Things Don’t Break on Their Own is a novel based an a dual timeline of two school friends: one at a dinner party in the present day, and the other at their initial meeting at boarding school as teenagers. The main plot line involves the disappearance of one of the girl’s sisters, so there’s a crime/whodunnit element to the story. There are a lot of references to domestic abuse and traumatic childhood events, which are very well described in my opinion, and therefore will be upsetting to read for some. I’ve given it two stars because whilst I enjoyed the queer love stories and elements of mystery, I did find it quite a slog personally to get through the more traumatic bits.

With thanks to Penguin and NetGalley and for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't 100% sold on the premise of this book but I am happy to admit that I was wrong - I couldn't put it down and read it in under two days as I needed to know what happened to Laika.

It is worth noting that some parts are uncomfortable as the book does deal with emotional, physical and mental abuse, including of a child. However, this is handled well and is needed within the story to provide context and character motivation.

This is a heartwrenching story of loss, life continuing after it and always searching. It details grief, abuse, repeating patterns and trying to put fragments of your life back together after moments that break it apart. I truly felt what each character was going through with the multiple POVs and timeframes building a greater picture even while fragmenting the story into smaller pieces.

At one point the book talks about Kinjutsu pottery - the Japanese art of putting something broken back together again and highlighting the breaks - and it feels like this is exactly what this book did. It was written in such a way that all of the breaks were obvious but they ultimately created a completed story that dealt with healing.

I'm genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and how much I took from it.

Things Don't Break On Their Own is a stunning debut - Sarah Easter Collins is an assured writer to watch out for. It is a beautiful, character led story of a life formed by an absence. Robyn's sister Laika has been missing since her childhood and her fate is slowly revealed through a well crafted plot which is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Definitely more of a literary novel than a thriller and all the better for it.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an advance copy to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

This starts as a dinner party. Cat and Robyn host with guests. Willa was at school with Robyn. Michael and Nate are Cat’s brothers. Partners come to, including the mysterious Claudette.

This is only a small part of the story as most of it takes place in the past, where we see how their lives are intertwined and who is who.

This in a was slow paced and I had to stop and start it a couple of times. I saw the main twist coming but I think that was the point of the author and that it was more about the why.

Once I settled to read this thought, I did enjoy it. A nice gentle tale. It was hard to keep track of everyone as many characters were bit players

I really enjoyed this book. 25 years ago Laika vanished without trace on her way to school. Her sister, Willa, has never given up hope and sees her everywhere she goes. It soon becomes clear as the story progresses that the family lived in fear of the father and that he and Laika clashed. Then one day Willa is invited to a dinner party and is convinced one of the other guests is her sister. But is this just another false alarm? I really liked the characters in this book and I couldn't wait for the denouement!
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This book was so beautifully written! It’s traumatic, heart-wrenching and gripping all at the same time. Love stories, tragedy, family dynamics and wonder all combine together to make this a truly compelling read! I loved the different stories and how well interconnected they were. And it wasn’t left hanging at the end, it was left with no questions! Highly recommended read, I couldn’t put it down

An interesting novel by author Sarah Easter Collins.

We meet main character Willa, living with the disappearance of her sister many years ago, she believes she is still alive.

Willa has desperately and relentlessly searched for Liaka with no results. Whilst at a dinner party, some things are revealed and we learn about Willas childhood and young adult life.

I found this novel quite haunting in a way, the characters were flawed but likeable and the story was more of a domestic noir than a thriller I personally thought.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Easter Collins has a real hit on her hands with this one.
I absolutely knew what the story was all about! Right up until I didn't. Absolutely loved it and have reccomended it to all my book club friends.

Twenty five years ago Willa's sister disappeared on her way to school. Willa's best friend Robyn at the boarding school she was sent to after the disappearance, is now happily married and holds a dinner party for Willa and her fiancé, and Cat,-Willa's wife's brother and his French girlfriend.. The evening will begin to unravel the mystery of the past and set in motion events to bring some kind of justice. Its a clever twisty plot and a gripping read.

Really wholesome story about love, family, loss and redemption. With wealth, does not come happiness is such a true saying. White middle class families have issues of violence, just like the rest of us. I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would.

A twisty little thriller with heartbreak in abundance. And while coincidence plays a large part it allows for a graceful ending rather than a cliffhanger. An easy summer time read. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

This is a beautifully written book which is the story of a family ripped apart by an abusive and controlling father. Willa and Laika have accepted that their mother is dominated by their father but Laika will not and after a particularly nasty confrontation she vanishes.

The story of Laika and Willa and how they separately travel through their lives and the effect that the early treatment from their father has on their development is impactful. I loved the characters of both Willa and Laika and was disappointed to get to the end.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the yay and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for "Things Don’t Break On Their Own" by Sarah Easter Collins promised a thriller. However, I found the book to be quite different from what I expected. The story starts with a dinner party where a discussion about a missing girl surfaces. This girl, who disappeared on her way to school 25 years ago, is Willa’s sister, and Willa herself is a guest at the party. I anticipated a thrilling revelation of the truth, but the book didn't deliver in the traditional sense of a thriller. Instead, it delves deeply into themes of grief, abuse, and a lesbian relationship, moving at a slower pace than I expected.

This book is primarily about childhood abuse. While it isn’t explicitly graphic, it does explore the topic in significant detail. For those with triggers related to domestic and child abuse, it might be best to avoid this one.

One aspect I did appreciate was the unfolding of the narrative through multiple points of view. This technique highlighted how everyone’s perception of an event can differ, adding layers to the story. However, it also left me uncertain about which characters were reliable.

Though the book didn't meet my expectations as a thriller, it is still a good read with rich, complex themes. I struggled to relate to Laika and her choices, especially her decision not to contact her mother and sister, given that only her father was abusive.

The story begins around a dinner party discussing early memories which brings back the memory of the disappearance of Laika. The story starts slow from from a few different viewpoints

Although struggled with the slow start great ready and couldn’t put down in the end. Thank you netgalley for early read.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get to this book before it was archived but once I’ve read it I will post my review to all relevant book sites

What an incredible debut. This genuine page turner was a beautifully crafted book with a full range of characterisations and emotions that were truly believable. Laika, aged thirteen goes missing from her home, never to be found. The story covers the despair of her disappearance from the perspective of her sister Willa and mostly follows her story into adulthood and beyond. The story begins, however with a dinner party for several guests including Willa and conversation delves into early memories that is uncomfortable for Willa. The book alternates between the past and present and also focuses on relationships, some that are loving, others extremely toxic which can ultimately affect the lives of those around them. Without spoilers, I don’t want to retell the story but I will say this is a must read book that will not disappoint and I can’t wait for what comes next from this very talented author.

I really enjoyed this taut drama about friends, dysfunctional families, and secrets.

In Things Don’t Break On Their Own, we're following a group of people, some of whom are friends, and some are partners, as they meet together for dinner. It soon becomes clear that there is a lot of history between some of the characters.

We switch between the present-day narrative - at dinner - and the past stories of some of the characters as they grow up - particularly the friendship between Robyn and Willa. Willa's sister Laika disappeared one day many years ago and Willa has always wondered what happened to her. As we move between timelines, we start to uncover what really happened...

This book has a big reveal, and I really enjoyed the multiple narratives and perspectives. You might have to suspend your disbelief for one coincidence which is featured but it's an enjoyable, gripping and absorbing book which never felt over the top. The book radiates tension and the author skilfully develops the characters, who I enjoyed getting to know. I recommend Things Don't Break on Their Own and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sarah Easter Collins in the future.

This ended up being quite the unexpected read. I thought we were getting into a fairly standard mystery but this is a more layered look at family dynamics. It's full of grief and an inability to move forward without closure. It also heavily involves abuse cycles and the way they take their toll.

The writing style was fantastic, particularly resting on the characterisation of Willa. It shows us the myriad of ways her life got stuck at the moment her sister went missing. The doubt, the love, the fear of letting go. It was a surprisingly beautiful and emotional read. I'd definitely read another by the same author.

I found the start of this book to be quite slow and sometimes confusing as to who was who. However the final two thirds of the book really picked up the pace and had me hooked. It’s a tale of dysfunctional families, secrets and lies and I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin and the author for the chance to review.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. A gripping book from start to finish. I would definitely read more of this authors future works