I took a chance on this book--it's one that I, too, would've loved to read at age 12. Better late than never though, right?
The first thing that stood out to me was that the narrator came across as very genuine, and this continued consistently throughout the novel--a boon for the setting and story progression. With a flair for storytelling reminiscent of Trenton Lee Stewart's whimsy and Lemony Snicket's darker bluntness--yet still entirely his own--young and imaginative Alan Green brings us down the path of memory lane; inviting us along to, hopefully, reach the suspenseful heart and answer to the mystery.
While I'm wary of YA these days, Shattered Script is one of the rarities that doesn't anchor in cheap thrills or exploitation of character and emotion. It's always a breath of fresh air to read a story like this--something that is more concerned with being able to construct and tell a good story, populated with realistic characters, and not hyper-dramatic rubbish that emphasizes, well, cliche and stupidity. I would almost dare to say that this doesn't feel like fiction sometimes, even though it is. Also, really enjoyed the relationship between Alan and Rose, quite the adorable and resolute duo.
I do have a couple gripes, first was that sometimes, sentences felt somewhat clunky, or some repetitiveness appeared (such as two adjacent sentences restating the same thing). Second one is that . Oh, and there were some places that lacked periods or commas, too, which would halt my immersion for a brief moment. But, on the other hand, this was offset by some very clever or poetic lines that I couldn't help but smile at. The writing style, while straightforward (and reflective of a fourteen-year-old), delivers the story in a way that flows, and is quite good in terms of building imagery and character development. All of the twists and turns have a good payoff, and the vivid world described on the back cover as a "sleepy Indiana town" is never boring at all.
Even though I remember myself exclaiming aloud, "Ah wow, that's a really neat line" a bunch of times, all of the examples I wanted to insert here escape me now. It's almost as though I lived through a lengthy dream and can't recall what I want to recall the most. Bah. Well, you'll have to take my word for it, then: it felt like there was a slew of quotables, all lending themselves to Alan's neat style.
At its center, Shattered Script contains a key ingredient that makes it such a fun read, and that is a childlike earnestness. The book isn't only a story about what happens to Alan, but an adventure within Alan's mind itself, chock full of thoughts, phrases and levity that supply an essential, good touch. Without the 1st person perspective, it wouldn't have been nearly as effective.
Sooo, yeah, what a ride. A good ride, not the "are we there yet" ride. I appreciated the thematic direction of the ending a lot, and I'm really glad that I took a chance on this book--it's one that I, too, would've loved to read at age 12. Better late than never though, right?
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July 30, 2017THE TWO PROFOUND REASONS I WROTE "SHATTERED SCRIPT".
1. I wanted to write the book that I would've wanted to read when I was 12 years old
2. I wanted to write a book that would sound really good narrated by Matt Smith
1. I wanted to write the book that I would've wanted to read when I was 12 years old
2. I wanted to write a book that would sound really good narrated by Matt Smith
September 5, 2018
Three and a half stars.
This was fun. Clearly a first book, but I really look forward to what Mr. Heavilin comes up with next.
The story is fast paced, the characters are sympathetic, and the baddies are very bad. Other than some editing issues, and a few too many Nancy Drew-style coincidences that are a little glaring, this story is worth giving a try. Clearly Mr. Heavilin has a fabulous imagination. It is an original story- at least I have not run across these plot points before, and I want to know what else is rattling around in his head. I hope he gets a publisher, and writes many more books. I will be watching for that.
This was fun. Clearly a first book, but I really look forward to what Mr. Heavilin comes up with next.
The story is fast paced, the characters are sympathetic, and the baddies are very bad. Other than some editing issues, and a few too many Nancy Drew-style coincidences that are a little glaring, this story is worth giving a try. Clearly Mr. Heavilin has a fabulous imagination. It is an original story- at least I have not run across these plot points before, and I want to know what else is rattling around in his head. I hope he gets a publisher, and writes many more books. I will be watching for that.
November 1, 2017
Shattered Script is an extraordinary first book for a self-published author. The skill with which he intertwines adventure with suspense with emotion is pulled off like a pro. Looking forward to more books from Aiden in the future!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews