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Shattered Souls - Dywane Birch
Shattered Souls
Dywane Birch
ISBN: 1593091109
Strebor Books
Reviewed By Karen Clarkson
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Four friends. Four survivors. Four conflicted souls. Four vastly different paths leading to one inevitable destination: no matter how long they try to run from their past, Brit, Tee, Indy, and Chyna are destined for a head-on collision with fate. They soon learn that denial is not an option, and only honesty holds the cure, in Dywane Birch's aptly titled Shattered Souls.
As a former director of an adolescent crisis shelter, Birch is more than familiar with the kinds of lives depicted in his tale, thus ably lending it the requisite humanity. He has seen and heard first-hand the scars left in the wake of years of mental, psychological, and physical abuse. Learning in more detail, then, about Brit's abusive father, Tee's molestation in foster homes, Indy's wicked stepmother, and Chyna's familial history of mental illness - you get a very real sense of the muted pain millions of children are made to endure everyday.
The tribulations of Birch's protagonists bring to mind the old phrase, "That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger": even though it fractured their souls, the years of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment at the hands of others has actually strengthened the friends, bolstering their collective survivor's will. At the same time that date/gang rape has inexorably tainted Indy's spirit, it's also fostered a fierce independence within her that shields her from ever being so wounded again. Likewise, Brit comments to his father on his dying bed that the years of his brutal treatment of Brit's mother has, in turn, made him realize just how real men should treat their families, making him vow never to subject his own children - or anyone else's, for that matter - to such treatment.
Shattered Souls evokes many of the same feelings as Antwone Fisher before it: we cringe at the gruesome depictions of abuse & molestation and their damning consequences, but we also rejoice at the redemptive power of healing. You may not agree with every choice that the friends make, but you root for them nonetheless; after all, who among us isn't striving daily to liberate ourselves from the chains of our past?
Dywane Birch does a commendable job piecing together seemingly unrelated phenomena in relating them to a greater, more troubling whole. In so doing, he skillfully reminds us that everything we do yields karmic repercussions the likes of which we can't begin to imagine. Beneath it all, though - and as Indy herself tragically discovers: no matter what others have done to us, the only fate we ultimately have any control over is our own.
For its uncomfortable honesty, its striking candor, and chiefly its unapologetic humanity, Shattered Souls is a highly recommended read.
Dywane Birch
ISBN: 1593091109
Strebor Books
Reviewed By Karen Clarkson
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Four friends. Four survivors. Four conflicted souls. Four vastly different paths leading to one inevitable destination: no matter how long they try to run from their past, Brit, Tee, Indy, and Chyna are destined for a head-on collision with fate. They soon learn that denial is not an option, and only honesty holds the cure, in Dywane Birch's aptly titled Shattered Souls.
As a former director of an adolescent crisis shelter, Birch is more than familiar with the kinds of lives depicted in his tale, thus ably lending it the requisite humanity. He has seen and heard first-hand the scars left in the wake of years of mental, psychological, and physical abuse. Learning in more detail, then, about Brit's abusive father, Tee's molestation in foster homes, Indy's wicked stepmother, and Chyna's familial history of mental illness - you get a very real sense of the muted pain millions of children are made to endure everyday.
The tribulations of Birch's protagonists bring to mind the old phrase, "That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger": even though it fractured their souls, the years of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment at the hands of others has actually strengthened the friends, bolstering their collective survivor's will. At the same time that date/gang rape has inexorably tainted Indy's spirit, it's also fostered a fierce independence within her that shields her from ever being so wounded again. Likewise, Brit comments to his father on his dying bed that the years of his brutal treatment of Brit's mother has, in turn, made him realize just how real men should treat their families, making him vow never to subject his own children - or anyone else's, for that matter - to such treatment.
Shattered Souls evokes many of the same feelings as Antwone Fisher before it: we cringe at the gruesome depictions of abuse & molestation and their damning consequences, but we also rejoice at the redemptive power of healing. You may not agree with every choice that the friends make, but you root for them nonetheless; after all, who among us isn't striving daily to liberate ourselves from the chains of our past?
Dywane Birch does a commendable job piecing together seemingly unrelated phenomena in relating them to a greater, more troubling whole. In so doing, he skillfully reminds us that everything we do yields karmic repercussions the likes of which we can't begin to imagine. Beneath it all, though - and as Indy herself tragically discovers: no matter what others have done to us, the only fate we ultimately have any control over is our own.
For its uncomfortable honesty, its striking candor, and chiefly its unapologetic humanity, Shattered Souls is a highly recommended read.
Click Here To Learn More About Shattered Souls
Apex Reviews: Dywane, thanks for giving us the pleasure of reviewing Shattered Souls. We truly appreciate it.
All of the friends endure daily pain lingering from their tortured past until each of their lives eventually reaches a tragic climax. Thankfully, they experience real, lasting healing - but what of the millions of others who aren't so fortunate? What possible hope couldthey continue to carry in wishing for a better life everyday?
Dywane Birch: There is really no easy answer for this. It is extremely unfortunate that there are many people who do not experience real, lasting healing. However, the bottom line is: Every day is a choice. We can choose to dwell in our pasts and allow our hurts and pains and disappointments to keep us stuck in self-destructive patterns of behavior; we can hold onto it to keep us imprisoned in that victim-stance mentality in which we blame and justify all of our negative behaviors and unhealthy choices for our current lives. Or we can seek salvation by no longer holding onto blame and guilt that doesn't belong to us. The past can't be changed. Yesterday is gone. Today is here. And the only thing we can, at this very moment, change is what and how we feel about ourselves. We can use our pasts as a way to measure where we've been, where we are today, and where we would like to be in our lives tomorrow. Our pasts can either be our stumble-blocks, our crutches, or our stepping stones. It's a matter of choice, and perception. I know, for many, it's easier said than done. But, through faith, all things are possible.
AR: Our reviewer commented that your experience in counseling teens lended a palpable humanity to the characters in the book. How has it personally affected you to witness such destructive forces operating in these children's lives with relative impunity?
DB: Let me see. I don't know that I can honestly say that I've been personally affected or not. I do know that socially and professionally, those experiences taught me to accept people for where they're at in their lives, recognizing that their perceptions of life and love and the world around them are their realities; that what we think we see isn't always what it is. Sometimes we have to not only scratch beneath the surface, but dig a little deeper in order to get to the core of ones hurts and pains in order to gain understanding.
AR: In the same vein, is any of your own personal experience from childhood also reflected in the book?
DB: Yes, there are splashes of me in the book. But, I'll never tell. ****smiling****
AR: What improvements would you suggest could be made in the system (Child Protective Services, the criminal justice system, etc.) that would prevent more children from having to suffer in foster homes the way that Tee did?
DB: This is a complicated question with probably a thousand-and-one answers. But, if I had to pick one answer, I'd suggest that caseworkers be more diligent in monitoring out-of-home placements, ensure that each child is engaging in either in-home or individual counseling services, and to follow-up with concerns presented and/or reported. All allegations should be taken seriously and properly investigated.
AR: After Brit confronts Bryce over molesting him when they were kids, he's finally able to have a cathartic, cleansing cry. How important do you think that it is to the overall healing process?
DB: I believe it's an extremely important and powerful process. Emotional purging can allow us to rid ourselves of toxic feelings that keep us chained to self-hate, self-degradation, and self-destruction.
AR: You actually self-published Shattered Souls years before it was re-released by Strebor Books. Describe for our readers what your experience was like in going from self-published to traditional publication.
DB: Although Shattered Souls was re-released under Strebor Books, I still self-publish other works; so, for me, I still consider myself a self-published author who just happened to have been blessed with an opportunity to share Shattered Souls with a larger audience thanks to Strebor. But, to honestly answer your question, I believe it was timing. In 2005, I was asked to be a contributor to Zane's anthology, Breaking the Cycle, which won the 2006 NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary fiction, then in March of the same year, I was offered a contract for the re-release of Shattered Souls, and a contract for its sequel, From My Soul to Yours.
I'll admit I did have some separation anxiety. How could I not? I breathed life into Shattered Souls, I birthed it, it's my baby, and I was initially very nervous about letting go. But I knew it was time, and Zane believed it was time many years ago, but I wasn't ready. But, now I am. So, here I am. ***smiling***
AR: What's the main message you want readers to take away from the book?
DB: I'd like readers to walk away understanding that we are all responsible for what we say and do around children. Whether you're in that child's life for a second, a minute, an hour or a lifetime, you are shaping and molding their hearts and minds. Children are like sponges and soak in everything that they become exposed to. When we mistreat children, when we disrespect them, and degrade them, and abuse them, and neglect them, we (either directly or indirectly) become responsible for their belief-systems about life, and their perceptions of themselves. And they potentially become adults who will carry the baggage, the scars, and the burdens of their childhood experiences.
AR: We noticed that a sequel to Shattered Souls is in the works for 2008 -care to give our readers a little "sneak peek" as to what it's about?
DB: Sure. The sequel, From My Soul to Yours, actually releases November 6, 2007, and it basically brings readers back into the lives of Indy, Chyna, Britton and Tee, three years later. Readers will become better acquainted with Sarina and her increasingly unstable world of paranoia. And there is a new character with a mysterious past who comes on the scene to try to manipulate events among the friends, but she ends up getting caught in her own trap. There's a lot of drama, splashes of sex, and is full of Indy's crazy antics. ***laughing*** Over all, I think readers will find it to be a very interesting and, hopefully, entertaining read.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to leave with our readers?
DB: Yes. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has supported (or will support) my literary endeavors. It is truly because of the readers that I remain inspired to write. So…thank you, thank you, thank you!
And I'd like to give a very special thanks to Apex Reviews for reviewing Shattered Souls, and extending this wonderful interview. I am truly appreciative of your kind words, encouragement and support. Until the next time…peace, love, harmony & happy reading!
AR: Thanks again, Dywane, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors.
Click Here To Learn More About Shattered Souls
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Dywane Birch (Shattered Souls)
Apex Reviews: Dywane, thanks for giving us the pleasure of reviewing Shattered Souls. We truly appreciate it.
All of the friends endure daily pain lingering from their tortured past until each of their lives eventually reaches a tragic climax. Thankfully, they experience real, lasting healing - but what of the millions of others who aren't so fortunate? What possible hope couldthey continue to carry in wishing for a better life everyday?
Dywane Birch: There is really no easy answer for this. It is extremely unfortunate that there are many people who do not experience real, lasting healing. However, the bottom line is: Every day is a choice. We can choose to dwell in our pasts and allow our hurts and pains and disappointments to keep us stuck in self-destructive patterns of behavior; we can hold onto it to keep us imprisoned in that victim-stance mentality in which we blame and justify all of our negative behaviors and unhealthy choices for our current lives. Or we can seek salvation by no longer holding onto blame and guilt that doesn't belong to us. The past can't be changed. Yesterday is gone. Today is here. And the only thing we can, at this very moment, change is what and how we feel about ourselves. We can use our pasts as a way to measure where we've been, where we are today, and where we would like to be in our lives tomorrow. Our pasts can either be our stumble-blocks, our crutches, or our stepping stones. It's a matter of choice, and perception. I know, for many, it's easier said than done. But, through faith, all things are possible.
AR: Our reviewer commented that your experience in counseling teens lended a palpable humanity to the characters in the book. How has it personally affected you to witness such destructive forces operating in these children's lives with relative impunity?
