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Because...Broken
Two households, a pair of star-crossed lovers, and one ticked-off cousin on a mission to tear them apart.
Olivia Henderson dreams of becoming a professional singer, but her first public performance is nearly blown by a random panic attack. Enter Noah Dickerson, one of the cutest boys at school—if you like that artsy, troubled soul kind of guy. He pops up out of nowhere and somehow has all the right words to help Olivia get on that stage.
Noah believes Olivia might be the one girl he could truly love. Their friends think differently, and Olivia’s cousin, Kenny, is determined to ruin them. Convinced that Noah’s family was somehow involved in his sister’s death, Kenny will do anything to keep Noah from hurting Olivia… including spreading rumors about what Noah did at a party last spring. Since Kenny wasn’t actually at the party, the rush is on to find out who is feeding him distorted information. As the rivalry intensifies, Olivia has to juggle loyalties between her family and her boyfriend, and Noah has to face some hard truths about himself.
In this contemporary Romeo and Juliet-inspired story, with a dose of mystery, can love survive when darkness and light collide?
Olivia Henderson dreams of becoming a professional singer, but her first public performance is nearly blown by a random panic attack. Enter Noah Dickerson, one of the cutest boys at school—if you like that artsy, troubled soul kind of guy. He pops up out of nowhere and somehow has all the right words to help Olivia get on that stage.
Noah believes Olivia might be the one girl he could truly love. Their friends think differently, and Olivia’s cousin, Kenny, is determined to ruin them. Convinced that Noah’s family was somehow involved in his sister’s death, Kenny will do anything to keep Noah from hurting Olivia… including spreading rumors about what Noah did at a party last spring. Since Kenny wasn’t actually at the party, the rush is on to find out who is feeding him distorted information. As the rivalry intensifies, Olivia has to juggle loyalties between her family and her boyfriend, and Noah has to face some hard truths about himself.
In this contemporary Romeo and Juliet-inspired story, with a dose of mystery, can love survive when darkness and light collide?
243 pages, ebook
Published April 27, 2020
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Diana L. Sharples
10 books47 followersWith a degree in art, combined with a love for storytelling, Diana Sharples has won numerous awards for both her art and her writing. She writes clean, contemporary young adult fiction. Her first novel, Running Lean, was published in 2013 by Harper Collins. In 2015, her publishing was temporarily derailed by a battle with cancer, but she returned in 2018 with five new books, including the long-awaited sequel to Running Lean. Her latest novel, Because...Broken, was published in 2020, and she is currently working on several new novels, including Book #2 in the Quincy High Series.
Diana's writing is inspired by the people and landscape of the south, especially North Carolina and Georgia. She is a wife and mom, a follower of Jesus Christ, a lover of many pets, and rides a Harley.
Diana's writing is inspired by the people and landscape of the south, especially North Carolina and Georgia. She is a wife and mom, a follower of Jesus Christ, a lover of many pets, and rides a Harley.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 8, 2020
Oh my goodness, this book brought me right back to high school. As I read about Olivia and Noah and their experiences, it reminded me so much of when my friends and I were going through similar situations. It was kind of weird because I don’t feel old enough to have nostalgia about high school, but here we are…
Anyways, what I loved about this book is that it is relatable to teens today. These characters face the same struggles that every American teenager does, including gossip, dating, drugs and alcohol, relationships with their parents, college decisions, Christianity, and a lot more. As someone who has gone through high school and come out on the other side, I really appreciated how this book processes these topics and shows readers the why a decision was good or bad. It was a good combination of setting a good example while not just being an unrealistic vision of moral perfection. Because the characters came from a variety of backgrounds, the book was really able to look at issues from different perspectives instead of just saying that something was right or wrong.
Another element that I appreciated was that, while this book deals with some intense topics, it does so in a respectful way, without providing any unnecessary or gory details. Some of the characters curse, but the actual words aren’t included. There is a discussion of an alleged rape (which was purely gossip), but it is only vaguely alluded to. Again, this book does an excellent job of being real and relatable without presenting inappropriate details.
One of the most important messages this book contained, though, was that people are so much more than their actions. For example, Noah is a classic ‘bad boy’ character, but we get to learn about his home life and his family, and we understand why he is like this. It can be so easy to write someone off because of the things they do without looking deeper into why they are doing them, and this story is a good example of why this is dangerous.
Overall, I have no complaints about this book. It is a real and relatable story for young adults in today’s culture that is entertaining while pointing readers to truth.
I received a copy of this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Anyways, what I loved about this book is that it is relatable to teens today. These characters face the same struggles that every American teenager does, including gossip, dating, drugs and alcohol, relationships with their parents, college decisions, Christianity, and a lot more. As someone who has gone through high school and come out on the other side, I really appreciated how this book processes these topics and shows readers the why a decision was good or bad. It was a good combination of setting a good example while not just being an unrealistic vision of moral perfection. Because the characters came from a variety of backgrounds, the book was really able to look at issues from different perspectives instead of just saying that something was right or wrong.
