“Stephanie Lawton is a writer to watch in the YA genre. Shrapnel kept me turning pages as quickly as I could!”—USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden
"Shrapnel is a dark, twisted ghost story with the richness of a Southern Gothic and a super seductive romance that leaves you dying for more." Jennifer Dee, NovelThoughtsBlog.com
It’s been six years since Dylanie and her family visited a Civil War site and the place came alive with cannon fire. Problem was, no one could hear it but her.
Now she’s sixteen, her dad’s moved out, her mom’s come out of the closet and Dylan’s got a spot on Paranormal Teen, a reality TV show filming at historic Oakleigh Mansion. She’ll spend a weekend with two other psychic teens—Jake and Ashley—learning how to control her abilities.
None of them realized how much their emotional baggage would put them at the mercy of Oakleigh’s resident spirits, or that they’d find themselves pawns in the 150-year-old battle for the South’s legendary Confederate gold. Each must conquer their personal ghosts to face down Jackson, a seductive spirit who will do anything to protect the gold’s current location and avenge a heinous attack that destroyed his family.
14+ for brief violence and sexuality
Excerpt:
On the balcony, heavy night air carries the sounds of crickets and frogs. The ancient railing is solid beneath my fingers but slick from humidity. The wet dog/rotting fish stench of a nearby swamp blows past and rustles the live oaks in the front yard. The leaves are so loud that I almost don’t hear it.
My name—soft, slow and deep.
“Dylanie.”
I jump back from the railing and look around. The hairs on my neck and arms stand on end, but I can’t see the threat. I haven’t sensed a thing in my room since Ashley commandeered ghost boy. Slowly, so I don’t make a sound, I inch forward toward the railing again. Whatever it is, it’s down there in the dark. From the balcony, I’m able to see the front yard, the side of the main part of the house, and a massive live oak. Underneath it stands a man.
It must be Riley or Ward taking a smoke break, but I don’t see the tiny orange glow of a cigarette. It’s too dark to make out details. I swat a mosquito on my bare arm, and that’s when the man turns, looking up at me. Into me. His eyes seem to travel over every inch, memorizing details. Despite the shadows, I know a slow smile of approval spreads across his face and it makes my breathing ragged. I see him with my eyes, but also in my head. I can’t look away. I can’t shut him out. I can’t even move or speak.
“Dylanie,” he drawls, “let me in.”
Invisible fingers caress my cheek and smooth my hair away from my face. My mind races, but my body’s reaction doesn’t match. It’s like they separate from each other. I close my eyes and a feeling of well-being invades.
“Dylanie, please.” His voice comes from far away, soft and warm, like Jake’s would feel if …
“No! Ouch!” For the second time today, I smack my head on part of a window. “Who the hell are you and what do you want? God, you almost had me there.”
He chuckles. “Oh, I intend to.”
In a blink, he’s moved from the base of the gnarled tree to the stone patio beneath me. Despite the landscape lights, he looks solid, not like a spirit at all. No haze, no shapeless black shadow figure. Slowly, so slowly, he raises his head. My legs go weak, and I grip the railing for support. Below me is the hot dark-haired man I saw on the steps when I arrived.
“Dylanie, I ask you again. May I come in?”
My brain screams no, no, no!
“Yes.” It comes out like an exhale, one that’s been trapped inside the air-tight cage that is my pathetic life. It feels good to say yes to something unapproved and maybe even dangerous.
Another blink and he’s on the balcony with me. Shit. This close, it’s obvious he’s not much older than me, maybe a few years. He’s the most human, solid-looking spirit I’ve ever encountered—if that’s what he is.
“Go ahead,” he says, reading my mind.
“What?”
“Touch me. You want to. Go ahead.” He reaches out his hand, palm up. I shrink back. This is crazy! It isn’t possible. I mean, Agnes and I communicated, but not like this. And she certainly never looked at me like that. The realization is a slap in the face.
I set my jaw. “You know what? I will. You don’t scare me.”
He laughs again. “It is not my intent to scare you. Quite the opposite.”
I take a deep breath and slip my hand into his. Instead of feeling cold and slithery, like a snake, it’s warm and dry. So real.
“Do you know why I have chosen you, Dylanie Reid?”
Whoa, wait a minute. “Chosen me?”