DB: Let me see. I don't know that I can honestly say that I've been personally affected or not. I do know that socially and professionally, those experiences taught me to accept people for where they're at in their lives, recognizing that their perceptions of life and love and the world around them are their realities; that what we think we see isn't always what it is. Sometimes we have to not only scratch beneath the surface, but dig a little deeper in order to get to the core of ones hurts and pains in order to gain understanding.
AR: In the same vein, is any of your own personal experience from childhood also reflected in the book?
DB: Yes, there are splashes of me in the book. But, I'll never tell. ****smiling****
AR: What improvements would you suggest could be made in the system (Child Protective Services, the criminal justice system, etc.) that would prevent more children from having to suffer in foster homes the way that Tee did?
DB: This is a complicated question with probably a thousand-and-one answers. But, if I had to pick one answer, I'd suggest that caseworkers be more diligent in monitoring out-of-home placements, ensure that each child is engaging in either in-home or individual counseling services, and to follow-up with concerns presented and/or reported. All allegations should be taken seriously and properly investigated.
AR: After Brit confronts Bryce over molesting him when they were kids, he's finally able to have a cathartic, cleansing cry. How important do you think that it is to the overall healing process?
DB: I believe it's an extremely important and powerful process. Emotional purging can allow us to rid ourselves of toxic feelings that keep us chained to self-hate, self-degradation, and self-destruction.
AR: You actually self-published Shattered Souls years before it was re-released by Strebor Books. Describe for our readers what your experience was like in going from self-published to traditional publication.
DB: Although Shattered Souls was re-released under Strebor Books, I still self-publish other works; so, for me, I still consider myself a self-published author who just happened to have been blessed with an opportunity to share Shattered Souls with a larger audience thanks to Strebor. But, to honestly answer your question, I believe it was timing. In 2005, I was asked to be a contributor to Zane's anthology, Breaking the Cycle, which won the 2006 NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary fiction, then in March of the same year, I was offered a contract for the re-release of Shattered Souls, and a contract for its sequel, From My Soul to Yours.
I'll admit I did have some separation anxiety. How could I not? I breathed life into Shattered Souls, I birthed it, it's my baby, and I was initially very nervous about letting go. But I knew it was time, and Zane believed it was time many years ago, but I wasn't ready. But, now I am. So, here I am. ***smiling***
AR: What's the main message you want readers to take away from the book?
DB: I'd like readers to walk away understanding that we are all responsible for what we say and do around children. Whether you're in that child's life for a second, a minute, an hour or a lifetime, you are shaping and molding their hearts and minds. Children are like sponges and soak in everything that they become exposed to. When we mistreat children, when we disrespect them, and degrade them, and abuse them, and neglect them, we (either directly or indirectly) become responsible for their belief-systems about life, and their perceptions of themselves. And they potentially become adults who will carry the baggage, the scars, and the burdens of their childhood experiences.
AR: We noticed that a sequel to Shattered Souls is in the works for 2008 -care to give our readers a little "sneak peek" as to what it's about?
DB: Sure. The sequel, From My Soul to Yours, actually releases November 6, 2007, and it basically brings readers back into the lives of Indy, Chyna, Britton and Tee, three years later. Readers will become better acquainted with Sarina and her increasingly unstable world of paranoia. And there is a new character with a mysterious past who comes on the scene to try to manipulate events among the friends, but she ends up getting caught in her own trap. There's a lot of drama, splashes of sex, and is full of Indy's crazy antics. ***laughing*** Over all, I think readers will find it to be a very interesting and, hopefully, entertaining read.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to leave with our readers?
DB: Yes. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has supported (or will support) my literary endeavors. It is truly because of the readers that I remain inspired to write. So…thank you, thank you, thank you!
And I'd like to give a very special thanks to Apex Reviews for reviewing Shattered Souls, and extending this wonderful interview. I am truly appreciative of your kind words, encouragement and support. Until the next time…peace, love, harmony & happy reading!
AR: Thanks again, Dywane, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors.