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Broken #2
Sticks and Stones
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
"What a ridiculous saying."
Jenny nodded. "Bruises heal, eventually, but the words – they're there forever."
"Actually the words are like sticks and stones," said Fiona quietly. "Sharp and spiky and painful. Like little missiles."
Maddie had thought the support group might help her. But with a sense of almost giddy relief she can't identify at all with these women. She knew what Jake would say – sad, sorry bunch of females... drowning in bitterness and the inability to move on. And she felt relieved that she didn't belong.
But she had been wrong about so much lately. Wrong to think that everything was over, wrong to think that the law would protect her, and wrong to think that after six long years she could finally drop her guard and enjoy family life free of fear.
Because now Jake's found them. And he's taken the children. And he's going to make Maddie pay.
"What a ridiculous saying."
Jenny nodded. "Bruises heal, eventually, but the words – they're there forever."
"Actually the words are like sticks and stones," said Fiona quietly. "Sharp and spiky and painful. Like little missiles."
Maddie had thought the support group might help her. But with a sense of almost giddy relief she can't identify at all with these women. She knew what Jake would say – sad, sorry bunch of females... drowning in bitterness and the inability to move on. And she felt relieved that she didn't belong.
But she had been wrong about so much lately. Wrong to think that everything was over, wrong to think that the law would protect her, and wrong to think that after six long years she could finally drop her guard and enjoy family life free of fear.
Because now Jake's found them. And he's taken the children. And he's going to make Maddie pay.
- GenresFiction
302 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Ilsa Evans
16 books64 followersIlsa Evans is an Australian author. She has written across several genres from light fiction (such as the books that make up the 'laundry series') to more gritty social realism. Two of her books, Broken and Sticks and Stones stem from the findings of a PhD on the long-term effects of family violence that Ilsa completed in 2005. Ilsa teaches creative writing and carries out public speaking when she is not writing. She lives in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne with her children, assorted pets and several uninvited possums.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 26, 2024
It was six years since she'd fled her marital home with her two children, fled Jake and his cruelty, his abuse and his delight in hurting her. They were happy in the small Victorian town they'd found; Maddie, Ashleigh and Sam. And the fete the children were at was giving her quiet joy, watching their fun and laughter. But wait. Was that Jake in the distance? Maddie thought she was imagining things so put it out of her mind. It was the following day when she arrived home from work and heard his voice right behind her, that she knew the days of peace for her and the children were over.
Jake had found them, and Maddie was going to pay. For now, he took the children away from her, and when she spoke to them, they said he'd changed. But Maddie knew differently. The upcoming court case; the papers served; Maddie's support from her sister, the support group and lawyers - none of that would make a slight bit of difference - would it?
Sticks and Stones is the 2nd in the Broken series by Aussie author Ilsa Evans and it was heartbreaking, raw and gut-wrenching! Knowing that domestic violence like what is portrayed in these two books, happens daily here in Australia (and overseas) is shocking. The lack of legal support is horrifying and it obviously gives the perpetrator more time to inflict his "punishment" on the people he supposedly loves, while waiting for a court case that won't help. Parts of the book are hard to read, and if you have experienced domestic violence, I wouldn't read this or the first in the series, Broken. But I do highly recommend them to the right audience.
Jake had found them, and Maddie was going to pay. For now, he took the children away from her, and when she spoke to them, they said he'd changed. But Maddie knew differently. The upcoming court case; the papers served; Maddie's support from her sister, the support group and lawyers - none of that would make a slight bit of difference - would it?
Sticks and Stones is the 2nd in the Broken series by Aussie author Ilsa Evans and it was heartbreaking, raw and gut-wrenching! Knowing that domestic violence like what is portrayed in these two books, happens daily here in Australia (and overseas) is shocking. The lack of legal support is horrifying and it obviously gives the perpetrator more time to inflict his "punishment" on the people he supposedly loves, while waiting for a court case that won't help. Parts of the book are hard to read, and if you have experienced domestic violence, I wouldn't read this or the first in the series, Broken. But I do highly recommend them to the right audience.
July 13, 2020
4.5 stars
In January this year I read Broken by Ilsa Evans. It was a riveting read and had an ending that left it open for a sequel and I’m glad that we got one in Sticks and Stones. It took me a while to track down a copy, but it was absolutely worth the wait.
Broken finishes with Mattie fleeing with her children from her husband Jake after years of domestic violence. In Sticks and Stones, she’s in a new town and her and the children are going by new names. After six years, Mattie/Maddie is slowly starting to drop her guard thinking that they are safe, but now Jake has found them and he’s out for vengeance.