He tugs on my hand and pulls me in close. He whispers in my ear, though no warm breath tickles my skin. “Because you are brave. A fighter. I admire that in a woman, and I want you on my side. I have secrets to share with you, but I must know you are loyal to me. Can I trust you?”
My insides tighten. His intense gaze makes it hard to think, and on some level, I know this can’t be happening. But it is. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“Perhaps not, but I know who you are. The moment you looked into my eyes this morning, I learned your undisclosed desires and your greatest fears. I know you love your little sister and the way she looks up to you. You are more scared of life than you let on. You allow others to believe you have seen and done it all, when you are as innocent as the day you were born. You want to be loved, yet you are afraid to relinquish control.”
“What the f—”
He places a ghostly finger over my lips. “You want the same things everyone else does, but you refuse to admit it, even to yourself. I know all these things. I know you, and I want to help. All you have to do is let me.”
“Who is me? What’s your name?”
“Call me Jackson.”
“Look, Jackson, I don’t need help.” I take a step back but he holds tight.
“Ah, but you do. And so do I.”
“I knew there was a catch. Even dead people always want something from you.”
“That’s human nature, Dylanie, but I assure you, your reward will be much greater than my request.”
“Which is?”
“In time, sweetheart. I’ll explain in time. But first, let me demonstrate what it is I can do for you.”
His all-too-real hands tip my head to the side and he leans in.
I have my first kiss.
With a ghost.
Bought this book to read on my own and liked it enough that I ended up getting a class set for my Southern Fiction class. My students were intrigued from the first couple of pages and are hoping it will be made into a movie-quite a compliment from high school kids! Lawton weaves together accurate history along with fiction and supernatural elements to craft a very good, high interest story.
This is the second YA novel I have read by Ms. Lawton, and like the first, SHRAPNEL is a five star, page-turning, keep you up into the wee hours, kick-ass story! Dylanie sees ghosts. And not the sheet-flying kind--the green-eyed, jaded, hot male kind! When her mom gets a spot for Dylanie on a reality TV show that focuses on teens with similar abilities, no one expects what goes on behind the scenes. This story is sexy, spooky, chilling, and the author has such an authentic teenage voice, I'm sure her muse is sixteen. I enjoyed this story immensely and highly recommend it. Bravo, Ms. Lawton!
I hate reality shows, but if there was one that really featured the characters--both living and dead--in this book, I'd be glued to the TV every time it was on! Just as it is in the real world, it's what's going on behind the scenes in this book that's the real story, and it's deliciously dark and spooky, tantalizingly sexy, funny, and heart wrenching from one page to the next. The main characters are all different and unusual in their own quirky way, and even the peripheral characters are fun and three dimensional. I guess if I had to pick one thing I loved the most about this book it would be the kickass heroine, Dylanie. She will grab your heart from the beginning, but don't try to get sappy with her or anything or she's liable to slap you upside the head. And she gets away with it because she's just that awesome. This is the second book I've read by Stephanie Lawton and both have, hands down, one of the most spot-on YA voices I've ever read. This lady is a talented writer, and I look forward to her future books.
Read this story in one sitting. It's wildly fun and grabs you from the first page, and drives forward like a frieght train. If you want to read something with flavor, real flavor, do yourself a favor and pick up this leather and lace princess.
I read this book in one sitting. The author's voice is fantastic. Shrapnel is written from three different points of view and each one is different and separate from the other, with its own genuine voice. The plot moved along quickly and kept me immersed in the story. Dylan's my favorite character. I like her spunk! I picked up this book because I love books about the paranormal and psychics. After reading it, I will have to pick up her other novel as well!
Dylanie isn't like most teens. She can see ghosts so her mom got her on the show Paranormal Teen. This show helps teen psychics control their special abilities. So Dylanie along with Jake and Ashley get to spend a weekend at on old house that was involved in the Civil War. What they didn't expect was that the spirits there still have some unfinished business... I am not usually a fan of book where you switch from one narrator to another but I have to say that it didn't bother me in the slightest with this book. The characters were so well devolved that you could clearly `hear' their voices when it was their turn to talk. The plot was pretty fast moving and still easy to keep up with. If you are looking for a new YA Paranormal novel that has a bit of mystery and romance this is the book for you! I totally enjoyed it and am looking forward to seeing what this author writes next!
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