Twenty five years ago, Willa left for school, too impatient to wait for her younger sister Laika. For twenty five years, she has wondered what would have happened if she had, because Laika vanished that morning and no trace of her has ever been found. Her sister's disappearance has defined Willa's life, her subsequent friendships and relationships, and one night, at a dinner party held by her long-time best friend, Robyn, a chance encounter tugs at the threads of the life Willa has attempted to weave without her sister.

The story covers the timeline between Laika's disappearance (and Willa and Robyn's meeting shortly after) and the present day, the narrative switching between Willa and Robyn. Author Sarah Easter Collins depicts the two characters and their relationship with a subtlety that is impressive for a first time novelist: rather than listing the characters' respective traits, Collins allows their actions and interactions to speak for themselves, leaving it for the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Similarly, much of the violence and cruelty of Willa and Laika's childhood is implied rather than shown, creating a sense that any number of things could have resulted in Laika going missing. Then, in just a couple of scenes, Collins fully realises the warmth and love of Robyn's family; the juxtaposition of thd two families - one brittle and breakable, the other forgiving and accepting - is extremely powerful.

Collins treats the queer relationships in the book with just as much respect and sincerity as the heterosexual ones, and the relationships between Willa and Robyn and Robyn and Cat are portrayed with nuance and tenderness, capturing both the excitement and possibility of first love and the stability and comfort of a long-term relationship.

The motif of the title pulls the whole story together very effectively, alluding to the fact that our lives and characters do not just happen by accident, but are shaped by all the experiences we have and the people we meet. This theme of breaking and remaking more beautiful than before is explored both literally (Robyn's potter father introduces the girls to kintsugi, the Japanese art of using glue dusted with precious metals to mend a broken bowl) and metaphorically, through the growth of the central characters and their relationships. Things - and people - don't break on their own, but we can mend them and they can be stronger and more wonderful than ever.

The characterisation is a little simplistic - each character that is introduced is clearly and definitively established as a hero or a villain, there are elements of the plot which are just a bit too far-fetched, and some readers will no doubt prefer a more ambiguous ending, but overall this is an impressive, riveting debut which would make a perfect holiday read. Once the story of what happened to Laika begins to unfold, I couldn't put the book down, but the mystery is only one thread of this compelling family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good storyline, good characters, good read a great first book.
A new author for me which is good.
Thank you for the ARC

A fabulous debut
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2025
A book that isn’t easy to read but is well written and will keep you gripped. A brilliant debut and I’m looking forward to the next!
The characters are real and you want to find out more.

Willa's sister Laika went missing when she was 13 and Willa 17. We can see through the eyes of Robyn, her boarding school roommate, that Willa has been deeply affected by Laika's disappearance. Willa's story is unveiled through her eyes and Robyn's and we slowly grasp some of the darkness that Willa has had in her life. This is a superbly written tale of grief and hope as well as redemption and revenge. Very good. Highly recommended

Enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author in the future!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!

Definitely a slow burn but a good one. It certainly had me guessing. Mysterious and twisty. Would recommend.

This thriller kept me up late into the night because I couldn’t put it down. The twists were unpredictable, and the suspense kept me on edge. The final reveal was absolutely unforgettable, fantastic book.

Things Don't Break on Their Own is a fantastic debut novel for Sarah Easter Collins that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a domestic drama, more than a thriller, about a highly dysfunctional family. With well drawn characters and an imaginative and well paced plot it a well written and compelling read about family, loss, domestic abuse, friendship and grief.

I will look forward to reading more from this new author.

A well-crafted story with plenty to appreciate. The pacing, characters, and plot twists kept me interested throughout. I'm looking forward to seeing how readers respond once it's released!

A tale about being your own person, and believing in yourself, and not coforming to how others want you to be. It is a story about strength and resilience, and surviving the loss of loved ones. This is a book about family, and love, and belonging, and violence...Read it! (And appreciate Wham!)

I was hooked from the beginning of Things Don’t Break on Their Own and it kept me completely and utterly engaged throughout. It’s an absolutely beautifully written book that touches on so many different aspects of love, trauma, family and relationships. It is heart wrenching and emotional in the way it shows what loss can do to a person and the ramifications of childhood trauma even decades later. I loved the underlying themes of fixing what has been broken, and whether you truly can remake something into what it once was or even into something better. There is a real sense of elegance and poignancy to the writing and the entire book which makes it both chillingly haunting yet somehow still ultimately about love and the strength it takes to pull oneself out of the darkness. Things Don’t Break on Their Own is a stunning debut about the fallibility of memory and perception, damage, and how that damage can be healed. I will definitely be reading anything this author writes in the future. Highly recommended.

I’m not sure why this is classed as a thriller, I certainly wouldn’t call it that but it is certainly mysterious. A dinner guest casually makes a statement that triggers in Willa thoughts of her sister Laika who disappeared on the way to school 25 years earlier. Willa never believed she had died and sets out to find out what happened. The story is told from different perspectives and timelines.
Well worth a read although the end lets it down somewhat.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley.co.uk for an advance copy.

Such a great book, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down, exactly how a thriller should be. Can’t wait to read more by the author.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. There are a lot of books being written about abuse and coercive control but this one has a lot more to offer. I thought the story was clever and well written. I loved the premise of putting things back together. I enjoyed the characters and I loved the ending - a great book

I had high hopes for this one but in my opinion it’s not a thriller/mystery read as it’s described. It’s a slow burn that’s predictable in terms of the main premise of the storyline. It moves from past to present and builds the backstory of Robyn and Willa’s relationship which I really liked. Its told from different characters points of view which worked well to make you feel like your getting to know the characters. It has both likeable and unlikeable characters. It did feel like it was missing something in terms of big reveals and twists. It was an interesting story but it just lacked something and for me there was no real mystery but an interesting storyline but just needed a little oomph.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viking for the opportunity to read and review #ThingsDontBreakOnTheirOwn

Wow! I went into the expecting a rhn of the mill thriller hut got sponsored much more. The plot covers so many relatable topics from family dynamics to secrets and lies. There are twists and turns but its very character based. Usually when I say that, it's a negative and the plot suffers for the main focus being in the characters but j didn't find that with this book. The characters are explored in a really fascinating way, giving depth and backstory which adds to the understanding if the plot. It never feels boring or waffley or like wete getting info we really don't need. Very well written and enjoyable

I enjoyed reading this book. It was very moving in parts. It was an unusual story that I found very interesting. There are some very interesting characters, but also some truly horrible ones. You really had to feel for the separated siblings.
This book covered so many emotions, family life, siblings, child abuse, elderly care. None of that sounds remotely entertaining, but it is written beautifully and is enjoyable.

Great read, very cleverly written.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Things Don’t Break On Their Own is a family drama that is both gripping and at times very moving.

The central character is Willa, now an adult still mourning the loss of her sister Laika, who disappeared on her way to school many years ago. It's hard to relate much more about this intricately plotted mystery without spoilers.

I found myself immersed in this story. The pacing is excellent, as the characters are explored in depth and the events of the past are gradually revealed. The various twists are convincing and the ending is shocking and satisfying.

Thanks to the author, publisher @DeixisPress and Netgalley for the ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

#NetGalley #bookreview #books.beledit

I really enjoyed this book and I found the characters, relationships and themes of family, sibling love, loss, grief to be portrayed well. It was immersive and not too long, but equally not sure how memorable long term? It was a good read and for the fans of the genre, I would recommend.

Thank you tot he author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.