Lenzi thinks the voices in her head and the visions she sees mean she is a schizophrenic like her father. But Alden, a mysterious boy who seems to be stalking her, says she’s not crazy, just a Speaker- someone who can talk with the dead.
This creates a multitude of issues. It means her boyfriend, Zak, really will think she’s crazy. It means that random souls get to share her body, including Alden, her supposed Protector. It means that somewhere along the line of numerous generations of being a Speaker with Alden she lost her memory, because otherwise, she would know all of this. It means there is an intense, blurry relationship with Alden. It also means a Malevolent soul is trying to kill her (again).

This book is a good time-passer, but it’s not mind-blowing or second-read quality.

While the plot of Shattered Souls is interesting and original, I can’t say that I think Lindsey’s expression of it lives up to it. I feel as though Lenzi, as she is written, would not be able to handle the situation she is thrown into. She is immature, flighty. Lindsey doesn’t show us what makes Lenzi strong, how she would be able to wrap her mind around her past and her job. She also doesn’t fit her background, acting this way, like a new soul. An old soul, no matter its physical memory, would still be an old soul, would still have a better grasp of the world and itself. I don’t see this in Lenzi, not at all.

Alden, also, confuses me. While he should be able to easily fit into each new generation, there quite a few “traditional” and “modern” vibes from him that don’t mesh. He doesn’t seem to have a constant set of values, except maybe the Protectors’ rulebook, and even this seems to be all over the place. Lindsey also makes him out to be totally submissive, although she throws at us his dominance in protecting (once, only once). It’s not so much that the male characters of every story or relationship needs to be dominant, but rather, he needs to be an individual, with his own values and rules, just as the female characters should be. Alden is not this.

Finally, Lindsey’s physical style has weaknesses. I find the way the characters’ actions are written confusing and abrupt where it shouldn’t be. The dialogue is awkward and unfitting to the characters and the conversations. These is no voice, no unique style. Where each sentence should scream This is a Lindsey sentence! or even This a Shattered Souls sentence!, there is nothing but This is a book, this is a sentence. It’s hard to connect with something generic like this, and I believe that is one of the largest problems, not only for Lindsey, but for most writers and readers alike.

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Created Apr 28, 2013 at 7:51pm • Submit your own review...