As a high school librarian, I read lots of different YA titles. I could not get into this story and don't know that it would be a great addition to my library. Thanks for letting me review it.

Trigger Warning for bullying, including homomisia/transmisia

*Spoilers Within*

Protected has a lot to talk about in its run time. There's bullying, grief, and traumatic events. The book examines these from Hannah's point of view and through that the reader witnesses how not everyone will react the same after an event like the one that killed Katie, Hannah's sister. Not everyone is brought to justice and sometimes, justice is more complicated than right/wrong, black/white.

There are a lot of strong feelings in this book, depending upon who you're looking at in a given scene. Hannah has a lot of sadness and a lot of anger, stemming from the bullying forced upon her and from the after effects of the car accident that changed her family.

Hannah's mother sinks into a deep depression after the death of her elder daughter, but there's also anger toward her husband, the driver of the car carrying her daughters and himself, but there's also frustration toward Hannah, the only witness to the accident from that perspective. She wants to know what happened, who's to blame, and since Hannah initially blocks out the traumatic event, her feelings turn against her husband and inward toward herself.

There are some slightly removed influences, such as Nanna (Hannah's maternal grandmother) and Mrs. Van (the next door neighbor), that are affected by the tragedy but have different opinions of grief than the core family does. While Katie's immediate family is encapsulated by her death, and the fact that her father is being tried as culpable in the accident, Nanna and Mrs. Van encourage moving forward and not becoming forever entrenched in their grief.

There's a conflicting emotion that arose in this book, I think, with regards to Katie and we see this in what Hannah goes through and the flashbacks to the funeral, to school after the accident, and the scenes Hannah reflects upon of the two of them growing up. When someone dies, there's this thing that happens that causes people in and around the situation to wipe clean the sins of the dead person and I could see it happening with Katie and the people that tormented Hannah.

Every interaction I had with Katie when she was alive and when Hannah "saw" her ghost beside her lead me to the conclusion that Katie was not a nice person. She was horrible to her sister and she lied a lot, both to her parents and Jensen, the person she was dating shortly before her death. However, at the funeral in particular, the people that had bullied Hannah and even those that had never been friends with Katie, were acting like she was a saint. It was a very sad occasion, of course, but what is it that makes mean people suddenly so kind after they're gone?

Hannah's experience, dealing with the changes of her world after the death of her sister, the fact that she'll have to testify at a hearing in which her father is being prosecuted for the accident, and in who she is now that the bullying has subsided but never fully addressed, was an emotionally fraught experience. I could feel a sickness in my stomach when people were confronting her, the worry and anxiety she had that the bullying would pick back up again. It was terrifying, written very well, and made the characters very real rather than flimsy background people.

The bullying aspect of this was, as I mentioned, sickening, but I think the worst part about it is that it's never resolved, not really. Hannah misses school for a day and is being driven there the next day following some particularly horrible bullying event when the car accident occurs. After Katie's death, it's like Hannah becomes off limits. While I'm glad that she was at least left alone following a traumatic event, the Clones (the main perpetrators of the bullying) are never punished. No teacher ever finds out that they're the ones that tormented Hannah, no one ever confronts them. Even Katie, before her death, never helped her sister because she was more interested in maintaining the image she had crafted before Hannah advanced to her school. It was intense and saddening and, thinking about it now, probably entirely too true. How many victims are there every day who are never given any justice?

A lot of contemporaries that I've read have had a romantic aspect to it and this one didn't, which I appreciated so much. Josh, the character mentioned in the synopsis that might bring Hannah some hope, doesn't fill that stereotypical romantic interest role. He's a bit off putting at first and Hannah even worries that he's acting nice as part of some larger act. I wasn't sure how I felt about him because he did have a few annoying moments, but overall he turned out to be what Hannah needed most: a friend. They may become involved in the future, but for the course of the story their relationship was what it needed to be.

