Shattered

A Daughter's Regret
Melody Carlson
2011
NavPress
Fiction/Teen/Life Issues

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

Cleo Neilson is a spoiled young woman on the edge of graduating from high school, when tragedy strikes her family.  A night in the city, that was forbidden by her mom, has led to a horrifically tragic event.  Now Cleo is filled with guilt, knowing it is her all her fault.  How will she live with herself?  She cannot tell her dad, he is already blaming her mom's friend, and she knows that she will lose her father if he knows the truth.  Turning to her mother's prescription cabinet Cleo finds herself in a web of despair, existing on prescription drugs and trying to keep it all together enough to make it through each day.
This book was so sad to me, this poor girl looked for the answers in all the wrong places.  I truthfully cannot say I enjoyed the book, because it was so hard as a mother to see this young woman making wrong choice after wrong choice. Finally reaching her breaking point and beginning to tell the truth to her aunt and her father is the only thing that saves Cleo from completely destroying her life.  Discussion guide at the end of the book.  195 pages 4 stars
This book was provided for review purposes only by Glass Roads PR.  No payment was received for this review.