The Shattering (review)

Nestled on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island with breathtaking views and perpetually mild weather, Summerton is about as idyllic as a small town can get; for Keri and Janna, however, its beauty is in stark contrast to their own grief. Both girls lost their beloved older brothers to suicide; Janna's brother took his life nearly ten years ago, while Keri's shot himself just two weeks ago. Sionne, one of the many holiday tourists Summerton sees, shows up with something more than condolences to offer Keri: as the younger brother of another boy who supposedly committed suicide, Sionne has been tracking the mysterious connection between Summerton and suicidal older siblings, and he is pretty sure he has come up with a pattern. While the three friends initially think they are hunting a serial killer, they soon discover that the source of these murders is something much more sinister and that it strikes at the very heart of the town's success. An effective blend of potent realism and supernatural malice makes this one a noted standout in the recent YA trend of sacrificial lambs. The chapters shift focus among the three protagonists, but only Keri's story is told in first person, lending her tale in particular both a sense of suspenseful urgency and genuine heartache for the loss of her brother. The transition from a straight-up whodunit to supernatural mystery occurs nearly seamlessly, helped by the placement of a multitude of clever clues that point toward the inevitable conclusion. Although this isn't quite as gruesome as Yovanoff's The Replacement (BCCB 9/10), readers who tend to believe that nothing good comes without a cost will have their suspicions confirmed here.