Shatter by Nikki Trionfo (Blog Tour Review, Excerpt & #Giveaway)


Shatter
by Nikki Trionfo
YA Suspense, Thriller
Paperback & ebook, 249 Pages
May 9th 2017 by Cedar Fort, Inc.

Summary

“We never knew there could be people in the orchard. Dangerous people.”

When a mysterious explosion kills her sister, Salem becomes convinced the death was no accident--it was a conspiracy. But no one else at her high school believes her, and all she has so far are theories and clues. With Carrie's killers still out there, Salem's not sure who she can trust. If she can't she prove she’s right before it’s too late, the conspiracy might take another life—hers.

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My Review

SHATTER was a story that carried a undercurrent of suspense from the first to the last page, with an intensely climatic end. A strong family dynamic, friendships, and a slowly-developing romance balanced out the story. Those who enjoy young adult suspense and thrillers may enjoy this one.

I liked the whole premise for this one, that the protagonist, Salem, doesn't believe her sister died from an accident, but was murdered, and that she will do whatever it takes to find out what happened. I also liked the mix of cultures as well as the immigration/gang/fruit-pickers issues that the story brings up. Salem was an interesting character, but I think that Cordero would be my favorite. He came off as authentic and reliable. The ending was quite intense, to the point where I couldn't flip the pages fast enough.

There were also some things that didn't quite work for me in this story. Salem is all over the place and really volatile, sometimes unreasonably so. She was a little crazy in parts. It also seemed like others should have been grieving more than they were. There were some actions that didn't feel right or consistent to how you'd think these characters would act. There were things that some of the characters said or repeated that were very redundant. Other parts of the story, like some of the conclusions made and the way some of the people acted felt off.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed the story and it definitely was a page-turner in the end, but also wanted more from it.


Content: Some references to rape, violence, as well as actual violence.

Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.

Excerpt

The class is dead silent. Mr. White’s lips tighten. He swallows. There’s something dangerous about the new guy. The teacher leans over AddyDay’s desk and spins her packet so he can read the list of partnerships. “Fine. We’ll break up the threesome. You’ll pair with . . . Salem Jefferson.”
At the sound of my name, I turn to look at my new partner.
The guy near the door is tall. He has the kind of incredible good looks that invite stares, but that’s not the only reason he’s getting them now. The cursive lettering of a tattoo rises from the opening of the guy’s worn flannel shirt. Two gold chains hang from his brown neck. A guy accessorized in gang paraphernalia, not caked with it. His only completely visible marking is an upside down V inked onto his right cheekbone, black and distinct. The tattoo calls my attention for some reason, even though I’m sure I’ve never seen a symbol like that before. An upside down V . . . it seems so familiar.
His expressionless, dark eyes dart to meet my gaze from under a stiff, backward-facing ball cap. My classmates watch him stare at me.
“Salem Jefferson,” he says slowly, putting a slight emphasis on my last name. He waits for my response.
I realize he knows exactly who Salem Jefferson is. Exactly who I am. I’m Carrie’s sister.
Terrified, I whirl back around to face forward. Gang members targeted Carrie, made her frightened. Was he one of them? The skin between my shoulder blades tightens. Why were gang guys after Carrie?

About the Author


Nikki Trionfo lives in Riverton, Utah with five kids, a CrossFit-training husband who writes computer code, and lots of hip hop background music. Her teen murder mystery, SHATTER (May '17 from Cedar Fort), won grand prize in LDStorymakers’ First Chapter Alongside Heather Clark, she hosts free writing webinars on YouTube at #50FirstChapters.

A committed party-girl, Nikki serves as the social coordinator of LDStorymakers Conference and chair of Storymakers Tribe. Other notable stuff includes an honorable mention in Writers of the Future and a spot in Utah Horror Writer's shorty-story anthology. This all sounds really serious, but if you run into her, she gets down. Truly.


Release Giveaway

$30 Amazon Gift Card

To enter, answer this question in comments below: Tell us what about Shatter most makes you want to read it and/or enter the Inspired by Shatter contest (for the contest, create a FB or Instagram post to enter to win a $50 prize or 5 books to a middle or high school plus a copy for yourself. Find all the info here)?

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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