Reviews

Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey

jaclyncrupi's review against another edition

3.0

So I’m not exactly sure what I just read but I know it didn’t completely work. Dey is brave and bold I’ll give her that, and more books should have sections narrated by a dog, but there were some structural and timeline issues I couldn’t overlook. It gets points for being like nothing else and the great 80s references.

thewrittenadventure's review against another edition

1.0

I couldn't get past the first chapter because it kept jumping around and not making any sense. The main character's thought process is extremely disjointed and hinders the reader from making connections with what is going on in real time. I really loved the description of the novel, but after the first chapter, there was no way I could keep reading.

I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for allowing me an ARC for this novel.

meganmikaelian's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Weird is the first word that comes to mind when trying to describe this book but I think that’s what the author was going for. The writing style was unique and a little too disjointed for me. It felt like the author was dancing around a lot of things instead of just describing them. The timelines of each section were interesting but again, harder to follow than I think was necessary.  

I love a good cult setting and I wish we had spent more time there learning about the history and intricacies of it. Also wish we could have found out why

they think it’s 1985

? That felt unexplored. 

The book started out slow but picked up towards the end. I guessed the two big reveals early on but maybe the author wanted me to? Overall I’m unsure of her intentions though I liked the story and thought the characters really brought it to life. I was definitely grossed out by all the adults grooming and eventually abusing children though.

orlaithma's review against another edition

4.0

First posted at www.instagram.com/p/BoFMWgoFUJK

Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey is one of those really strange books that's hard to categorize.

I started it thinking I wasn't going to like it, but I kept reading and found that I couldn't put it down!

It's told in 3 parts, Girl, Dog and Boy, with each part more enjoyable than the last.

I won't say anymore as I hate to give anything away but I will say that I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you so much to @boroughpress and @harpercollinsuk for this free copy of Heartbreaker!

shellhobking's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Strange but enjoyable, the writing style was unique and I’d like to try her work again 

rookjupiter's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

icedancr333's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I picked this book up from a local indie bookstore pre-Covid and only just now got around to reading it. Wow - I don’t know if I would’ve guessed how wild and unique of a story this would be solely based on the description. The prose, while staccato and challenging at times, left me awestruck during many points of the story. I found myself reading single sentences & sections over and over again. Drops of what I personally found to be profound insight about human behavior and relationships. Claudia Dey did an amazing job at building a believable isolated cult-town along with its cast. The story is divided into three sections, each with a different narrator, and you gain insight onto what happened through their eyes. The dog section was my favorite for sure. Ending left me surprised and satisfied. I recommend if you are looking for a unique literary read.

josieb10's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

b00kh0arder's review against another edition

4.0

A strange and original novel where, like wonderland, you are pulled into a world where the familiar has been twisted out of shape by the odd just enough to make it alien, with the expectation that you figure out the lay of the land yourself without much explanation, and yet you're still left thinking about it after it's finished.
Definitely interesting.

notsarahconnor's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm not going to lie, I was lost when I started Heartbreaker, but the pieces in this story fit together so perfectly, it's brilliant!

Read the full review on my blog!