Claire Zorn’s Newest Fan: A Review of The Protected #AWW2016

Release Date: July 23rd 2014.

Publisher: University of Queensland Press. (UQP)

Source: Gift (and what a great gift it was 🙂 )

 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

I have three months left to call Katie my older sister. Then the gap will close and I will pass her. I will get older. But Katie will always be fifteen, eleven months and twenty-one days old.

Hannah’s world is in pieces and she doesn’t need the school counsellor to tell her she has deep-seated psychological issues. With a seriously depressed mum, an injured dad and a dead sister, who wouldn’t have problems?

Hannah should feel terrible but for the first time in ages, she feels a glimmer of hope and isn’t afraid anymore. Is it because the elusive Josh is taking an interest in her? Or does it run deeper than that?

In a family torn apart by grief and guilt, one girl’s struggle to come to terms with years of torment shows just how long old wounds can take to heal.

My Thoughts:

5 stars.

Now I see why so many people love Claire Zorn novels. The Protected was brilliant. I was quickly drawn into Hannah’s world and held captive there. Her voice was strong, her pain so real and my heart broke for her.

Hannah is dealing with the pain of her sister’s death. It has been almost a year and the pain is still fresh. Once relentlessly bullied, now everyone leaves her alone. With her Dad dealing with his own injuries, and her mum suffering depression, Hannah feels all alone in the world.
Until Josh, the new boy, is determined to be her friend. He makes her see that maybe she is likeable after all and not as alone as she thought. I loved Josh and loved the slow build of their friendship. He was persistent, and slowly cracked through Hannah’s walls. He was as real and vivid as Hannah and they were perfect together.

The Protected was a gut-wrenching read. Hannah endures so much. There is so much sadness but there is hope too. Life has been bad, but it ends with a promise that life is getting better. It is a must read for any YA fan. I cannot recommend it enough. Now I want to go and read Claire’s other books, after this one, I am sure they will not disappoint.

*May be a trigger for someone who has experienced bullying, and someone who has lost a sibling.

You can add it to your Goodreads HERE.

 

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