Review: You Can't Shatter Me

Title: You Can't Shatter Me
Author: Tahlia Newland
Release date: June 2012 (Paperback, mid August)
Rating: 4.5/5
Publisher: Catapult Press
Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Carly wants to be a superhero, but when she stands up to a bully, he turns on her. Words fly, and Carly battles with a silver hook, a giant thistle, a doubt dragon and a suffocating closet. Dylan, a karate-trained nerd who supports her stand, turns out to be a secret admirer, and while he struggles to control his inner caveman, Carly searches for her own way to stop the bully.  An old hippie shows her an inner magic that’ssupposed to make her invincible, but will Carly learn to use it before her knight in shining armour risks all in a battle with a fire-breathing dragon? Or is he the village idiot?

This heart-warming magical realism story will inspire and empower teens and adults alike.

Review:

In this little novella, the reader follows Carly and Dylan through an epic journey of good vs. evil, handwritten scripts and the thought that life can be written the way a person wants it to be written.

Ever since I first picked up a book, I've thought changing point of views were a really awesome way of conveying a story. Whether it be changing points of view in third-person or it be changing points of view in first person, I liked the idea that a reader could see into the thoughts of multiple characters in the story instead of one. It really suited this novella very nicely. Looking through Carly's eyes as well as Dylan's helped make the world that they were living in.

I enjoyed the fact that it was edited "according to Australian conventions" and that it took place in Australia. My best friend is from Australia so I was able to connect some things together from her first trip over there this summer. It was different and I really enjoyed it.

Also--note to the author if you do read this-- thank you for putting the glossary of words in the front. It really helped me understand some of the lingo.

The only problem point that I would have for this whole thing is the areas that were meant to be symbolic. I understood them, and I get them. I liked them very much. Then they stretched over the chapters and it started losing that feeling on me. I feel like they took too much away from the situation as they stretched out. What started as words attacking turned into a battle with a sword. I understood it, but it could have been shortened just a teensy bit.

Overall, I loved the story, the plot, and the message it gave out. The characters were strong and readers could really relate to them. I liked the moments of "writing" that Carly had and the moments of "script editing" that Dylan had. It all made the story and I really liked it.

Thank you, Tahlia! I would like to hear more from you soon!