Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This rang a bit too similar to the real-life crime of the two teenage girls who murdered their best friend in the Slenderman case, and unfortunately I couldn't separate the two in my mind.

I found Broken Things to be a unique book-slightly disturbing but a good read.
Main characters Brynn, Mia and Owen were all accused of a horrific crime when they were younger-the killing of their friend Summer. I would recommended this to fans that like mysteries and darker theme books. Though labelled YA, I’d say more older teens and adults due to the graphic nature of the book (my opinion only).

Apologies for such a late response. Brilliant book, otherwise I wouldn't have given it five stars ;-)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Read August 2020

I thought that this was an intriguing book with an interesting concept but on the whole it fell a little short for me. Everything was all hints and vagueries and abandoned thoughts. There was an overall lack of clarity. Even the ending lacked impact. An explanation that wasn't an explanation, some more dropped hints and then it just kind of ended. I wanted more of the "then" than short passages. I wanted more about Summer, her past, just her, she didn't really feel like a proper character.

It also took a long time for the story to get going with the plot. For a while I wasn't sure what the plot was beyond moaning about being notorious for something they didn't do. Mia's muteness in the past was a slightly odd character trait. Also her and Brynn blended together a little too much. Their voices were sometimes a little too similar and apparently both have very sharp features which was also odd. I loved Abby though! A fat character portrayed positively! Although if I were Mia I wouldn't be commenting on my best friend's hypertension and prediabetes, especially as they have no relevance on the character or plot. Bad move on the author's part.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Finally managed to read this book. I originally didn’t leave feedback as thing became too busy and I was unable to read in time. I have however now purchased and read it and wanted to leave a review.
I was drawn into this book from the start. And struggled to put down. I had various theories throughout but none of them were right.

I actually read Broken Things to pass my O.W.L.S Divination exam, for which you have to read a book which is chosen at random. I’ve read a couple of Lauren Oliver’s other novels but she’s an author who I’ve always wanted to read more from and the premise of Broken Things – following two girls who are suspected of murdering their best friend because of an obsession with a book – was right up my alley.


It took me a while to get into Broken Things because I wasn’t expecting it to be a dual perspective, but throughout the novel we follow both Brynn and Mia. Not only is it dual perspective but it also jumps from the present to the past, showing flashbacks to both of their lives with Summer before her brutal murder and the fallout they experienced directly following the events which unfolded.

Unfortunately, both voices sounded very similar, with little variation between the two characters. At multiple points I found myself thinking we were following Brynn and were actually with Mia. Considering Brynn is meant to be an overly confident lesbian and Mia is supposed to be the meek and quiet girl-next-door type, it should have been pretty impossible to get their viewpoints confused. The flashbacks made things a little bit easier, but I wonder whether this story would have been better told chronologically with two parts splitting life ‘Before’ and ‘After’: instead we have four parts, a pretty obvious murderer and a lot of confusion.

The excerpts from The Way into Lovelorn were one of the most interesting aspects of the story, and I’d definitely be interested in reading it if Lauren Oliver ever decided to expand the excerpts into a full-length novel á la Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. However, The Way into Lovelorn has a mysterious ending which sparks their obsession with the novel, and that ending is explained away in a very off-hand way by one of the characters, making that plot point seem pretty null and void. Considering Summer’s death is supposed to have been a sacrifice to the Shadow – the evil monster from Lovelorn who terrifies all of the inhabitants – it would have been nice if it had had a bit more of a satisfying explanation, but it flipped one of the most memorable plot points into one of the least impactful with just a couple of sentences.

I was expecting this to be a new favourite, but instead it’s a very forgettable story which I’ve seen done better before and will definitely be done better in the future. I’m giving it three stars because I wasn’t annoyed by it, but I definitely wasn’t impressed by it: this story was very much middle-of-the-road.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Really excellent read that touches on themes of nostalgia, memory, friendship, childhood and with some great characters. Plot takes some genuinely surprising turns as well with your sympathies and opinions shifting as you go. Her writing about teen relationships and friendships is really superb and so easy to read.

This novel has the punchy immediacy typical of YA but the relentless, story driven forward motion that exemplifies the best of the genre flounders on several occasions. Issues with pacing aside, the plot itself is fairly engaging, a mid-grade thriller with added teen angst and a slightly undercooked hetero romance. There is also an exploration of emerging same sex attraction which I found much more interesting and felt annoyed when the hetero romance got a conclusion but the lesbian one was just left unresolved and hanging. The themes explored were nicely done; the changing nature of friendships as you get older, rivalries, jealousy, obsessions, and, obviously, what it's like to be accused of murdering your friend at age 12.
I enjoyed this book in the main but did have a couple of issues - disliked the tacked-on hoarder mother and Brynn's not-a-drug addict after all turnaround. Also the characters at 12 years old all seemed a little too knowing for their age and the transition from little girls playing fantasy games in a forest to adolescents with romantic and sexual interests lost some of its power and poignancy.

A great thriller. Super entertaining with great twists. Less character development than I was expecting but a great read nonetheless.

This was a great YA mystery/thriller. With a great cast of characters, plenty of intrigue and teenage angst. This was a solid read.
Recommended to fans of One Of Us Is Lying

Beautifully written. This is a story that is woven and knotted so tightly that with each page you wonder if you are truly finding out the truth, or if it's leading you to another knot. A narrative of mystery and murder that I could have honestly read in one sitting had I not had to go to work. I loved it from start to finish. It isn't a surprise as I love Lauren Oliver's work, but this was something special.

After devouring Panic by Lauren Oliver, I was so excited to be approved for her latest YA mystery, but I found it to be a bit underwhelming: it was a predictable read, which I hate in a thriller, and I found that the characters' fanfiction snippets added nothing to the story. Also, it was a bit too long.

The premise for this sounded super interesting and i was really into the first 150 pages. After this my interest slowly started waning, and with 10% i gave up. This book isn't necessarily bad but it just failed to grip me. I wish that I enjoyed it more but it just wasn't for me. The last Lauren Oliver book i read was about 7 or 8 years ago and this might be part of the issue, that her novels don't connect to me now the way they used too.

I first saw Broken Things when it was listed on Netgalley and I instantly knew that I wanted to read it. I’ve read all of her Delirium series and thought they were ok, and I adored Oliver’s other adult novel. I still think about it now sometimes, which is always the sign of a great book to me so I went into this one with really high hopes. I’m not quite sure Broken Things really qualifies as adult fiction since the main protagonists are still quite young and it deals with the phenomenon of fan fiction, but that is beside the point so I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

The story follows two girls who are thrown back together and begin to relive the events of their childhood that lead to the death of their best friend, Summer. I have to admit that I was annoyed that Summer, the murdered girl, seemed to be the same stock figure I’ve seen in so many YA novels: the girl who is effortlessly popular, cruel but vulnerable and leads a secret life. Think Alison from Pretty Little Liars. Brynn and Mia are a little weird too, and while I know that no-ones life is without its issues, I felt that the chaos of their current lives sometimes distracted from main focus of the story, which is the investigation into what really happened to Summer.

The book is interspersed with flashbacks showing the girls relationships. I was interested by their obsession with Lovelorn and I think it illustrated that ability to get hopelessly lost and obsessed with something that feels very unique to children and teenagers and I could relate with the way they so desperately wanted it to be real. There are also excerpts between chapter that girls have written to continue the story of Lovelorn, but I don’t think it quite did what it was aiming to do. I would love to have seen a little more foreshadowing in there.

I can’t say that I really enjoyed Broken Things, and it certainly isn’t ground breaking or new, but I didn’t passionately despise it. If you really enjoy E. Lockhart or Sue Wallman, that sort of YA crime thriller, then you will probably enjoy this. It’s an easy book to read and had I not had so much expectation and just taken it to read whilst lounging by a pool then I probably would have enjoyed it more too. I do remember texting a friend about a week or so asking how the book ended, because I genuinely couldn’t remember, and I’m pretty sure that’s a bad sign. I remember now though, and still think it was a little weird; it feels almost as if it was meant to be the most unlikely person on purpose, rather than it making sense.

Twelve-year-old Summer has been murdered. Everybody in their small town knows that her best friends Mia, Brynn and Owen did it. Even if there isn’t enough evidence to prove it. Ostracised by their community, they each try and get by in their own way. But reunited five years later, the three friends begin to realise that they – and Summer – have been keeping secrets. With the help of their new friends, the Monsters of Brickhouse Lane look again at the crime they’ve been accused of and discover new things about the crime – and about themselves – that mean their small town can finally move on.

This is another great read from Lauren Oliver. Each of the characters is believably damaged, their reactions to the crime and its aftermath all too understandable. And is the ending infuriating? Yes. But it’s also perfect.

On the fifth anniversary of Summer’s death, a discovery threatens to unravel the mystery surrounding her murder and brings those thought responsible hurtling back together to uncover the truth.

This seemed like such an interesting premise, with two innocent girls accused of murdering their friend due to an obsession with a fantasy novel called ‘The Way into Lovelorn’. It’s also well written, quickly throwing you into this very believable and atmospheric world that is just worded beautifully. It’s not flowery or over the top - it’s just highly descriptive to the point where you feel like you’re in those woods with Mia and Brynn. You feel completely immersed and engaged in the story, and I flew through the text.

Unfortunately I wasn’t really a fan of the main characters, Mia and Brynn. They’re both a little generic really, without much of a distinctive personality to differentiate between them. This meant I never really felt that invested in them, and as the plot advanced I found that although I was enjoying the writing, I wasn’t that bothered about the overall outcome of the story itself. As it happened, I worked out who killed Summer very early on (it wasn’t hard), and this meant the reveal was very anticlimactic with no tension at all. The ending also felt rushed, and didn’t really answer or explain any of my questions.

