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A Broken Kind of Life
With a foreword by Cody Kennedy.
Aaron Downing is broken, barely clinging to the hope that one day, he will be normal again. His life remains a constant string of nightmares, flashbacks, and fear, but he perseveres and starts college, determined to move on.
Then Aaron gets assigned to work with Spencer Thomas for his programming project. Aaron doesn’t want Spencer to think he’s a freak, but as he gets to know his new deaf friend, he figures out he doesn’t need to be “normal.” If he could just learn to control his fear, that could be enough to find his footing again.
Or so Aaron thinks until his parents begin talking about institutionalizing him to give his brothers a more stable life. He searches desperately to find a way to cope or even to fake normalcy. But his new shrink’s instability makes conquering his demons that much more difficult, and his attraction to Spencer threatens to send Aaron spinning out of control.
Adapted as a YA edition of the novel Aaron by J.P. Barnaby.
100% of the author's royalties are being donated to help homeless LGBT kids find safe shelter.
Aaron Downing is broken, barely clinging to the hope that one day, he will be normal again. His life remains a constant string of nightmares, flashbacks, and fear, but he perseveres and starts college, determined to move on.
Then Aaron gets assigned to work with Spencer Thomas for his programming project. Aaron doesn’t want Spencer to think he’s a freak, but as he gets to know his new deaf friend, he figures out he doesn’t need to be “normal.” If he could just learn to control his fear, that could be enough to find his footing again.
Or so Aaron thinks until his parents begin talking about institutionalizing him to give his brothers a more stable life. He searches desperately to find a way to cope or even to fake normalcy. But his new shrink’s instability makes conquering his demons that much more difficult, and his attraction to Spencer threatens to send Aaron spinning out of control.
Adapted as a YA edition of the novel Aaron by J.P. Barnaby.
100% of the author's royalties are being donated to help homeless LGBT kids find safe shelter.
7 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2013
3 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Mayfield
12 books25 followersA survivor of the ex-gay residential institution The Sunshine Center, fictional author Jamie Mayfield went on to find his voice in novels. Always a great lover of books, Jamie found his passion as he began to pursue a liberal arts degree in creative writing. An avid reader, he’s a fan of gay romance, suspense, and horror—though not all in the same novel.
Jamie lives in San Diego with his fictional husband, Brian. He writes YA fiction as a way to let kids know that they have an entire LGBT family all around them. Above all, he wants them to know that they are not alone. It does get better.
Jamie Mayfield is a fictional character from the acclaimed Little Boy Lost series by female author J. P. Barnaby.
Website: http://www.JamieMayfield.com
Tumblr: http://JamieMayfieldYA.tumblr.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JamieMayfieldYA
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/JamieMayfieldYA
Jamie lives in San Diego with his fictional husband, Brian. He writes YA fiction as a way to let kids know that they have an entire LGBT family all around them. Above all, he wants them to know that they are not alone. It does get better.
Jamie Mayfield is a fictional character from the acclaimed Little Boy Lost series by female author J. P. Barnaby.
Website: http://www.JamieMayfield.com
Tumblr: http://JamieMayfieldYA.tumblr.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JamieMayfieldYA
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/JamieMayfieldYA
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 3, 2013
A Broken Kind of Life is the YA edition of J.P. Barnaby's Aaron. As a fan of YA, I am always looking for amazing YA novels to read. There are very few of those novels that I believe can make a difference, but this is definitely one of the ones that can. A Broken Kind of Life is the perfect title for the book, it's very fitting to the story and the character of Aaron, himself.
Aaron is a shell of his former self. After surviving a horrifically violent attack that claimed the life of his best friend, he is broken. His life is no longer the same as it once was. He doesn't have any friends left, and his life is slipping past him. He has a lot of issues to deal with. And a fear of touching that causes flashbacks. All around him, people are treating him like he is made of glass. They are too afraid to say something wrong in case he reacts badly. The sad thing is, he would react badly, and he knows this.
When he starts college, Aaron meets Spencer, a deaf boy who also finds it hard to make friends. While Spencer knows what it's like to be an outcast, he doesn't completely understand what Aaron is going through. But he wants to. He wants to help Aaron. In my opinion, Spencer was just what Aaron needs, he's someone who can get through to the damaged, broken boy.
