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Broken Essentials
It's the nineties, an era of upheaval. But Denise is too caught up in her own battle to notice. Terry is her mother, or that’s what Denise’s birth certificate says anyway (she checked to make sure). Their life is as picture perfect as Terry can possibly make it, which is to say that it’s not picture perfect at all. There’s the missing father. Then there’s the pregnancy at nineteen.
Now Terry has to decide—does she let Denise and her baby destroy the balance of power in her home, or does she destroy Denise?
Denise gives birth to her very own baby girl, but this isn’t a time of celebration. She doesn’t know what a good mommy looks like. All she knows is that she has to protect her daughter from Terry. She has to protect them both from Terry. She has to win this one time.
Denise runs blindly from her mother and straight into the open arms of lust, drugs, and Tyrell. On the outside, Tyrell is a street-smart hustler. Inside, he’s searching for something, but he doesn’t know what. And he’s too busy with the life to figure it out. Staying alive means throwing himself from moment to moment, from dollar to dollar.
Tyrell is a mystery to Denise. Denise is a new hustle to Tyrell. Or at least that’s what he thinks at first. Will Denise change his world, or will he change hers?
Now Terry has to decide—does she let Denise and her baby destroy the balance of power in her home, or does she destroy Denise?
Denise gives birth to her very own baby girl, but this isn’t a time of celebration. She doesn’t know what a good mommy looks like. All she knows is that she has to protect her daughter from Terry. She has to protect them both from Terry. She has to win this one time.
Denise runs blindly from her mother and straight into the open arms of lust, drugs, and Tyrell. On the outside, Tyrell is a street-smart hustler. Inside, he’s searching for something, but he doesn’t know what. And he’s too busy with the life to figure it out. Staying alive means throwing himself from moment to moment, from dollar to dollar.
Tyrell is a mystery to Denise. Denise is a new hustle to Tyrell. Or at least that’s what he thinks at first. Will Denise change his world, or will he change hers?
285 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2020
4 people want to read
About the author
April Harper
1 book1 followerApril Harper was born in Akron, Ohio, and raised in san Antonio, Texas. She found her home in the capital city of Austin, Texas. She is a wife and mother of a beautiful collection of children through a perfectly blended family. The soft-spoken author has always found beauty in the minutes of details. She is a warrior of love and compassion, even in the midst of chaos. Broken Essentials is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 22, 2020
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Reading April’s debut novel Broken Essentials was nothing short of a treat. She gracefully filled the pages with her eloquent writing and painted such a vivid picture that I could see the characters floating in front of me. The novel follows the journey of a nineteen-year old girl, Denise, and her relationship with her mother, Terry. At this tender age, Denise is pregnant, confused and desperately seeking the love and support from Terry, who occasionally had her good moments but more often than not, was insensitive and devoid of love for her daughter.
In this roller-coaster of a journey, I found myself rooting for Denise, feeling her pains and rejoicing at her accomplishments. There were parts that crushed my heart to pieces and then there were moments that filled it with joy and hope only to again rip it out of my chest. I was completely submerged into this riveting tale of love, deceit, mental-health and relationships, always at the edge of my seat wondering what is coming next. The snippets of Denise’s tumultuous life had a mysterious feel to it and my heart went out to her.
April has done a wonderful job not only by penning a beautiful story-line but also by sprinkling characters that are flawed and real. The book was aptly paced and I did not find any dull moment. Denise grew along the pages and blossomed into a strong, independent lady, adamant on not repeating the mistakes of others. She is a survivor. The ending was totally unexpected and I hope April writes a sequel where I can see Denise rise again from the ashes. I could not stop turning the pages and did not want this novel to end. This poignant story will resonate with a wide audience and I whole-heartedly recommend it to all fiction lovers. You will find something that you can relate to in this novel.
Reading April’s debut novel Broken Essentials was nothing short of a treat. She gracefully filled the pages with her eloquent writing and painted such a vivid picture that I could see the characters floating in front of me. The novel follows the journey of a nineteen-year old girl, Denise, and her relationship with her mother, Terry. At this tender age, Denise is pregnant, confused and desperately seeking the love and support from Terry, who occasionally had her good moments but more often than not, was insensitive and devoid of love for her daughter.
In this roller-coaster of a journey, I found myself rooting for Denise, feeling her pains and rejoicing at her accomplishments. There were parts that crushed my heart to pieces and then there were moments that filled it with joy and hope only to again rip it out of my chest. I was completely submerged into this riveting tale of love, deceit, mental-health and relationships, always at the edge of my seat wondering what is coming next. The snippets of Denise’s tumultuous life had a mysterious feel to it and my heart went out to her.
April has done a wonderful job not only by penning a beautiful story-line but also by sprinkling characters that are flawed and real. The book was aptly paced and I did not find any dull moment. Denise grew along the pages and blossomed into a strong, independent lady, adamant on not repeating the mistakes of others. She is a survivor. The ending was totally unexpected and I hope April writes a sequel where I can see Denise rise again from the ashes. I could not stop turning the pages and did not want this novel to end. This poignant story will resonate with a wide audience and I whole-heartedly recommend it to all fiction lovers. You will find something that you can relate to in this novel.
May 1, 2020
April Harper’s debut novel Broken Essentials is an engrossing tale about a young girl named Denise who has suffered various forms of abuse from her mother. Suffocated and constantly put down, it only becomes worse when Denise becomes pregnant and her baby daddy is practically non-existent. She yearns to get away from the clutches of her vicious mother, Terry and begins to slowly plot to move out of her house with her baby. Just when she seemingly escapes from her horrible home, Denise endures a deeply traumatizing event caused by a complete stranger. All of a sudden, her mother is by her side and uncharacteristically consoling her and Denise finds herself caught up with her once more. Has Terry somehow turned over a new leaf or is Denise right to be worried that her mother has cruel hidden intentions disguised behind a smiling face?
The writing was very good for a debut novel but has a lot more room to achieve its full potential. Apart from that, the author has made this book into a very compelling read that will make it impossible for readers to put this book down for even a moment. Moving on, this book can also serve to educate readers as it identifies clear signs of abuse and manipulation in relationships whether romantic or familial, warning signs to look out for and the struggles of being a single mother without a support system. The graphic scenes in the book were expertly written and will tug at the heartstrings of even the most cold-hearted reader. This book addresses several sensitive and important issues including verbal and physical abuse, manipulation, teenage pregnancy and severe sexual harassment. In my opinion, although this book aims to showcase the many heavy challenges of a teenage mother with no support system, it was a rather heavy read. This book might have been more digestible if there were more light-hearted scenes where readers get to see Denise be happy consistently throughout the book. This is because after the first half of the book, the challenges kept coming but there were not many other scenes to balance it out. Overall, this story is definitely not for the light-hearted but it is an important read nevertheless as it delivers a brutal story in a way that is still accessible and relevant to readers.
The writing was very good for a debut novel but has a lot more room to achieve its full potential. Apart from that, the author has made this book into a very compelling read that will make it impossible for readers to put this book down for even a moment. Moving on, this book can also serve to educate readers as it identifies clear signs of abuse and manipulation in relationships whether romantic or familial, warning signs to look out for and the struggles of being a single mother without a support system. The graphic scenes in the book were expertly written and will tug at the heartstrings of even the most cold-hearted reader. This book addresses several sensitive and important issues including verbal and physical abuse, manipulation, teenage pregnancy and severe sexual harassment. In my opinion, although this book aims to showcase the many heavy challenges of a teenage mother with no support system, it was a rather heavy read. This book might have been more digestible if there were more light-hearted scenes where readers get to see Denise be happy consistently throughout the book. This is because after the first half of the book, the challenges kept coming but there were not many other scenes to balance it out. Overall, this story is definitely not for the light-hearted but it is an important read nevertheless as it delivers a brutal story in a way that is still accessible and relevant to readers.
April 23, 2020
This book was immensely gravitative. I immediately fell in love from the very beginning. It is well written and soul scattering. Acknowledging that this book is my first debut-novel read, I am pleased to say it was touching and deeply relatable. The experiences endured by Denise and her mother Terry were depicted in such a detailed manner that it was impossible to lour, despite few amateur faulty writing-skills and obscure, abrupt ending. I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the characters, scenes, and sequencing of events. Every description unraveled each scene as though I was in a superficial realm exploiting the experience of the characters.
With the exception of teenage pregnancy, I have endured a lifelike Denise’s. As a result of a complacent mother (Terry), Denise begins to seek affection and love from the wrong sources (Tyrell). The fear that Denise feels from her mother is obvious as she does everything at first to please Terry then scurried away to protect her child. As being a child herself, she doesn’t know what a good mommy looks like (lack of example from her mother), however, she knows is that she has to protect her daughter. Denise is seeking more from Tyrell, whilst, he sees her as another means of hustle. Denise’s journey is very upheaving as love is found and knowledge is gained.