There is no real happy ending to this book. Some things are resolved, some things are not. I didn't like some of those details, but it reflected real life more than I realized until I reflected upon it. Hannah's life may still be difficult, it will always be affected by the actions of her sister, her peers, and the after effects of losing her sister, but there is a spark of hope that comes not only from the people supporting her, but from the strength she finds within herself to endure.

Pro: So. Many. Feels. I knew this would be emotional, but it was more than I expected.

Pro: The story structure employed by Zorn was well used. The places where she chose to flip between the past and the present seem carefully selected, and added to the over all tension and mystery in the story.

Con: Katie was a huge disappointment. There were so many times she could have redeemed herself, but didn't. I was disappointed in Charlotte too, but I think I was supposed to feel this way about both these characters.

Pro: I really felt like Zorn dug deep into the strained relationship between Katie and Hannah. It was raw and honest, and although Hannah had reasons to be angry at Katie, deep down, she loved her, and I appreciated that Zorn let us see those parts too.

Pro: Anne was a rockstar of a therapists. I loved her candor and approach and I was so happy fate brought her and Hannah together.

Pro: I related to Hannah on so many levels. My sister was popular and I was bullied, and I know she considered me a burden.

Pro: Josh was a wonderful little muffin of a boy. Hannah was a tough customer, but he kept coming back and trying to scale her walls, however he treaded lightly, knowing when to push and when to recede.

Pro: The banter between Josh and Hannah was fantastic. With each interaction, I hoped for them to have more and more time on page together.

Con: This was a solid 4.5 star read for me, until the ending. I could have used a little more there. Zorn was so gracious, and gave me so many gifts towards the end of the book, but the very end was just ok.

Pro: This book takes place in a non-US setting (Australia). I liked all the little local bits Zorn fed to me, and enjoyed learning more about the Blue Mountains.

Pro: Mrs. Van was a little powerhouse. I love that she spoke her mind and shared her story with Hannah. She was a positive force for this family, and I was so happy she was around to help push them through their funk.

Overall: Simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, this was a beautiful story of healing, moving forward, and finding the strength inside oneself to accomplish those things.

This was such an emotional and undoubtedly raw book. I recommend it to all readers.

Protected by Claire Zorn touches on many things so relevant to the world we live in today - things like mental health, bullying, and grief. There was a lot of family strife being dealt with, and it wasn't always sunshine and roses. I applaud the author for that, I love a young adult book that is not afraid to show the ugly truth - that life is messy and we are all some messed up people.

This story made me an emotional basket case! I knew going into it, after reading the description, that it was going to be a tough book to read; but man, that was hard to get through. In the best ways possible. While being told in a first person point of view, we get a well-rounded view of Hannah's life; from childhood to present time. I loved seeing her connect with the counselor the most, and with Josh as well. He seemed to be her comic relief. The relationships in this story were just spot on with what you would expect from a young adult story.

While this book was set in Australia, a country very foreign to me, I found it very easy to relate to; although it had some humor and slang that I'm not personally used to. It was nice to break up some of the tough story line with a little humor and sarcasm.

The most enjoyable part to me about this book was how well developed it was, and how easy to read it was. While the subject matter was mostly hard to get through, the book read like a breeze. It made me want to finish and kept me engaged all the way through. I love that about a good book. Thank you Netgalley for a chance to read this book. I will definitely be following this author for future releases.

This was a good book simple as that. This is the first book I have read by Claire Zorn. It is a book with a lot of grief in it though so be prepared for that if you plan on reading it. There is also a lot of bullying in this book as the main character Hannah is in High School. She is the target of a lot of bullying from the popular kids. She has a popular older sister named Katie, but she will not be older much longer. Katie dies and things turn around for Hannah. She is no longer a target. Everyone leaves her alone in a good and bad way. Her family is falling apart trying to dead with the loss of Katie. Her mother sleeps all the time. Her father drowns himself in work. No one pays attention to Hannah until she starts acting out and skipping school and skipping talking to her counselor on the daily. No one can remember what happen when Katie died except Hannah. There is a little romance that buds from the tragic lose of her sister. A new kid Josh has taken an interest in Hannah and she doesn't understand why. I finished this book in one day. It was a quick read. That being said I didn't care for the ending of the book. I am not sure if there will be another book but the way the end just cuts off in the story it seems as if there might be. It was just such an awkward ending that didn't feel like it went with the rest of the book. That is why I had to give it three stars. It was perfect till the ending.