Another element that I appreciated was that, while this book deals with some intense topics, it does so in a respectful way, without providing any unnecessary or gory details. Some of the characters curse, but the actual words aren’t included. There is a discussion of an alleged rape (which was purely gossip), but it is only vaguely alluded to. Again, this book does an excellent job of being real and relatable without presenting inappropriate details.
One of the most important messages this book contained, though, was that people are so much more than their actions. For example, Noah is a classic ‘bad boy’ character, but we get to learn about his home life and his family, and we understand why he is like this. It can be so easy to write someone off because of the things they do without looking deeper into why they are doing them, and this story is a good example of why this is dangerous.
Overall, I have no complaints about this book. It is a real and relatable story for young adults in today’s culture that is entertaining while pointing readers to truth.
I received a copy of this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 23, 2020
Ever since Shakespeare pened the first draft of Romeo and Juliette it was a hit.
In Because...Broken we see a contemporary look at the teen drama of the play.
In a book bridging the gap between Running Lean and Beacause... Anonymous, this stand alone book tells the story of Noah and Olivia as they cautiously tip-toe into the waters of teenage love. Only just starting their relationship it seems their friends and even family are against them.
Diana Sharple takes you on an adventure with these characters as you wind through their lives and their love.
In Because...Broken we see a contemporary look at the teen drama of the play.
In a book bridging the gap between Running Lean and Beacause... Anonymous, this stand alone book tells the story of Noah and Olivia as they cautiously tip-toe into the waters of teenage love. Only just starting their relationship it seems their friends and even family are against them.
Diana Sharple takes you on an adventure with these characters as you wind through their lives and their love.
July 20, 2020
Have you ever wondered what Romeo and Juliet's story would be like if they were present in our times? Well, wonder no further, this book is your answer right here!
It took me a lot of time to get into this one, but once i started enjoying it i just couldn't put it down. The book follows the story of Olivia and Noah, two american teenagers and school mates who are quite different from each other. Olivia loves to sing whereas Noah is quite interested in comic books and art. There was drama, mystery, twists and turns, typical teenage love story and definitely rivalry. What i liked the most about this book was the fact that it touched some really serious issues like family problems, drugs, alcohol, addictions and even rape, but it did not go into gory details which sometimes feel absolutely unnecessary in other books.
This one is your typical American teenage love story, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, so go on read this one if your looking for a mysterious love story.
It took me a lot of time to get into this one, but once i started enjoying it i just couldn't put it down. The book follows the story of Olivia and Noah, two american teenagers and school mates who are quite different from each other. Olivia loves to sing whereas Noah is quite interested in comic books and art. There was drama, mystery, twists and turns, typical teenage love story and definitely rivalry. What i liked the most about this book was the fact that it touched some really serious issues like family problems, drugs, alcohol, addictions and even rape, but it did not go into gory details which sometimes feel absolutely unnecessary in other books.
This one is your typical American teenage love story, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, so go on read this one if your looking for a mysterious love story.
April 8, 2021
Noah is the "troubled" kid. Everyone knows it. He's also a player and works his way through all the girls. However, no one really knows him. They don't know that his father is abusive. They don't know that he wants a steady girlfriend. Then he meets Olivia.⠀
⠀
Olivia wants to be a professional singer, but her anxiety is a huge stumbling block for her. She is very religious and the good girl in town. Before going on to perform, she has a panic attack and Noah is her knight and talks her down so she is able to go on stage and perform.⠀
⠀
They are now the talk of the school. Olivia's friends, especially her cousin, Kenny, want Noah to have NOTHING to do with her. Kenny makes life very difficult for the two of them and drama ensues.⠀
⠀
This was a cute story, with creative characters. The writing was well done as well. My only complaint was that parts of it moved too slowly for me and Olivia was a little too "perfect". She annoyed me. ⠀
I give this book 3 /5
⠀
Olivia wants to be a professional singer, but her anxiety is a huge stumbling block for her. She is very religious and the good girl in town. Before going on to perform, she has a panic attack and Noah is her knight and talks her down so she is able to go on stage and perform.⠀
⠀
They are now the talk of the school. Olivia's friends, especially her cousin, Kenny, want Noah to have NOTHING to do with her. Kenny makes life very difficult for the two of them and drama ensues.⠀
⠀
This was a cute story, with creative characters. The writing was well done as well. My only complaint was that parts of it moved too slowly for me and Olivia was a little too "perfect". She annoyed me. ⠀
I give this book 3 /5
June 6, 2020
Read it almost straight thru. Typical teens life drama. Good insight.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews