Broken by A.E. Rought

Broken #1

by A.E. Rought

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Romance, Fantasy, Retellings, Mystery

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 3, 2013

Reviews

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the summary : Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

2.5 stars. Yet another case of "great concept, poor execution." Don't get me wrong...I can appreciate a love story as much as the next romantic, but when a story is being marketed as a spin on Frankenstein, I expect to see more to that side of the tale. Throwing in names like Shelley and Franks every few pages isn't enough to bring the concept to life.

What makes this story even stranger is that there was no real break between one life-changing incident and the introduction of a person who was too closely tied to it all. The main character Emma was so confused in her own head, that I felt uncomfortable watching her pick and choose her emotions because she wasn't sure which feelings were even appropriate for her to feel. I can't say this enough : it's not hard to write in a chapter header which says two years later, or something to that effect.

Where the story did finally manage to break out into interesting territory was in the last 50 or so pages. I almost wonder if this story could have been more interesting had it been told in reverse, or if more of the facts had been given upfront. The supposed 'air of mystery' wasn't really a mystery, since the reader knows what's coming before they even pick up the book. So instead of wondering what's going to happen, the observer is required to sit through pages and pages of everyday angst. A book centered on Frankenstein should have less attention given to basic day-to-day activities and silly drama. Some of the details did manage to tie in with the rest of the story, but by the time we got to that point, I felt like I'd been lulled into a place of not caring.

Granted, there is going to be an audience for the book. Even though Broken is being marketed as regular YA (probably because of some violence), I'm thinking the middle grade/tween crowd is going to better love this one.

As well, I think fans of the 2005-2010 (ish) style of emotion-driven YAPNR will probably be less harsh on the slow build to action. If your favorite books in the genre are the old-school style ones in which the romance carried the majority of the plot, you'll probably be a bigger fan of this book than I was. Like I said, I'm all for romance, but when you're bringing out the Frankenstein angle as a draw, there needs to be more on the story/background side (for my tastes) than what we got with this book. A better balance would have pushed this book from okay to something special.

[Anna (Bobs Her Hair) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5...A Fair and Flawed Story

I cry for everyone I’ve hurt withdrawing from life. Mom never stops stroking my shoulder, or my hair, a gentle contact anchoring me. I pull in a slow, deep cooling breath and realize the hurt has lessened. I feel scraped and stinging inside, gutted like the jack-o’-lantern sitting on the ground outside the clinic door. Except somewhere in the aching emptiness I see a spark, a flicker of my own, the light Daniel would’ve wanted me to finally find.

Hope.

Emma Gentry has been comfortably numb since her deep connection with her boyfriend was severed. An unexpected tragedy took Daniel from her. Her heart feels hollow and broken. Emma’s grief guides her to the cemetery on a regular basis, as her parents wait for her funk to lift. After months of haunting memories, she finally accepts it’s time to let go of Daniel’s ghost.

Then, Shelly High School’s newest student has her reeling. Alex Franks resurrects all the feelings she felt with Daniel, the only boy she felt was made for her. A confused and guilt-ridden Emma is extremely drawn to the scarred boy. He is also captivated by her. His similarities to Daniel wound. Alex excites, but a voice in Emma’s head whispers that something is very wrong.

Broken, at its core, has a provocative premise; unfortunately, it’s realized in an excess of repetitive prose and teen angst. Emma’s character is fully developed, yet wasted much of the time, as she mopes through the majority of the book. Her emotions were complex in dealing with the death of a loved one. Her confused feelings of guilt, love, anger, and hope make her a compelling character in the few tantalizing moments written. Emma could have had a potent story.

The story is completely told from the heroine’s point-of-view, and I needed a better picture of Emma’s love interest. There are empty spaces where missing pieces of Alex should be in the puzzle, especially in his story. Alex is enigmatic, charming, strange, and intelligent. It would seem his intelligence should have been convincingly portrayed. His characteristics don’t reveal a dependable composite.

I did enjoy Emma’s interactions with her overprotective mother. There were some stereotypical moments with teenage high school girls and also entertaining interactions with Emma’s friends. Overall, I feel this book is a fair, yet flawed, read. Viewing it from the perspective of a teen reader, some may enjoy the realized romantic elements between Emma and Alex if he or she overlooks the ‘same day, different shirt’ redundancy and pat ending.


ARC courtesy of Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry via Netgalley

Buddy Read with Stacia starts Nov. 15.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Strange Chemistry in exchange for an honest review.

So after some pretty hilarious business while reading BROKEN, I have finally finished... and color me slightly impressed.

Damn.

BROKEN is a FRANKENSTEIN retelling. It was very creepy and intriguing - though I'm probably biased because I'm a sucker for retellings.

Emma Gentry is a high-school girl who has just lost her boyfriend, Daniel, one of many victims to die or disappear mysteriously in a small town in Michigan. Emma and Daniel's relationship was real love, which made his death so much harder for her.

During the school year, Alex Franks enrolls, and like in most stories, he and Emma are "drawn to each other".



I'm really starting to wonder why young-adult novels authors insist on adding insta-love. Gah. That definitely took away from the story.

Anyway, Alex Franks is really, really familiar. He has Daniel's eyes, his habits and knowledge, but most of all... some of his memories - and his feelings for Emma. Alex's dad, Dr. Franks, is a freaking creep and he hates Emma, since she's a distraction to Alex. Drama, action, and horror follows.

You guys can all guess who the monster in BROKEN is going to be. It's not even a spoiler - it screams "ALEX ALEX DANIEL DANIEL" in the blurb. The story would've had a lot more potential if it was more surprising.

I'm going to give Emma and Alex's fast relationship a little slack because technically, Alex kind of is Daniel, and they're made for each other . Real-life soulmates, I suppose. Their relationship was extremely fast (about two weeks), but they've known each other for much longer, technically.

Alex and Emma were cute, but I was a bit uneasy with their declarations of "you're mine" and "you belong to me", however.

I usually don't go gaga for any books with insta-love, but I suppose BROKEN was an exception, since it had a reason. It just made me feel like this, which is a definite sign I'm going mad:



I thought the characters and the character development was okay. I kind of liked Emma - she seemed like a interesting protagonist and I was fond of her voice. She didn't give two shits what other people thought of her, and she didn't let it get to her. Most of the time.

I also liked Alex. He's like a lost, sensitive puppy that needs a hug. He's a sweet, protective little German Shepherd. I sound like a creep. Moving on. Alex hates himself because his father hired Josh to push Daniel off the balcony so he would die, and his body parts were used for Alex's reanimated body. He's a tortured soul, and I'm not just spitting out bullshit. I mean, bitch please, if I died and my father killed someone else to bring me back to life in the most unnatural, twisted way possible, I'd be tortured too.

I originally didn't mind Josh - the game he played with Emma was funny and I loved it. And then, little by little, my patience for him waned... and waned... and waned... until I got to the last straw, and, oh, look what I found!


HAHAHA, FUCK YOU.

BROKEN itself gave me semi-nightmares. It didn't horrify me while I was reading it, but when I went to bed, I did dream about someone cutting out my heart. The animals scared the living crap out of me - the deer, mostly - and Dr. Franks made the story.

I do wish there was a lot more horror to counterbalance the romance, however.

Strangely, one of the scenes in BROKEN reminded me of when the victims of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE are tied to the beds ready for surgery, which is probably not the best comparison. That movie scarred me for life, and I have my friends to blame for forcing me to watch it at the party they threw for me.

BROKEN is a guilty pleasure for me because there are things wrong with it: insta-love that made me roll my eyes at times, choices that annoyed me at times, and tiny details that should've driven me insane but didn't.

[L.M. Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a test reader I'd say this will knock your socks off. Can't wait for the release.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars: A book with wonderful writing that borrows on the famed tale of Frankenstein.

Emma hurries through the dark splashes of shadow stretching across the sidewalk. It is nearly dusk on a crisp October evening. The leering jack o' lanterns on the porches, a reminder of the season, watch her every move as she rushes home after spending the afternoon in the graveyard. It has been four months since her boyfriend, Daniel, accidentally died. Her heart still hurts from missing him, her hand aches to hold his....The next day, she meets Alex, a new boy, and she is unexpectedly drawn to him. Is it because something about his eyes remind her of Daniel or the inexplicable electricity that tingles between them? Alex is quiet and mysterious but kind and nice, and she feels she knows him. He is an enigma. Emma slowly, with Alex's help, puts her feet back onto the path of living, but a terrible secret threatens to destroy everything.......
What I Liked:
*First and foremost, what I loved the most about this book was the writing. Ms. Rought's YA debut book shows she is an immensely talented author. I absolutely loved her unique way with words and her well defined descriptions. She utilizes smell and touch and sight and blends them into powerful passages that were astounding. I am always a fan of books with creative writing, and this one is a gem. There are books that use basic writing to tell a tale, and then there are books that enthrall you with mesmerizing words and stunning details. This book excelled on the writing aspect, so much so, that I felt like the writing itself was a character all on its own. Time and time again, I was enchanted by the details. For me, it was like watching a movie with awe inspiring cinematography, where the shots of the background are so interesting that they play a pivotal role in the movie. The background details and descriptions are so vivid that they overshadow some of the other aspects.
*I liked that this book borrowed on ideas of Frankenstein, but for the most part it is an original story. It made it a bit more unpredictable.
*I enjoyed Emma's character. She is a young lady reeling from the accidental death of her boyfriend. Her pain is gut wrenching and the reader really feels for her. I liked that Alex slowly teaches her to live again. There are so many emotions in this one and I think Ms. Rought does a great job of capturing them all and conveying them to the reader.
*I have hit a bit of a lucky spell as of late, as I have read several book in a row that are stand alones. That means no horrific cliffhangers, and can I just say, I love reading a book that has a definite conclusion. If you are like me: tired of books with jarring endings pick this one up. It has phenomenal writing and a nice, neat conclusion, that alone is worth reading this book!
And The Not So Much:
*I admit, I picked this one up because I love Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, and I couldn't resist a retelling. I have learned, though, not to expect these modern day retellings to mirror their familiar counterparts, so I went in with no expectations that this would be reminiscent of Frankenstein, and indeed this tale borrows on Ms. Shelly's ideas, but is is nothing like the original, and I liked that. I know other readers will be disappointed that this isn't more like the classic story, but for me I liked the fresh ideas and original story. I think that these respins of the classics might be better introduced as books that are inspired by or based loosely upon instead of a retelling that way people aren't expecting a familiar story line.
*I was disappointed that the villain in this one didn't have a larger part. I wanted to get inside his head and learn what motivated him, why he chose to do what he did, how he went about creating his "monster" and what exactly happened with the death and the subsequent resurrection. I was also perplexed by the scene where Emma meets Dr. Franks and his reaction to her. Why did he act that way? It is never explained and it bothered me, was it because he recognized her name from his son's rantings? I think this book needed his POV integrated into the story, perhaps with journal entries?
*This storyline tries to utilize a "surprise" element with the whole Frankenstein monster concept, but it fails because the reader goes into this knowing that it is a retelling so when the big reveal comes it is expected. Trying to keep it in the dark fails. Maybe this is why we didn't get more insight on Dr. Franks as the author was hoping to achieve the big twist but it just doesn't work. I think alleviating the surprise and integrating the villain's POV would vault this up from a good read to a great one.
*While I adored the writing, I found myself a bit bored by the repetitiveness of the plot. I liked the depth of emotions and the descriptions so I was entertained, but there was just too much repeating of Emma going to school, getting coffee, meeting her friend and arguing with her mother. I started to feel like been there done that.....

Broken is a very loose Frankenstein retelling. If you go into this expecting a mirror of the classic, you will likely be disappointed. I personally liked that it borrowed on ideas but blossomed into its own story. The big selling point for me for this book is Ms. Rought's mad writing skills. It is isn't often that I am blown away by stunning metaphors and rich descriptions, but this book has both and more. If you are a fan of detailed and creative writing you should definitely check this out. Not having a cliffhanger is another great reason to read this. I am certainly now a fan of Ms. Rought's writing, and despite this book having some flaws, I will gladly pick up another one of her books in the future so I can once again experience her unique writing.

Favorite Quotations:
"With Daniel, it was so much more. He wasn't just in my heart, he was my heart."
"It's such a lovely promise. Promises are like hearts, easily broken."
"Glittering frost coats the world, sharpens grass and leaves to fragile glass-like weapons."
"Talking drags the jagged ugly truth out and tosses it into view of anyone who cares to listen."
"No more leering pumpkins seeing their echo in me. Autumn is over. Novembers are fickle, but the constant chill in the air tells me the dying is done. Now comes the frigid death of a Michigan winter, bitter winds, suffocating snow."
"Do I tell him he isn't a dream for me, but a memory I've almost forgotten?"
"The snow softens the world's edges, buries its sins under a powdery blanket. Too bad it can't work the same with life."

A big thanks to Strange Chemistry Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for my review.
Posted @Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review can also be found on The Dreaming Reader.

Alex FRANKS goes to SHELLEY High. Oh my, could this possibly be a FRANKENSTEIN retelling? Except now the monster has become a hot seventeen year old boy?!?!?

 

Joker approves of my superb reasoning skills.

This would've been a great book if it hadn't been so reminiscent of Twilight horrified. Rought had a lot of things going for her. She had a strong main character, a successfully enigmatic male lead, and a plot that any classic/YA lover would be drawn to. I love retellings, and this is the first retelling of Frankenstein that I've seen. In the first couple pages, I rushed through this book. It was exciting, exhilarating, and I wanted to know more about Daniel and Alex and Em. Even though the GR blurb pretty much ruined the big secret for me, I still wanted to get to the bottom of everything and understand it completely. Also, Rought's writing style? Gorgeous. Sometimes it seems to go into the realm of too dramatic, but most of the time, it contributed just the right amount of haunting beauty and really added to the dark tone that existed throughout the book.

There didn't seem to be much going wrong in the first, oh, 100 pages. And I thought this book would be great, but as is the case with my crappy badness-radar, I turned out to be wrong.

Alex Franks was great for five pages. Then his whole mysterious, hood-over-face thing got old fast. It's been done so many times before, and besides his apparent good looks (in which case, why would he need the hood? And if the hood was to hide himself and people had already seen his face, what was the point?), there wasn't really much else he had going for him. I know, I know, he's related to Em's old boyfriend, but despite that, I still felt like she was cheating on Daniel. And this sort of bothered me. Also, what was the deal with Josh? He seemed like such a comical mustache-twirling villain that I couldn't take him seriously. On top of all that, he was a ginger. Figures.

The beginning and end were pretty interesting. There's some action and guts in the last couple pages. But the middle is just mind-numbing backwards and forwards lovin' between Em and Alex, with a couple memories of Daniel scattered in to make her feel guilty. I was never sold on the love. Isn't Rought essentially showing that Em only loves Alex because Daniel's in him? That's messed up, man. What guy wants to be loved because he reminds his girlfriend of her old boyfriend? No one, unless he couldn't get a girl any other way. And given Alex's supposed good looks, I think he'd be able to get someone.

Em is a badass in the first couple pages when she punches people and throws insults, but she softens too much. Sadly, she follows the trend and starts crying a lot. Not that she doesn't have reason to, but sometimes the tears were just unnecessary. I appreciated Rought's integration of Em's mom and dad instead of making her some poor orphan, but I think she really could've done a better job with her characters. None of them really made sense to me.

I recommend giving this book a try, even if it does get redundant in the middle. The end is pretty cliche, but you should just stick with it for the writing style. I think that was my favorite part.

[Saz · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good idea that was executed horribly. While I can understand every author has a vision of how they want their story to be told, there's still some things that just don't work. In this book's case, the writing was just all over the place with its tone. Sometimes it would delve into a darker gloomy prose and I'd think okay we're finally getting somewhere, but mostly it was just all shallow word vomit, complete with slut-shaming, subtle sexism, and awkwardly phrased ~*teen talk*~. Now I know the argument to that is always, "but that's realistic though because that's how teens actually are!!!!!!!!!!" Yeah, I'm aware of this, I was a teenager once upon a time, and I know that young people are capable of this type of behavior, but that doesn't mean EVERY teenager is like that. I think there are many other ways for an author to convey HEY! MY BOOK IS ABOUT TEENS! Sometimes playing the every character is vapid card can work, if the author is a talented enough writer to make the reader connect with non sympathetic characters. The writing in this book is not on that level. I found it nearly impossible to care about Emma whatsoever. Yes she's a young girl going through a painful time but her characterization was shite. If the writing had been on point then her horrid personality would have been interesting and even relatable, but it wasn't, so she was just an annoying brat.

Now, as for the plot, like I said before...good idea, bad execution. The meat of the book is basically just Emma having random cliche interactions with Alex and mooning/brooding over how much he reminds her of her dead boyfriend, Daniel. Aside from that nothing really happens. The romance was actually embarrassing to read.

And I quote:
“It does fracture the illusion.” His velvet tenor sends chills racing over my skin.

“What illusion?”

Alex’s grip tightens, hugging me to him, squeezing the air from between us. When I look up, I see his eyes smoldering behind his mask. He leans closer, the ties of his shirt brushing my bare skin when he whispers, “That you’re a dream come to life.”

I giggle. What else can I do after a compliment like that?

THIS IS AFTER DAYS OF THEM KNOWING EACHOTHER.

Next, I click on Alex’s text: Why can’t I get you out of my head? You’re my dream, Emma, and I don’t ever want to wake up.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

There were odd, vague mentionings of Daniel's death a few times that aren't expanded upon until about the last third of the book, but it didn't really build mystery or suspense the way it was written, it just confuses the reader. The "mystery" surrounding Alex was obvious from the first page he entered the story. With lackluster characters and a dull, painfully predictable plot there was just nothing about this book that made me want to keep reading. I stuck with it just in case the ending would somehow wow me but no. The end was overly dramatic and unbelievable. I just think there was so much about this book that could have been good but the writing was just. so. bad.

There's not much else to say. I'm very disappointed as this book was toted as being a "modern spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein". Yeah, as someone who knows Frankenstein like the back of their hand, no no no no no it is not. It barely has anything to do with it at all. There are a few half-assed allusions to it and there's the obvious aspect of bringing the dead back to life, but other than that this book is just another poorly written, dull, teen "romance".

ARC was provided via netgalley

[Zemira Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first this you need to know about Broken is that it has an interesting plotline, normal (read not annoying main character) and dashing hero.

The main reason I didn’t give 4 or 5 stars is- this book is meant for younger readers (13-16) even though it has some seriously disturbing scenes. After that awesome start the middle part of the book got a little bit repetitive. I really don’t need to read about every detail in the MC daily routine. Emma is still grieving the death of her beloved boyfriend but she completely ignored her friend’s texts throughout the whole freaking book. She replied maybe 3 or 4 times-tops. Since her friend doesn’t mind it’s all OK. Boys are all over her but she has eyes only for the new hot guy, who is a dream of every other girl in the school. *sigh* If only this book came out 4 years ago. I would adore it…but I’ve seen this pattern already a thousand times and it’s getting pretty old (just like me). I am not sure if the ending was great or over the top. One thing is certain- it was very explosive.

There is no doubt, the author is very talented and she should continue to write this type of books.

You can read this review and so much more on YA Fanatic

[Teno Q. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the blurb for this book spoils most of the story, so if you've read the blurb, then you've pretty much read the story up to page 340.

When I first started reading this, I was convinced that the author had been re-reading Frankenstein, and then Twilight for the first time, and decided to simultaneously deconstruct and also add a dark spin on Meyer's cliched love story. You've all heard this tale by now: There's a new kid at school. The protagonist feels instantly drawn to him or her for some reason they can't explain, and they start a relationship after a ridiculously short period of time, even though they barely know each other; then the protagonist discovers that their new 'love' is a vampire or a fallen angel or a demon or an Elvis impersonator or what have you.

The twist and deconstruction that Broken offers on this is that the protagonist is mourning her dead boyfriend, and this new guy, who is a normal human, eerily reminds her of him. (Why Alex feels suddenly drawn to Emma is explained later.)

The writing is peppered with fleshy, gorey imagery, but whether or not it manages to create the intended dark and Gothic atmosphere, I can't rightly say, because this book takes place mostly in a high school, but the emotions I associate with such places mainly include boredom and anxiety. Examples of some particularly interesting metaphors and bits of imagery, not including the one that compares a ringing cellphone to a mugging victim:

"A wooden boardwalk clings to the side of the dune, an exposed spine riding over dark flesh, meant to preserve the fragile ground."

"Storm weight is oppressive, humid, tainting the air. The school looms dark and brooding, waiting for the last of its victims."

"The sky chooses now to open and hemorrhage water like a slit vein. People scurry, rats running for dry ground."

"The wrought iron fencing looms into view, black rotted teeth ripping through the tufty brow fur of the grass edging."

I thought this was clever, considering the subject matter. And then...

"He smells of leather, and lightening, and Alex."

Note that the person this is describing is Alex. So, apparently, Alex smells like Alex. Interesting. (And what, praytell, does lightening smell like? I'll tell you what lightening smells like. It smells like nothing. You know why? Because if you're close enough to be able to smell it, then you can be sure your nose has already been zapped right off.)

Anyway, in all seriousness, reading this book made me feel a tad uncomfortable. I wouldn't let a guy I barely know hug me, get into a fight over me, or undo my hair for me, and those are just a few of the things that Alex Franks (Franks? Frankenstein? See the allusion?), our resident dark and mysterious hero, does. So the romance that takes up a good chunk of this book made me feel queasy, never mind that Alex reminds Emma of her recently-dead boyfriend. If I had a dead boyfriend and some new guy at school reminded me of him, I wouldn't try to date him, I'd get the hell away from him!

This also begs the question: How much of Emma's "love" for Alex is really for Alex and not for the memory of her dead ex that he invokes, and respectively, how much of Alex's "love" for Emma is really love, and not just because of the [spoiler]? But how many of the people who liked this book would tell me, "Oh, but they're teenagers. It's just lust and hormones"? Because despite what YA romances might be feeding the general public right now, the truth is that most teens are not horny idiots who have nothing on their minds but the mysteries of sex and/or the opposite sex. I'm a real teen, and I'm not buying that specious explanation.

Also, what is it with this need to describe every single detail of the main character's day that some books have? I don't need to know what subtle variations there are in Emma's cholesterol-drenched breakfast every day, nor do I want to know, unless there's some plot significance in it - for example, if Emma's partially-uneaten breakfast burrito slips out of her backpack while she's on the run from the villain, and he trips over it and lands on his face, thereby buying her some much-needed time. This detective-like style of documenting ultimately causes the story to drag a bit, at least until it reaches the explosive, over-the-top ending (and when I say it was over-the-top, I mean, it was over-the-top, and not precisely in a good way). It worked for Stieg Larsson because he was wrote crime dramas from the perspective of actual detectives. It doesn't work for paranormal romance.

I'm not sure if I can say I enjoyed this book. It was...interesting...especially near ending. I'd recommend it to people who enjoy horror and romances with scarred, brooding, and mysterious heroes, because sometimes we can overlook a book's flaws, if its content appeals to us greatly enough, now can't we? (*hides Scarlet and Graceling behind back*)

Obligatory disclaimer:
My copy of this book is another ARC I received from Netgalley.com and the publisher, so thanks to them for the opportunity.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too bad Broken isn't going to be released in time for Halloween, because this is another book that kills it with the creepy atmosphere. A.E. Rought nails the gothic inspired horror, not only with easy stuff like spooky graveyard scenes or genuinely twisted nightmare sequences, but through her suspenseful writing style that sends out all sorts of warning bells. The actual story, though, leaves something to be desired, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I so desperately wanted to end yet was still disappointed when it was over.

My problem is the cliched and extremely predictable plotting. Read the summary and you have this entire book in a nutshell, everything that happens I can easily predict without reading even a word of the book. Worse, the first few chapters follow the stereotypical depressed girl falls for new guy all the other girls can’t keep their hands off of routine - for a book inspired by Frankenstein, it takes a really long time before anything resembling Frankenstein actually happens. In the meantime, I’m bored out of my mind knowing exactly what Alex Franks’s secret is and yet having to sit through the same old song and dance with Emma falling for Alex while wondering why he reminds her so much of his dead boyfriend Daniel and the other girls, besides supportive best friend Bree, giving her the evil eye. The only unanswered question that kept me reading was how Daniel died and why isn’t his body buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery, which unmercifully is stretched out for way too long in a drip drip of information among various filler as Emma goes about her high school life.

It all gives me the impression that nothing of note really happens during the first half, the real plot starts up between the half and three quarters mark, with the last quarter as a rush job ending. I guess I wanted less depth in the parts of the plot that really didn’t matter much to me, introducing Alex as a new student at Emma’s school, and more depth in the part of the plot I actually cared about, the repercussions of who Alex is, particularly on Emma. Frankly, while the ending feels fairly final to me, I still have a huge number of questions about Alex and Daniel, and I’m rather disappointed that Broken spends so much time on the high school scene and Emma only discovers the truth about everything so late in the game that I just didn’t feel there were enough pages left over to explain everything about Alex’s connection to Daniel while still doing Dr. Franks and his mad science justice.

But lest I give the impression everything about Broken is a retread, there’s still a lot to like about this book. Rought’s writing, for one, completely surprised me - it’s strangely gothic and works quite well with the plot. The story might not be memorable, but a couple of scenes - and nightmares - definitely are, surprisingly good even though I wouldn’t classify the book as light horror. And Emma’s mourning for and somber memories of Daniel, besides how the flow of information is handled, I don’t think I’d care so much about Alex and Daniel if Emma’s constant grief wasn’t so well written. Plus, I liked how Bree and Emma’s parents inserted themselves into the plot and lightened things up, the story certainly isn’t completely morbid or depressing.

I guess what it all comes down to is Rought’s writing rescues a rather average plot. Broken would’ve been a much better book for me if it didn’t take so long getting to where it needed to be.

[নিটোল · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not that nice of a person. Yes I frequently bash books I don't like and I don't know how to act nice so take it or leave it.

What is a nightmare? According to the dictionary definition, Nightmare is a frightening or unpleasant dream or a terrifying or very unpleasant experience or prospect.

This is what I would like to call a nightmare. To call it otherwise would be sugar coating it.

The plot, well the plot...can't discuss it here, because then I would be saving you all from getting the experience yourself. Just let me tell you this, my suspicion came out to be true in the end. The book was way-too-slow at first, with a hasty climax towards the end.

The writing, The writing was not for me as I didn't get most of it. There's a scene where the girl and boy are 'supposedly' flirting. Here goes the exact scenario -

Well, they were until Josh strolls up to my locker reeking of a fresh layer of some dark-bottled knockoff cologne. He leans against Alex’s locker. Damned if I don’t appreciate the annoyance he represents. At least my heart doesn’t want to feel when Josh is around. “Your guard dog have some kinda magick? Never saw a more timely spew in my life.”

“Really? All eighteen years of it?” I ram my shoulder into my stubborn locker.

“Let me get your walker with the tennis balls on the front. You’re just stooped over with experience.”

“Right after I get you protective gear for when your dog turns against you.”

“So says he who’s jealous.” I glare at my lock, spit a swear word under my breath and spin the combination again.

“Resulting to Yoda Speak, Emma?” He crosses his arms, duffle bag at his feet.

“He might’ve been a shriveled up green dude…” My knuckles scream after I punch my locker. “But Yoda was a brilliant Jedi master.”

“You are such a geek.” Fingers stroke over my hair after Josh scoops up his bag and walks behind me. “See ya tomorrow, Gentry.”

I don't know what the hell this was all about, went right above my head. But that could be because of my un-nerdiness towards whatever they are talking about. Meh.

Character Building: Without talking much here goes, with examples, the characteristic traits of the heartbroken, damsel in distress heroine, Ms. Emma Gentry.

Emma has a best friend called Bree, here's what she thinks about her -

She’s all in black, which has the unfortunate side-effect of highlighting her dark roots. It also makes her dramatic eyeliner more obvious.

Did I mention that the same thing of Bree not being a natural blonde (Which Emma the charming princess is) is mentioned only for like 943 times again?

Emma's mom, being an overprotective lioness of her poor heartbroken cub, is described as below -

My ears sting, my cheeks burn in angry flush. Mom was as angry and narrow-minded as I thought she’d be, bitching at me from the school curb to our home garage, calling Alex “out to ruin me,” “a troublemaker,” bitch, bitch, bitch.

Mind you that Emma's mom is always bitching for being suspicious about a boy her recently heartbroken daughter has known for about two weeks.

And I'm supposed to like this girl because she's the heroine.

[Vivien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this e-ARC through Netgalley.

Emma Gentry's life is forever changed when her boyfriend Daniel is killed. Her best friend, her love, her life. For months she is numb, going through life like a zombie. Without Daniel she isn't the same. It's like half of her is missing and her connection to life itself is broken.

Alex Franks is new to town. Cloaked in his ever present hoodie, he has a reputation to match his mysterious appearance. After an incident with a sticky locker results in a broken bone, Alex has to deliver Emma to medical care. An immediate connection is made. One that feels familiar, yet is new. But what exactly is Alex's secret? And why is Emma drawn to him?

With a Gothic feel to it, Broken stands out as a refreshing read in the young adult genre. Told in first person, you really get to feel and understand Emma's grief. The prose is hauntingly beautiful. At times the honesty so raw it made me ache. With death an underlying theme in Broken, the macabre tenor is present throughout the novel.

I immediately had a connection with Alex. The bruises under his eyes and visible scars were only the beginning with this tortured soul. His protectiveness was never overbearing and at times, he could down right make me melt. Yet underneath his strength, I could see his pain. His struggle was much deeper and darker than any other human.

Broken is a modern retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. But it is more than that. The air of death permeates every page, testing your morals even more than the original. It will have you questioning your beliefs. How far would you go for love? What would you sacrifice? Could you love something Broken?

[Ingrid Jonach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this achingly beautiful book (disclosure: we share the same publisher!).

If you are into romance - read it. If you are into the macabre - read it. Heck, if you are into reading read it! You will not be disappointed by this haunting novel about love and loss and oh-so-much heartache.

I actually started missing the characters as soon as I read the last line. I even missed Daniel who - as you know from the blurb - dies before the book even begins. He is as much a part of the novel as the other characters though and I am sure you will agree once you read it too.

HANDY HINT: Keep a box of tissues at your side. There are a few tear-jerker scenes, such as the soon-to-be infamous deer scene.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I might be too old for this book. Obviously, I like YA. (That's practically all I read at this point.) But sometimes, I just run across a YA book that's a little too, well, young for my taste. And I think Broken was one of them.

This book is REALLY melodramatic. I mean, seriously. Our MC, Emma, looks at the world with OMG-everyone-hates-me-and-my-life-sucks glasses, as many teens do. She's got a bit of an excuse since her boyfriend was killed, but I still found her constant angst and pessimism a little daunting at times. I felt like this poor girl needed a good hug and happy pill.

But teens tend to respond to angst since they can relate. I think if I'd read this book when I was sixteen or seventeen, I would have enjoyed it a lot better. But when cell phone cords are described as "black veins" and the narrator is crazy critical of everyone around her, I just had a hard time enjoying the story.

The story itself is very dark. It's somewhere between sci-fi and horror, I thought - not even remotely as bloody as say, Anna Dressed in Blood or I Hunt Killers. I waited the entire book for it to be scary, but that never came for me. Of course, the types of books that tend to freak me out are ones like Barry Lyga's, which are contemporary and could totally happen in real life. *shivers*

But Broken just maintained a sinister feel that I felt like never truly delivered. There are a few scenes that were bizarre and maybe a little creepy like the scene where the deer dies or when Emma finally goes to Alex's house and sees all the animals brought back to life, but this certainly isn't going to keep me up late at night.

But with everything being so dark and dreary, I felt like the prose itself was too dramatic. It's not "purple prose" necessarily...but pretty close. And I like really descriptive writing! But I don't know, I just didn't click with the style here. Again - too melodramatic.

Here's a [kind of long] passage that I think illustrates the type of prose that this book has:


Mine. The word vines through my mind, wrapping sweet nettles around it. The way he said it, the way I feel it, on a level deeper than easy emotions. IT cuts to the heart, and through. Things haven't been easy from the first day to this. Bring on trouble. Bring on the rumors.

"Never invite trouble," my mom likes to say.

Standing outside Mugs-n-Chugz on a chilly Friday morning, I can understand why. The rumors oce flocking around Alex swoop in on me, blacker and sharper-clawed than the crows in his gossip murder. (p. 232)


Sometimes, I think it works, like when the scene is really tense. In those circumstances, the really descriptive and harsh words fit. But when it's just her standing in line for coffee, I have a hard time connecting with the intense descriptions

The pacing of the book is really very slow. Everything happens within a short time frame, which usually turns me off. While I don't want time to fly by, I don't like it when books take place over a week or two weeks or something like that. It makes the book FEEL slow, even if it's not. It also makes a romance really unbelievable for me.

And this romance is really quite fast. There's insta-love of sorts - just a warning. I also didn't feel that connected to either of the characters in the story.

The most exciting part of the book is definitely the last 60 or so pages. I really struggled through the first 200, then it kept an okay pace until those last pages, which were much better than the rest of the book. But for me, it was too little too late. I felt like A.E. Rought had been building up and building up and building up, and I was waiting for the climax for what felt like forever - I wish there'd been less building and more delivery of the actual good stuff. This book could have been 75 pages shorter, I think.

But even with all these problems, the book is still pretty good. It's just not my thing. I don't like horror. I didn't like the original Frankenstein. I also think this book is more for a younger audience (real "young adult" readers instead of us adults who like to read YA).

But I think there will be a lot of people who enjoy this more than me. The concept is really interesting, and while the romance was definitely insta-attraction, I found the reasoning behind the relationship very intriguing.

Unfortunately, I just wasn't the right reader for Broken.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Wow...I'm just a little bit speechless. Broken was magnificent!
This book was so good, I'm in awe of it.

Frankenstein is a story that hasn't had any retellings yet, so, when I heard about Broken, I was definitely willing to give it a chance. And I'm so glad I did. You'd think that a story as horrific as Frankenstein would be difficult to do, but this author not only did it, but hit it right out of the ball park.

The title is very appropriate for this book. Both of the main character really are broken. And you can really feel it. But, worry not. Just because they are broken, doesn't mean they can't be fixed.

Emma was a character that you can really connect to, really sympathize for. Her boyfriend recently died and her grief is palpable. But she doesn't just throw up her hands and give up on life. She sucks it up and does her best to continue on and try to move past such a horrible loss. She's remarkably strong. She's also very clever. There are little hints along the way of what is going on with Alex and the craziness that his father is up to. She's smart enough to actually pick up on those hints, unlike some other heroines. When she does find out the truth, she reacts in an understandable way, but she's not hateful about it. She's not only strong and clever, but she's also nice. See? A heroine anyone can like.

Alex was swoon-worthy. I don't just mean by his good looks, which are very good despite the scarring all over him. I also mean that he is SO incredibly sweet it made be jealous of Emma. He's very protective of her and just adorable to her. Their relationship, despite the obstacles, is as sweet a sugar. He's not part of what his father is doing and he's really the biggest victim in it. It would be kind of upsetting to find out some of your body parts aren't yours. Seeing what he goes through because of his father's madness really gave me a soft-spot for him. I adored Alex. He's made it to my list of favorite heroes.

The story was amazing. Their was a dark undercurrent of horror throughout the book, one that will give you goosebumps. But there is still enough lighter emotions and events that keep Broken from becoming too heavy. A perfect balance, I would say. The plot moves quickly and the ending was perfect.

I ADORED Broken. Absolutely adored it. It was honestly one of the best books I've read this year.

5/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!

[Isamlq · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really should start reading the synopsis of what I read because the fact that BROKEN is based on something else only kicked in when someone mentioned Shelley High. And even that it's based on something else has me wondering if it really is... I should probably go with 'loosely based' because things went the way of Should have, could have, would have all over again:

Should have been less about the romance
Could have been less repetitive
(And were both those true)
I would have been more excited about the outcome.

The set up: she’s girl-broken and he is boy-mysterious, average enough, right? But then things seemed to be going the right direction when it’s explained why she’s broken: pining over a boy long gone this despite it being a little frustrating because it’s so obvious that’s it’s all about her suffering and her not being able to cope. I think tapping into hot boy suddenly entering the picture is getting old as a means to shakes things up, but that’s precisely what happens here. He’s all scarred but more beautiful for it because hiding from others’ eyes, he’s fails so spectacularly (cos’ he’s so hot and all).

And this could have been so much more than a girl standing in front of a boy, saying she loved him… had it simply been just that girl standing in front of a bodiless grave, saying she missed him. I truly believe that had things stuck to where things started, I’d be feeling more than, “Well, that was interesting.” I fear BROKEN is going to be one of the plenty books that I’m doomed to have few fuzzy memories of.

The middle was a waste of effort on my part because it was all just the same thing over and and over and over again, and not even touching on what could have been dark or scary! They should have focused on the Frankenstein bit and not the epic romance of her pining over dead boy and being all conflicted over new found feelings for the hot mysterious one. Hmmm, you could even say there’s a love triangle here except one of them's dead!

The only part that actually had me excited was once I hit 81% then it was all boom boom boom… and kind of sort of scary… I would have loved this years ago, but with so many other books having passed my brain this one was just OK.

2.5/5
Thank you Netgalley

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A modern interpretation of Frankenstein, Broken has the romance some readers would like. Unfortunately, I never did see the romantic side of Mary Shelley's original work. Hence, this book simply missed the spot for me.

Emma hasn't really recovered over the loss of her boyfriend, Daniel. She spends most of her time at a cemetery where he should've been interned but by his parents' choice, he's reduced to ash encased in a jar perched on a mantle at home. She goes through life grieving for Daniel and on some days, it didn't look like she'd get over him any time soon. Alex Franks' appearance gave way to a resurgence of life. Daniel still haunts her memories but the newcomer has given her another set of emotions other than sadness. But there's something odd about Alex - something that's achingly familiar and haunting.

This book was drawn out. It could've used a lot of trimming - especially those parts where Emma spent a lot of time lamenting and mourning. She's also very descriptive, so much so, that I found her thoughts tend to drift while in the midst of her melancholic angst. It took me a while to finish this book as well. But when I realize that a lot of what I was reading was excess weight and was pretty much a practice in repetitive story telling, I had to stop and do some selective reading. And some of you will probably notice this too.

The writing may be pretty at first. But after a chapter or two, I was fighting off the urge to keep my eyes from rolling to the back of my head. But that doesn't mean the author's writing was pedestrian. I think she's so much better than a lot of other authors out there. She just got too carried away with all the pretties.

The synopsis of the book sounds so charming. I mean, who wouldn't want to read about a Frankenstein retelling? But Broken's pretty generic, actually. And it's why it'll be a hit with a number of readers who loves the good old mysterious newcomer pining for the girl. It's also quite predictable and the synopsis pretty much aided to expose the majority of the plot.

Over all, this book is an orthodox YA; nothing remarkable and actually quite disappointing. I liked the first quarter of the book and the last quarter. I think half of this book should've remained unwritten.

[WTF Are You Reading? · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts
The overwhelming sense of loss and pervading grief that Emma Gentry feels after the loss of her boyfriend Daniel, engulfs readers in its beautifully woven shroud at the start of this story. You really feel for Emma as you watch her struggle for life, happiness, and peace.

Until...

Alex Franks...The quiet, intense, new boy who knows things about Emma and does things that only one person could...Daniel.

Alex is not written as the 'prince charming' that is going to ride in on his 'noble steed' and save the day. Alex is a puzzle that is just begging to be solved. As it happens...some of his pieces also fit the empty places that complete Emma.
The tragic bond and shared pain that unites these two defies the odds of convention by providing the couple with a stability that would have not been possible otherwise.
As the pieces of these two puzzles come together, the picture seen there is one that neither Alex, Emma, nor the reader can believe.

Another element of interest in this story is the level of involvement (obsession) that Emma's mother and Alex's father have with their children. There is parental love and then there is...madness!
If this is parental involvement, give me absenteeism any day.

This is a story that though dark and at times very emotional is presented in such lyrical and descriptive writing that one is drawn into the book. When the aforementioned stellar excellence of composition is coupled with the gripping twists and turns of plot, plus a whisper of Shelly; you have a read too good to miss.
Can Emma get over Daniel
to love Alex?

Does she really have to?

How far would you go for for love?

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for giving me this book to review.

Emma is destroyed after her boyfriend dies, and the only way she feels better is visiting the local graveyard which was hers and Daniel’s favourite hang out. But when Alex Franks moves to her school, she is instantly drawn to him and something is familiar about him. But as she grows closer to him Emma finds that something is seriously wrong with the Franks family.

Broken is a modern retelling of Frankenstein set in an American high school. One problem with this book is that if you read the blurb you find out about three quarters of the story.

I liked Emma a lot as reminded me a bit of Bella in the beginning of New Moon but with backbone, because while it is perfectly natural for Emma to be grieving for her boyfriend, she still lives a semi normal life. Also she is not afraid to stand up for herself, and when she finds out stuff in this book, she acts like most people would. I also liked Alex as he is a tortured soul who is as confused about everything as Emma is.

I feel that the story lets the book down as for almost all the story it is just teen angst and high school drama, however, thankfully it picks up about two thirds of the way through and you wanted to find out want happened next. The best thing about Broken is how chilling it is, I won’t tell you how as it might spoil some of the story, but Rought does a brilliant job creeping you out.

I would recommend this to people who like YA paranormal romance like Twilight or Dearly Departed by Lia Habel.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-galley of this book from Netgalley - Thanks!

I loved this book, although I didn't know it was a retelling of Frankenstein when I started it. Since I started reading the galley copy without checking to see what it was about, I missed the plot synopsis. After about three-quarters of the book, I started thinking I was really smart for figuring out that the story was a reworking of Frankenstein. Once I finished (and all along feeling really clever), I went back and read the plot synopsis, where it clearly states that the story is a modern Frankenstein. Now I feel a bit foolish!

Anywho, for the most of the book, I thought the plot was quite gothic and fairly believable (remember, missed the Frankenstein memo!). The pacing of the story was good, the character development was amazing, and I was really enjoying the ride. However, the last few chapters seemed to move too quickly (imagine going from zero to sixty in ten pages flat), and I just couldn't reconcile all the dead animals walking around that house - wouldn't people have noticed?!?

Overall, I thought it was a great ride, though a bit rushed at the end. If the author would like to rewrite other classics, I would definitely not be opposed to reading them (although I think Dracula may be a bit overdone at this point)!

Recommended for kids 16 to 100!

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - I enjoyed it.

What a story, I loved it. I sat up all night reading it, I just couldn't put it down. It is a beautiful and horrible tale a new fresh version of Frankenstein. I didn't think it possible to re-vision this old tale but this author has dine it beautifully. Her characters are well developed and believable. It's a love story and a horror story. Fans of Twilight will love this, all ages will love it.

Emma has just suffered a devastating loss, months ago her boyfriend/love died from a terrible accident. She is depressed and just starting to try to find a new life for herself. She starts to come back to the living world when she meets a new student Alex. There is something off about Alex, something not right. She is drawn to him, and yet want to run and never look back. What is going on in her heart, to feel again so soon ?

Alex, he has been gone a long time. He used to live in this town, he used to do a lot of things before the accident that almost took his life. His father is a doctor or he might not have lived. He hides under his hoodie, his scars too visible. He finds a friend in Emma, against his father wishes.

In the end.....












ARC provided by Publisher Angry Robot and Net Galley.Review to come.

[Jessie Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was creepy in all the right ways. Plus, Emma was a wonderful, believable character. Her family life felt very real (2 parents, both alive and caring though still PITAs). Alex was such a sweetheart I couldn't help but love him too. And the ending!! I won't ruin it for you, but you'll be flipping the pages as fast as you can.

[Leeanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really excited to read “Broken.” First, the cover is gorgeous! I especially liked the heart in the “O” of the archway and the red background. Second, it’s billed as a “modern spin on ‘Frankenstein,’” which is one of my favorite classics.

Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last long. But before I get into the bad, let me talk about what I did like about “Broken.”

Emma. I liked some aspects of her personality. Many of the other girls at Shelley High are catty and cruel, like clique-y teenage girls can be. When Emma spends the first part of the school year mourning her dead boyfriend, she’s “emo.” But when she moves on to Alex, she’s “a slut.” Emma doesn’t let the mean girls get to her, which is what I liked. She has somewhat of an “I don’t give a f*ck” personality in that regard.

The other good thing about “Broken?” We see Emma’s parents! All too often in YA books, parents either aren’t around or are bad parents. It’s the exact opposite in this book. Emma’s parents are both present and both care about their daughter. Her mom is super over-protective, with the typical “no guy is good enough for my daughter” attitude. Her dad is pretty cool too, and having both parents in “Broken” allows for some parent-daughter conversations you don’t always get in YA books.

Moving on.

I almost gave up on “Broken” within the first few chapters. Not much happened, except Emma moping over her dead boyfriend and giving every single detail about her day from what she ate for breakfast to the clothes she wore. And when she met Alex, the new guy at school, I knew I wasn’t going to like “Broken” very much. Hello, insta-love! The summary for the book really spoils things in that regard, but Emma gives it away, too, with her repeated comparisons of Daniel and Alex.

I kept flicking the pages, though, somehow getting through the boring middle. Not a lot happens, at least not a lot that I can remember. Just lots of descriptions of typical teenage life, with Emma going back and forth about Alex. The “I shouldn’t feel this way about him, I barely know him, but I can’t live without him” variety. In “Broken’s” defense, there actually is a reason for the insta-love, but it still wasn’t something I enjoyed.

The ending of “Broken” finally brought the action I had been hoping. But by that point, it was too much, too fast, and too late. I didn’t get the mad scientist vibe for Dr. Franks, couldn’t understand Josh’s motivation, and I wasn’t creeped out at all, even by the half-dead animals on the Franks estate. I think this was partly due to the writing -- the author has some creative and different ways of describing things, but she did it for everything.

Some examples of how Emma’s cellphone is described:
--”My cell comes to life, the vibrate setting making the pink thing look like it has legs.” (est p9)
--”My cell phone comes alive in my locker, a swarm in a metal can.” (est. p21)
--”My cell phone buzzes, sounding like bees and chicken bones as it rattles against the pencils in the front pocket of my backpack.” (est. p121)
[page numbers are estimates, from the page counter on Aldiko]

So by the time I got to the animals that were half alive and half metal, I was numb from that type of writing. If it had been used more sparingly, I might have been more horrified by Dr. Franks and his experiments.

To conclude, “Broken” just wasn’t the book for me. Too much romance and too little action.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


See more of my reviews:

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....

I wanted monsters. Instead I got an 18 year-old sex god and a deer with a limp.

Broken was hailed as a fresh, new retelling of Frankenstein. That alone was enough to command my attention. I'm a huge sucker for retellings and they're certainly in abundance these days. That there was a Frankenstein retelling... I couldn't pass it up.

Unfortunately Broken is a classic example of an intriguing idea with a horrible execution (something I've dubbed the Matthew Pearl effect). Broken is a typical YA romance - awful poetics (and the fastest case of insta-love I've ever seen) included.

A few short months ago Emma Gentry lost her boyfriend Daniel in a horrific accident. Since then she's retreated into herself, sleeping in his hoodie every. single. night. and hanging out at the local cemetery where she feels his presence. Emma's haunted by his memory and when she closes her eyes all she can see is Daniel's broken, bloody body.

All of that changes when a new boy, Alex Franks, shows up at school. There's something familiar about him and his mannerisms that Emma can't quite shake. Why does he remind her so much of Daniel? Why does he call her by the nickname Daniel gave her?

Ugh. Really, that's all I have to say. Broken was one steaming pile of meh. Emma stubbornly refuses to let go of Daniel until Alex shows up. Naturally he's got a jawline to die for and amazing cheekbones. And don't forget that brooding, mysterious aura! I wonder if the author has ever read Frankenstein. But of course she has! Alex has scars all over his body, guys. See how wretched and horrifying he is?? Not at all. In fact, Emma muses - multiple times - over those scars and how hot they are.

Emma is a typical girl who sits at the Theater Nerds lunch table. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why she was the sole piece of gossip. She wasn't a popular cheerleader, but she also wasn't a part of the out crowd. Somehow there's a new rumor about her everyday and I just didn't get it.

The fact that Alex's last name is FRANKS, his father is a crazed doctor, and the high school is SHELLEY HIGH never raised an eyebrow. For an English project, Emma has to read Dracula and other classic gothic novels. If those books exist in this world, wouldn't Frankenstein exist as well?

I could go on and on with my list of grievances: Emma only loves Alex because Daniel is a part of him, certain elements are introduced (Alex's ex-girlfriend, for instance) only to never be discussed again, etc etc.

I'll admit that at the very end I was interested. All the talk about memory fusion in tissue was great. Sadly, by that point, I was reading Broken just to finish. I don't think I could have handled one more page detailing Emma's school day - including a play-by-play of each class - or her on-going text conversations.

When all is said and done, Broken is 250 pages of overly dramatic high school days (and don't forget the coffee shop!) with a few chapters that were relatively interesting. If you're looking for a creepy monster tale, look elsewhere.

[S.A. Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

~A debut YA novel riveting with a morbid edge that will keep the reader reeling until the very last line~

The story opens nicely, sharing with ease Emma's relationship with her immediate family, BFF, and infectious pain over the death of her boyfriend Daniel. Her reaction to the new boy, Alex Franks, is just as easily understood by the reader: she's noticed him and his similar mannerisms as her dead boyfriend, and she doesn't like it. But for me, the reader, I liked it. Dribbles of intrigue and Alex's strange familiarity to Emma pulled me in deeper, wanting to know who this guy really was.

The writing flows and the dialog is especially teen. I couldn't help but chuckle at some of the sassy and quick-witted phrases emanating from these characters. But as snippy as some passages are, there's enough gentleness and depth in others to balance them out. There's a masculinity to the text that I enjoyed, playful but snarky bantering which masks the truth beneath - the brokenness in Emma's heart and what is later discovered to be broken inside and outside of Alex.

One of my favorite aspects of the story is the parent-teen relationship. It's raw and real. Mom and Dad are married, live in the same house, work, and have dinner together - family dinners. The parents are not absent in this YA novel. It's fresh and a great sub-plot to the overall storyline and to Emma's character arc. This is the reason I chose those lines from the tale as my favorite passage. Another element which flavored the story was the realistic use of everyday happenings.

The connections made between Emma and Alex are not just similarities in opinions, attitudes, and like/dislikes, but go much deeper, using their inner pains, sorrows, and confusions about their attraction. This adds tension and way too much mystery for any reader to ignore. There's a scene as the two struggle to understand their strange and sudden connection, a moment so intimate and gentle that I found my young adult as well as adult heart strings tugged to the extreme. Both fear uncovering the truth that has begun to unfold, but want nothing more than to know.

Sinister, mind-bending revelations of what really happened to Alex in turn reveal an obscene and disturbing truth of life over death...death that was cheated. The actual horror is layered with deceit and morbid intent, so arrogant that it could only belong to guests seen but unseen throughout the novel.

Rought wasn't afraid of being real, using the harsh reality of what she created. She used creepy, even grotesque descriptions at times, all suited for the telling of this tale. Similar elements from Shelley's original version added texture. Surprising twists engulfed me as the story climaxed. And as a massive Frankenstein fan I couldn't help but think about Mary Shelley and the similarities to her original tale. I believe she'd be proud of this Franken-teen tale of her misunderstood monster and the girl he inevitably loved from the moment electricity reignited his foreign heartbeat.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am very well acquainted with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein novel. It was a requirement reading that I resisted at the beginning but then devoured. So to say I was excited to read a modern retelling of it is accurate. The synopsis doesn't even tell you much other than hinting on who Frankenstein's creation is and who he was reconstructed from. However I was both impressed by the direction the plot took but also disappointed by how the plot itself was handled. I might not be making much sense but to say it simply, Broken had potential, but towards the end my disappointment took over.

The story revolves around Emma Gentry and the loss of her boyfriend Daniel. Emma really mourns him to the point that she spends everyday after school at the cemetery where she wished Daniel was buried (his parents cremated him). However, Alex Franks comes along and confuses Emma. I liked that she didn't feel guilty about liking someone else but she still remembers Daniel whenever she is with Alex because somehow Alex knows things about her that only Daniel knew. I found that to be a bit creepy and added to the mystery of the novel. However then the romance blooms and the cheesy texts between them that I would rather have not read were written. We also encounter Alex's dad who is supposedly a doctor but I would rather suffer through any sickness than go to him. We also have Daniel's best friend who can't seem to stop harassing Emma, because they are not seniors but kids who show their feelings towards each other by being mean *rolls eyes*. I honestly couldn't stand the dad, the best friend and the cheesy romance, but I did like Alex, Emma, and her best friend.

A pet peeve of mine whenever I read a novel is the amount of detail an author puts in describing inanimate objects. I just tend to skip these unimportant paragraphs that take me away from the novel. The problem is that Broken had a lot of those; I wanted more dialogue but got more repetitive contemplation and worry from Emma. The mystery gets unraveled way too late in the story and by then I have honestly lost my interest and just wanted the story to end. The mystery was well planned but the execution took some of the enjoyment level out of it.

[Bat Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was almost a DNF, but as several reviews said that it got better at the end I stuck it out. Yes, it got better, but unfortunately it was too late.

Overall, the author needed to spend more time developing plot instead of spending half of the book's word count describing all the boring mundane aspects of life that we are already far too familiar with. The ring of a cell phone, breakfast in the morning, the ring of a cell phone(again), hooded sweatshirts, the ring of a cell phone(yes, again), going through an average school day, the ring of a cell phone(sadly, I am not exaggerating), etc.

Next issue was that the makings of a great story were in there, and it did have a lot of potential, but far too much time was spent on the romance. I like romance in stories as much as the next guy(actually, quite a bit more than the 'average' guy, so I'm told) but this one was too much, and the plot and general storytelling several suffered for it. Believe it or not, less can be more, even in a romantic story. Every time I got excited at a potential plot point, I was later let down because it was not developed or in some cases ignored all together.

I won't go any further as there are those who may enjoy this story and so I don't want to spoil anything. I will however say read with caution.

[Fatema · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is first retelling of Frankenstein that i have read and i was not disappointed. This book was amazing. I don't know the exact story so i kind of just let this one unfold before my eyes. At the beginning of the book, Emma is still grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Daniel. A few pages in Emma meets Alex, a new boy in school. From the moment they meet Emma spots confusing similarities between Alex and Daniel. And the story takes off from there. The thing about retelling is that they're they're in danger of being predictable, but this book wasn't all predictable. Some things i was able to predict like the ending because, well it's the ending. But there were also some twists that surprised me. this book was filled with raw love, heartache,loss and emotion. It was haunting, romantic and creepy all rolled in one and the adaption to the original storyline was smooth. I recommend this to anyone that likes to read. however there are a few scenes that were a very disturbing and creepy.
Thank you to NetGalley and and the publisher for provinding this ARC


















[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay I gotta say I was a little bit disappointed. Not in a huge way, but I had been SO looking forward to this book. A YA love story inspired by my favourite classic (Frankenstein)? I was SO FREAKING THERE.

The first third or so had me reeled in, and I never wanted to stop reading. And then it kind of got a little repetitive and started to lose some of the mystery.

I just learned that the sequel is written from Alex's POV, and can I just say: EEEEEEEEK. I loved Alex's character, and I cannot wait to read an entire book from his perspective. Bring on Tainted.

[Faye]

What a striking cover!