Shattered by Melody Carson - REVIEWED

My Thoughts:

“We can’t blame ourselves for things that were beyond our control for a lifetime…we have to accept that we don’t control anyone but ourselves. And we have to account for all the time we lost fretting over those things we can’t control.” (p.172)

How many times do we, as believers, take either credit or blame for things totally beyond our control? And isn’t the idea that we are unwilling to take the blame for something really a disguised longing to control our circumstances? And those of others as well? And when things don’t go the way we wanted or planned, because of the choices we DO make in an effort to control our own circumstances, we attempt to shift the blame somewhere else – anywhere else – to circumvent any pain or unpleasantness.

Sound familiar? Something you’ve done yourself? Well, the familiarity goes back to the down of time. Remember Eve in the Garden? Yeah. That far back. Melody Carlson takes this very basic human condition and creates a very realistic, often true story, of a young lady, Cleo Neilson, and her attempt to both control and blame shift her choices and circumstances. Cleo Neilson’s family is more typical than anyone realizes. And the resulting poor choices are also more common than anyone would like to acknowledge.

Shattered is a masterful look into a very real and growing problem among both youth and adults. Cleo is very fortunate that she is surrounded by people who love her and reach out to her in her time of need. Many who make the same choices are not so blessed – or either they reject the love that is offered to them. Once again, we come back to choices and consequences and the human desire to control both.

Inviting God into our messes, our pain and poor choices is a very hard lesson to learn. Cleo has the opportunity. Will she make a wise choice? Read Shattered and find out! This is an excellent – and frighteningly real – story! Melody Carlson very skillfully tackles a VERY DIFFICULT situation!