Broken Things by Lauren Oliver is a book that is very mysterious as it blends fantasy and reality. The main characters are realistic, and the writing style is so suspenseful. This is the perfect read to curl up with this fall.
Author: Lauren Oliver
Also by this author: Vanishing Girls
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Rating:
It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.
Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.
The only thing is: they didn’t do it.
On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
❀ Interesting Concept
This book has such an interesting concept that is unlike anything I’ve read before. It tells the story of a group of friends who become obsessed with a book and write their own version of it with themselves as the characters. When one of the girls’ bodies is found in the woods, attacked just like in their story, the blame is placed on the other two. However, they are innocent. I enjoyed how it is hard to tell what is real and what isn’t when it comes to the story and the fictional world. There are also some interesting twists that I never saw coming. If you are a fan of thrillers, I would definitely recommend this one.
❀ Entertaining Narrators
Both the narrators, Mia and Brynn, in Broken Things are entertaining. They each have their flaws, but it was easy to sympathize with them since the whole town bullies them for a crime they didn’t commit. I enjoyed how they are so determined to solve the murder and how resourceful they are when it comes to finding evidence. I must say, I was the most intrigued by Summer’s character, and I would have liked to read more about her and her past.
❀ Smooth Pacing
As is typical with Lauren Oliver’s books, the writing style draws the reader in. The way the story is told alternates between past and present, and this adds a lot of suspense. Sometimes this can be confusing, but I found the pacing to be very smooth. Shocking bits of information are revealed in the past when I least expected it, and I was on the edge of my seat wondering who to trust.
❀ The Writing is Very Eerie
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver is a thriller that plays with reality and fantasy. The two main characters are flawed, and the writing is very eerie. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lauren Oliver!
About Lauren Oliver
Lauren Oliver is the cofounder of media and content development company Glasstown Entertainment, where she serves as the president of production. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. The film rights to both Replica and Lauren's bestselling first novel, Before I Fall, were acquired by AwesomenessTV; Before I Fall is now a major motion picture and opened in theaters March of 2017. The sequel to Replica, titled Ringer, is her most recent novel and was released October 3rd, 2017.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.