Shattered Souls

Awesome book and GORGEOUS writing!

Creepy and engaging from the start, Shattered Souls twists ghosts with the heaven and hell concept in an original and well executed manner. With a strong protagonist, action and build up early on, and an explosive climax, this one definitely pulls the reader in from the start and doesn't let go. Add in the gorgeous writing and blend of easy banter and intense situations, and this is a stellar debut and an author to take note of.

Lenzi is a very dimensional, well rounded character, whose personality comes through early on. She is brave and determined, and despite the fear she often feels, always finds the strength to face it head on. Zak, her boyfriend, is charming and likable early on, and though he brings plenty of tension to the table as the story progresses, he very clearly cares for her deeply. There are some sweet moments between the pair, and some heartbreaking and intense ones as well. He pulls out both the best and the worst in Lenzi, and though he doesn't have a constant presence within the story, he is built strongly enough early on to remain memorable throughout. Alden is completely swoonworthy, charming, cocky and relaxed while also having his moments of insecurity and awkwardness. His relationship with Lenzi is built and developed in a very steady and understanding manner, having both an immediate intensity and a slow yearning.

Lindsey's mythology and explanation take common concepts and twist them into something all her own, and she does it fantastically. The basic idea is simple, but her execution is phenomenal. From the physical effects of what Lenzi is and what happens to the overall reasons it events exists, Lindsey explains everything by the end of the book. Little clues are smattered throughout, also, that an astute reader will pick up on, while other things come completely unexpectedly. The writing is gorgeous, having a very bold fluidity that gives both a solid voice to Lenzi while also bringing out both the physical settings and the emotional ones. Lindsey has made intangible things like fear and pain realistic and something any reader will understand. Add in the romance and building sexual tension, and she has nailed this one with the emotional side of writing in a way that comes off as completely easy and effortless.

This is a book that will make the reader think, and that has taken some simple concepts and twisted them into something completely unique. The characters are fantastic, having a small cast but all of whom are bold, well developed, and memorable. While some parts could be considered slow, Lindsey has inserted wit and humor to combat it. With a great word economy, and stunning writing that is to the point without being elementary, and an extended and explosive climax, Shattered Souls is a brilliant and bold debut.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

An incredibly imaginative, all-consuming and unputdownable read

Shattered Souls is an incredibly imaginative and refreshingly original debut novel from author Mary Lindsey. The story and characters are exciting and surprising and just brilliantly written.

The story gets right to the point and brings the reader immediately in. There is no long wind-up and no immediate mystery. Readers are thrust into Lenzi Anderson¿s life just as the trouble for her begins. She starts hearing voices and is afraid that she is suffering from the same ailment that took her father from her less than a year ago.

Her boyfriend Zak is initially understanding and supportive, until she meets Alden who suggests that what she¿s going through is not the same as what happened to her dad. Alden tells her that her name is Rose and that she has been reincarnated in order to help the Hindered ¿ souls with unresolved issues that remain Earth-bound.

Alden claims that the two of them are connected and that they have been reincarnated again and again to serve this purpose ¿ she as a Speaker and he as her Protector. As Lenzi struggles with this newfound information, Zak fights to keep her by his side.

But even though she doesn¿t remember her past lives, her feelings begin to grow for Alden, taking her further and further away from the life she¿s known and the boy she thought she loved.

Shattered Souls is an all-consuming and truly unputdownable book. Even though this story has a paranormal focus there is such a realness to it that comes from the characters. They are genuine and their actions, reactions and responses are very believable.

Mary Lindsey has done such a remarkable job in crafting her world and each of her characters. And because the world centers around the main character, Lenzi, it allows readers to engage with her in a much more personal way, letting them really get to know who she is as the story progresses.