I also didn’t really like the jumping around between our main characters and the interspersed sections of ‘The Way to Lovelorn’ that are scattered throughout the text as it took away from my enjoyment of the story and I thought it wasn’t really necessary.

I thought this was a genuinely unique concept for a YA novel, that was very well written. I just couldn’t learn to love the characters, and the ending spoilt it for me.

Trigger Warning: This book features animal cruelty, discussion of violent murder, discussion of bad experiences in foster care, implies - though doesn't outright show or say - child abuse.

Beautiful Things by Lauren Oliver sounded horribly sinister and so intriguing, but in the end, I found it to be a pretty forgettable read.

Five years ago, Summer Marks was murdered in the woods. Everyone believes that her best friends Mia and Brynn, and her boyfriend, Owen, did it - even though they were never convicted of it. But as that was mostly down to police mistakes - contamination of evidence, police failing to caution Mia and Brynn - everyone believes they got away with murder. That their obsession with a fantasy book The Way into Lovelord, and their fanfic sequel, Return to Lovelord, turned violent; Summer's murder was a re-enactment of the sacrifice they wrote into their fanfic. But it's not true, they didn't do it. But their lives have been turned upside down, not only by the murder of their best friend, but by people believing they did it. Brynn has been in and out of various rehab facilities for drugs and alcohol, though she fakes it every time as she can't bare to be around her mother and sister, who believe she did it. Mia was treated so badly she had to leave school, and is now homeschooled, while her mother turned to hoarding. But when clearing out her house, Mia finds their old favourite book, she discovers something that makes her believe that Summer parts of their fanfic weren't actually written by her. There's someone else who knows about Lovelorn, who knows what happened in their sequel, about the sacrifice. It's the first clue to finding out what really happened to Summer, finding out who killed her, and proving their innocence. If they can work out who did it, maybe they can finally move on.

Broken Things sounds really intriguing, as I said, and I was completely gripped throughout. I loved the dual narration by Mia and Brynn, seeing how their lives had changed since the murder, and the flashbacks, showing us their friendship with Summer - Summer, who was troubled; Summer, who was beautiful and special; Summer, who was often cruel and vicious - and their love for a story. I also loved the extracts from The Way into Lovelorn, and their fanfic sequel, Return to Lovelorn. Both books had quite dark and sinister elements to them, that was kind of troubling, especially as the girls had started to believe that Lovelorn was real, that they had found their way into it - a shed in the woods that was filled with old equipment belonging to people who are no longer around is one day transformed into a cute little cabin, with wallpaper and and furniture, a little hideaway the girls hang out in, and believe to be their entrance into the fictional world. It was all so interesting and intriguing!

But to be honest, I didn't really care about any of the characters. I disliked Summer, because she was such a bitch, but it was implied that, although it's not excusable, she has had a really hard time of it in various foster homes, and so that's why she is like she is. But I didn't really care about anyone else. And looking back - even though I was completely captivated, always reading, always wanting more answers - nothing really happened. Not in the present. When they're trying to work things out, it's just a load of conversations with people, research we don't see much of, and re-reading of the stories. There aren't even that many leads, it's mostly guesswork. It's not the kind of thriller that point out a number of genuine possible suspects. The few they think it could possibly be are obviously not the killer. For me, there just weren't enough real possible suspects, where I came up with my own theories of, "Oh, it could be them, because of XYZ, but it could also possibly be them, because of ABC." I had one suspect in mind, without anything actually pointing to them, because I just thought "Wouldn't it be funny if it turned out to be X?" But I was wrong. I didn't at all guess who actually did it, and was quite surprised at the reveal. But even the climax was really underwhelming, if you can even call it a climax. But I do guess that that makes it even more sinister, because there was nothing sinister or evil about them, and yet they are clearly unhinged, murdered a child, and it's hinted at sexually abused her. But there was never any sense of more danger to come. I just expect, when reading a thriller, that when you're trying to find a murderer, and you get close, the murderer is going to try and kill you to shut you up, or because you're a convenient next victim, in that they want to kill you to shut you up, but they also find some kind of enjoyment in it. But there was none of that.

So with not a huge amount actually happening, and a disappointing climax, I do feel it was kind of forgettable. I did finish thinking, "That's it?" It's not that the book was awful or terrible, it just wasn't thrilling enough for a thriller, in my opinion. It does have some plus points in regards to representation - Brynn is a lesbian, and Mia used to have selective mutism, and still struggles with it occasionally today, and with Mia's mother struggling with hoarding, and Mia's current best friend, Abby, being omnisexual. But overall, I was fairly disappointed.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for the eProof.