The Shattering

Gr 8 Up—After her brother, Jake, commits suicide, 17-year-old Keri has a hard time coming to terms with his death. Jenna, a friend from Keri's past, and Sione Felice, Janna's tourist friend, come to her with a theory that both their older brothers and Jake were actually murdered. As they investigate the theory, secrets, a conspiracy involving trusted and well-known people in their New Zealand community, and dark magic make the trio realize that time is running out to save another boy's life. With no one to trust and danger lurking around every corner, the trio sets out to solve the mystery in Karen Healey's novel (Little, Brown, 2011). The well-developed plot and the characters are brought to life through Saskia Maarleveld's narration. Although the voices sound similar, her use of unique intonations and narrative styles for each character make it fairly easy to tell them apart. Her narrative speed and transitions hold listeners' interest and cue plot twists and suspenseful moments. Fans of paranormal mysteries and witches will enjoy this audiobook.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT