Review: One Two Three, Shatter

One Two Three, Shatter by Joey James Hook

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



ONE TWO THREE, SHATTER is a dark and poignant tale of an abused boy's life through adulthood. It's angsty, thought-provoking and gut-wrenching.

Kaleb Xander's life has been no fairy tale. Abandoned by his mother at the age of 4, he is left to endure the sadistic torture his father and older brother enjoy doling out. His life of pain includes severe beatings with belts, whips and chains, as well as sexual abuse (that is mostly fade to black) and mental abuse. Kaleb's life story is not for the faint of heart, but as a reader, the journey through darkness is definitely worth the discomfort experienced and certainly makes you appreciate living a life free of such extreme suffering.

As a victim of abuse, the lingering effects of a stolen childhood and loss of innocence constantly plagues Kaleb's adult life. Each loving relationship he is involved in is overshadowed with self-doubt – in fear of hurting and being hurt by the ones who are supposed to love him. In his battle to understand what love is, he successfully alienates himself from each lover he encounters, unable to comprehend what positive attributes he could possibly bring to the relationship. As an escape, he succumbs to darkness with a string of destructive behaviors, perhaps the most debilitating of all - his heroin addiction. As a reader, his pattern of self-destruction was, at times, difficult to read but certainly necessary to the story and rewarding in the end.

ONE TWO THREE, SHATTER is a dark, but wonderfully emotional story of perseverance. If you can push through the inhumane scenes in the first few chapters, then this is an awesome book, especially if you are looking for a great read outside the realm of fairy tale romance novels.

✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews and The Romance Reviews.





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