Book Review: Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Read: May 20th- June 14th, 2018
Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 416 pages
Source: BEA 2018

Description from GoodReads:

   It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods. 

   Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

   The only thing is: they didn’t do it. 

   On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

Review:

   Three average, everyday girls. a little lonely, a little ignored.

   I read my first Lauren Oliver book maybe 6 years ago, having picked up Before I Fall because for some reason I thought it was the first book in the Delirium series. Since reading the final book in that series I haven’t really been keeping up to date with the latest Lauren Oliver releases. But of course, she had to come along and release the cover for Broken Things, and have me hooked instantaneously. Especially considering it ended up being a thriller mystery. So now here I am, having finished the book and wanting to talk about it. 

    The three girls in Broken Things certainly took being book obsessed to a whole new level, with creating a sequel to the book, and even going as far as attempting to recreate sacrifices to the fictional demon like god from the story. It made for an interesting read, as well as made me wondering if at one point I’d eventually go that far in my obsession with books. 

    Broken Things ended up being a hit and miss for me, where there were many things I enjoyed about the book, it also came with a bunch of things that I didn’t. 

    Two out of three of the girls live, and so we get perspectives of the living girls throughout the book. Including how dark their lives are now that their town thinks they killed their best friend. Mia’s life has become complicated to the point where she’s a homeschooled girl who lives with a hoarder mom., and Brynn’s life is bouncing from back and forth between rehabs, faking being a drug addict and alcoholic, just so that she has somewhere to live. It was really interesting to read as to how the characters dealt with their circumstances, as well as how the problems were solved in the end. It also made the story that much more interesting when I found out that the circumstances were inspired by real events in Lauren Oliver’s life. 

    One thing I simply didn’t care for, but yet found interesting was that at almost every beginning of a chapter we were given a snippet of The Way into Lovelorn, the story the girls were obsessed with, or a snippet of the story the girls wrote themselves. I was never a fan of the fanfiction snippets when I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and I wasn’t a fan now. I can certainly see how this would appeal to other people though. 

    Then finally the major kicker for me was how easy it was for the murderer to be discovered. In the end the mystery just felt so rushed, like Oliver needed the story to be finished with already.  I wouldn't say I was disappointed in the end, but I certainly wasn’t satisfied. 

    Broken Things didn’t end up being a favourite, but I’d certainly give another one of her books a chance if or when I ever pick them up.  

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"No one's ever lonely in lovelorn. No one except the shadow."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Thrillers, Mystery, Books come to life, Murder Mystery