While a very fast read, there's plenty to ponder in here. Chase was the lone survivor of a car crash. His ability to remember the details are close to nil when the story begins, but bits and pieces return at unexpected times, mixed in with things he remembers about his older brother. How many are what actually happened, and which are ones his mind has changed to protect his sanity, constitute the bulk of the story. With the help of a crusty, but caring therapist, Chase begins to put his mental jigsaw puzzle back together. While at least one aspect is pretty easy to figure out early on, why that piece is the way it is will surprise some readers.
This is an excellent story about guilt, families that pretend until it hurts too much to ignore reality, and coming to grips with what was never your fault. ( )

Chase has survived a terrible car crash and while he doesn't remember the accident, it haunts him in his dreams and in flashes of images. He is tired of everyone treating him as if he is made of glass (which he is) and just wants to return to normal. His parents are well-meaning but emotionally distant. The only person he can really talk to is his brother, Ben, and he's harboring his own issues. There a few satisfying plot twists and many lessons to be learned in Chase's recovery. An interesting look at reclaiming life after a major tragedy. Fragments touches on issues of survivor guilt, emotional repression, mental illness, sexual abuse (Ben; off-screen) and relationships. The first person narrative is spot-on; this reader felt like she was in Chase's head and, given the progress he makes towards wellness, it's not a bad place to be. ( )

Reviewed by Dianna Geers for TeensReadToo.com

FRAGMENTS begins with all of the things a good book should: tension, problems, and many questions. Chase is a junior at a new school, recently discharged from a long hospital stay after a car accident, and struggles with the loss of his memory. His older brother sneaks into the house to see him, but Chase is told to keep his visit a secret. And that's all in the first four pages!

Readers immediately care for Chase and want him to be able to find some peace. As he deals with all of the issues and struggles to grab hold of fragments of memories as they pop into his head, you, too, want to know what happened the night of the car accident. Especially when you find out that he is suffering from "survivor guilt." You hope that the accident wasn't Chase's fault--and feel the need to know the truth.

While Chase searches his memories for bits of information, he is continually taken back to another memory of his brother when they were younger. Chase can't remember the whole situation, but it seems to haunt him, too. It's almost as though the memory of his brother will help to lead him to remembering the events of the accident. However, Chase later realizes that he has kept his own secrets which are worse than the events of the night of the accident . Can Chase handle knowing all of the truths he has tucked away inside his mind?

FRAGMENTS is a fast-paced book with continual tension and unending surprises. This is the first novel of Jeffry W. Johnston, but he is bound to become a favorite young adult author. ( )