Despite the distasteful ending, this writing is touching to me especially as someone who has a similar type of relationship with their mother. I feel somewhat that the mother and daughter relationship could and should have been mended as an example, for the relationship she is building with her own daughter. A little more detail could have been scribed in the ending to emphasize the prodigious emotions that were occurring in these last two chapters. I highly recommend this compelling book not only for personal reading but as book-club literature; feelings and emotions would be soaring as there is a lot to discuss on the author’s decisions in certain scenes.
With the exception of teenage pregnancy, I have endured a lifelike Denise’s. As a result of a complacent mother (Terry), Denise begins to seek affection and love from the wrong sources (Tyrell). The fear that Denise feels from her mother is obvious as she does everything at first to please Terry then scurried away to protect her child. As being a child herself, she doesn’t know what a good mommy looks like (lack of example from her mother), however, she knows is that she has to protect her daughter. Denise is seeking more from Tyrell, whilst, he sees her as another means of hustle. Denise’s journey is very upheaving as love is found and knowledge is gained.
Despite the distasteful ending, this writing is touching to me especially as someone who has a similar type of relationship with their mother. I feel somewhat that the mother and daughter relationship could and should have been mended as an example, for the relationship she is building with her own daughter. A little more detail could have been scribed in the ending to emphasize the prodigious emotions that were occurring in these last two chapters. I highly recommend this compelling book not only for personal reading but as book-club literature; feelings and emotions would be soaring as there is a lot to discuss on the author’s decisions in certain scenes.
April 28, 2020
A Glittering Novel, Life Lessons
I have always had a taste for fiction books, and hence I happen to have read a range of them, but not all trigger my senses after reading, some are just the same wine in different bottles. However, “Broken Essentials: A Novel” almost blew up my mind. With the relevance of its summary, I knew this was a must-read, so I was ready to set my other books aside and dive in. After reading the first section “The Way It Was” I felt so much absorbed to the book and wanted to keep reading more and more, I couldn’t put it down! I loved it. Books like this are definitely my cup of tea.
Understanding life is a very important phase of every individual’s life. This is because life bears its hidden ups and downs that often weigh down on people. The challenges in life barely give anyone time to brace up for a coming issue. Therefore, individuals end up making decisions that are poorly arrived at. The author has thoughtfully developed an impressive story of a young girl, Denise who passes through the challenges of life with her mother Terry until she decides to start a love life with Tyrell, which at the end don’t turn out to be a very great decision. The novel has been masterly made and her writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader.
The book is intriguing, captivating, and exciting to read as the content is well managed, and the flow is chronological with impeccable grammar. Through the smooth transition, the audience is deeply absorbed into the fantasy world and easily related and associates with the characters. The book is a clear resemblance of real-life situations and hence it’s a must read for every person. There is so much to learn and experience about love and determination. I give this book the big thumbs up!
I have always had a taste for fiction books, and hence I happen to have read a range of them, but not all trigger my senses after reading, some are just the same wine in different bottles. However, “Broken Essentials: A Novel” almost blew up my mind. With the relevance of its summary, I knew this was a must-read, so I was ready to set my other books aside and dive in. After reading the first section “The Way It Was” I felt so much absorbed to the book and wanted to keep reading more and more, I couldn’t put it down! I loved it. Books like this are definitely my cup of tea.
Understanding life is a very important phase of every individual’s life. This is because life bears its hidden ups and downs that often weigh down on people. The challenges in life barely give anyone time to brace up for a coming issue. Therefore, individuals end up making decisions that are poorly arrived at. The author has thoughtfully developed an impressive story of a young girl, Denise who passes through the challenges of life with her mother Terry until she decides to start a love life with Tyrell, which at the end don’t turn out to be a very great decision. The novel has been masterly made and her writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader.
The book is intriguing, captivating, and exciting to read as the content is well managed, and the flow is chronological with impeccable grammar. Through the smooth transition, the audience is deeply absorbed into the fantasy world and easily related and associates with the characters. The book is a clear resemblance of real-life situations and hence it’s a must read for every person. There is so much to learn and experience about love and determination. I give this book the big thumbs up!
December 29, 2020
Every girl wants the love of her mother, but what happens to the girl that doesn't get it. Meet Denise. The relationship that she has with her mother, Terry, is nothing less than a nightmare. There is no love for them and Denise is determined not to have the same relationship with her unborn child. Now we have Terry. Who for no fault of her own is a TERRIBLE mother. Denise then meets Tyrell. But the love of her life has his own issues. But because of the love that Denise has for him, his issues become her issues. When this happens everything comes to the forefront. Worlds collide. Issues come. Who will be the last female standing? What about Tyrell will he come to his senses? But most of all what will become of Denise’s daughter?