Shattered Souls has everything that readers of this genre will enjoy ¿ a slightly less than perfect heroine with a wickedly sarcastic sense of humor, who develops her strength and courage over the course of the book; a gorgeous, strong and fiercely loyal hero; an immensely flawed and incredibly jealous boyfriend; and a gripping paranormal storyline involving a past shrouded in mystery, a ticking clock, and a malevolent spirit seeking vengeance.

This story is not only a must read, but a must re-read.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Love it!

Awesome read! Really great action and romance. Wouldnt read it at night though lol. MARY LINDSEY I WANT A SEQUEL!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Spectacular!

A spectacular debut. I was intrigued the entire time and LOVED the main character, Lenzi. And can we talk about Alden? That boy be smokin' hot! I especially enjoyed the delicious twists spread throughout this story. I'm usually pretty good at guessing what's coming, but Author Mary Lindsey definitely threw me more than once. Outstanding from start to finish. If there's a sequel, I'll be the first in line!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

You won't be able to stop reading!

WARNING: This is not a book to begin on a night when you need to get to bed early.
According to the cover, Mary Lindsey's SHATTERED SOULS is about "Love, Death, Destiny, Danger." But it's also about nightmares. The kind everyone has when they're asleep and the kind some special people have when they're awake.
Lenzi is special; she has both. A few are merely disturbing, others are terrifying. In the everyday, waking world she yearns for normalcy. But screaming at people no one else can see is bound to make her mother and friends worry. And send her to counseling.
One of Lenzi's recurring dreams is of a gorgeous guy with steel gray eyes. When she suddenly meets him in person, he changes her world forever. Alden tells her that she's a reincarnated Speaker, someone who can talk to lost souls and help them move on. He has been her Protector for centuries ¿ centuries that Lenzi doesn't remember. And doesn't want to.
She hates the voices that beg her for help. She hates that she would have to open herself to them in order to help. But most of all, she hates and fears the spirit named Smith who has been trying to destroy her for ages.
This is a book about choices, about being self-centered or giving. Normal or special. Dead or alive. The suspense builds so surely and believably, you scarcely realize you're turning pages in a book. It's almost as if you'll see one of those shattered souls if you look over your shoulder¿
Clear writing, engaging plot, and characters you are about¿it¿s all in there.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing!

Ive never cried this hard while reading. Loved everything besides the jumpy beginning. But the rest of the book overshadowed that one flaw.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful prose

When Lenzi hears the first voice begging for help, it terrifies her. She’s afraid she may be sliding down the same slippery slope toward Schizophrenia that caused her father to take his own life. She’s afraid to tell her mother because she’s lost so much already. The only one she trusts is her boyfriend, Zak. Though he does his best to help her, Zak is dealing with demons of his own, and isn’t always able to give Lenzi the full support she needs. Enter Alden, a boy who claims to know Lenzi from a past life. He claims she is a Speaker – someone who helps the dead find their way – and he is her Protector – charged with helping her release these souls and protect her from some of the souls who are more malevolent.

Lenzi doesn’t believe Alden at first, but when he helps her set the soul of a little girl free, she realizes that maybe he is right. As her relationship with Alden intensifies, her relationship with Zak becomes more strained. Adding fuel to the fire is a malevolent spirit who has hunted Lenzi through several lives, hell-bent on revenge.

Mary Lindsey starts off Shattered Souls with a bang, and never lets up. I never once felt that this story dragged. The plot is very engaging and I loved that it wasn’t overly predictable. The “ghosts” are all distinct – some sad, some funny and some totally creepy. I also felt that each character is distinct and well-drawn. Not once did I feel any of the teen characters were merely caricatures. I felt they all spoke, acted and reacted as normal teenagers. Lenzi’s reaction to her “gift” was also believable and played out realistically. She didn’t quickly accept who she was, and carried her doubts well into the novel.

Now, you know I’m not a fan of love triangles, but honestly this one worked. I could see why Lenzi was attracted to Zak and why she needed him, even if he could be a jerk at times, but I also see why she wanted/needed Alden. I, personally, liked both boys and felt they each complimented her in some way.

