Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Boy Shattered by Eli Easton

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Boy Shattered

"Writing about a high school shootings is such a serious subject, and it would have been easy to give it a huge amount of angst that could feel like exploitation. Eli Easton did a great job of writing this story about these two boys and their relationship and emotions, their community and classmates, and their parents. By keeping the story focused on the characters, it feels real and emotional, but not overdone."

"I could not put this book down. A great story. Terrific engaging characters. Contemporary subject matter handled well."

Popular athlete Brian had everything until a school shooter nearly killed him. He survived the massacre with the help of a hero—his classmate Landon, who faced death to help others… and who is openly gay. Brian might be alive, but he can’t face his fears or move on, especially since the shooters were never caught. He’s falling apart, and he can only reach for Landon and hope Landon will take his hand a second time.

Landon did what anyone would do when he found Brian dying on the cafeteria floor. He doesn’t think of himself as a hero, but he’s ready to take a stand against the gun violence tearing apart the lives of young people—people like Brian, who returned to school a shadow of the happy, outgoing quarterback Landon used to admire. Brian still needs him, and as their friendship grows and deepens, wounds might begin to heal. The bond they share could lead a new start for them both.

Only the terror that visited Jefferson Waller High School isn’t over yet.