(This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).

I heard about Sheltered by Debra Chapoton on someone else's blog. After reading the synopsis of the book, I knew it was one I was going to have to read. Luckily, this book didn't disappoint.

Ben, a teenager, is renting out a house to troubled teens. He creates a fictitious landlord called Mrs. Kremer to make things believable. As time goes by, it becomes apparent just how troubled these teens really are. Are their troubles from this world or are they something more sinister?

I must admit that I'm not a fan of the cover. I don't think it's done very well and doesn't look very professional. I admit I was a bit put off this book by the cover, but the synopsis of the book really intrigued me.

I don't think the title of the book really fit in with the story at all. Besides living in a house, that's all the title really describes. It doesn't sound creepy nor does it make me envision anything pertaining to this story.

The author did a fantastic job with the world building. Everything happening in the world of Sheltered felt very real which made it that much more freaky. The whole set up of the book is written fantastically!

The pacing was great! Not once did I find myself struggling to get through this book. Each chapter is fast paced and thrilling, and I love the way how each character gets their point of view across. I found myself eagerly devouring every word of Sheltered.

I loved the dialogue in this book. There are a few words that I didn't understand, but perhaps that's just my limited vocabulary. There is moderate swearing in this book, so be warned. However, the interactions between the characters are done brilliantly. There's not very much humour in this book, but that doesn't take away from the dialogue. One thing I did find slightly annoying was the fact that in one part of the book, Cori's (one of the characters in the story) name was spelt "Cory" and then changed back to Cori.

I loved the characters of Sheltered. Ben comes across as being wise beyond his years. Megan comes across as one of those people who tries to see the best in everyone. Chuck seems like the type of person who's anti-social. Emily surprised me as she started out being a shy teenage girl. Her true colours eventually become apparent. Cori was my favourite character. I loved her sarcasm and her wit. I think I found myself relating with her more than any other character.

Then ending was a bit confusing and felt a bit rushed if I'm honest. In fact, I was a little disappointed by it. I really wish I could explain why, but then I'd be giving away spoilers. Sheltered, judging by the ending, has the ability to become a series. If it does become a series, perhaps the ending would be explained better.

I'd recommend Sheltered by Debra Chapoton to those aged 16 due to the swearing and the themes throughout the book. ( )

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2017/11/foodfic-please-welcome-debra-chapoton.html

This is a story not about teenagers living the life but of broken hearts and minds finding a place to call home. It takes some of the worst situations you can imagine in a great big bear hug of understanding and does its best to make things better. Will they succeed? Only time will tell, but the author certainly accomplishes shedding a little more light on the reality of her character's situations.

Character wise, you can't help but feel SOMETHING for most of this motley crew. Story wise, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around all that was happening. It's told rather "secretively" with details about places and people only being revealed when seen fit and for the bigger picture person, it presented a challenge. Now, that's not to say I didn't enjoy it because once things started to fall into place, I was with them all the way but it does present a stumbling block that some readers may wish for advance notice of (consider it given). I definitely understand the author's choice in developing the story this way though as there are A LOT of secrets both imagined and real being dealt with here...and perhaps the most unsettling thing is that for the most part, they are REAL. There ARE people dealing with multiple personality disorders. There ARE those that inflict harm upon themselves as a reaction to situations they felt should have gone differently. There ARE those that become pregnant as teens, are touched by tragedy too great for their minds to handle, have anger issues and so on.
In conclusion, a story filled with the horror that reality can truly hold but infused with the hope for a better tomorrow, a way out of the darkness and back to the light, and a reminder that no one is ever completely alone unless they choose to be. There are helping hands out there both community wise and one-on-one that are willing to go the extra mile to aid others in their life's journey...but you've got to take that first step. A story I'd recommend for teen readers and beyond due to content as it ranges from reality to paranormal and back again.

**review copy was received in exchange for my honest review - full post can be viewed on my site** ( )

Sheltered had me hiding under my blanket with a flashlight as I read it through the night. It was chilling to the bone and absolutely captivating with it's dark, eerie tone. It's like one of those horror movies where the music gets really super intense and you think something will pop out of nowhere. Yeah, I had that feeling constantly throughout the entire novel. It's not scary enough to give nightmares or anything, it's just very cryptic. And the suspense was killing me. The mystery was thick and impenetrable. Whatever clues I could muster up weren't enough and I was mind boggled for a really long time. It's the sort of read that kept me up all night and I didn't even realize it. There was just so many things to uncover and understand. It was really easy to get lost into this book.
I liked it for several reasons:
1) It's unpredictable. At one point, I thought I had it all figured out. The feeling of triumph lasted about ten seconds. Then I realized that I had it all wrong and in the end I was left stunned, gaping like a fish out of water. Expect the unexpected (That's all I'm going to say about that).
2) It has realistic tendencies that deal with everyday problems. Teenagers are far from perfect. And by this, I mean: eating disorders, hurting themselves, mental diseases, and other traumas. These sort of problems were present in Sheltered, and it made the characters far more realistic and easy to sympathize with. Their flaws made them unique.
3) It's frighting atmosphere. The tone kept the hairs on the back of my neck standing. It's gloomy and adds on to the superstitious attitude the characters take on. I couldn't have found a more perfect read for October. There're are demons to face, levitating objects, Ouija boards, and some other nightmare inducing stuff here and there.
4) The characters working together. Ben, Emily, Megan, Chuck, Adam, and Cori. All teens hurt in one way or another, flawed and in need of help. They made a good team.
5) The romance blooming between Ben and Megan. It was adorable, and not unbearable or too gushy.
Overall, I didn't have any problems with Sheltered. I found Megan to be a very surprising character. She seemed very normal at the start, maybe a little weird, but then the shocking truth was said and I was taken aback.
Same with Ben. He's a very attracting character, because of what he does and how much he cares. But his recklessness and actions let Emily (quiet girl) down and he hurt others because of this.
It was a really creepy read, and very intriguing. I'm sure I'll be rereading it soon enough.
I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a great Halloween-ish type of book. ( )

I was asked by the author to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review. I award this book 2.5 stars.

Sheltered by Debra Chapoton is a book about an odd assortment of kids. There's Ben, who is one of the creepiest kids I have ever met-- I mean, who decides that starting a "home" for really dysfunctional kids is way to get admitted to the college of his choice? Then there's Cori, who is a Goth girl who basically acts like a jerk to everyone. There's the twins, at least one who is schizophrenic, and one of them seems to be a killer in the making. Megan, the newcomer, who is kind of normal but has a secret. Emily is a quiet girl who cuts herself. They all live in this house, which is possessed by some devil spirit.

The prose is easy to follow, and I read quickly through the first 30%. Then, it got a lot harder to get through. This book has the misfortune of being the next book I read after two really spectacular reads-- so just take that into account when you are reading this review. I never felt drawn to any of the characters. There was just too much dysfunction for me to get over, and then all of this is clouded over by the paranormal in the house. I couldn't tell what was character and what was "demon." The end felt very abrupt to me as well.

Overall, initially a promising premise, then just fell flat for me. ( )