Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.
Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.
But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.
Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.
Wow. That is the first thought that came to my mind as I turned the final page of Shattered Dreams. I wasn’t expecting this story to take my breath away and put me on the edge of my seat as it did. How did I not find this book sooner?
The story takes place in a recuperating New Orleans a few years after the destruction of Katrina (and the events still haunt a few of the main characters) with Trinity who has just moved there in the wake of her grandmother’s death. It doesn’t take long for Trinity to get the attention of the cute quarterback and his vengeful girlfriend. Lo and behold, Jessica (the vengeful girlfriend) takes Trinity and a group of her friends to an abandoned “haunted” house. They pull a killer prank on Trinity, and then two days later Jessica goes missing.
Trinity isn’t a normal teenager, however. She dreams of things that are yet to come. She is in touch with the spirit of Jessica while she is missing. Such an interesting concept: the ability to see something bad and have to interpret it and be able to help prevent or solve the problem.
Along the way the readers learn more about Chase, the boy that caused Jessica’s need for revenge, and more importantly: Trinity.
I applaud James for being able to incorporate the storytelling and explanation of Trinity’s abilities through Trinity learning for the first time for herself. Brilliant. The story is addicting, the characters are extremely realistic, and the mystery and paranormal elements are breathtaking.
I hate myself for not finding James’ series sooner. Go pick up a copy now!
5 Bards.
Moving! 