**REVIEW** Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsay

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny, and danger
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Release Date: December 11, 2011

Published By: Philomel/Penguin 

Review Copy: Hardcover, 336 pages

Review

  With such a pretty cover and enticing description how could anyone pass this read up?  I certainly couldn't the real question is though: how did I manage to let it sit on my shelf this long?  To be honest after reading this one, I am shocked that it did.  Mary Lindsay did something wonderful and fresh with this one.  Actually scratch that.  She did many wonderful things with Shattered Souls and it's much deeper than a pretty cover.

  We are walked into the world of Lenzi, the girl that hears voices and believes she is just as crazy as her father was.  The only thing in her life that makes her feel normal is her boyfriend Zak but even that is becoming less effective.  The voices are getting louder, more persistent and well they are in short driving Lenzi crazy.  When Alden walks into her world and tells her that she isn't crazy it seems to good to be true and it kind of is for Lenzi.  Not being crazy means being the go to girl for souls that have unfinished business.  She can't deny that what he says makes sense but she does question if she wants to do this.

  I really felt for Lenzi.  Not that she is a sad or pitiful person but there is no way life was easy growing up with a schizophrenic father.  She was strong though, she didn't let people get to her and when the time came she stepped up.  Lenzi was terrified when she heard what she was really born to do and kind of scared that Alden may be crazy as well but after hearing voices and feeling a little more crazy each day, wouldn't you be willing to try something to make it go away?  

  The romance had me worried for a couple chapters.  Zak was the boyfriend but when he became drunk and tries something when Lenzi was at her Dad's grave I kind of immediately hoped he wasn't her only option.  Then Alden comes in and I worried about a love triangle...  Then Mary Lindsay did the original, she had Lenzi make a decision and stick with it.  She picked one guy and decided that she would only be with him and it wasn't fair to be with the other when the feeling just wasn't quite there.

  I am really looking forward to more of Mary Lindsay's creativity.  With an impressive story and characters that are growing there is so much potential for more and I want more.  This is a wonderful debut novel but will leave you hungry for more.  Especially when it comes to more Alden.

Quotes

Some part of me- the wise part- knew I should jerk my hand back and get away from this boy as fast as possible.  The crazy part of me wanted to grab his other hand and never let go.

I almost laughed out loud.  If she only knew!  A reincarnated, soul-sharing lunatic.  Ghost boy-every mother's dream.

I was going to protest being called Rose, but didn't.  Somehow the lines were getting blurry-either that, or it just didn't matter anymore.  What did matter was what Race had said.