BOOK REVIEW | The Protected by Claire Zorn

Title: The Protected
Author: Claire Zorn
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: 23/7/2014
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher - UQP
Star Rating: 4 stars
GOODREADS

Synopsis -->
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.


THIS, my friends, is how you write a YA novel focusing on a serious topic.
Claire Zorn is definitely an author to watch. I read her debut, The Sky So Heavy, in less than 24 hours and immediately after finishing it, I picked up this book because I couldn't get enough of Zorn's realistic and raw characters. 

The Protected is about Hannah and how her and her family are torn apart by the loss of Hannah's older sister. It also realistically portrays horrific bullying, family troubles, panic attacks and the reality of being an outcast in high school. I am honestly blown away by Claire Zorn's ability to write so realistically. 

What I absolutely adored about this novel is that it doesn't have your typical YA instalovey bullcrap that makes Hannah magically okay again. Yes, she meets a guy, but he's her friend and he helps her just by being there for her. Sure, they'll probably get married in like 12 years, but at this point in time when the novel is set, THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT. What's important is Hannah's mental health and overcoming her guilt and her grief, overcoming years of horrific bullying and a year of having a mother completely disappear into herself and an injured father who can't remember anything that happened on the day they lost Katie. 

My only complaint about this novel is that I wanted more, but I think this has more to do with me, not the book. The book ended beautifully, but personally, a lot of the time I crave more of the characters that I've grown to love. 

Definitely go and check out The Sky So Heavy AND this book, because Claire Zorn is definitely an author to watch! She has a new book coming out soon and yOU BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR I'LL BE DEVOURING IT ASAP.