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Authors: Melody Carlson

Tags: #Christian Young Reader

Shattered

BOOK: Shattered
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“A choice to deceive her mother leads to devastating consequences for Cleo as her life spirals out of control. Honest and direct, Melody Carlson infuses her words with insight and sensitivity and creates a challenging story that will have teens contemplating the crushing impact of keeping a deadly secret.
Shattered
is a powerful tale of tragedy, grief, and guilt as a young woman journeys through unimaginable pain in search of forgiveness and healing. Highly recommended.”

—REL MOLLET, book reviewer, Relz Reviewz,
www.relzreviewz.blogspot.com

“Shattered
is a powerful story that will bring you to tears. Melody captures the emotions of a girl ridden by guilt and grief after one poor decision. You’ll find a message of hope and redemption that’s riveting and life-changing.”

—SUSAN CHOY, The Reading Mom, Five Star Reviewed Books and MORE

“Shattered
is an unflinching, realistic portrayal of grief, hope, and healing. A must-read for teens”

—KATHLEEN FULLER, author of
A Summer Secret,
A Hand to Hold
, and
The Secrets Beneath

 

 
 

 

NavPress is the publishing ministry of The Navigators, an international Christian organization and leader in personal spiritual development. NavPress is committed to helping people grow spiritually and enjoy lives of meaning and hope through personal and group resources that are biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical.

For a free catalog go to www.NavPress.com
or call 1.800.366.7788 in the United States or 1.800.839.4769 in Canada.

© 2011 by Melody Carlson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from NavPress, P.O. Box 35001, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. www.navpress.com

 

NAVPRESS and the NAVPRESS logo are registered trademarks of NavPress. Absence of ® in connection with marks of NavPress or other parties does not indicate an absence of registration of those marks.

 

ISBN-13: 978-1-60006-949-9

 

Cover design by Faceout Studio,

Charles Brock Cover image by iStockphoto.com

Published in association with the literary agency of Sara A. Fortenberry.

 

Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.

 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Carlson, Melody.

Shattered: a daughter’s regret/Melody Carlson.

p. cm. (Secrets; 2)

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Cleo, feeling guilty that her choices played a role in her mother’s murder, seeks refuge in prescription medication until her Aunt Kellie helps her to tell the truth and find some perspective.

ISBN 978-1-60006-949-9

[1. Death--Fiction. 2. Guilt—Fiction. 3. Drug abuse--Fiction. 4. Grief--Fiction. 5. Aunts--Fiction. 6. Christian life--Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.C216637Sim 2011

[Fic]--dc22

2010037811

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8/15 14 13 12 11

 

O
THER
N
OVELS BY
M
ELODY
C
ARLSON

 

S
ECRETS
Series

 

Forgotten

 

T
RIJE
C
OLORS
Series

 

Bitter Rose

 

Blade Silver

 

Bright Purple

 

Burnt Orange

 

Dark Blue

 

Deep Green

 

Faded Denim

 

Fool’s Gold

 

Harsh Pink

 

Moon White

 

Pitch Black

 

Torch Red

 
 
 
. . . [CHAPTER 1] . . . . . . . . . . . .
 

H
elicopter Mom
is a phrase that must’ve been coined to describe my mom. I am convinced of this. Oh, she would never admit to hovering or overprotecting or smother-mothering me to the point of near asphyxiation. If anyone suggested such a thing, her response would be to flash an effervescent yet innocent smile and say, “It’s simply because I love Cleo so much, and I only get one chance to be a good mom.” And thanks to Mom’s sunny disposition and sweet spirit, most would excuse her bad behavior.

Even I used to excuse her. Like the time she was the only parent to show up at the middle school assembly where ex-cons were talking to students about “stranger danger.” I was a little red-faced then, but I knew she meant well. And after she heard their sincere presentation and was assured that they weren’t actually using the assembly as an opportunity to pick out their next young victims—namely, me—she went home and made brownies. I forgave her then... and many times afterward.

But the older I got, the less tolerant I grew. And now, as a healthy, normal seventeen-year-old girl who wants some independence, here is what I know for sure: If I look over my shoulder, my mom will most likely be there. Lurking somewhere on the sidelines or in the shadows, she will be watching (aka spying) to ensure that “nothing goes wrong in my life.”

It’s not exactly that she doesn’t trust me. It’s just that she’s certain without her constant attention, supervision, intervention, and assistance, my life will be completely derailed by some invisible force intent on destroying me.

“What about prayer and trusting God?” I’ve challenged her from time to time. My mom’s a churchgoing Christian who firmly believes her Bible, and I’m always hoping the faith track might gain me some ground.

“I
do
pray and trust God,” she’s told me. “But I can’t expect him to do everything, Cleo. God gave me the important job of being
your mother
, and that means I look out for your best interests.” And so it goes.

But on a Friday morning in mid-April, I am ready to draw a line in the sand with my mom. After all, I’m nearly eighteen, I’m a senior, and next year I will be going away to college. So I inform her that my best friend, Lola, and I plan to attend a concert this evening.

“What kind of concert?” she asks with a look of alarm.

“A
Christian
concert.” I hope the emphasis on
Christian
will reassure her.

“Oh...” She nods like she’s processing this. “So is it at church then?”

“No... it’s at the Coliseum.”

Her brown eyes get bigger.
“In the city?”


Yes, Mom, as far as I know, the Coliseum is still in the city.”

“How are you getting there?” Her brow creases. “I hoped maybe you’d let me drive Dad’s car.”

She laughs like this is really funny. “Oh, Cleo, you’ve got to be kidding.”

“I’m totally serious.”

“You honestly think I’d let you drive Dad’s car, or any car for that matter,
into the city at night?”

With clenched teeth, I shove my notebook into my bag. I was determined not to lose my temper when I brought up the concert. I wanted to show Mom just how mature I am, how I can be trusted to do something like this. But the truth is, I want to scream right now.

“I suppose I could go with you to the concert,” she says in a sweet tone, like this generous offer is going to make my day.

“Right, Mom.” I scowl at her. “Seriously, you need to get a life.”

BOOK: Shattered
11.34Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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