(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)

This was a contemporary story about a girl whose sister died in a car accident.

I felt really sorry for Hannah, firstly because of the bullying she had been through, secondly for losing her sister the way she had, and thirdly for the impact of the accident on her life.

The storyline in this book was about Hannah coming to terms with the death of her sister, and also beginning to remember what had happened before the accident, and wondering if her father was at fault which was difficult for her. We got a bit of flirtation between Hannah and a boy at school who was the only person who would speak to her, and he slowly bought Hannah out of her shell.

The ending to this was a little bittersweet.

I swapped my kindle back in 2018 and am unable to recover this title. I appreciate the opportunity that was given for review but sadly can't complete it for this title. Many thanks.

A short sweet story about how to experience the death of a sibling. The whole books is an interesting read.

Hannah's sister is dead and her family is coming apart. Alone, suffering, grieving and being bullied, how will Hannah cope? Word of warning, you will probably cry. So. Much. Pain! Seriously, who is protecting Hannah? I was mad, I was sad, I hurt for her. I hurt for others like her. Hannah winds up with a friend, and she is on a journey to heal. The ending is very sudden for this book, but I felt that it really covered a great deal of bullying and pain. Almost a 13 reasons kind of story.

My copy came from Net Galley. My review is my own, left of my choosing.

I was crying off and on during most of this read. The author is masterful in setting the tone both for Hannah herself and those around her. The descriptions of her home and family made me feel like I was living there with her. I highly recommend this one.

A powerful book. There is such rawness in the trauma and the reaction to horrific events that would have left anyone suffering. This book deals with all the consequences - mental health, isolation and loneliness, potential bullying - in a very honest way. The writing is easy to read as if to balance some of the harsh topics that Protected covers.

This novel scooped me up, embraced me, made me cry, ripped my heart out a little, and then sat me down gently with a pat on the back. Protected by Claire Zorn was everything you can imagine it would be and more.

Protected followed the story of Hannah as she copes with life after the sudden and tragic death of her sister Katie. Not only is she trying to deal with a new found freedom that doesn’t involve any school bullying, no one will come near her since Katie died, but she also has to juggle with her loss of memory, her deteriorating family, and her mixed emotions about her own life and who she wants to be.

Zorn reminds me a lot of Sarah Dessen in her writing style. She has this uncanny grasp of teenage life and emotions. Obviously she was one at a point, but the way she writes out the emotions and their personalities is so realistic and helps me relate to them because I feel like I understand them more. I loved Hannah as a whole. She was so raw and emotional, but also brave without even realizing it. I enjoyed the way supporting characters played a big role, but in a subtle and non-compromising way. I feel like this story would not have been as powerful without those background voices.

Protected is ripped down to the bone of emotions that will leave readers raw and asking for more. I found myself wanting to know more of Hannah’s story. This novel didn’t leave on a cliffhanger, but left you showing her continuing with life and I love that. It’s reality. Life goes on. Hannah’s story is so much longer than these pages, but we got to see a big glimpse of it and I wish she were real so I could give her a hug. Claire Zorn wrote me a new friend and that level of connection with a book is hard to accomplish.

A fantastic piece of work from Zorn that anyone who has been through tragedy or any kind of crisis should pick up. It may not be a feel good book throughout, but it leaves you feeling good at the end.

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Protected

#partner I received this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This is a powerful young adult book. Hannah is in a car crash with her Dad and older sister. Her Dad now walks with crutches and her sister is no longer alive. Previous to the car crash Hannah was the joke of the class while her sister Kate was gorgeous, popular, and confident in a way Hannah couldn’t even pretend to be. After the crash everyone walks on egg shells around her and no one teases her anymore. Did she wish for this?

This book deals with bullying, death, loneliness, mental health, counseling, and divorce. Hannah has a lot of guilt. Is it possible that she wished for school to change and her sister’s death was the payment? Can she ever trust other kids her age after the terrible things they used to do to her? Will her parents be able to stay together through this? Does Josh actually want to hang out with her or is it all a joke that will come crashing down on her?

I wish I could check back in on Hannah a year later and see how she is doing - that’s a sign of a great character. I’m hopeful for her future!

Perhaps the best book I have ever read on grief from a young adults point of few was Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume. This one is a close second. Grief from a teen's point of view can be a tough subject to tackle. There is a fine line between making it over the top and making it too distant. Zorn found the balance and made it believable. Kids handle grief differently and in a way, I think they are much more resilitant than we are. My best friend lost her father when we were seniors in high school, I lost mine 8 years later and we handled it drastically different, which although our personailities were different, I think the age had a lot to do with it.

One of the things I sometimes struggle with when reading YA novels is identifing with how things are now. I am 40 years old, so its been a WHILE. Although my memories of high school are still fresh in my mind, Zorn does a fantastic job of really making us "older readers" understand and practically relate to what is happening in school. I also thing this is one of the more realistic portrayal of high school.
Being a little old school, it is harder for me to identify bullies, but there was one scene when something was stolen that brought me right back to high school.

Over all, I thought this was a great read. Zorn has a natural gift and her characters were REAL characters.

The kids at school bully Hannah until the death of her older sister Katie. After the accident, the bullies leave Hannah alone. But Hannah still feels the impact of the years of bullying as well as the pain of not being protected by Katie. Over the course of the novel, Hannah works to remember the details of the accident along with explaining to her therapist the details of the prior bullying.

My actual rating would be 3.5 stars if I could do half stars on NetGalley. I'm willing to round-up to 4 stars however as I think Protected is a good young adult/teen book about grief and loss of a family member. This is a very quick read that doesn't disappoint.

When I was a child the book I first read about grief and lost was Tiger Eyes from Judy Blume. Protected reminded me a lot of that book as it takes a difficult topic and breaks it down to just what our lead gal thinking and feeling. That's it. No fancy philosophy or over-the-top statements (no John Green here!). Our lead gal has complex thoughts of course that are scattered; but by having the story from her internal monologue Claire Zorn allows the reader to immediately connect.

Characters
Zorn has done a terrific job of immediately getting across to the readers that we are leading with a typical high school setting. Whether it be the typical popular 'clone' girl or the cute new boy in class, Zorn has laid out personalities that are slightly cliche but have their own nuances and feel like real people. Things like even the crappiest bully of all having moments of sympathy (just like in real life) or the best of intentions boy making a huge emotional mistake. These types of moments are very genuine and help remind us all that no one person is all good or all bad. We just are who we are as we try to exist in society.

Atmosphere
One thing I think is critical in contemporary teen novels is atmosphere. It's important to have the reader feel the anxiety, distress, grief, longing, excitement, etc. of a teen. Those of us (like myself) who were teens sometime ago can easily forget what it's like to feel like a teenager (I'm 35 now) and I think Zorn does a good job of connecting the reader to what our lead gal is feeling. This is also obviously critical in a story about the loss of a family member.

Accurate Bullying
During one scene, in which a backpack is 'stolen', I felt like a teen once again. The passive way that Zorn describes the bullying that happens to our lead gal is superb. I can honestly say that something very similar to the 'backpack incident' happened to me in high school and I felt like I was back while I read Zorn's words. It's difficult to really portray bullying in a way that makes you understand that the person being bullied knows what should or shouldn't happen and what they should or shouldn't do but that they are terrified to do anything for fear of further retribution. Zorn really captured this in a realistic and genuine way. This scene is easily the best bullying scene I've read in a contemporary book in a long time. That may be because it's so close to my own experience; but I believe it's because it's so well written.

Overall
I would happily purchase this book for anyone experiencing grief of a family member or someone close to them; be they an adult or child. The way that our lead gal is affected by those around her is important for everyone to remember when dealing with others grief and even for dealing with our own. Certainly any parent can gather some tips on what not to do from Mom and Dad at points; and also maybe what might connect with a teen. Not everyone experiences grief the same way (and I think that is portrayed well in Protected) The different kinds of grief portrayed in Protected are honest, well crafted, thought-out and impactful. I'm glad to have read Protected and look forward to suggesting it alongside Tiger Eyes (which is dated by technology). They are both solid contemporary teen resources on grief that are easy to read but still moving and impactful.

I understand that this was about grief and coping about something terrible that happens in a family. Especially when a family member dies. But I got so confused about why I was reading about a girl who died and just seemed like a really horrible person to her little sister. Then there was loose ties around the whole dad thing and whether it was an accident or not. It was just a meh book. There are much better books about grief

*thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.
Such a good, fast read. It only took me a few hours. It's a sad story about a girl, Hannah, who is bullied at school and then losses her sister. Her friendship with her best friend Charlotte, is also ending. The bullying is so heart felt. I was bullied all through primary school from day 1 so to read this was, quite emotional. I was able to feel for the character deeper and just wish I could help her. I am so so glad that she had a friend in Josh. I really liked his nickname for her. It was cute. Hannah is a sensitive sweet girl who struggles with her grief and trying to get through each day with her mother who is trying to cope with her own grief. Her mother is so lost in herself, she's not there for Hannah when Hannah needs her the most. Her Dad is also just trying to cope and it takes its toll on her parents that thoughts of them getting a divorce are on her mind. Something she definitely does not need on top of everything else. This so well written you can't help but ache for the characters who are suffering. This is definitely worth your time to read.

Hannah lives with her mother and father. The three of them are mourning Katie, Hannah’s sister. Katie, Hannah and their father were in a car accident and Katie did not survive. Hannah struggles with having friends and fitting in at school, just as she did before Katie’s fatal accident. Hannah and Katie have very different personalities and their lives unfold as the story is told. I like Josh and his sense of humor and adventurous spirit. He helps Hannah loosen up and she learns to enjoy life. The heartbreak of loss and the pain of overcoming that loss seem unbearable and Hannah and her family fight to move forward and beyond the pain. This book holds the messages of bullying, grieving and also the importance of relationships. 5 stars for this realistic fiction story!
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review Protected by Claire Zorn.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Ooof I wanted to give this 4 stars but honestly the fact that though this book is set in Australia and was written by an Australian author yet included so many American-isms was really problematic-
they really stood out to me whilst reading and it was honestly a little disappointing- I'm a huge fan of the LoveOzYA movement and this book acted like it was a little ashamed of being Australian (the middle/elementary school terms and the Fahrenheit instead of Celsius was for me particularly rough).

That aside, this book was sad and lovely. You just needed Hannah to get a few wins, I was totally on her team and found her growing relationship with Josh super sweet and charming. Same with her interactions with her dad (who honestly sounds like such a wonderful parent tbh) and her counsellor and Jensen- just people supporting her was so wholesome after reading all the other bullshit she had to go through.

Hannah was viciously bullied by her high school classmates.
Then her older sister, Katie, died in a car crash and it was as if Hannah was suddenly invisible - now everyone ignores her.
Lonely and with the anniversary of Katie's death approaching, Hannah could really use a friend - enter Josh Chamberlain.
Will Hannah's family tear itself apart?
Is Josh sincere in his attempts to befriend Hannah?

Protected was an emotional read.
I felt so sorry for Hannah - not only was she tormented by her classmates who were awful to her, but then her sister died, sending fractures throughout her family. Hannah was a nice girl and I had my fingers crossed that she would make some friends.
It was refreshing to read a book set in Australia for a change.
I liked the lists that were at the beginning of some of the chapters.
The plot was interesting and I liked that romance wasn't a huge part of the story (books with this theme usually have a lot of romance in, so it was a bit of a relief that this one didn't).
The writing style was easy to follow and held my attention.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Loss, guilt, and bullying: each a heavy topic suitable for commanding their own stories, but Claire Zorn does a remarkable job at covering each with sensitivity and courage in her newest published book, Protected (Oct. 3, 2017, Sourcebooks Fire).
Hannah McCann is chosen as the ‘it’ girl to bully in her grade, and she feels like no one, not even her older, popular sister, will take her side. She’s resigned to putting up walls and trying to hide her loneliness from her family and the world. That is until, all at once, the bullying stops because of one fatal accident. Her sister, Katie, dies.
Hannah must navigate the guilt, loss, and loneliness she feels after the loss of her sister. Zorn weaves a remarkably authentic journey for Hannah, giving us a peek into the mind of this wounded girl. Readers get to first experience the heavy burden Hannah carries because of Katie’s death and then, through a series of seamlessly woven memories, we see just how this tragedy occurred. I wanted to find out if Hannah could ever recover from such a loss.
I thought about Hannah and her struggle when I had to put the book down to ‘do life.’ I wanted to get back to her story as soon as I could, which has been a rare occurrence in the books I’ve read lately.

Wow! As a current middle school teacher and previous student myself, I can say with great certainty that this author has captured the essence of the bullying epidemic. This book not only tackles the conflicting emotions and stages of dealing with the loss of a close relative, but also the emotions experienced and demonstrated behaviors of a teen coping with a bullying situation. The narrative unfolds at a natural speed which is easy to comprehend. Maybe used in the right context, this novel could help with the war against bullies.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Heartrendingly real while still giving you hope to cling to. It is not a very long story but it leaves a lasting impression. I really liked the dynamics between the sisters showing that it wasn't perfect. It was also refreshing to have the friendship not develop into a romance and take away from the story. It was just a friendship for someone who really needed one.