There is absolutely nothing Jake won’t do to punish and destroy Maddie. As the plot progresses, we learn just how serious he is about carrying out his threats in a story of psychological torture, a failing family law system and a mother who will do anything to protect her children from a monster.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Ilsa Evans has to be one of Australia’s most underrated writers and I have no idea why she’s isn’t more well known. Her writing is flawless and drags you in so you cannot put her books down. You feel like you’re right beside the characters as the plot unfolds, as her writing makes it easy to visualise what’s happening.
I love that while some of her books are pure chick lit, that’s she’s delved into domestic noir and written about domestic violence so that we can speak about it more and bring it out in the open. Parts of it are confronting though and may be distressful for some people.
Just like in Broken, the characters are likeable and for the most part relatable, except for Maddie’s husband Jack. He’s definitely a villain, but Evans has captured him as a domestic violence perpetrator to a tee, with his Jekyll and Hyde personality.
Sticks and Stones will stay with you long after you’ve read it. It’s a dark and emotionally charged drama that will have you gripped from the start. You can read it as a stand alone book, but I recommend reading Broken first. If you liked The Lost Flowers of Alice Heart by Holly Ringland or Three Gold Coins by Josephine Moon, then this is a book for you.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
In January this year I read Broken by Ilsa Evans. It was a riveting read and had an ending that left it open for a sequel and I’m glad that we got one in Sticks and Stones. It took me a while to track down a copy, but it was absolutely worth the wait.
Broken finishes with Mattie fleeing with her children from her husband Jake after years of domestic violence. In Sticks and Stones, she’s in a new town and her and the children are going by new names. After six years, Mattie/Maddie is slowly starting to drop her guard thinking that they are safe, but now Jake has found them and he’s out for vengeance.
There is absolutely nothing Jake won’t do to punish and destroy Maddie. As the plot progresses, we learn just how serious he is about carrying out his threats in a story of psychological torture, a failing family law system and a mother who will do anything to protect her children from a monster.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Ilsa Evans has to be one of Australia’s most underrated writers and I have no idea why she’s isn’t more well known. Her writing is flawless and drags you in so you cannot put her books down. You feel like you’re right beside the characters as the plot unfolds, as her writing makes it easy to visualise what’s happening.
I love that while some of her books are pure chick lit, that’s she’s delved into domestic noir and written about domestic violence so that we can speak about it more and bring it out in the open. Parts of it are confronting though and may be distressful for some people.
Just like in Broken, the characters are likeable and for the most part relatable, except for Maddie’s husband Jack. He’s definitely a villain, but Evans has captured him as a domestic violence perpetrator to a tee, with his Jekyll and Hyde personality.
Sticks and Stones will stay with you long after you’ve read it. It’s a dark and emotionally charged drama that will have you gripped from the start. You can read it as a stand alone book, but I recommend reading Broken first. If you liked The Lost Flowers of Alice Heart by Holly Ringland or Three Gold Coins by Josephine Moon, then this is a book for you.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
July 28, 2011
Brilliant. Terrifying.
I read 'Broken' a couple of years ago and was absolutely blown away by the power of the this novel. The intense emotions that it created. I was left breathless and yearning not only for Mattie, Max and Courtney to find safety, but also happiness. 'Sticks & Stones' is the follow up I have needed since finishing 'Broken'.
This new novel is equally as powerful. Again I found myself holding a my breath in fear. I was angry, frustrated and absolutely terrified. This novel, like Broken, will get your heart racing just as the best known thrillers will, but what makes this work of fiction so un-put-downable is the fact that it is so close to home. Many families world wide experience domestic violence daily. The fear and hopelessness is actually a part of modern day life in the suburbs.
I am from Victoria, where is this novel is set, which again made me feel the closeness of this real life issue.
I ached as the read the ending, I am a mother, like Maddie, but live in domestic paradise with a kind and gentle husband. I woke him at 3am when I finished the book and cried in his arms thanking him for not being like Jake.
This novel gave a story to what we see too often in the news headlines. In the news we only hear about the critical incident. There is so much more to the story.
All healthcare workers, police and people who work within the law should read these novels. Jake was allowed to do what he did by the legal system.
The ending showed his true status as nothing more than a spineless coward.
I read 'Broken' a couple of years ago and was absolutely blown away by the power of the this novel. The intense emotions that it created. I was left breathless and yearning not only for Mattie, Max and Courtney to find safety, but also happiness. 'Sticks & Stones' is the follow up I have needed since finishing 'Broken'.
This new novel is equally as powerful. Again I found myself holding a my breath in fear. I was angry, frustrated and absolutely terrified. This novel, like Broken, will get your heart racing just as the best known thrillers will, but what makes this work of fiction so un-put-downable is the fact that it is so close to home. Many families world wide experience domestic violence daily. The fear and hopelessness is actually a part of modern day life in the suburbs.
I am from Victoria, where is this novel is set, which again made me feel the closeness of this real life issue.
I ached as the read the ending, I am a mother, like Maddie, but live in domestic paradise with a kind and gentle husband. I woke him at 3am when I finished the book and cried in his arms thanking him for not being like Jake.
This novel gave a story to what we see too often in the news headlines. In the news we only hear about the critical incident. There is so much more to the story.
All healthcare workers, police and people who work within the law should read these novels. Jake was allowed to do what he did by the legal system.
The ending showed his true status as nothing more than a spineless coward.
December 18, 2011
Absolutely loved it, always had you thinking about what was going to happen next. Shocking and makes you wonder what some people are like and how they can twist things around to make you be the blame. Sad to say, there are people out there like that, whether it's verbal or physical abuse, there is still alot of it out there.
This book and her first book called Broken really get you thinking about life and relationships and what we would do to protect the people we love, especially if the system fails to protect the victim.
This book and her first book called Broken really get you thinking about life and relationships and what we would do to protect the people we love, especially if the system fails to protect the victim.
Read
December 29, 2010I cannot begin to talk about this book without diluting its impact on other readers.
All I will say, is try not to finish it at bed-time, like I just did - sleep is chased away.
All I will say, is try not to finish it at bed-time, like I just did - sleep is chased away.
November 16, 2011
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
"What a ridiculous saying."
Jenny nodded. "Bruises heal, eventually, but the words – they're there forever."
"Actually the words are like sticks and stones," said Fiona quietly. "Sharp and spiky and painful. Like little missiles."
Sticks and Stones by Ilsa Evans unlike her normal Chick-Lit style books , follows as a sequel to Broken (which I have not yet read) but from reading Sticks and Stones, I was able to grasp exactly what went on in the first book. In Sticks and Stones, it is six years later and Mattie Hampson is living as Madeline McCourt and her two children Max and Courtney have changed their names to Sam and Ashley. Maddie has decided that after six years being on the run from her husband Jake, she is safe and can finally lower her guard but little does she realise that Jake has found them and he's back and wants Maddie to pay for what she did and he's not leaving until he has his children and she is dead . What follows, is a battle for her children as Jake seems to have everyone wrapped around his little fingers and if she isn't careful - the courts may play in his favour. What follows next is a sad and frightening tale of an abusive father and how he plays the system for his nasty game of revenge, the content in this book can be pretty graphic and if abuse etc is not soemthing that you can handle, then unfortunately this tale is not for you. For me as parts of it had personal connections , I could relate sort of to the novel. In parts Sticks and Stones , will have you tearing as Jake gets away with hurting Maddie and the children. What will it take for Maddie to stop Jake ? Will one of their family have to die first for the abuse to stop?
Find out all this and more in this heart-wrenching novel and tale of abuse , that for more than most will hit closer to home than some will realise.
You do not have to read the first novel , in order to understand Sticks and Stones but if you like then feel free to check out Broken by Ilsa Evans.
"What a ridiculous saying."
Jenny nodded. "Bruises heal, eventually, but the words – they're there forever."
"Actually the words are like sticks and stones," said Fiona quietly. "Sharp and spiky and painful. Like little missiles."
Sticks and Stones by Ilsa Evans unlike her normal Chick-Lit style books , follows as a sequel to Broken (which I have not yet read) but from reading Sticks and Stones, I was able to grasp exactly what went on in the first book. In Sticks and Stones, it is six years later and Mattie Hampson is living as Madeline McCourt and her two children Max and Courtney have changed their names to Sam and Ashley. Maddie has decided that after six years being on the run from her husband Jake, she is safe and can finally lower her guard but little does she realise that Jake has found them and he's back and wants Maddie to pay for what she did and he's not leaving until he has his children and she is dead . What follows, is a battle for her children as Jake seems to have everyone wrapped around his little fingers and if she isn't careful - the courts may play in his favour. What follows next is a sad and frightening tale of an abusive father and how he plays the system for his nasty game of revenge, the content in this book can be pretty graphic and if abuse etc is not soemthing that you can handle, then unfortunately this tale is not for you. For me as parts of it had personal connections , I could relate sort of to the novel. In parts Sticks and Stones , will have you tearing as Jake gets away with hurting Maddie and the children. What will it take for Maddie to stop Jake ? Will one of their family have to die first for the abuse to stop?
Find out all this and more in this heart-wrenching novel and tale of abuse , that for more than most will hit closer to home than some will realise.
You do not have to read the first novel , in order to understand Sticks and Stones but if you like then feel free to check out Broken by Ilsa Evans.
January 13, 2012
I wear a wrist band emblazoned with the words ‘I swear never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence to women.’ Purchasing this was a result of reading Evans’ book ‘Broken’. That title didn’t ‘pull and punches’ when it came to what many women in our communities, and not just in the boganvilles, have to suffer. The nightly news is a testament to the fact that what Evans writes about actually happens. As a male reader the first reaction would be that both the first tome and this, its sequel, are exaggerated for effect. In my heart of hearts, though, I know this is not the case, and it brings shame.
‘Sticks and Stones’ is as powerfully gripping as its predecessor, with the odious Jake, out for revenge big-time, even more monstrously one-dimensional – in fact just plain evil. Set six tears later, Mattie/Maddie and her children have a new life hidden from hubby. Facebook sees to it, though, that her tranquility does not last and Maddie’s life spirals out of control again, aided by the foibles of the family justice system.
I read ‘Broken’ with the knowledge that a second title was in the works. My Goodreads’ review back then stated that a happy ending for Maddie’s travails was hoped for. Happy endings are not always available in real life and Evans does not shy away from this, but as bleak as the novel becomes as we approach its heart-wrenching climax, where there’s life there’s hope.
Evans, I believe, has experienced something akin to what she writes of and she is to be lauded for adding weight to those lobbying to make our judicial operations less unwieldy in such situations. Perhaps, given a little time, our new first female attorney-general will give battered women more hope, but that is exactly what so many of them lack – time and hope
March 28, 2017
This is the first book I've read by Ilsa Evans, and I was thrilled to meet her in person at a Sisters In Crime event and have her recommend (and sign) this for me. When I first started reading, I only got a few pages in and felt such a sense of foreboding and despair that I wasn't sure I could keep going. Ilsa handled the topic of domestic violence through fiction with such rawness, and it was so real that it tore at my heart and I wanted to look away. The next day I picked up the book again and then I just couldn't put it down. It was brilliant. I connected so strongly with all the characters, they were flawed, not perfect, they didn't always make the best choices, but they did the best they could. Just as in real life. As a writer of crime fiction myself, who writes on the darker side of life and writes with a strong message and purpose, I felt the main character Maddie/Mattie's story strongly. It has taken me a few days to find the right words to describe how much I loved this book by a wonderful Australian writer. Ilsa, thankyou. My heart is still broken. This is fiction, but it is real life. Sticks and Stones will stay with me for a very long time.
September 28, 2010
Want to give it 5 but the end TORE my heart out big time and it was just too devastating.
December 17, 2019
There were times through this book I realised I was holding my breath.
An accurate account for any woman knowing what its like to be married to a Narcissist
I felt for her and her children so much and wanted to call her with ways that she could get away
I was so very proud of her and kept spurring her on throughout the book " come on sweetheart you can do this "
The frustration over the court system that kept letting her down at time drove me to distraction.
In the end she fought for her life and won but at a terrible terrible cost
Absolutely heart wrenching!!!
An accurate account for any woman knowing what its like to be married to a Narcissist
I felt for her and her children so much and wanted to call her with ways that she could get away
I was so very proud of her and kept spurring her on throughout the book " come on sweetheart you can do this "
The frustration over the court system that kept letting her down at time drove me to distraction.
In the end she fought for her life and won but at a terrible terrible cost
Absolutely heart wrenching!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2019
I so wanted Maddie to have a happy ending in this book, but it just wasn't meant to be. Sadly this story mimics those which are happening all too frequently in real life and it breaks my heart. Such a beautifully written, compelling and gripping story that can't help but to make an impression and linger with you forever!
March 10, 2018
Loved it...a really good sequel
September 18, 2017
Shocking and sad that this happens! Not a light read if you're looking for something easy to read.
March 11, 2014
**Spoiler alert ** why, why, why couldn't there have been a happy ending for Maddie?? I finished Broken & was pleased to know there was a sequel as I just couldn't get the story out of my head & wanted to know what happened to Maddie/Mattie and her family. But not this...please no! It read like a true story to me & I can understand the author wanted to add extra impact to the issue of domestic violence, but I was still holding out hope that the characters would finally be free from it. Devastating! It will stay with me for a long time.
September 29, 2012
Thrilling, upsetting , tragic , inspirational, enlightening and terrifying.
September 28, 2013
Just as good as the first one in the series.
October 15, 2015
Oh my goodness. What a story - and what a terrible problem Australia has. The ending broke my heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2016
Brilliant sequel to Broken.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews