Hello, Therians!
It's review day for Kathi Baron's Shattered :)
Shattered is about Cassie Prochazka, a violinist in the Chicago Youth Symphony. About what happens the day after her debut as a soloist when her dad breaks her violin. She's enraged and runs away. She meets a number of helpful and not-so-helpful strangers. Eventually, her violin teacher talks her into returning home, where she unravels a terrible secret within her family. A painful violin secret. Within the secret is also her sense of power, which she uses to open up new possibilities for healing the homeless, her family, and herself.
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REVIEW
Firstly, I have to say how much I love this cover. It is a perfect reflection of what can be found between the pages of this book.
The first half of the story seemed to rush by and I never got a real sense of who the characters were. It was only after Cassie's return that I actually settled into the story. I was happy that she was able to find some kind of normalcy in her life after all the chaos and I think Nick played a big part in her healing process. Their time spent at the batting cages was fun and for the first time I got to see a happy, carefree Cassie.
I was also glad that Cassie and her Mom were able to reconnect again. It gave me hope that even in the darkness there is light. The mystery of why Frank was so on edge about her violin playing was constantly on my mind. I was as eager as Cassie was to find out the truth once she reached her grandfather's place, but then he flipped out and the weird mystery deepened. My heart went out the the entire family when the truth was finally revealed. I didn't care too much for Frank but when he poured his heart out to his family, I actually felt a twinge on guilt for disliking him so much.
Cassie has more to worry about than whether her broken family will stay that way or not. As a soloist for the Chicago Youth Symphony, she has to face the possibility of her dream fading away, because without a violin, how can she possibly play? There is hope of a benefactor who can keep her dreams alive but Cassie cannot lie about what happened to he violin and that kind of dashes any hopes of her getting another violin.
This book had so much potential. A story of one girl's journey through fear, heart ache, loss, love and forgiveness, I only wish I had been able to connect on a deeper, emotional level with the characters.
I give it...
PRAISE FOR KATHI BARON AND SHATTERED:
"The family drama will grab readers, but just as enthralling is the story of a young person devoted to her music, note by note." --Booklist
"Baron successfully uses musical metaphors in the structure of the novel--short chapters with staccato action and slower cadences reflective of the family's struggle to work their way through this situation...a moving story..." --School Library Journal
"...a compelling read." --Kirkus
"This is a novel about picking up pieces, told in a voice that is both poetic and compelling. Kathi Baron's Shattered has perfect pitch."
--Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, a Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award Finalist
--Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, a Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award Finalist
"It takes a special kind of author to create an emotional jouney that opens our hearts. Kathi Baron is that kind of storyteller andShattered is that kind of book."
--Louise Hawes, author of The Vanishing Point and Waiting for Christopher, both New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age, and Rosey in the Present Tense, a YALSA Popular Paperback
"Readers will cheer Cassie's journey as she runs away from a shattered home to a brief experience with homelessness and back again. Kathi Baron soars in this debut novel full of creative inspiration, healing and hope. --Lynn Hazen, author of Shifty, a Smithsonian Notable Book & Voice of Youth Advocates "Top Shelf Fiction"
"Shattered is a sonata in words, a deeply lyrical journey, ringing with overtones."
--Tim Wynne-Jones, Horn Book and Edgar Award winning author of Blink and Caution and The Uninvited
CONNECT WITH KATHI
You can reach me at: kathi@kathibaron.com
My blog: http://www.kathibaron.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: @KathiBaron
On Facebook: Shattered
MEET KATHI BARON
7-12-13 to 7-14-13--Vermont College of Fine Arts Alumni Mini-Residency--Montpelier, VT
9-28-13--Zion Benton Library--Teen Writing Workshop--Zion, IL
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Guest Post and Book Spotlight at Moonlight Gleam
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Feature and Guest Post at Delphina Reads Too Much
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Review at Hopeless Bibliophile
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Interview and Giveaway at Word Spelunking
June 18
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Book Spotlight at My Fiction Nook
June 22
Review at Stuck Between the Pages
Review at Stuck Between the Pages
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Review at Books, Thoughts and a Few Adventures
Review at Books, Thoughts and a Few Adventures
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Guest Post at Now is Gone
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Review and Interview at J Bronder Book Review
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