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Unbroken
Kiera David is haunted by dark memories and terrible headaches. Her friends -- and enemies -- are dying. At each murder scene, witnesses report seeing a woman resembling her. She can't possibly be responsible. But if she isn't -- who is?
- GenresHorror
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 3, 2007
35 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Matthews
5 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
A pseudonym used by Rick Hautala
Rick Hautala has more than thirty published books to his credit, including the million copy, international best-seller Nightstone, as well as Twilight Time, Little Brothers, Cold Whisper, Impulse, and The Wildman. He has also published four novels—The White Room, Looking Glass, Unbroken, and Follow—using the pseudonym A. J. Matthews. His more than sixty published short stories have appeared in national and international anthologies and magazines. His short story collection Bedbugs was selected as one of the best horror books of the year in 2003.
A novella titled Reunion was published by PS Publications in December, 2009; and Occasional Demons, a short story collection, is due in 2010 from CD Publications. He wrote the screenplays for several short films, including the multiple award-winning The Ugly Film, based on the short story by Ed Gorman, as well as Peekers, based on a short story by Kealan Patrick Burke, and Dead @ 17, based on the graphic novel by Josh Howard.
A graduate of the University of Maine in Orono with a Master of Art in English Literature (Renaissance and Medieval Literature), Hautala lives in southern Maine with author Holly Newstein. His three sons have all grown up and (mostly) moved out of the house. He served terms as Vice President and Trustee for the Horror Writers Association.
A pseudonym used by Rick Hautala
Rick Hautala has more than thirty published books to his credit, including the million copy, international best-seller Nightstone, as well as Twilight Time, Little Brothers, Cold Whisper, Impulse, and The Wildman. He has also published four novels—The White Room, Looking Glass, Unbroken, and Follow—using the pseudonym A. J. Matthews. His more than sixty published short stories have appeared in national and international anthologies and magazines. His short story collection Bedbugs was selected as one of the best horror books of the year in 2003.
A novella titled Reunion was published by PS Publications in December, 2009; and Occasional Demons, a short story collection, is due in 2010 from CD Publications. He wrote the screenplays for several short films, including the multiple award-winning The Ugly Film, based on the short story by Ed Gorman, as well as Peekers, based on a short story by Kealan Patrick Burke, and Dead @ 17, based on the graphic novel by Josh Howard.
A graduate of the University of Maine in Orono with a Master of Art in English Literature (Renaissance and Medieval Literature), Hautala lives in southern Maine with author Holly Newstein. His three sons have all grown up and (mostly) moved out of the house. He served terms as Vice President and Trustee for the Horror Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 5, 2010
This one was really good and kept my attention all the way through. A.J.Matthews has got some skills here.
August 10, 2016
When Kiera Davis started experiencing burning sensations in her head, blackouts and horrendous migraines she had no idea that her life was changing. Her quiet existence in Portland, Maine was no longer cozy and happy as paranoia about every day activities stated to set in. Flashes of searing light and pain started to permeate her daily routine to the point where nothing felt real and all she wanted to do was hide. Dark figures haunted her dreams and crept from hazy depths of imagination into her conscious mind and often left a stain on a seemingly normal day. Slowly a strong and level headed woman started un-fraying like a worn scarf about to reach its expiration date. Suffering with guilt about a secret tragic accident form the past she started to have problems communicating with her teenage daughter Trista and her husband of twenty years Nate. She felt like her life was slipping away, her sanity, her love and inner calm were no longer in her control but passengers on a cliff side road that seemed to crumble under any signs of strain. What was even worse, the details of the accident she was in started to come to the surface as someone who quietly watched her from the shadows of her mind seemed to know her dark secrets and wanted to exposed the truth.
As husband started to act aloof and seemingly uncaring her suspicions of something funny going on started to act up again. Cheated on in the past, Kiera was vigilant and weary of any signs of infidelity and her headaches and strange vibes she got form her husband kept her on the edge. Busy with playing tennis with her high school friend and ex-sweetheart Jon, joined by his wife Liz and few other friends, Kiera found herself lost and engrossed in anything but activities that lead he closer to her husband. Mistrust and paranoia started to affect her vision but when her dreams foreshadowed accidents happening to friends and foes she started to worry whether she did have a split personality or whether the supernatural was dabbling with her life. As her panic grew, dead bodies started to pile up with evidence loosely pointing to her, Kiera realized that there was only one way to get out of that mess. She had to find the nature of what caused her terrible migraines and to find out about the ghostly twin like person everyone has seen around the town at opposite places to where she actually was. People who were dying in the book all had something to do with Kiera but she couldn't figure out who was killing them and why. Worst of all she wasn't sure if she was the one behind those deaths because of her recent mental problems and fiction as reality danced on a blurred line. When everyone started to look like a potential suspect Kiera found herself unable to trust anyone, not her child, her husband and especially not herself.
I must honestly say that this book was like a drug, I simply couldn't tear myself away and I read it in one long sitting - which almost never happens to me. The descriptions of Kiera's migraines, with the sizzling sounds and colors were real to the point where my mind couldn't grasp how one writer can portray such a rotten experiences in such detail, I could almost taste the salt, sweat and feel the fear that Kiera felt when she felt like she was losing her mind. The horrors she went through trying to figure out whether she was crazy or sick of haunted were exciting to read and I have really enjoyed myself with this book. The ending was a big surprise that sloped furiously after a long build up but proved to be quite a nice finale to this tale. It did read to me like an episode of the Twilight Zone but it was a fantastic read and the author poured a lot of himself into it. The labors of his love were clearly apparent in this spectacular book, part sci-fi, part horror and suspense as it had me captivated from all angles. I also really enjoyed his take on the problems Kiera had with her daughter and in her married life, it was quite an eye opener how well he hit the nail on the head about many things in life and it was one of those "thank God this is not about me" stories.
Highly enjoyable and impossible to put down, that's what good books should be all about!
- Kasia S.
As husband started to act aloof and seemingly uncaring her suspicions of something funny going on started to act up again. Cheated on in the past, Kiera was vigilant and weary of any signs of infidelity and her headaches and strange vibes she got form her husband kept her on the edge. Busy with playing tennis with her high school friend and ex-sweetheart Jon, joined by his wife Liz and few other friends, Kiera found herself lost and engrossed in anything but activities that lead he closer to her husband. Mistrust and paranoia started to affect her vision but when her dreams foreshadowed accidents happening to friends and foes she started to worry whether she did have a split personality or whether the supernatural was dabbling with her life. As her panic grew, dead bodies started to pile up with evidence loosely pointing to her, Kiera realized that there was only one way to get out of that mess. She had to find the nature of what caused her terrible migraines and to find out about the ghostly twin like person everyone has seen around the town at opposite places to where she actually was. People who were dying in the book all had something to do with Kiera but she couldn't figure out who was killing them and why. Worst of all she wasn't sure if she was the one behind those deaths because of her recent mental problems and fiction as reality danced on a blurred line. When everyone started to look like a potential suspect Kiera found herself unable to trust anyone, not her child, her husband and especially not herself.
I must honestly say that this book was like a drug, I simply couldn't tear myself away and I read it in one long sitting - which almost never happens to me. The descriptions of Kiera's migraines, with the sizzling sounds and colors were real to the point where my mind couldn't grasp how one writer can portray such a rotten experiences in such detail, I could almost taste the salt, sweat and feel the fear that Kiera felt when she felt like she was losing her mind. The horrors she went through trying to figure out whether she was crazy or sick of haunted were exciting to read and I have really enjoyed myself with this book. The ending was a big surprise that sloped furiously after a long build up but proved to be quite a nice finale to this tale. It did read to me like an episode of the Twilight Zone but it was a fantastic read and the author poured a lot of himself into it. The labors of his love were clearly apparent in this spectacular book, part sci-fi, part horror and suspense as it had me captivated from all angles. I also really enjoyed his take on the problems Kiera had with her daughter and in her married life, it was quite an eye opener how well he hit the nail on the head about many things in life and it was one of those "thank God this is not about me" stories.
Highly enjoyable and impossible to put down, that's what good books should be all about!
- Kasia S.
January 4, 2013
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
March 23, 2013
Very okay. It held my attention while reading it, but was pretty forgettable shortly afterward. Oh well...
September 4, 2014
This book was a little hard for me to read. It seemed like she was always in peril.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews