[Review] Shasm

3.5
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I’m not saying I didn’t like it, because I absolutely did. What I am saying is that this is one hell of a mind fuck and I loved the mental challenge. I think I was supposed to be confused, but I’m not sure. It reminds me of the movie Inception (you know the one with Leo).  I guess my biggest qualm about this novel is the fact that I still don’t know what’s what! The more I think about it I swear, the less I know! So I’d definitely like to give congratulations to Shari Ryan, for stumping me completely.  

The novel itself is absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t trust my own thoughts. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m a control freak, I have OCD, and may be a just a little anal retentive. This novel made me lose my damn mind. I do consider that a good thing, since that was the whole point. I like to challenge myself and my mental capabilities to every possibility I can, leaving a  love/hate relationship with storylines like this one.

The main character Chloe has a mental disorder that closely resembles schizophrenia. I’ve got a thing for delving into the matters of the psyche. Why? I couldn’t tell you – but I find the human mind fascinating, which utterly interested me in this novel. Did you mention mental disorders? SIGN ME UP!  I’ll tell you though, I definitely sympathized for Chloe. Her mom was just such a bitch. I mean the abuse, both mental and physical is just ridiculous. I mean I get being a control freak, but my lord. This woman needs to be knocked down a peg or ten. 

I love the idea of the day dreams that are called “drifts”.  I loved these parts of the books because you get to see Chloe happy. She meets Alex, another drifter, as I will call him. At first I thought he was just part of HER dream. Then you find out that he’s not just a part of her dream, he’s in his own dream with his own mental disorder. Whaaaaaaaaat!?! I know right.  So I guess you can call these alternate realities? Their drifts intertwine and mingle with one another.  Crazy. 

I got really confused quite a few times, since they hop between eras. The plot in itself was a little hard to understand, but that was the whole point… so I went along with the flow of things and tried my hardest not to over analyze. I got lost when Chloe was lost, and it made me really feel as if I was taking this journey inside her head with her.  The characters were very relatable and superbly written. I’m honestly glad I had a chance to read this. Shari Ryan is an exquisite writer with a knack for some amazing original storylines. I truly can’t wait to see what she puts out next, and I believe that her writing can only get better.

I got the impression that there will be a sequel to this novel, and if there is – awesome. I will definitely read it so that I can find out what happened and what’s going to happen… and maybe a bit of what is currently happening! Again, I can’t get over the concept of this novel. It’s completely blown my mind. If you’re looking for a psychological book that will take you for an ultimate confusion ride, this is most definitely your book.  An excellent novel that brings tears, anger, joy, love, and just a cluster of crazy to the reader’s eyes.  I don’t want to tell you any of the revelations in the novel, because then it would ruin it for you. What I can tell you is – You should read this.