Another thing that I liked was the fact that the novel is set in Houston. Knowing the area made the imagery that much more vivid which definitely added to my overall enjoyment.

If you like a fast-paced, creepy, paranormal read, definitely check this one out! You won’t be disappointed.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful book!

When I first heard about this book I immediately put it on my TBR list. It sounded amazing and the cover is to die for. Let me tell you, the cover is even more amazing in real life. The rose petals look so real, and get this, it feels like rose petals. You heard me right! I am obsessed with it. Okay, enough about the cover. Onto the book. I loved it! The characters were great, and the story was gripping. I was hooked right away, and I read it pretty quickly for me. There were a few little things that I didn't like, but not all books can be perfect. In reality very few are.


Lenzi, or Rose as Alden calls her, is a great character to get to know. She has some personal issues, and then these voices and visions make her think she is crazy. Like seriously losing it crazy.I am glad that when she finds out she is supposed to help lost souls and that she is supposedly reincarnated, she is skeptical. It makes it more real. She struggles with this new information and as she slowly learns more it's easier for her, but she still is really freaked out about it. She also needs to find a way to go about the whole boyfriend situation since she now needs to spend so much time with her protector, Alden. They have been working together for hundreds of years even though Lenzi doesn't remember any of her past lives. She does feel some sort of connection to him.


I really liked Alden. He tries to do the right thing, even when it's hard for him. He does keep some secrets, but he does it because he thinks it's what he should do at the time. His job is to protect the Speaker. (Lenzi/Rose) He doesn't want to scare her away. I was really put off by Zak right from the beginning. Right when we first meet him, I thought I might like him, but my opinion changed really quickly. I found him to be a jerk. I don't know if we were supposed to like him and be sympathetic to him, but I really wasn't at all. I wanted him to go away, jump off a cliff, whatever. I just didn't like him and could have cared less if he was part of the picture or not.


The idea of the reincarnated souls being spirit guides makes for a great and interesting book. The story has a pretty fast pace that keeps you glued to the pages. It has some kind of creepy elements with possessions and exorcism. The malevolent spirit is one evil dude, who knows how to hold a grudge. The romance aspect was done well, and there's a hint of mystery to the story too. I think some of the interactions were a bit annoying, and there were some things I thought were a little repetitive, but nothing too major. This was a quick and enjoyable book for me.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An incredibly gripping story

Shattered Souls had a lot of advance hype, and after reading the book, I can certainly see why. Mary Lindsey has spun a story that is incredibly gripping and one that left me wanting more.

Lenzi has been hearing voices, and this terrifies her - she is afraid that she is turning into her father who recently committed suicide because of his mental issues. Lenzi tries her best to block out the voices, but they just keep coming. On the night of her birthday, the voices suddenly turn into hallucinations...or do they? She meets a mysterious stranger who just happens to know a few things about her, and Lenzi must accept that Alden, as well as what he's saying, is real. Only Lenzi doesn't want any part of the life Alden describes. She is happy with her boyfriend Zak, and everything else she will handle. But Alden can help her with the voices - the lost souls - and she quickly finds herself drawn into his world. Soon Lenzi has a decision to make: will she lead the life she wants or the life she is destined to lead?

Shattered Souls is a book that you can't put down. I loved that the paranormal aspect was introduced so quickly, and once I knew a bit of the world I was dying to know even more. Lenzi and Alden were both characters that I enjoyed getting to know. Lenzi is a genuinely good person and Alden is incredibly devoted to her, even if I did want to tell him to speak up for what he wanted. Even though the world is new to Lenzi, they quickly manage to work together and are a phenomenal team of Speaker and Protector. Beyond this, I loved the history woven through this book. It was interesting to learn not only Lenzi and Alden's stories but also the stories of the souls that Lenzi helped. Then there were Race and Maude, whose quips added just the right touch of humor to the book. And finally there is Zak. As much as I wanted to dislike him, I just couldn't. All of these characters manage to tug at your heart, each for their own reasons. And if you thought you'd seen evil spirits before...think again.

I do have to admit that several aspects of this book - reincarnation, lost memory, and teamwork through centuries - reminded me of another book that I read earlier this year. Even though I loved the characters and the idea of helping souls pass on, I couldn't help but be distracted at a few points. Even so, I couldn't stop reading until I had turned the last page.

I do hope that Mary will write more books in this world - these characters and the world are too good to let go of this soon! And I am very much looking forward to her next book, a retelling of Poe's Annabel Lee!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A fresh and original story

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. While there were parts I liked, there were also parts I didn't.
I loved that it started right off the bat with Lenzi hearing voices. It grabbed me right away and held my attention. What I didn't enjoy was the love triangle. GROAN. I knew when I bought it that there was going to be one, but was hoping that the awesome story line would drown it out. Thankfully, it did (for the most part).

I didn't really care for Lenzi much at first. She has this boyfriend that she thinks is awesome, and then this sexy new guy comes along and BAM! it's instaluv. While I understand now why she was so drawn to Alden, I found it very irritating that she was jonesing over some guy she didn't even know so quickly while she still had a boyfriend. If she wanted Alden and not Zak, she should have broken it off right away, and been mature about it instead of lying. But to her credit, when she finally did make the decision, she carried it out and kept it final.

To see the rest of this review and other book reviews, please visit geobobspinelli[dot]blogspot[dot]com

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Good Read... Promising YA Debut

Shattered Souls was a surprisingly interesting and fun read. The story was original with a different take on the idea of reincarnation. It did not have the many clich¿s that many YA genre novels seem to riddled with. Overall, it was a good read and a promising YA debut.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

review courtesy of One Book At A Time

Another one of those books that the cover just screams read me! Thankfully the description also sounded good and on to the wishlist it went. Another one of those time were I've been really privileged to read it early.

Lenzi's voice grabbed me right from the beginning. Her father was schizophrenic and in the end he committed suicide. The pain that comes along with that have done quite a bit of damage to Lenzi and her mother. So when she begins to hear voices as well, she's terrified. She doesn't want to be like her father, so she hides it from her mother. Instead she turns to her boyfriend Zak. He convinces Lenzi that he alone can help her and encourages her to take her mother's Xanax to help combat the voices. But then the voices turn into hallucinations and visions and the Xanax no longer helps.

Enter in Alden, whom she meets on a midnight visit to her father's grave. He's been searching for her and tells her that she's not going crazy. Those voices are those of the deceased. She is the speaker and they need her help to reconcile themselves with this world so they can pass to the next. He is her speaker. He's there to help her with these spirits and to protect her from the more malevolent ones. They are reincarnated after every cycle and they are one of the best speaker/protector there is.

Only problem is Lenzi can't remember any of her past cycles. She has no idea how to do what she was created to do. Turns out this could be a dangerous thing. The IC keeps track of how many souls she helps move on. If she's not performing as she should, she could be cycled early, Alden could be reassigned, or worse. Not to mention there is a vicious malevolent spirit that seems hellbent on killing her. There's also her growing attraction to Alden. She's knows that there was something between them in past lives and wishes she could remember who he really is to her. There increased time together also brings on a new side to Zak, a very zealous one.

I was enthralled with how the story was laid out for me. I loved the characters and the relationships with each other. I liked how Lenzi's past is slowly laid out for us. That malevolent spirit has interesting connections to her past. The last quarter of the book is so griping, I wasn't sure what direction it was really going to go. The ending isn't a cliffhanger really. But, I don't feel the story is over. There's more to tell, and I for one will be disappointed if the story doesn't go on.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended for Paranormal Romance Lovers

I didn't expect to like this book so much, but when I closed the book at the end the words, "That was a good book," came out of my mouth, not that there was anyone to hear me or care. So let's see if I can tell you what made me like it so much. Lenzi is kind of broken and as like attracts like, she's with a boy that's broken. He seems really sweet at first, but then he drives drunk and tries to make out with her on her father's gravestone and passes out in a graveyard in a bad part of town leaving Lenzi, on her birthday, pretty much alone. Yeah, my opinion of him took a nose dive really fast from there. Then this stranger comes up out of nowhere in the graveyard and starts talking to Lenzi like he knows her and she's supposed to know him and Lenzi, who already thinks she might be succumbing to her father's scizophrenia, really thinks she's going crazy. But Alden, the stranger in the cemetery tells her some things she just can't deny and he protects her, even from the boyfriend that wants to drive her home drunk and her mother's lecture when she has to pick her up. There is no insta love. Insta attraction maybe, Alden is cute and Zak is a jerk, a drunk one. And apparently very jealous and has a temper. Alden looks pretty good in comparison. But Alden fights Lenzi's attraction through the whole book because they have a past and Lenzi who was Rose in the past made it clear it was a professional relationship. And while we are on professions, Lenzi is a Speaker she resolves issues the dead have here on Earth so they can go on to wherever. Alden is her Protector, keeping leftover souls from taking over her body and staying there. It's a pretty unique concept and the denial and fight Lenzi puts up that she is this person and does this job takes up quite a bit of the book. I liked the way Mary Lindsey slowly revealed this new world to readers. I didn't feel overwhelmed. It seemed pretty straightforward to me. I also liked that Lenzi and Alden had real lives and parents to contend with and live with and weren't just living a supernatural life. I'm really interested to see where the story will go from here because I know it isn't over. So if you want a new type of paranormal romance, this is the book for you. Not taxing to your emotions or your brain, but very enjoyable. It's definitely a quick read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Captivating and sensual

This novel is addicting from the beginning, though it takes the first 20 pages to sink into it. However, once you do, you're hooked. Sweet, yet still filled with sexual undertones, this novel is worth reading, and wont dissappoint.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great story!

I have so many mixed emotions when I think about Shattered Souls. I wasn¿t quite in love with it, but yet I enjoyed it a lot and had to finish it. I know, makes no sense right? Here are my reasons.

I give Shattered Souls four stars because the characters were awesome and I loved each and every single one. I also love the world that Mary Lindsey introduces to us. Lenzi can speak to the dead and help them move on. Her soul is reborn and each time she is reborn, she continues to have her memories of her past lives. Alden, who is her Protector, is also reborn with his memories each time. Each time they are reborn they find each other somehow. So this lifetime, Lenzi is reborn and Alden finds her yet again, only she has no memory of her past lives. Something has changed and Alden has no idea what or why she has no memory of her past lives.

Now, I loved the relationship build up between Alden and Lenzi. I thought it played out really well and when the truth finally comes out it¿s a big ¿awe¿ moment. What I had an issue with was just how easy certain things occurred for them. Some parts were super predictable and whenever something would happen I knew immediately what would happen next, and I was right every single time. So I guess that¿s where my mixed emotions come from. I would have liked more moments of ¿Oh, SNAP!¿ than ¿I knew it!¿

Overall though, the main idea of the story is excellent. I really enjoyed the romance between Alden and Lenzi as well. Their story was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. The story does move at a fast pace and other than what I said above, it¿s a definite page-turner. I just wish it was less predictable.

4 out of 5 stars!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

Awesome

I loved this book. I wish it had alittle more at the end but I t

I loved this book. I wish it had alittle more at the end but I think the author wanted to make way for a sequel.
Hopefully it won't be a long series I hate when authors like to drag out the storyline

Awesome

I love how historical facts incorporated into the book. I read this whole book in one night.

T

Hmm...,,This sounds a bit like melinda from ghost whisperer...is this really that good?

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

No text was provided for this review.