I read Boy Shattered when it was first released as an ebook back in 2018 and I absolutely loved it. Getting to listen to the great performance of the audiobook by Tristan Josiah brought it all back to me and I loved it all over again. It’s the first audiobook that I’ve listened to by Tristan and I think he did a great job.

Two years after reading the ebook I still don’t know how to put into words how this story made me feel. So, the only thing I can really do is to say again what I said when I reviewed the e-book. Excerpts from my original review are below.

I don’t even know how to start to review such a moving story. I knew from the minute I read the blurb for the book that I had to read it – and, I knew it would tear me up. While the events that happened are horrifying the story ultimately ended up being uplifting to me. They survived, they fell in love and they eventually got on with their lives although they were changed forever.

I don’t really see how I can say any more without giving too much away. I’ll just say that Boy Shattered was a very compelling story. I applaud Eli Easton for taking on what had to be a very emotional task; I doubt that telling this story was easy. The poetry she wrote for Brian’s character was also very moving and wonderful. Bravo! Five well deserved stars.

Reviews for Eli Easton

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“Yup.” I almost said bullet dodged. But the words stuck in my throat. You don’t realize how many idioms have to do with guns or being shot until you’ve, well, been shot. Stupid English language.

Landon’s gaze kept meeting mine, then he’d look away again, then he’d look back into my eyes.

I grabbed the top of the railing and twisted my hands around it, just to keep from reaching out for him. God, I’d missed him. We’d been spending so much time together, it felt unnatural being apart. Like missing a limb. But now that we were together, there was a tension between us that was almost unbearable.

Unbearable. I don’t think that word means what you think it means.

I knew what I wanted, but it was complicated. It was like the potential thing between us was a polyhedron in shape. No matter what angle I tried to approach it from, there were all these pointy bits that looked dangerous. Would he want to be with me if I was closeted? Was it rude to even suggest such a half-assed deal? What if it screwed up our friendship?

Did he want me as much as I wanted him? ’Cause I did want him. So much it hurt. I looked at him, and I’d never seen anyone so breathtakingly beautiful in my life.

“What?” Landon asked with a puzzled smile.

“Nothing.”

He cleared his throat and took out his phone. Probably checking his Twitter account.

“More new followers?”

He put the phone away guiltily. “Sorry. Just feeling restless.”

“I don’t mind.”

“No, I wanna be with you. I spend too much time on that thing anyway.” His Adam’s apple bobbed after he said it, like he’d given too much away, crossed a line. There was an embarrassed spark in his eyes and an anxious lick of his lips that told me he was as nervous as I was.

This wasn’t flirting. It was, like, denial of flirting. Antiflirting. Which was much more telling, really. I was disconcerting Landon Hughes. Now that was something.

I leaned into him slowly, coat arm to coat arm. He tensed instead of pulling away, so he could hold me up. I turned my head to look at him and gave him a slow smile.

“What?” he said, his gaze darting to mine for just a moment.

“You’re warm.”

He chuckled nervously. Then he looked at me for real. His brow furrowed. He brought up his hand, cold without a glove, and brushed his thumb under my eyes. “Not sleeping again?”

“Cousins,” I lied. “Stayed up too late.”

“Ah.”

I went to pull his hand down, because I was tired of being the invalid. I wanted him to touch me, but not like that. I would have held on to his hand too. But he moved before I could, stepping back. “I’m freezing my butt off. Wanna go back?”

“Wimp.”

“You know it. I prefer my balls room temperature.”

I laughed. “Oh really?”

“Shut up.” Landon smirked.

He shoved me, and I shoved him, and we went back to his house.