Chelsey: My True Story of Murder, Loss, and Starting Over

by Chelsey Shannon

Chelsey was dealth the unthinkable.

When Her Only Surviving Parent, her beloved father, was violently murdered days before her fourteenth birthday, Chelsey's life was forever changed. As she was forced to come to terms with a new home life, a new school . . . a new identity as an orphan, Chelsey struggled to make sense of her personal tragedy. Yet she found a way to flourish despite all the odds.

"I thought of myself in a new a girl, newly fourteen, standing in her dead father's study, all in black, a single tear streaming down her cheek. I was alone. My family told me again and again I was not, but without him, I was. I was no longer anyone's child."

Because Truth Is More Fascinating Than Fiction

Genres: Young Adult, Teen

157 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2009

About the author

Seventeen-year-old Chelsey Shannon is a junior at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, OH, where she majors in creative writing. In addition to writing, she loves astrology, cooking, literature, playwriting, and psychology. She literally surrounds herself with books, working as a shelver at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Reviews

[Jarely Zarate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an absolutely winner for me. I have never read a book where what you read suddenly becomes to what you feel. Feeling every emotion, every pain, and every tear that the character goes through, is only one of the few things that this book makes you feel.

Chelsey is a girl who has gone through so much. Her mom passed away when she was just in kindergarden. Having only her dad she feels like an outcast because her dad is often out on the road. Chelsey stayed with some neighbors. One day her dad was sapose to come home but he didn't. Her family members showed up at her house only this time they looked worried and sad. Chelsey let them in not knowing what was going on. Then the family told her that her dad had passed away. Chelsey couldn't belive it, she thought that they were playing a trick on her. She started crying but later she kept telling herself that it was all just a joke and that her father would come walking through that door any second. That didn't happen. Chelsey lears to live with out her parents she has a very hard time but she tried hard.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe this was written by a 17 year old. Her ability to have such insightful self exploration as a high schooler is amazing. Her poetry and words are vivid and strong. I couldn't put it down and I hope to read more of her writing! I would give it 4 and a half stars.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Chelsey, by Chelsey Shannon, was a very inspiring, heart touching, story. The author, Chelsey Shannon, talked about the real life tragedies she had to face at a young age and how she got through it.
One thing I liked about the book is that the author, which is the main character, grows so much from the beginning to the end of the book. In the beginning of the book, Chelsey was depressed, always down, hopeless, she had no energy, no enthusiasm to do anything, due to her dad's death. All throughout the book her character started to change. She became more involved in school, writing. She started to get happier, she was able to enjoy the same things she used to have so much love for. At the end of the book her character had changed so much. She was back to being the same joyful girl she was when her dad was still alive. Although she still very much missed her dad and mom she was still able to get parts of herself back that she had thrown away the minute her dad died. The readers knows that through the hard times there will still be good moments and you can get through it, as hard as it may seem.
I really liked this book. It seemed very real, it gave a real life situation that one can relate to or can have sympathy for the reader. I also liked it because it gives you a life lesson. The reason I say that it gives you a life lesson is because it shows how even when life bring you down you can overcome it and go on with your life.
Another thing that I liked about the book is that the author, Chelsey, talks about things that helped her to get through the tragedies that happened to her. She talked about how ¨only when she wrote” she could ¨stop crying¨. To her writing was how she got through her pain and how she was able to put her feelings into words. It shows how you can find something to distract you from whatever you are going through just like she did. Writing became her go to and her safe haven. I also like how the book was easy to read, the words weren’t too difficult and you could understand everything she was talking about. Overall I really liked how the author was able to grow mentally all throughout the book. She went through a lot but she showed us how she was able to overcome it all.

[Maddy]

The book Chelsey was depressing as well as life changing. There were only a few parts of the book that I could relate to. This book was about a 14 year old girl going through a tough time in her life. Her dad is murdered 8 years after her mom died of lukiemia. Most of this book I cannot realte very well to because i havent had someone pass away in my life. Chelsey descibes the pain she has to go through in this book as well as how she is dealing with the pain. It is very sad to hear a story of a 14 year old girl who has recently become an orphan. It seems unreal to me to have that happen. I could never imagine my life without parents. I'm sure that a lot of teens would benefit from reading the book Cheslsey. There may not be a lot of teens that can strongly relate to this book, however all teens need to read this book. This book is a memoir written and about Chelsey Shannon. It is a powerful book in many different ways. Chelsey Shannon's true story is powerful because for one, it is true. Secondly, the way she writes it, i think everyone can relate to. Weather it is a friends great grandma that passed away, or your best friend. There is a way for teens to relate to this book. Overall, All teens should read this book at some point.

[K. Thielen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true story hits the mark for reluctant female readers. Chelsey Shannon tells her story of dealing with the loss of a parent, not once, but two times. Her resilience and determination are admirable qualities, and her disillusionment and bouts with self-doubt are easy to understand. Teenage girls will really relate to her story and her voice. Teens who want to do more can follow Chelsey's story on her blog at http://www.louderthanwordsbooks.com

Booktalk Notes: Chelsey Shannon comes home from school one day to find her grandparents and aunts cars in her driveway. This is odd. Her father isn't expected home until tomorrow, she's staying with the neighbors and her relatives were not expected at any time today. As she approaches the house, she begins to feel that something is not right. And when they greet her at the door, it becomes painfully obvious that she was right. Her aunt tells her that her father was brutally murdered in robbery attempt the night before, and now Chelsey, whose mother died of cancer eight years before, is officially an orphan. In the days and weeks and months ahead, Chelsey must learn to navigate the world on her own, with the help with family and friends. How will she do?

[Young Lightning in Dark Sky]

This book is so sadly true that it's almost like you are reading about some distant person in a distant land at first. Then, I realized, I know this person. I've complimented her outfits and admired her poetry. And now. She has this book that reveals the truth inside her that will destroy your heart in sadness.
Chelsey's ways of dealing with the consumption of grief after her father's tragic murder are unique and interesting to observe. Her story is inspiring and her writing is the finest. If I had more time I would tell more, but I've gotta run- but telling you this much- this is an absolutely amazing book. Chelsey is gifted and fortunate to have this gift as an outlet, and I'm fortunate too, for I get to read this spectacular outcome of sadness.

[Kati Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about Chelsey. Her mother died at a young age and her Father was murdered before her 14th birthday. As she has to accept her new home, new school and new identity as an orphan, she is having a hard time putting everything together of what happened to her.
This book is truly inspiring. I was adopted and i know how it feels to be alone. However, I found a loving family that accepted me and my life is wonderful. Chelseys story is wonderful but tragic. It is great to see a great ending to what happened to her.

[Citrine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was challenged to let someone pick out a book in the biography section of the new library I was checking out and read it no matter what . I agreed as long as it was a short one and this is what he picked . Never heard of her but it was nice to see a young person self reflecting and actually coming to some form of a conclusion for a change . Very insightful into her thoughts and feelings , also intune to the world around her .

[Shania Dazzle · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this book is about a girl that is 13 and has lost her mother to cancer and her father has been shot while in a hotel. Her father was all that she really had with her at home, and he was gone often. So she doesn't know how to react so far.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a girl who has been through a lot- having her mother taken from her by cancer and her father taken from her by murder. Writing is a form of her being able to cope, which is what the reader understands as the story begins to unfold.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet and inspirational memoir. I enjoyed it. It was sort of a book version of MTV's " True Life".

[Damaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

chelsey was so amzing i could just imagine everything

[Lilah Elise]

I like it soo far

[Alex Hable · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. I can really relate to her feelings because my dad passed away, and hers got killed. I know how it feels to be in her place without a dad by her side.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was interesting even though it was about death and it showed all the things the girl went through.