Broken Things

Recensie van audioboek (via Storytel)3 sterretjesDeed me denken aan de sfeer van de film “Heavenly Creatures” of het boek [b:Worlds of Ink and Shadow 25818163 Worlds of Ink and Shadow Lena Coakley https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446009167s/25818163.jpg 44431945].Heel vlot. Vond het moeilijk om opzij te leggen. Ontknoping was wel een beetje “meh”

A broken girl. An obsession turned deadly.

Summer was the glue that held Mia and Brynn together. But all that changed when Summer was brutally murdered. The two girls who had been her best friends became the Murders of Brick House Lane. It didn't matter if it was true or not. The town is convinced they did it. Brynn commits herself to rehab after rehab, in an effort to avoid what has happened. Mia hides in silence, barely able to speak. When the two friends are reunited, they begin to search for the truth of what happened.

Five years ago, the three girls began writing a sequel to their favorite novel, The Way into Lovelorn. They began to imagine being in Lovelorn, a world where they could leave behind all the troubles of their lives. Each of the three girls carried their own harsh realities. Flawed families, insecurities over who they were and dark pasts. Lovelorn was supposed to be their escape. As the story unfolds, the reader is immersed in a dark world where a simple story becomes an obsession.

Being different in a small town isn't easy, and Lauren Oliver immerses you in the lives of three misunderstood girls. I was lost in the words of dark memories and hidden truths, as Brynn and Mia strived to understand what happened five years ago. Walking in their shoes, reading as they were ridiculed and gossiped about in their hometown, made me feel how painful it was for them to lose someone. They had no one to talk to, no one to mourn with. The town blamed them for Summer's death, and they had to bear the burden alone. It's no wonder their lives spiraled as they did.

This was a gripping read, intense and dark. It was more than just a murder mystery. It was a story about friendship, darkness, and obsession.

So I liked it, but I have some qualms. The book felt incomplete. It was almost as if I were watching the movie of this book and important plot lines were missing. They described Lovelorn as being a magical place that was an amalgamation of a bunch of popular fantasy series's, but they never explained the scenery or actual storyline of The Way into Lovelorn. The characters that were mentioned were abstract and didn't seem to go together in a cohesive way. The three girls going to Lovelorn sounded like a story on its own, but then there were fairies, princesses, trolls, tournaments, stealing hearts, a centaur, and most importantly a Shadow. It just seemed so jumbled and I wish the author had developed more of the actual background for The Way into Lovelorn. The mystery aspects and the complexity of the relationships between the characters were satisfying. I do wish I had Owen's perspective of Summer and their time together. I kept waiting for it to be revealed. Like I said, I liked it, but it seemed unfinished.