Title: Every Shattered Thing
Author: Elora Ramirez
Release Date: August 2013
Synopsis:
Stephanie fights reality every day. The voices inside, the
ones declaring her worth, deem her broken, used and dirty. She is an object. A
toy. Something to be tossed aside when bored. Who will believe her if she
whispers the truth about her wrecking ball of a family? Eventually, her secret
explodes and the person who means the most to her knows just how shattered she
is and why she's so afraid. But rescue is closer than she realizes. Hidden in
plain sight, her horror hasn’t been ignored by everyone. Racing against the
truth of what she faces, forces are joining together and developing a plan to
free her from the hell in her own backyard. And while she’s at her lowest
point, she’s hit with the beauty of love at any cost - redemption in the face
of ruin. Will it be enough?
*Warning: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger audiences*
*Warning: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger audiences*
MY REVIEW
March 18. 2014
4 Emotional Stars ★★★★
Complimentary copy provided by Author for Honest
Review
What an emotional story. Holy crap….. I didn’t realize how
much I would enjoy this story. I do tend to gravitate towards those where the
lead female has either been raped, assaulted or in a violent relationship. I
didn’t know what to expect from Every Shattered Thing and it
was both better and worse than I expected.
Since the too young age of twelve Stephanie has been a pawn
in her father’s business. A business in which he profits while other men use and
violate her, as if the physical abuse she suffers at home isn’t bad enough.
While some would view the backyard and connecting shed as a place of solace,
all it holds for Stephanie is a place of fear and violation.
At first I was mad. Not mad as those who deserved it but
more at Stephanie. How could she stay in such a situation???Hell, why would
she…? Well, unfortunately for her the people in her town turn a blind eye. Most
know the basics of what is going on but no one wants to dirty their hands and
get involved, even as Stephanie and other young girls are being violated. Over
time I began to see that Stephanie still had fight in her. She wasn’t staying
because of her younger sibling or because she was afraid. No all along it was
because she saw no other options. Her circumstances and the non-action of those
around her left Stephanie with nothing but defeat and hopelessness.
Don’t be discouraged there are many happy and beautiful
moments in this book. Stephanie has a boyfriend, someone she never expected who
took her by surprise and slowly starts to give her faith. With Kevin and some
friends (her ex-teacher and her husband) Stephanie actually has a support
system. Those who she knows care about her and what happens even when her own
parents could care less. Well, as long as she’s earning money that is.
This is not a story for everyone. Stephanie has to continually
suffer to receive her happy ending and even that’s up in the air. As if she
didn’t suffer enough Stephanie finds out some secrets that turn her world even
more upside down. Though it does not end on a cliffhanger there certainly is
potential for another book, although at this point I have no idea if that’s
going to happen or not. I’d certainly like another one!!! Hint Hint
Overall I really enjoyed this story. It had just enough
romance to keep my gooey side appeased and so much pain and suffering on her
part that I was often cringing but rooting for her all along. You can’t help
but feel for Stephanie. Sure you may not be able to relate, but what she’s
going through just speaks to you in a way that you can’t help but hope for
something good, no matter how small. I would certainly recommend this book,
even to those in high school. Stephanie suffers but in the end she overcomes
tremendous odds and still doesn’t give up. She’s a strong role model in the end
and though it was a long road to get there, Stephanie is done suffering and I
couldn’t be happier to witness her journey from dark to light.
Buy Links
Elora Ramirez Bio
Elora
Ramirez lives in Austin, Texas with her chef-husband. At the age of four, she
taught herself how to read and write, cutting her teeth on books like Dr. Seuss
and writing anywhere she could find the space--including her Fisher Price
kitchen set, the pages of picture books and Highlights Magazine. Since then,
she's grown to love the way words feel as they swell within her bones. Writing
holy and broken is her calling, and pushing back the darkness and pursuing
beauty through story is her purpose. She embraces the power of story and
teaches women from all parts of the world how to embrace theirs. She has a
knack of calling things out , the truth and the detail, the subversive threads
that make a life a story. She loves hip-hop, wishes she lived by the beach and
cannot write without copious amounts of coffee, chocolate, music, and her
husband's lavender liqueur.
Links
Thanks for the giveaway! Gifts are awesome!
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