This book was a good read. All the characters were able to bring a true identity to the storyline. I do not know if the author did this, but in my opinion it seems like the storyline was built around the characters. The development of the characters and storyline went hand in hand. For situations in the novel are very believable and that was a great addition to the novel. A storyline that you can really see happening. The only thing that keeps this novel from getting 5 stars is some questions that were left unanswered for the reader. Please author come up with a part 2 or give a conclusion because I would love to see what happens to Denise as a woman and to Denise and Tyrell as a couple/parents.
(Reviewed by Patrice)
This book was a good read. All the characters were able to bring a true identity to the storyline. I do not know if the author did this, but in my opinion it seems like the storyline was built around the characters. The development of the characters and storyline went hand in hand. For situations in the novel are very believable and that was a great addition to the novel. A storyline that you can really see happening. The only thing that keeps this novel from getting 5 stars is some questions that were left unanswered for the reader. Please author come up with a part 2 or give a conclusion because I would love to see what happens to Denise as a woman and to Denise and Tyrell as a couple/parents.
(Reviewed by Patrice)
May 7, 2020
Broken Essentials is a debut novel written by April Harper and its the most amazing book that I have read today.
Before the story starts I loved the beautifully expressed Poem written that touched my heart. And as the story started I found myself lost in the character Denise's life. The Author April Harper has written the story in an artistic way that grasped my attentional fully.
The storyline is crafted in a realistic way that makes it easy to feel connected to book on a personal level. The book is also written in a very lucid language that made it easy for me to relate to the character's life. All the characters are described elegantly and as the story moves forward the growth of characters is just phenomenal.
The highlight of the book is the writing skills of the author April Harper, who has written this book in a very expressive way. The storyline is emotional and impressive and once you start reading this you will not be able to stop reading the book until you have finished it. Also, I just loved the depth of emotions that are expressed throughout the book is wonderful.
Overall, an incredible and fantastic read. I would definitely recommend others to read this, and if you are looking for a soulful story that is addictive then read now.
Before the story starts I loved the beautifully expressed Poem written that touched my heart. And as the story started I found myself lost in the character Denise's life. The Author April Harper has written the story in an artistic way that grasped my attentional fully.
The storyline is crafted in a realistic way that makes it easy to feel connected to book on a personal level. The book is also written in a very lucid language that made it easy for me to relate to the character's life. All the characters are described elegantly and as the story moves forward the growth of characters is just phenomenal.
The highlight of the book is the writing skills of the author April Harper, who has written this book in a very expressive way. The storyline is emotional and impressive and once you start reading this you will not be able to stop reading the book until you have finished it. Also, I just loved the depth of emotions that are expressed throughout the book is wonderful.
Overall, an incredible and fantastic read. I would definitely recommend others to read this, and if you are looking for a soulful story that is addictive then read now.
May 7, 2020
Broken Essentials by April Harper is a very emotional book. It has 20 chapters and each chapter is as interesting as the previous chapter.
It covers the themes of crime,violence,hatred, drugs,prison,love etc. all because a mother, Terry refused to protect and love her daughter , Denise when Denise needed her most.
At the end of the book,there was reconciliation and forgiveness. Every mother needs to protect and love her child no matter the situation or circumstances.
The book cover will want to pull you into the pages. I wanted to know the story of the girl on the book cover and the pages have the ability of pulling you deeper and deeper into the plot.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author. All opinions in this review are my own.
It covers the themes of crime,violence,hatred, drugs,prison,love etc. all because a mother, Terry refused to protect and love her daughter , Denise when Denise needed her most.
At the end of the book,there was reconciliation and forgiveness. Every mother needs to protect and love her child no matter the situation or circumstances.
The book cover will want to pull you into the pages. I wanted to know the story of the girl on the book cover and the pages have the ability of pulling you deeper and deeper into the plot.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author. All opinions in this review are my own.
April 25, 2020
This is a very good book!! I felt so connected to the main character throughout this story. Denise wants is to have a happy life with her daughter. Unfortunately her mother continues to find ways to make it hard for her. I was so drawn into the story hoping that Denise and her baby girl make it safely. Denise will do anything to protect for her daughter. Will this cost her, her life? You need to read to find out. I highly recommend it!
May 22, 2020
I actually put the book down and didn't intend to finish it because of what was happening to the Main character. I got pulled back in to see what ended up happening. Author did a very thought provoking upsetting job on this story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews