Review of Shatter

[PeterRabitt20]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shatter" by Charisse Moritz.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Charisse Moritz’s Shatter is a 400-plus-page read; however, the commotion in the story is so intense that it will make you forget the time. Also, this is the first installment of The Choosy Beggar Series.

Ranging somewhere between Party of Five and Pippi Longstocking, this romance moves your emotions like the tide under a full moon—seriously, reconsider this book (or not) if you have severe heart palpitations. Otherwise, strap in tight!

After living with an abusive dad and doing time in juvie, Taz has one last chance at redemption or risk life in prison. At school and work, he is on a tight leash, and everyone expects him to fail. Ironically, failing is what Taz does best. But, is there more to Taz than meets the eyes? He jogs every morning barefoot because he cannot afford shoes and goes days without food. His extreme mistrust of people makes it hard to build relationships. He also suffers from severe anxiety, which causes him to clamp up at the worst moment.

A terrible car accident leaves Tia’s father unresponsive in a hospital bed; her mother is forced to leave her children to nurse her husband. Now, Tia becomes the “absentee” parent to her five younger siblings. Her overreaching optimism causes her to take on more than she can carry. Moreover, her obvious codependency issues raise questions about her emotional health. Nevertheless, she is determined to break down Taz's walls.

I enjoyed peeling this multi-layered plot revealing deeper issues. On the one hand, the story is about two high school seniors (Tia and Taz) developing a forbidden romance. While on the other hand, there is a clear message about allowing second chances to problematic youth; Taz is the poster boy for troubled teens. The book also touches on parental abuse and neglect.

Tia and Taz’s personalities are the complete opposite—I count it as a major positive aspect. For instance, Tia is an extreme extrovert who is unafraid of attachments; whereas, Taz is introverted to the point of exhibiting scary anti-social behavior. Their stringy love affair reminds me of Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love.

Mortiz did an exceptional job at getting into her characters’ minds. My favorite parts are Taz’s internal dialogues. They show a divergent picture of what others saw in him—my heart went out to him. The accounts of his insecurities are so vivid that it was hard not to like him. I can see why Tia hangs on.

Another of my favorite aspect is the use of figurative speech. Mortiz is apt at describing emotions, people, and situations. For example, she writes, “the muffler’s dying from emphysema” when describing Tia’s van. On the negative side, these descriptions often involved bodily functions—which was totally gross. I got queasy at some point.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The deduction is due to the grammar issues; although, they are minor and easily fixed.

I highly recommend Shatter to those who enjoy a forbidden romance with a misunderstood, anti-social protagonist. If phrases like “buzzard vomit” and “moldy turd” are a turn-off, I don’t recommend this book. Also, there is violence, sexual content, and heavy profanity; therefore, it may be inappropriate for sensitive and younger audiences.

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Shatter
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[Mbenma Esther 080]

I love the fact that dialogue and figurative speech embellished the story. What more can I say that makes a romance a fantastic read if not effective communication of actions and events. I enjoyed the review

[Edit_or]

Two different personalities makes it even more romantic. Thanks for the review

[Elisa Joy Ocasla]

Although romance doesn't usually work for me. This is somehow like a good read that readers of romance may enjoy. Thanks for this review!

[Humera955]

Tia and Taz sounds like a really amazing character. This is the kind of romance i think i was looking for.
Great review
Characters are very well described

[Pearl Thomas]

Sounds like an intersting plot and Taz's character has much depth to it as is reflected in your review. Thanks for your thorough review.

[Mtibza eM]

I hope the length of this book will make the book worth it to be read. And I love the subplots it have because of many characters it have. You wrote a beautiful review. Keep it up!

[Veruksha Naiker]

I haven't read a book in a long while and I'm glad that I choose this one to begin with.

Taz's character development was great and Tia's persistence is what set it off, I'm glad that his step father wasn't a bugger like when we were first introduced to him. He stepped up and stood by Taz's side.

Thank you for the review

[Ruchi Raina]

Tia and Taz's romance seems like something I would enjoy. What did Taz do to be doing time in juvie? How did both of them come together? This story seems angsty and that is my favorite component in a romance novel Thanks for the amazing review.

[Kaushiki Parihar]

I have watched series of a forbidden romance with a misunderstood, anti-social protagonist. So now, I want to read a book of this type. Thanks for the recommendation. Amazing review!

[Medhansh Bhardwaj]

I get saddened on seeing such an awesome book lose one star because of some minor grammatical issues. Hopefully, the author will get them fixed and this book will get the perfect rating it deserves. Great review!

[Gabriella1997]

I love intense and romance stories, and I think I got captivated by the cover of this book, beautiful review.

[Ayomid]

The profanities deter me from reading or recommending it to teenagers. However, the plot seems fascinating. Thanks for a nice review.

[PeterRabitt20]

I love the fact that dialogue and figurative speech embellished the story. What more can I say that makes a romance a fantastic read if not effective communication of actions and events. I enjoyed the review

I totally agree with you. It seems to be true in books and life. Thanks for stopping by!

[PeterRabitt20]

The profanities deter me from reading or recommending it to teenagers. However, the plot seems fascinating. Thanks for a nice review.

It does contain lots of profanity. Thanks for stopping by!