Both boys are different characters. Aaron is broke, Spencer isn't, but his life isn't perfect either. They complement each other as friends. It's how they start really, as friends. Their relationship builds pretty quickly into the friends category. But neither knows the other is gay - or that the other has feelings for him. So, things stay purely platonic and Spencer enlists his dad to help Aaron. Something that Aaron hides from his parents.
I love the feel of the books. The boys emotions were there. This book isn't devoid of emotion like some books can be. The progression from friends to boyfriends is done really well. The pace isn't too fast and it isn't too slow. The relationship they build isn't about sex, it's about real emotion and something that can't be defined by sex. I love that about the book. It's nice to see teenage characters who develop real feelings for their love interest before something actually happens.
A Broken Kind of Life is a wonderful YA novel that can - and should - be read by all ages. It tells the story of a survivor and the beginning of his recovery. It's not sunshine and roses, but it's not doom and gloom, either. I highly recommend this book to people, even if you aren't a fan of YA romances, you should try this.
Aaron is a shell of his former self. After surviving a horrifically violent attack that claimed the life of his best friend, he is broken. His life is no longer the same as it once was. He doesn't have any friends left, and his life is slipping past him. He has a lot of issues to deal with. And a fear of touching that causes flashbacks. All around him, people are treating him like he is made of glass. They are too afraid to say something wrong in case he reacts badly. The sad thing is, he would react badly, and he knows this.
When he starts college, Aaron meets Spencer, a deaf boy who also finds it hard to make friends. While Spencer knows what it's like to be an outcast, he doesn't completely understand what Aaron is going through. But he wants to. He wants to help Aaron. In my opinion, Spencer was just what Aaron needs, he's someone who can get through to the damaged, broken boy.
Both boys are different characters. Aaron is broke, Spencer isn't, but his life isn't perfect either. They complement each other as friends. It's how they start really, as friends. Their relationship builds pretty quickly into the friends category. But neither knows the other is gay - or that the other has feelings for him. So, things stay purely platonic and Spencer enlists his dad to help Aaron. Something that Aaron hides from his parents.
I love the feel of the books. The boys emotions were there. This book isn't devoid of emotion like some books can be. The progression from friends to boyfriends is done really well. The pace isn't too fast and it isn't too slow. The relationship they build isn't about sex, it's about real emotion and something that can't be defined by sex. I love that about the book. It's nice to see teenage characters who develop real feelings for their love interest before something actually happens.
A Broken Kind of Life is a wonderful YA novel that can - and should - be read by all ages. It tells the story of a survivor and the beginning of his recovery. It's not sunshine and roses, but it's not doom and gloom, either. I highly recommend this book to people, even if you aren't a fan of YA romances, you should try this.
August 25, 2013
A Broken Kind of Life by Jamie Mayfield, adapted from J.P. Barnaby's award winning and critically acclaimed novel, Aaron. Wonderful, courageous, heartrending, and finely tuned to realism, A Broken Kind of Life tells the poignant tale of a young man’s devastation and self-resurrection from mere remnants of himself. I am further honored that J.p. Barnaby allowed me the privilege of writing the foreword for this novel.
Indelibly imprinted on my mind, this is one of my all-time favorite books and I can’t recommend A Broken Kind of Life highly enough.
Indelibly imprinted on my mind, this is one of my all-time favorite books and I can’t recommend A Broken Kind of Life highly enough.
September 30, 2013
Flashes of memories cause him severe panic attacks, attacks he sometimes wonders if he’ll forever be bound to suffer. He is scared that one day he will fall into the nightmare, a memory of the attack, and be stuck within his own dark mind forever. He remembers the debate team meeting with his best friend Juliette and the life altering events that took place after. The men, the van, the garage, the violation, the knife at his throat, his best friend screaming and begging them to stop. He often wonders why he couldn’t just die that night and be done with the hell he lives in daily.
Aaron Downing is a mere shell of a human being. He is withdrawn, anti social and suffers from debilitating panic attacks. His family has supported him through everything these past two years since that fateful night, but he finds himself wondering how much longer they’ll put up with what he’s become. He puts his feet underneath him and decides to enroll in college, he wants desperately to be able to take care of himself and learn to deal with his issues, to have a life.
Spencer Thomas was born premature, his poor young life began wrapped in another random act of violence, not much different than the one Aaron suffered. His mother was attacked and shot, left for dead, but miracle of miracles, unborn Spencer survived. There was a price to pay though, his mother’s life and his hearing. He’s been picked on a ridiculed his entire young life for being different, for being deaf. He though he’d found a man to love until his then boyfriend started referring to him as “my deaf boyfriend”, well, so much for that! Then one day he runs into Aaron, literally.
The two become fast friends and develop a bond based on trust, that grows into love. Once Aaron lets his guard down and lets Spencer in, he’s surprised how much he likes him and wants to be with him. Spencer has liked Aaron since the day they met, but he gives him his space and the time Aaron needs to decide where he wants to go with the relationship. Aaron makes unbelievable progress with his panic attacks and triggers with Spencer’s dad, but when his parents learn about this new therapy, they are less than pleased. Now that boy that lived in constant fear, being set off by the sound of a car door shutting or a simple touch, will have to convince his parents that this is what he wants. What he needs to get better.
This book starts out terribly sad, but as the story progresses it becomes something truly beautiful. Aaron and Spencer have suffered more loss and misery in their young lives than most grown people ever will. But together they find solace, happiness and love. It didn’t come as a surprise to me that the first person Aaron allows to touch him without going into a full blown attack is Spencer.
Spencer tells Aaron, “I don’t even see your scars anymore, I only see you.” And he touches him then kisses him and it’s perfect! Aaron could care less that Spencer is deaf. All he sees is the kind, patient and determined young man that has stood by him even during an attack. It’s also absolutely fanfuckingtastic that when the time comes for Aaron to tell Spencer how he feels, he uses sign language.
I’ve been a fan of Mayfields since his since his ‘Waiting for Forever’ series, and I loved this new book just as much. Yes it’s a difficult read and covers some very troubling subjects. At times Aaron is in such a dark place, you will find yourself almost hyperventilating, wondering if this will be the time he doesn’t come back. Oh but when he and Spencer find each other and they begin to heal its mesmerizing. If you like books that are deeply rooted in reality with hard core subject matter, excellent writing and extremely supportive secondary characters, I think you’ll love this book. No naughty bits really, this is a YA book. But there is a HEA!! I warn you though, make sure you have a snack a beverage and some Kleenex at the ready, you won’t be able to stop once you’ve started!
* I received a copy of this book through MM Good Book Reviews, in exchange for an honest review *
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Aaron Downing is a mere shell of a human being. He is withdrawn, anti social and suffers from debilitating panic attacks. His family has supported him through everything these past two years since that fateful night, but he finds himself wondering how much longer they’ll put up with what he’s become. He puts his feet underneath him and decides to enroll in college, he wants desperately to be able to take care of himself and learn to deal with his issues, to have a life.
Spencer Thomas was born premature, his poor young life began wrapped in another random act of violence, not much different than the one Aaron suffered. His mother was attacked and shot, left for dead, but miracle of miracles, unborn Spencer survived. There was a price to pay though, his mother’s life and his hearing. He’s been picked on a ridiculed his entire young life for being different, for being deaf. He though he’d found a man to love until his then boyfriend started referring to him as “my deaf boyfriend”, well, so much for that! Then one day he runs into Aaron, literally.
The two become fast friends and develop a bond based on trust, that grows into love. Once Aaron lets his guard down and lets Spencer in, he’s surprised how much he likes him and wants to be with him. Spencer has liked Aaron since the day they met, but he gives him his space and the time Aaron needs to decide where he wants to go with the relationship. Aaron makes unbelievable progress with his panic attacks and triggers with Spencer’s dad, but when his parents learn about this new therapy, they are less than pleased. Now that boy that lived in constant fear, being set off by the sound of a car door shutting or a simple touch, will have to convince his parents that this is what he wants. What he needs to get better.
This book starts out terribly sad, but as the story progresses it becomes something truly beautiful. Aaron and Spencer have suffered more loss and misery in their young lives than most grown people ever will. But together they find solace, happiness and love. It didn’t come as a surprise to me that the first person Aaron allows to touch him without going into a full blown attack is Spencer.
Spencer tells Aaron, “I don’t even see your scars anymore, I only see you.” And he touches him then kisses him and it’s perfect! Aaron could care less that Spencer is deaf. All he sees is the kind, patient and determined young man that has stood by him even during an attack. It’s also absolutely fanfuckingtastic that when the time comes for Aaron to tell Spencer how he feels, he uses sign language.
I’ve been a fan of Mayfields since his since his ‘Waiting for Forever’ series, and I loved this new book just as much. Yes it’s a difficult read and covers some very troubling subjects. At times Aaron is in such a dark place, you will find yourself almost hyperventilating, wondering if this will be the time he doesn’t come back. Oh but when he and Spencer find each other and they begin to heal its mesmerizing. If you like books that are deeply rooted in reality with hard core subject matter, excellent writing and extremely supportive secondary characters, I think you’ll love this book. No naughty bits really, this is a YA book. But there is a HEA!! I warn you though, make sure you have a snack a beverage and some Kleenex at the ready, you won’t be able to stop once you’ve started!
* I received a copy of this book through MM Good Book Reviews, in exchange for an honest review *
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
September 28, 2014
Two years ago Aaron's life as he knew it ended when he and his best friend Juliet stopped to give directions to the men in the beat-up van that hailed them. Now Juliet is in the cemetery and most days Aaron wishes he was too. Instead he lives in state of near constant terror unable to look at his scarred face in the mirror or even shower his burned and scarred body without flashing back on the horrifying events of that day. His sleep is full of nightmares and even the slightest touch of his loving mother sends him into a downward spiral toward terror that only heavy doses of tranquilizers and anti-anxiety meds have seemed to have any effect on.
When Aaron's mother pushes him to take a computer course at a community college, Aaron is forced to interact with Spencer, a deaf boy with issues of his own. Somehow these two misfits find a way closer to normalcy through each other.
This story is a slightly toned down retelling of the author's novel Aaron. It has been criticized for some inaccuracies as to the psychological methods employed by the stories doctor but somehow that soon doesn't matter as much as these two wounded souls charm their way into your heart. And it's not just the two protagonists. The author has crafted a heartwarming story and has created some deeply sympathetic characters. I love the relationship Aaron has with his mother. I love his two brothers I love Spenser's father. I've always had a thing for characters willing to let their vulnerability show and these characters are all vulnerable and endearing.
This may well be one of those books that you love and read again and again. Perhaps it's all those plaintive Simon & Garfunkel songs I was exposed to in my youth along with movies like Brian's Song or even books like Love Story, Death Be Not Proud and Thursday's Child, but I do love a good three hankie story and this is one of the best I've seen in yonks.
Some remarks are necessary about the audio-book version... I listened to the audio-book version of both books, Aaron was narrated by Tyler Stevens. Stevens did an amazing job with the narration. The voices of the main characters are easily distinguished and fit well with my conception of the characters. Stevens also did a brilliant job of switching between Spencer's cadences as a deaf speaker and the more common cadences of the hearing speakers. he also did a remarkable reversion to child-speak voice that Aaron uses when panicked that was particularly effective. Tristan Wright did the narration for The YA version a Broken Kind of Life and was good but having heard Stevens' version first, I missed some of the brilliance of his performance. Both audio versions suffered a bit in that there are several very rough segues between time changes. Perhaps these should have been separated into chapters or there might have been a musical cue. As presented the abrupt changes were, at times, hard to follow.
I'd also like to comment briefly on some of the differences between the two versions of this story. While the books are over 95% the same material, there is a sex scene in the adult version featuring Spencer that I found particularly erotic. This has been replaced in the YA version with a bit more detail about Spencer's relationship with his aunt and an earlier relationship that he had. Also the YA version has many of the expletives softened or removed and personally, I thought that this worked better, particularly for Aaron who has a more child-like persona because of his trauma. There is also a memory-mapping scene that Aaron has during therapy that is substantially different. In the YA version the memory recalled is that of bleeding out and losing consciousness after the attack while the adult version feature a cigarette burning bit. I'm not sure which, I'd consider more traumatic.
By all means. This is one that you should read and judge for yourself.
When Aaron's mother pushes him to take a computer course at a community college, Aaron is forced to interact with Spencer, a deaf boy with issues of his own. Somehow these two misfits find a way closer to normalcy through each other.
This story is a slightly toned down retelling of the author's novel Aaron. It has been criticized for some inaccuracies as to the psychological methods employed by the stories doctor but somehow that soon doesn't matter as much as these two wounded souls charm their way into your heart. And it's not just the two protagonists. The author has crafted a heartwarming story and has created some deeply sympathetic characters. I love the relationship Aaron has with his mother. I love his two brothers I love Spenser's father. I've always had a thing for characters willing to let their vulnerability show and these characters are all vulnerable and endearing.
This may well be one of those books that you love and read again and again. Perhaps it's all those plaintive Simon & Garfunkel songs I was exposed to in my youth along with movies like Brian's Song or even books like Love Story, Death Be Not Proud and Thursday's Child, but I do love a good three hankie story and this is one of the best I've seen in yonks.
