I enjoyed this book because it was a challenging read that offered a satisfying ending. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book. Libby Brown is not a character I could relate to at the beginning of the story, but by the end, I think she's someone I wouldn't mind meeting and spending some time with. Her transformation is drastic, yet she's still the same person, just a more mature and well-rounded person. Aside from the obvious tragedy Libby has to deal with and overcome, the biggest struggle for her is culture shock. Her reality shifts from being one of the beautiful and privileged of the world, who only has to worry about making her personal dreams come true, to becoming like everyone else- the other, the not so privileged, the marginalized, etc... It's easy to get caught up in how much this character whines about her situation but if the reader is honest with themselves, they will recognize that they too would act the same way if their reality all of a sudden shifted. Whether that be learning how to live with paralysis, or learning how not to live with a lot of money, or learning how to live in a place where you don't speak the language, or learning how to live in a place where the ruling class has a skin color different than yours, etc... it's a challenge to navigate culture/reality shock and find a way to thrive. My main issue with this story was the best friend. She's my favorite character but has a major flaw. To me, she wasn't very realistic. I think if she had shown just one moment of vulnerability, it would have made her so much stronger. I love the fact that she was optimistic and inspirational, but she could have as least said something like, "I wasn't always this way..." If this was in the book, it wasn't significant enough for me to remember. The mystery was a great secondary plot to keep the reader interested when wanting a break from Libby. The ending still has me reeling. I understand that it was for the best, but that's a story I'd like to get more into. The aftermath of that choice would be an interesting book. I can't imagine what it would be like to destroy a family but that's all I'll say. Don't want to give too many spoilers.

Fascinating story about a young woman whose life is changed by one incident. An Olympic level skier who is made into a paraplegic. The story has twists and turns and compelling characters. I couldn't read anything else until I finished. Highly recommended.

C. Lee McKenzie has written a wonderfully inspiring novel about love and resilience. Even if your challenges aren’t as daunting as those faced by the protagonist, you’ll find her story compelling. Five stars--I thoroughly recommend it!

Libby Brown's hopes for Olympic Gold are crushed when her spine is crushed on an incident on the mountain. She must gather all her strength and dig deeper for more to pull her life back together. Yet depression and despair threaten to pull Libby down into a darkness she cannot escape. This was an incredibly powerful and emotional YA contemporary read. There was a little bit of romance and a mystery twisting the plot, but they weren't the focus. It's about a very real and heart moving journey a young woman must make living her new life as a paraplegic. Libby comes into the story as a highly independent and focused person, and while her determination is put to the test in learning how to deal with everything that is going on, she learns some more important lessons of family, forgiveness, and finding strength through others. I think anyone of any age would be moved by this tale, not just young readers.

Fascinating story about a young woman whose life is changed by one incident. An Olympic level skier who is made into a paraplegic. The story has twists and turns and compelling characters. I couldn't read anything else until I finished. Highly recommended.

Libby is a finely-tuned athlete heading for the Olympics when an accident changes everything. Libby has to battle hard to deal with the grief, rage, and despair that grip her following her injury, especially when she discovers it might not have been an accident at all. This book takes the reader on an emotional journey that is well worth traveling. The characters will pull at your heart, make you smile, and cheer. The twists will keep you turning pages. An excellent read!

Shattered takes the kind of situation that seems like it might crush a life and strike fear into anyone, especially, as in this case, an athlete, and turns it into a hopeful story of one girl's struggle to overcome her depression and anger about what has happened to her into a life where she has choices. They're not the choices she starts with, of course, but by the end, her character has undergone a change that will stand her in good stead for life. Moving swiftly from the accident that paralyzes this Olympic standard skier, through a series of other disasters, twists, and turns, Libby becomes someone we would all hope to be. A key factor in this is the new friend she makes, Harley, who is a character a reader can warm to immediately. Libby resists the friendship at first, but soon sees that Harley is pushing her to be her best self. The mystery at the heart of the initial accident is handled well and has an unexpected twist at the end. I kept trying to put the book down to do other things I was supposed to do, but had to pick it up again as it raced to its satisfying conclusion. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC

Libby Brown won my heart and so did her best friend, Harley. I understood how terrible it was for Libby after her fall on the slopes, and I wanted her to find a way to put her life back together. It was gratifying to read her slow, but sure progress back to skiing and so much more. What I liked about this story was that while there was some romance, that wasn't the focus. There was a mystery that I really loved, and was surprised by. Then there was the interaction with all of the characters that was so great. All of this combined to make for a super read.

As a former high level college athlete, this book brought to life one of my biggest fears that haunted me for a very long time. When you are an athlete, just the thought of something happening to you where you can no longer compete in the sport you love is terrifying. This nightmare becomes a reality for our protagonist Libby in Shattered. Libby is 19 an Olympic hopeful skier and just before the trials she is involved in a horrific accident that damaged her spine and leaves her paralized from the waist down. Now that her dreams are no longer in reach, she must find the strength to accept her new world and adapt to this life. I really enjoyed the mystery to this. We are given random chapters called “the arrangement” that give clues to the fact that Libby’s accident wasn’t an accident after all and was actually orchestrated by a rival skier (or was it?) I liked the character growth we see in not just Libby but some of the side characters as well. This story felt real and painful and I honestly was hooked from the first page. The twist ending made my thriller self very happy and in the end this was a really heartwarming story.