cover image Shattered Dreams

Shattered Dreams

Ellie James. St. Martin’s Griffin, $9.99 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-312-64702-5

James, the author (under another name) of 15 romantic suspense novels for the adult market, makes her YA debut with a story that is big on shocking revelations to the detriment of plot development or emotional growth for the characters. First in the Midnight Dragonfly series, the book is narrated by 16-year-old Trinity Monsour, who was raised in an isolated Colorado cabin by her paternal grandmother. When Gran dies, Trinity is taken in by her youthful aunt Sara in New Orleans. Trinity has been meticulously shielded from any knowledge of her family, especially her mother, but she’s visited by dreams of her dead parents and waking visions of horrific events—just as her mother was. When a classmate with a grudge gets caught up in a scenario Trinity has “seen,” the cops are suspicious, and even Trinity’s boyfriend, Chase, pulls away. The New Orleans clichés are laid on thick, and although it’s a page-turner for a while, watching James dispatch one plot twist after another becomes frustrating long before the end. Ages 12–up. (Dec.)