This book absolutely broke my heart. It was relatable and sad and just so so good.

The characters were sincere and honest and really real. Hannah was one of the best MC's I've read in awhile, and I could feel her pain and inner turmoil. I felt a lot of empathy for her. She is in a tough situation and doesn't want to admit a lot of things, and this book is really good at showing that she's hurting. There was a lot of love-hate between her and Katie, and even though Katie's dead, you can still sense the conflicting feelings that Hannah has towards her. Katie was excellently written as the completely opposite older sister, and even the side characters were dynamic and three-dimensional. Josh was one of my favorite characters, I loved him from the beginning.

The writing style and flashbacks were heartbreaking. It felt a lot like Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, but in a good way. The dialogue felt very realistic and Hannah's quiet transformation throughout the novel made me cry.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. It was perfect and a nice quick read. I will definitely read it again.

If this book doesn't break your heart, then yours must be made of stone.

The good news, Dear Reader, is that Claire Zorn puts you back together again.

About a year ago, Hannah's older sister, the vivacious, popular Katie, died in a car accident. The girls' father was driving, but he has no memory of the accident. Neither does Hannah, although many people hope that her memories return. Life in Hannah's home has gone from reasonable to removed. Her mother, who hasn't left the house since Katie's death, spends all day sleeping, and her father hobbles around, burdened as much by guilt as he is by his lingering injuries.

And yet Hannah's life has gotten a bit better since her sister died. The scenes depicting the traumas inflicted on Hannah are heartbreaking to read. I cried so many times while reading this book that I began to wonder how Zorn got through writing it. I wanted to reach into the pages and wrap Hannah in my arms, assuring her that everything would be okay. Except high school, for Hannah, was anything but okay. It was like a trip through a house of horrors.

One reason why Hannah's life has gotten better is the arrival of Josh, a new classmate. He's heard about Katie, and he's heard a few things about Hannah, but he doesn't let that information cloud him or stop him from seeking Hannah's friendship. At times he seems almost too cheeky to be true, but if he helps heal Hannah, then I'm his number one fan.

This is a story of endurance, but perhaps not the sort of endurance you've come to expect. Hannah has to endure. She has to suffer a constant stream of bullying, the scorn of her sister, the emotional absence of her mother, the grief of her father, and the forced kindness of the very people who made her life hell. She has not choice but to endure it. She has no idea if, on the other side, she will be any happier. And yet endure she does.

This is a beautifully written story, one that teens and their parents need to read and discuss.

And now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to go apply for some grant money so that I can get a class set of Protected for my students to read.

This book follows the main character Hannah who experienced constant bullying during high school, yet when her sister tragically dies the bullying finally stops. Now Hannah is left dealing with the grief of her sister’s death whilst seeing first-hand the impact it’s had and is still having on her family.
After reading the blurb for this book I knew it had to be my next read. The author does an excellent job of fleshing out her characters, making them unique and full of life in a way that takes true skill and talent to achieve.
I can honestly say I loved this book, it was really well written the pages flowed and it was easy to follow. It covered such emotive aspects in a way which made them seem real, as if the author spent hours researching just to make sure she captured it perfectly.
The author has won many awards for this book, and I must say those awards are well deserved. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this and can now say Claire Zorn is one of my favourite authors.

This is story about acceptance. It is a story of growth and healing and finding out who you could truly be if you only let yourself. But most of all this is a story of a young girl named Hannah and her sister Katie and how their connection together defies Katie's death even though they never had a good relationship in life and how Hannah must move on to become who she was meant to be.
My favorite parts of this novel were the flashbacks and the lists. Hannah makes a lot of lists, some of them a bit morbid others seemingly random and it was a part of her character that really added to the story overall. As for the flashbacks, they helped me to understand Hannah and Katie and how different they were and how being sisters always seemed to be tough for them. Katie was always everything Hannah was not, she knew how to act and how to attract attention and she knew how to be a part of the crowd. However, being there caused her to be miserable to her sister because Hannah was never the kind of girl who fit in at all.
That's the other thing about this book though, Hannah and Katie were so much so their own characters that there was no way for them to stop from clashing. I think that's what made this book so rich for me. Even with Katie gone in Hannah's memory she was very much alive and somehow her sisters opinions still stood over her and it made it feel so real.
In the end you never know when the clock will stop for you or how that will affect those you love. But you also don't know how loosing someone you love will effect you until it happens. I couldn't imagine ever being in Hannah's position. I couldn't imagine that after being bullied for so many years the bullying just stops. I don't ever want to know what it is like to loose my sister.
This book was thoughtful, hopeful, and beautifully written. Sometimes you just have to stop and listen and let go in order to finally spread your wings and fly.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. Have I been stabbed in the heart, or am I just bleeding from a gaping hole in my chest? DO I EVEN HAVE A HEART?! I HAVE A HEART?!?! WHAT IS THIS FEELING?!

EVERYTHING HURTS

Protected follows young Hannah and picks up almost a year after her sister Katie was killed in a car accident. Compounded with a seriously depressed mum and an injured dad, Hannah has deep psychological issues not only stemming from the untimely death of her sister.

Katie and Hannah did not have an easy relationship as is seen from the moment we are dropped in on Hannah's narrative. The book alternates between present day and the events leading up to the car accident. To say this is a book solely about grief and loss would be a mistake.

Hannah is largely ALONE in her life. She has no friends. Her mother is trapped in her own grief. Her father is dealing with his own physical pain and the lost memory of the car accident. The only one who knows what happens is Hannah, and her mind has protected her by blocking out the incident. We get glimpses of Hannah's life BEFORE and it isn't for the faint of heart.

In short: BULLIES SUCK.


It is hard to not sympathize with Hannah while she is being bullied. You can understand it even if you haven't been the victim of a bully in your life. I was bullied in middle school and so many painful memories were brought back to life. I reacted the same way that Hannah did, drawing inward and just trying to BE. It hurts to read the reactions of Katie and so-called ex-friend Charlotte. The most excruciating pain is when you feel that no one has your back. That your closest and only friend in life has turned their back on you.

DEEP BREATHS....

In present day, Hannah is off-limits so to speak. No one really talks to her, but no one bullies her anymore. That is, until Josh. Josh is a transfer from the public school who takes an active interest in Hannah. Josh is an everyman's man, but his treatment of Hannah is something special. Through him, Hannah finds a person who will not relent until they are friends. Which is what people need sometimes when they have retreated so far into themselves that they can hardly find the way out.

I LOVE LOVED Hannah's counselor, Anne. She treated Hannah like a person with feelings and never once blamed Hannah for her grief. She never pushed her to share what she wasn't ready to share. It was a lovely relationship that Hannah was in desperate need of.

I highly recommend this book. Be warned, this does address a heavy topic, bullying (as mentioned above), so take that into consideration if you need to. I still feel everyone should read this.

Very good YA novel,. It covers bullying, loss, and a teenager's struggles in coming of age while dealing with devastating circumstances. Well-written.

I loved this book. What a beautiful, yet heart- wrenching story about a girl dealing with the loss of her sister and dealing with the pieces the loss has left her family in. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

I didn't love or hate this book. I did feel bad that after the accident Hannah didn't feel like she could really turn to anyone. I can't imagine what it must have been like to lose a sister, and in effect lose her mom (who refused to go on living). But, I did find the writing a little bland.