Review: Schasm by Shari J. Ryan

Schasm by Shari J. Ryan
Genre: YA

Review by Amy D

Synopsis

When reality utterly fails you, there is always the comfort of the land of dreams. Chloe Valcourt, a tormented nineteen-year-old young woman, has for twelve years hovered between a daily life dominated by an abusive mother and an imagined alternate world that exists only in her mind’s eye. Can she keep track of which is real—and whether or not she is real, too? Schasm is the mind-bending young adult romance by Shari J. Ryan that mines the heart of darkness, where one young woman seeks light in her own shimmering daydreams.

A psychological condition has captured the body, mind, and soul of Chloe, and thrust her into the hands of probing doctors at the continued mercy of her tyrannical mother. As she struggles to break free of the grim life into which she was born, she continues to suffer the daily assaults from her mother and the dispiriting weakness of her dejected father. When Chloe unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a new, warm life abundant in love and romance with a kindhearted man named Alex, the escape at last gives her a happiness that she's never been allowed to feel. However, when hidden truths reveal a life that she cannot remember, Chloe finds herself lost between what is real and what isn't.

Blending extreme daydreaming, alternating realities, and multiple personalities, Schasm is a gripping tale that treads the thin line between a harrowing reality and the captivating terrain of an imagined world. As Chloe plays too close to the edge of insanity, her multiple realities clash, leaving her to question everything, including her own existence. Anyone who relishes a flight of fancy with richly drawn characters and surprising twists of plot will be immersed in the strange new world of Schasm, where nothing is at it seems.

My Rating: 4 coffee cups!

"Chloe, reality is only but a dream."

I am still unsure of what happened. And I kind of like it that way. Chloe Valcourt has spent the last 12 years of her life trying to figure out if she's crazy or if her family is keeping her from the only reality she needs. Throughout the book, I was torn between wanting Chloe to be able to live in her alternate reality because it made her happy, or thinking that if she gave it up and got out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, she might have a shot at being happy in the "real" world. I use quotations around real because with all the twists in Schasm, I could not conclusively say which of Chloe's existences were truly real in her mind. I know which one she wanted to be real, the reality where she met the love of her life, Alex. The emergence of Alex in her "mind-drifts" sparks a sense of urgency within Chloe to make a decision whether to fight to drift or let go and be normal like her mother so desperately wants her to be. 

"I enjoy my mind-drifts too."

Chloe had resigned herself to her miserable life trapped like a mental patient in her parents' house. She was not allowed out and had missed out on milestones that many take for granted such as prom, carnivals and a first kiss to name a few. When she meets Alex, Chloe starts to feel the emptiness at missing these "normal" things in her life. However, at the same time she feels excited to share these firsts with Alex. I felt sorry and happy for Chloe at the same time during these moments. Happy for the obvious reasons, but I had a bad feeling that things would not work out, because every time she ended her mind drifts, her real world was getting worse at the hands of her mother. After a while I began to feel anxious with every turn of the page, waiting for the author to reveal either that Chloe was going to be drugged so she could never drift or that she was just going to give up the real world for the ability to live a happy life with Alex. There was a third option that I was really rooting for where she escaped her mother's tyranny and was able to find the happy medium between reality and drifting. For a while it seemed like the best option to me up until the time Chloe meets Alex in the real world. 

"It's like extreme daydreaming, except when I go somewhere, it's as real as this life. The people I meet, the relationships I make, and the places I go are all real."

When Chloe describes her drifting ability I can almost say that she deserves to be able to live her life there. On the other hand, I can't help but think that even if it is as real as she says, she'd be missing out on the chance at a real life if she stayed. But then again, what kind of life would she have to look forward to after being sheltered for so long? And if she was able to do both, would it be enough in the long run if she could only have Alex in her drifts? At the end of the book, I still don't know what I think is best. With Schasm, Shari J. Ryan has created a story that long after it is put down, I still find myself pondering the different possible outcomes.

Tidbits on the Author

 

Shari J. Ryan has always dreamt of becoming an author and finally decided it was time to pursue her lifelong aspiration by writing her debut young adult novel, Schasm. She has long nurtured a passion for art, reading, and writing, and those hobbies have become a mental escape from her busy life. In the past year, she has put her heart and soul into the creation of her novel, which has taught her that it is never too late and nothing is too hard. The author graduated with a bachelors of science degree from Johnson & Wales University and has written hundreds of articles for various online publications. She is married with two sons.

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