Review: Shackled by Tom Leveen

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Rating: 3 Stars

Sixteen-year-old Pelly has a master plan. After years of therapy, medication, and even a stint in a mental hospital, she’s finally ready to re-enter the world of the living. Pelly has been suffering from severe panic attacks ever since her best friend, Tara, disappeared from a mall six years ago.

And her plan seems to be working, until an unkempt girl accompanied by an older man walks into the coffee shop where she works. Pelly thinks she’s seen a ghost, until the girl mouths “help me” on the way out, and Pelly knows she’s just seen Tara.

Too shocked to do anything, Pelly helplessly watches Tara slip away again as she steels herself against a renewed spiral of crippling anxiety. But rather than being overcome by anxiety, Pelly feels more energized than she has in years. Determined to track down enough evidence to force the police to reopen Tara’s file, Pelly’s master plan takes a turn for the dangerous.

Pelly decides she cannot be shackled by her past—and the anxiety, fear, and grief that comes with it—any longer if she wants to save Tara. But in seeking answers through whatever means necessary, she’ll come face-to-face with true evil. And not all the shackles are in her head... (Goodreads)

I liked what this book was trying to do. I really did. Pelly had some issues after she witnessed her best friends kidnapping... well sort of. Then she thinks she sees her kidnapped friend and spends the entire book trying to find her. Great, good, got it. Sadly the book fell a bit short. I understand that Pelly was upset about what happened to her friend, but I feel like something was missing. The girl smokes, she doesn't go to a real school, she wont leave the house at night, and all of this because her friends disappeared 10 years before. It's serious but, the book didn't do a good enough job of making me care all that much. Not to mention Pelly was freaking ridiculous. I didn't like her at all. She ropes her coworker into helping her look for Tara. He obviously likes her, but why. I have no freaking clue. Pelly is straight up rude, granted she also realizes that she's rude, but that's not the point. 

I can't say much about the book except it's a great read for a reluctant reader, although, an older kid because of a thing that happens. It's a short book that moves quickly but it's not that great.