Review: Shattered Dreams by Ellie James

Book Description via Goodreads:

e-ARC, 352 pages

December 6, 2011, St. Martin’s Griffin

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.

Source: Netgalley & St. Martin’s Griffin (Thanks!)

My Thoughts:

From the first part of the novel, I was intrigued. The endings of the chapters and the suspense kept me reading nonstop. The writing was definitely good. The author got me trapped in her story world and I was enjoying it.

Trinity Monsour used to live up in the mountains until her grandmother died. Now, she was the new girl in New Orleans. She was living her young and successful Aunt Sara. I found Jessica’s character unique. She seemed to be lost between times – past, present and future, – had a special gift and she had a good heart to go with it. Her decisions were reckless but somewhat unavoidable. Her visions were a constantly pressing into her, urging her to take a step, to do something and with that kind of burden, a girl like Trinity would do the right and reckless thing.

She had a crush on Chase, the ex-boyfriend of the queen bee, Jessica. Their somewhat friendship quickly bloomed to an intimate relationship. I just had a little issue with the romance development. Trinity was the new girl and obviously, the couple didn’t have enough time to get to know each other. However, I think that the intensity and the connection that the two developed were a result of some sort of love at first sight or attraction-at-first-sight. Chase was a big mystery to me. Sure, I liked his good nature, his good looks and his passion but I was slightly confused with his motives.

The story of Trinity’s life and of her parents was fascinating and intriguing. Secret after secret was unearthed in this thrilling novel. Everyone had their own secrets and their own motives. It was mind-boggling and exciting at the same time. The characters introduced as the story progressed were a diverse bunch. The search for Jessica was a long and arduous one. With a newbie psychic on the case, it was bound to be just like that.

Shattered Dreams is a mysterious and dark novel set in devastated but coping post-Katrina New Orleans. Paranormal romance readers will enjoy this startling and intriguing read.

Rating: