The Shattering

Starred review from August 8, 2011
Healey (Guardian of the Dead) delivers an intense and powerful novel that explores the effect of suicide on families by way of a magical conspiracy tale. In the small New Zealand tourist town of Summerton, 17-year-old Keri is contending with the unexplained suicide of her beloved older brother, Jake. When her childhood friend Janna—whose brother killed himself years earlier—tells her there might a reason for Jake’s death, Keri slowly starts believing what she hears from Janna and a boy named Sione: once a year, a teenage boy visiting the village (or occasionally a native son) is compelled to kill himself. They discover that the killings might be connected to the town’s history, and as they get closer to the truth, they are threatened by magic aimed directly at them and at their friends, and left uncertain whom to trust. Juggling multiple viewpoints, Healey skillfully keeps her characters on an emotional roller-coaster even as they deal with physical threats. The climax delivers a gut punch that only underscores the sensitivity of the subject matter (without lessening the thrill at all). Ages 12–up.

August 1, 2011

A motley crew of teens band together to catch a serial killer and break the perverse spell that keeps their New Zealand resort town so idyllic.

The older brothers of Summerton's residents and vacationers are killing themselves—one boy each year—and prepared-for-anything Keri, sexy would-be rocker Janna and dreamy, insecure Sione, who've all lost their older brothers, figure it's no coincidence. Working the case with a tenacity and creativity that would do Sam Spade proud, the three discover that otherwise-trustworthy adults are members of a coven using dark magic to force a teen boy to kill himself each year. The suicides are a sacrifice, renewing a protective spell the coven placed on Summerton to protect it from the economic hardships that have befallen neighboring resort towns. The stakes escalate when they discover that the coven has chosen a Japanese tourist very much taken with Janna to be the next victim, putting the young detective team in a race against time. A teen noir hinging on the discovery of witchcraft could easily fall into self-conscious cutesiness or collapse under the weight of its own self-seriousness, but Healey (Guardian of the Dead, 2010) seamlessly integrates noir and fantasy tropes to explore issues of suicide, trust, sexuality, race, insecurity and free will in a way that feels fresh.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Eighteen-year-old Keri, who prides herself on being able to handle any potential problem life throws at her, is sidelined when she finds her older brother Jake dead from an apparent suicide. Why would Jake kill himself? A possible answer presents itself when she is approached by two teens whose older brothers died, too (Janna's years before; Sione's several months earlier). They believe that their brothers were murdered and that Jake was killed by the same person. While Keri is not completely convinced, she latches on to the idea. When Sione shows the girls the data he has collected about deaths in the area over the last several years, some disturbing patterns begin to emerge. Something's not quite right in their quaint New Zealand town. How has it remained a popular and lucrative tourist attraction all these years when the other coastal towns in the area have not? Why have all the deaths been older brothers around the time of New Year's? As much as the three teens don't want to admit it, dark magic must be involved somehow. New Year's Eve is quickly approaching, and they think they know who the next victim will be. They'll have to risk their own lives to save him and break Summerton from its deadly spell. Told in alternating chapters by the teens, the story unfolds at an even pace, with the characters developing into fully realized and distinctly different personalities. Healey merges Maori and Samoan words and cultural influences throughout the text. A good choice for teens who prefer their fantasies mixed with more realism.-Lauren Newman, Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School, Columbus, NJ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2011
Grades 9-12 This mysterious, resonant novel centers on 17-year-old Keri, whose main character trait is an almost obsessive need to be prepared for anything. But nothing can steel her for the suicide of her adored older brother, Jake. Healey creates startling images early and keeps them comingfor example, Keri thinks of herself after her brother's death as a girl-shaped open sore, walking through a world made up of salt and lemon juice. When her best friend, who also lost an older brother under similar circumstances, tells her that she suspects both boys were murdered, Keri's grief shifts shape into an all-consuming need to know. They find another grief-stricken ally, and the trio's investigation is filled with close calls as they discover that other boys, all who had visited this deadly New Zealand resort town, are being killed at the rate of one per year. In the afterword to this memorable mystery, Healey speaks directly to teens considering suicide and to LGBTQ teens in particular, the most likely group to commit suicide. A glossary of Maori and Samoan words is also appended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)