Mary Lindsey (1)

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
ARC received from Penguin
On Shelves Now
Reviewed by : Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Gut-wrenching and unique; a tale of blissful woe and beautiful agony

I was sold on this book the moment I saw that it was a modernization of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, Annabel Lee. I love Poe’s dark nature, and I definitely saw whispers of his inner demons in Mary Lindsey’s rewrite. Lindsey’s world was dark and gritty, full of open deceit and hatred. Lindsey created a show more terrifying story set in our world, but not of our world; where ancient beliefs and discrimination hold sway over the balance of life and death.

I love the new wave of gothic romances that are sweeping the YA shelves this summer. This is by far my favorite sub-genre of YA, and I will read any others in this area with open arms. I love the poetic writing that brings these ominous worlds to life; and there is a part of me that embraces that fact that good does not always win over evil. It’s more truthful and in a way, makes the books all the more poignant. I praise Mary Lindsey for her willingness to delve into the deep recesses of human nature, bringing to light that death is what makes life worth living.

My favorite part of this story was the setting—which seems to be what I love the most in the gothic genre. Ashes takes place on a secluded island that, although present day, lives like it’s the 1800s. There is new electricity or plumbing on most of the island, and the citizens have created a Lord of the Flies type of existence. Murder and deceit are not punished as civilized society would have it, instead, lynchings and other atrocities are accepted. The island was frustrating and eerie, but the perfect place for a tragic love story.

I did have some sort of trouble with what seemed like insta-love. I say “seemed like” because Liam and Anna knew each other when they were kids, so it wasn’t like it was love at first sight. But I did feel like they fell so quickly, but I guess that keeps with the poem, so it was appropriate.

Liam was unlike most of the guys in YA literature, which was refreshing, although he didn’t blow me away. He is soft-spoken, kind and gentle, and extremely shy. Again, this keeps with the 1800s feel of the setting, though as the relationship between him and Anna is more like an old-days courtship than a modern romance. Their love was true and you could see that in the selfless acts they committed, but I wish there was more passion along the way. It seemed too tame for me, and not tame in the sexual sense. I mean, tame as in, very few passionate embraces and kisses were actually described. It was more like her kiss blew me away and that was it. I wanted to feel the emotion in the act.

I liked Anna, although again, I felt like she needed more emotion. She is broken like Liam, only in a completely different way. They come from two different worlds, but their desperation to be acknowledged brought them together. I liked that Anna didn’t back down from a fight, even when it was the entire town against her.

Overall, this was a great tragic romance with very few flaws. Mary Lindsey created a story of star-crossed lovers that will rival even the greatest of loves, and stand up to the darkest of fates. show less

Mary Lindsey pulled me right in from the very first page. This is another of those Texas reads that I absolutely love.

Shattered Souls takes place in the Houston/Galveston area. It's definitely a great setting. In Houston you have the bustling energy of people going to school/work wherever, and in Galveston you get more of a laid back feel. Although a lot of creepy stuff happens to Lenzi in both places.

The characters were awesome. Lenzi is haunted by voices and visions. She fears she will show more become like her father, and doesn't want that to happen at all. Besides the fact that she's freaking out about hearing the voices, Lenzi is pretty level-headed. She tries not to make rash decisions. Although having to trust Alden is a big step for her. She thinks he's crazy, and a creeper. Until she realizes just how much he can help her. Alden...... *swoon* Can that be all that I say about him???? No??? Okay, then. At times he seems very arrogant, and that annoyed me to no end. But really he's just trying to protect himself and Lenzi. He feels awful about what happened so many years past, and doesn't know how to channel that. He blames himself for a lot of things. So, I guess he's got that tortured soul kind of thing going on. Now Zak, to me, was a complete D-bag. Even though he had strong feelings for Lenzi he kind of acted like a jerk most of the time.

The storyline is great. You don't even realize how fast you are reading the book. I finished it in a day or so, and was like what the..... There are a few things that are predictable, but some that aren't. There are secrets that I didn't think possible. And holy hell, this awful spirit terrorizes Lenzi in some pretty awful ways. I loved the ghost/spirit aspect, and was laughing my butt off during one scene in the book.

You won't want to put this down, at all! Now if only 2014 wasn't so far away for the sequel. show less

**Review May Contain Spoilers!!**
***Trigger Warnings for SA, Suicide, Domestic Violence, Mental Illness, and Alcoholism***
Lenzi hears voices and sees visions. She is terrified that she is showing symptoms of schizophrenia like her father, but it turns out, she's a reincarnated Speaker- someone who can speak with and help lost souls, and the boy, Alden, she thought she hallucinated in the cemetery is actually her reincarnated Protector.
I tried to like this book, I really did. I managed to show more read it all the way through though just to make sure, but it just didn't get any better. I REALLY didn't like her boyfriend Zak. The author never addresses the fact that he was extremely abusive, an alcoholic, possessive and controlling, and IMO a total psycho, and Lenzi is just completely oblivious to the fact that she should never be treated that way. This is never addressed, and while she does end up leaving him, he literally tries to kill her and afterward she just thinks that he was the best friend she had after the drama with her father committing suicide and being seen as the town crazy.
I also just really was annoyed by Lenzi's immature and whiny narrative, always acting like she can’t do anything on her own. She needs a guy in her life in order to function, her self worth was completely dependant on others, no matter how controlling or abusive, and I was desperately waiting for that moment when she realizes how strong she is herself and becomes the strong badass female lead character we need, but no, it just…doesn't happen. She continues to be whiny and willfully ignorant and attempts to reject the truth of everything in front of her face, all while folding endless paper origami. REALLY?! Random obsessive talent of origami seems like the author was trying too hard to give the character a signature ‘quirk’ for the reader to relate to, but it just makes no sense in light of who the character is, other than a random nervous habit. Overall, I do not recommend it. So much potential, but it goes very downhill very quickly. show less

Shattered Souls isn't just a book that you read, it's a book that you experience. I'm going to start out with that. Honestly, from page one I was completely hooked into Lenzi's struggle, her world, and everything going on. This is a haunting tale, with so much suspense that it sinks it's teeth into you and carries you along as things develop. What I'm saying is that this is a book that you need to read. It's addictive.

We meet Lenzi, a troubled girl who isn't quite sure what is going on in show more her life. She keeps hearing voices, seeing visions, and the pills just aren't working. However Lenzi isn't the type to back down. I loved that her character was so deep and realistic. No matter how much fear she feels, she is willing to admit it and move forward anyway. It helps, of course, that she has Zak, her sweet and broken boyfriend, to keep her grounded. I fell in love with him almost instantly, despite his cracked interior. The two of them are really sweet together, until cocky and charming Alden comes along. In fact, the more time Lenzi spends around Alden the tougher things get. Do you sense a love triangle? If you do, you are correct. I'm generally not a huge fan of them but honestly? This one is done perfectly and it's delicious (and addictive) to read!

This is a book that will really keep you on your toes as you read. All the emotions in this book are palpable, and I found it so easy to feel what Lenzi was feeling. The emotional aspect of the writing in this book is done so gorgeously, that it just bleeds off the page and into your heart. Although the basic plot of Shattered Souls is rather simple, Mary Lindsey adds in her own twists that will keep you reading well into the night. There are so many beautifully executed clues peppered into the story. By the time I was halfway through I was completely enamored and engaged with the book. There is something for everyone in here. Wit, twists, anger, a slight creep factor. It's all here.

What killed me (and I loved) at the same time, was the ending. I won't spoil it one bit. This is a story you'll need to experience for yourself. I will say that the climax to this book leaves nothing wanting. Except perhaps that you'll want another book. A wonderfully written debut, Shattered Souls is a book that I would (and will once I get my own copy) read a hundred times over. show less