Some remarks are necessary about the audio-book version... I listened to the audio-book version of both books, Aaron was narrated by Tyler Stevens. Stevens did an amazing job with the narration. The voices of the main characters are easily distinguished and fit well with my conception of the characters. Stevens also did a brilliant job of switching between Spencer's cadences as a deaf speaker and the more common cadences of the hearing speakers. he also did a remarkable reversion to child-speak voice that Aaron uses when panicked that was particularly effective. Tristan Wright did the narration for The YA version a Broken Kind of Life and was good but having heard Stevens' version first, I missed some of the brilliance of his performance. Both audio versions suffered a bit in that there are several very rough segues between time changes. Perhaps these should have been separated into chapters or there might have been a musical cue. As presented the abrupt changes were, at times, hard to follow.
I'd also like to comment briefly on some of the differences between the two versions of this story. While the books are over 95% the same material, there is a sex scene in the adult version featuring Spencer that I found particularly erotic. This has been replaced in the YA version with a bit more detail about Spencer's relationship with his aunt and an earlier relationship that he had. Also the YA version has many of the expletives softened or removed and personally, I thought that this worked better, particularly for Aaron who has a more child-like persona because of his trauma. There is also a memory-mapping scene that Aaron has during therapy that is substantially different. In the YA version the memory recalled is that of bleeding out and losing consciousness after the attack while the adult version feature a cigarette burning bit. I'm not sure which, I'd consider more traumatic.
By all means. This is one that you should read and judge for yourself.
November 24, 2013
I agree with other people that this is not an easy book to read in parts and Aaron is not living a happy life. The abuse he had at the hands of abusive people is upsetting. No one should have that happen and no one should have to experience what he did in his life. But he is such a nice guy and he tries not be a problem for his family. He doesn't want to feel anxious and scared all the time. He can't help it. His family are pretty good people but sometimes Aaron's stress and anxieties get to them.
Spencer is nice and kind and pretty strong. The fact that he is deaf helps with Aaron because even though he doesn't know exactly what Aaron is feeling he knows what it is like to be different in society. And what it is like to be treated differently and to feel hurt. They are a great friends. It is nice to be in the same course with someone. They are nice together and reading this just makes you think that maybe there is someone special out there who understands you. That there are good people in the world who care and support each other. Spencer's father may not have been perfect but he did the right thing by Aaron and Aaron learned with him and Spencer to be much more than a victim of a horrible event.
I liked A Broken Kind of Life very much.
Spencer is nice and kind and pretty strong. The fact that he is deaf helps with Aaron because even though he doesn't know exactly what Aaron is feeling he knows what it is like to be different in society. And what it is like to be treated differently and to feel hurt. They are a great friends. It is nice to be in the same course with someone. They are nice together and reading this just makes you think that maybe there is someone special out there who understands you. That there are good people in the world who care and support each other. Spencer's father may not have been perfect but he did the right thing by Aaron and Aaron learned with him and Spencer to be much more than a victim of a horrible event.
I liked A Broken Kind of Life very much.
July 29, 2017
This is a riveting, emotional story. I was quite overwhelmed by the power of this novel. The characters are well written and very realistic.
* SPOILERS*
I liked a lot that the author did not minimize or degrade the real suffering by “healing” Aaron or making him able to always cope effectively with tasks and events that he face daily.
* SPOILERS*
I liked a lot that the author did not minimize or degrade the real suffering by “healing” Aaron or making him able to always cope effectively with tasks and events that he face daily.
October 20, 2013
"He would never be normal, He would never be anything but a burden, a source of shame and discomfort..."
What it must be like to go through life believing those words. It hardly seems possible to most of us, but, for the thousands upon thousands of tortured souls that hide in the shadowy recesses of everyday life those words are a mantra that plays over and over in their minds. They are the abused and defiled, the haunted boys and girls, men and women, who have had their innocence ripped from them, never to be restored. If you are looking for a light hearted read, then the title of this phenomenally well written novel, A Broken Kind Oo Life should be the first clue hat this way lay something a bit more heavy and yet so incredibly rich and satisfying.
A Broken Kind of Life by Jamie Mayfield unflinchingly details one young man's attempt to bring himself back from the edge of oblivion. Beaten, raped and forced to watch the death of his best friend, Aaron Downing must now somehow make his way in a world that reminds him every moment of the horror he physically survived. Only by heavily medicating and allowing his parents to wrap him in a shroud of almost claustrophobic protection is Aaron able to endure what is best described as barely living. Unable to bear any human touch, never wearing clothing that might reveal his torn and whippet-thin body, Aaron can hardly bear to look in the mirror at the scar that runs from his right ear to the middle of his neck, evidence of the botched job the two men who abducted him did when they tried to slit his throat. His life is a living horror and how he manages to survive is testimony to his deep well of strength.
However, after enduring a particularly harsh flashback after which one of Aaron's brothers finally gives voice to the idea that he will never be normal again, the safety net beneath Aaron's feet shifts dramatically. After apologizing for yelling at him, Aaron and his brother Allen overhear their parents discussing the idea of institutionalizing Aaron. Utterly devastated and terrified, Aaron decides right then and there to push himself to attend the community college nearby. It is there that he meets Spencer Thomas. Deaf and grappling with a father, once a brilliant psychiatrist who now hides in an alcoholic haze since his practice was forced to close, Spencer understands living on the edge of humanity. Never quite fitting in and used to people thinking him retarded or worse, Spencer finds his friends in online chat rooms trolling for easy sexual encounters,
These two lonely and wounded boys meet and, for the first time, Aaron clings to a tiny spark of light in the endless nightmare that is his life and Spencer...falls in love.
"I am broken, Spencer. That is not your fault. You are my friend, and you treat me like I'm normal, like I'm not a scarred freak. No one else does that for me."
"I. Do. Not. See. The. Scars. Anymore. All. I. See. Is. You." Spencer replied...
For the very first time, both young men have someone who looks beyond their woundedness, their brokenness and sees what is inside, two men who want to be loved.
I was quite overwhelmed by the power of this novel. There was not a traditional happy ever after. The author did not minimize or degrade the very real suffering recounted on the pages of her novel by "healing" Aaron or even making him able to always cope effectively with everyday tasks and events. There was no quick resolution that marred the sheer beauty of this compassionately written story. If there were a novel that I would have to say was near perfect, A Broken Kind of Life would be the one.
Pacing, characterization, word choice, setting, and the gradual revealing of the nightmarish events the story is based around were all so well crafted. I could not find one thing I would change about this novel--not one. To tell you I clung to my tissue box like it was a life jacket is to understate how deeply affected I was by this story. The compassion and care that author Jamie Mayfield used in unwrapping the events of abuse was outstanding writing without a doubt. Then allowing us to see their effects on a character like Aaron who bore up under them with such incredible pain was just icing on the cake.
I cannot say enough about this story and I certainly cannot find the words to impart to you my deep respect for the way in which this novel was executed! So I will simply tell you that I highly recommend A Broken Kind of Life by Jamie Mayfield to you.
What it must be like to go through life believing those words. It hardly seems possible to most of us, but, for the thousands upon thousands of tortured souls that hide in the shadowy recesses of everyday life those words are a mantra that plays over and over in their minds. They are the abused and defiled, the haunted boys and girls, men and women, who have had their innocence ripped from them, never to be restored. If you are looking for a light hearted read, then the title of this phenomenally well written novel, A Broken Kind Oo Life should be the first clue hat this way lay something a bit more heavy and yet so incredibly rich and satisfying.
A Broken Kind of Life by Jamie Mayfield unflinchingly details one young man's attempt to bring himself back from the edge of oblivion. Beaten, raped and forced to watch the death of his best friend, Aaron Downing must now somehow make his way in a world that reminds him every moment of the horror he physically survived. Only by heavily medicating and allowing his parents to wrap him in a shroud of almost claustrophobic protection is Aaron able to endure what is best described as barely living. Unable to bear any human touch, never wearing clothing that might reveal his torn and whippet-thin body, Aaron can hardly bear to look in the mirror at the scar that runs from his right ear to the middle of his neck, evidence of the botched job the two men who abducted him did when they tried to slit his throat. His life is a living horror and how he manages to survive is testimony to his deep well of strength.
However, after enduring a particularly harsh flashback after which one of Aaron's brothers finally gives voice to the idea that he will never be normal again, the safety net beneath Aaron's feet shifts dramatically. After apologizing for yelling at him, Aaron and his brother Allen overhear their parents discussing the idea of institutionalizing Aaron. Utterly devastated and terrified, Aaron decides right then and there to push himself to attend the community college nearby. It is there that he meets Spencer Thomas. Deaf and grappling with a father, once a brilliant psychiatrist who now hides in an alcoholic haze since his practice was forced to close, Spencer understands living on the edge of humanity. Never quite fitting in and used to people thinking him retarded or worse, Spencer finds his friends in online chat rooms trolling for easy sexual encounters,
These two lonely and wounded boys meet and, for the first time, Aaron clings to a tiny spark of light in the endless nightmare that is his life and Spencer...falls in love.
"I am broken, Spencer. That is not your fault. You are my friend, and you treat me like I'm normal, like I'm not a scarred freak. No one else does that for me."
"I. Do. Not. See. The. Scars. Anymore. All. I. See. Is. You." Spencer replied...
For the very first time, both young men have someone who looks beyond their woundedness, their brokenness and sees what is inside, two men who want to be loved.
I was quite overwhelmed by the power of this novel. There was not a traditional happy ever after. The author did not minimize or degrade the very real suffering recounted on the pages of her novel by "healing" Aaron or even making him able to always cope effectively with everyday tasks and events. There was no quick resolution that marred the sheer beauty of this compassionately written story. If there were a novel that I would have to say was near perfect, A Broken Kind of Life would be the one.
Pacing, characterization, word choice, setting, and the gradual revealing of the nightmarish events the story is based around were all so well crafted. I could not find one thing I would change about this novel--not one. To tell you I clung to my tissue box like it was a life jacket is to understate how deeply affected I was by this story. The compassion and care that author Jamie Mayfield used in unwrapping the events of abuse was outstanding writing without a doubt. Then allowing us to see their effects on a character like Aaron who bore up under them with such incredible pain was just icing on the cake.
I cannot say enough about this story and I certainly cannot find the words to impart to you my deep respect for the way in which this novel was executed! So I will simply tell you that I highly recommend A Broken Kind of Life by Jamie Mayfield to you.
January 22, 2015
Would recommend you set aside an afternoon for this because once you start, you will not want to stop til it's done! It is intensely gripping and excellently written.
I admit that this was one of those books that you want to read, every blog post/review says you must read but I held back til I felt strong enough because I didn't know if I wanted to read about the bad.
Well, whilst the bad is there, in the flash backs and nightmares that Aaron has, when he is remembering or talking to someone, it is at a slight remove and whilst it is horrific, disturbing, makes you cry, it is not lived first person.
As other reviews have said, it is about acceptance and healing for both Aaron and Spencer.
It will make you cry and grin and want to shake some and kill others - literally - for what they did to Aaron and Juliette. And to raise a cheer for Spencer and his dad, Dr Thomas, who get the breakthrough to help Aaron.
But it is a hopeful story too - that Aaron will learn to reconnect with his family and the world. It is a lesson that actually those he connects with first are not his family and I can imagine that that would be hard in reality but understandable. There is obviously a long way to go and the book ends with the promise of progress.
I won this from the author on Elisa Rolle's blog along with the JPB version, Aaron. I read the two side by side and really there is not a lot of difference - the topic of a key therapy session is different and the epilogue starts slightly differently. I ranked here at 4* but it is probably a good 4.5* at least.
I admit that this was one of those books that you want to read, every blog post/review says you must read but I held back til I felt strong enough because I didn't know if I wanted to read about the bad.
Well, whilst the bad is there, in the flash backs and nightmares that Aaron has, when he is remembering or talking to someone, it is at a slight remove and whilst it is horrific, disturbing, makes you cry, it is not lived first person.
As other reviews have said, it is about acceptance and healing for both Aaron and Spencer.
It will make you cry and grin and want to shake some and kill others - literally - for what they did to Aaron and Juliette. And to raise a cheer for Spencer and his dad, Dr Thomas, who get the breakthrough to help Aaron.
But it is a hopeful story too - that Aaron will learn to reconnect with his family and the world. It is a lesson that actually those he connects with first are not his family and I can imagine that that would be hard in reality but understandable. There is obviously a long way to go and the book ends with the promise of progress.
I won this from the author on Elisa Rolle's blog along with the JPB version, Aaron. I read the two side by side and really there is not a lot of difference - the topic of a key therapy session is different and the epilogue starts slightly differently. I ranked here at 4* but it is probably a good 4.5* at least.
September 8, 2013
I have to say that A Broken Kind of Life is not as easy book to read. To witness the aftermath of a brutal attack on a lovely sixteen-year- old boy is difficult, especially as a parent myself. To then watch this child barely exist, let alone live, is heartbreaking. When Aaron started to heal, it was like watching the sun come out after a brutal thunderstorm. The first time he touched Spencer was a gift; the first time he let Spencer touch him was a miracle. I think one of the biggest messages I got out of this book is that no matter how bad you have been treated, no matter how much you want to curl up and die, you can’t let that happen. The minute you give up, your abusers win. There is always hope, someone will always be able to see past the scars and be patient enough to wait for you.
You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach
You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach
June 8, 2015
I feel a little bit cheated because during the sample, it seemed really familiar. It took me a while to realised that I HAD read this before - I'm fairly sure it was called Aaron? And I remember not liking the sample and not continuing it. Maybe this is a newer version? Because I liked the sample well enough and continued on, even though it was quite . . . underwhelming. The two characters both have incredibly interesting situations, and I liked how seriously mental illness is dealt with, but I feel like Aaron had no characterisation outside of his illness. And I get that he is his illness, but there was nothing else really to him, so I never really connected with him.
I wrote a review for this explaining my feelings better, but due to my dodgy internet it didn't save and I finished it a week ago and don't remember so well now so . . . this will have to do.
I wrote a review for this explaining my feelings better, but due to my dodgy internet it didn't save and I finished it a week ago and don't remember so well now so . . . this will have to do.
September 26, 2013
This was an intense, well-written story of a young man that went through a horrific event in his life, and how he found his way back. It had me in tears a few times, and the author did a very good job of portraying what happened without going over the top.
I think stories of this type make a person think about what life throws their way, and helps them realize what they are made of, and it really helps to see someone go through struggles like this, and see that all can still be okay in the end.
As the saying goes 'Life can only get better from here'.
I think stories of this type make a person think about what life throws their way, and helps them realize what they are made of, and it really helps to see someone go through struggles like this, and see that all can still be okay in the end.
As the saying goes 'Life can only get better from here'.
February 12, 2018
I really enjoyed this story about overcoming adversity.
NOTE: This title shows the author as Jamie Mayfield. As noted in the summary, it is a YA adaptation of a J.P. Barnaby story. Interestingly, “Jamie Mayfield” is the name of a main character in J.P. Barnaby’s “Little Boy Lost” series, which has also been published word-for-word by Jamie Mayfield, the pseudonym, but with a different title. I’m not sure if J.P. Barnaby is the one putting out these duplicates or someone else is ripping off her work.
NOTE: This title shows the author as Jamie Mayfield. As noted in the summary, it is a YA adaptation of a J.P. Barnaby story. Interestingly, “Jamie Mayfield” is the name of a main character in J.P. Barnaby’s “Little Boy Lost” series, which has also been published word-for-word by Jamie Mayfield, the pseudonym, but with a different title. I’m not sure if J.P. Barnaby is the one putting out these duplicates or someone else is ripping off her work.
August 1, 2016
Its always hard to read about victims of any kind. For me it was unbelievable hard to enjoy such a tragic story. In this case, Aaron was extremely lucky to be alive and to have a family who loved him so much. His friendship with Spencer developed slowly, which was great. Nonetheless it strange that the police never found those two man, who killed one and raped both innocent kinds. I missed that part of this story.
August 14, 2019
Incredibly heart felt and soul wrecking from the beginning. The hope that Aaron lacks and spencer brings back, the development throughout the book, the reality of what it means to be a survivor. I love it.
February 19, 2014
Full review up at The Kimi-chan Experience blog.
Want to read
July 27, 2014This looks gooooooood! The YA edition of J.P. Barnaby's Aaron.
probably-not
December 17, 2013I thought the name "Aaron" in the blurb bothered me. Honestly, if it's adopted from Aaron, then no offense, but dear god, no. I'm not that much a glutton for punishment.
April 12, 2017
This is a wonderful and heartbroken story, and I totally loved it
June 19, 2014
This had a slow start building the characters but once the story got going I couldn't put it down. The characters are well defined and very interesting. The PTSD is well done.
January 24, 2015
I love it when I'm so into an audiobook that I actually go to bed early. :D
September 1, 2016
Почему-то пропала отметка о прочтении. Начала читать и вспомнила. Пролистала до конца, норм.
November 26, 2016
This was 'Aaron' with minor changes for a YA audience
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