haley_j_casey's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this! I haven't really liked a Lauren Oliver book since [b:Before I Fall|6482837|Before I Fall|Lauren Oliver|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361044695s/6482837.jpg|6674135] and the [b:Delirium|11614718|Delirium (Delirium, #1)|Lauren Oliver|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327890411s/11614718.jpg|10342808] trilogy (each absolute favorites of mine), and so honestly, I didn't have huge hopes for this. But it exceeded them.
I loved the complexity of Brynn and Mia and Summer. I was a big fan of Abby and Wade and the way they were unapologetically themselves. I saw the reveal coming about halfway through the book, but I liked when it was faced
I liked the way the people and friendships came together and changed. I liked Owen, even though I felt like his progression as a person was given a little less screen time.
My biggest qualm is the age of the girls in the flashbacks with Summer; while I understand that in order to have been so invested in their fantasy and Lovelorn, it made sense for them to be young, to be seventh graders, they didn't talk or act like any 12-year-olds I've met. There was so much talk of sex and drinking and drugs and Summer moving between different boys left and right, and that felt very high-school to me, not seventh grade.
The biggest plus in the book, however, is the creation of Lovelorn. I'm in awe when authors can create a brand-new book within their book, and Oliver does it beautifully.
And that ending. I should've seen it coming but it still caught me off-guard and made me laugh. A perfect way to finish.
I loved the complexity of Brynn and Mia and Summer. I was a big fan of Abby and Wade and the way they were unapologetically themselves. I saw the reveal coming about halfway through the book, but I liked when it was faced
Spoiler
and that rather than it being some teenage boy who'd gotten angry or jealous, it was this teacher who was deeply mentally ill and who still couldn't comprehend how everything went so wrong, even while she did terrible, sickening things.I liked the way the people and friendships came together and changed. I liked Owen, even though I felt like his progression as a person was given a little less screen time.
My biggest qualm is the age of the girls in the flashbacks with Summer; while I understand that in order to have been so invested in their fantasy and Lovelorn, it made sense for them to be young, to be seventh graders, they didn't talk or act like any 12-year-olds I've met. There was so much talk of sex and drinking and drugs and Summer moving between different boys left and right, and that felt very high-school to me, not seventh grade.
The biggest plus in the book, however, is the creation of Lovelorn. I'm in awe when authors can create a brand-new book within their book, and Oliver does it beautifully.
And that ending. I should've seen it coming
Spoiler
because of all the talk about the way Lovelorn cut off in the middle of a sentence, and the way Mia came to realize the significance of that when paralleled with life,adisiki's review against another edition
2.5
This wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good either. I had to start over after like 100 pages, I couldn’t get into it. The story was definitely inspired by the Slenderman girls. The ending was weird, but I liked the characters.
ailsareads's review against another edition
4.0
This. Was. EVERYTHING. Whodunnit thriller coupled with a Narnia-esque magical world? Yes please.
I'm a big fan of Lauren Oliver's previous books - she's probably best known for her dystopian sci-fi series Delirium, and Broken Things is definitely a departure from this. Combining elements of a thriller with magical realism, Broken Things follows two girls accused of murdering their best friend five years previously and their hunt for justice, whilst dealing with the world of Lovelorn from the obscure book they were obsessed with.
Don't come into it expecting a fantasy novel but there are definitely very creepy and surreal elements to this book which really enhanced the plot and the central mystery.
(Thanks to the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review).
I'm a big fan of Lauren Oliver's previous books - she's probably best known for her dystopian sci-fi series Delirium, and Broken Things is definitely a departure from this. Combining elements of a thriller with magical realism, Broken Things follows two girls accused of murdering their best friend five years previously and their hunt for justice, whilst dealing with the world of Lovelorn from the obscure book they were obsessed with.
Don't come into it expecting a fantasy novel but there are definitely very creepy and surreal elements to this book which really enhanced the plot and the central mystery.
(Thanks to the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review).
kyramizzyizzy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
shmashes's review against another edition
4.0
So I liked it, but I have some qualms. The book felt incomplete. It was almost as if I were watching the movie of this book and important plot lines were missing. They described Lovelorn as being a magical place that was an amalgamation of a bunch of popular fantasy series’s, but they never explained the scenery or actual storyline of The Way into Lovelorn. The characters that were mentioned were abstract and didn’t seem to go together in a cohesive way. The three girls going to Lovelorn sounded like a story on its own, but then there were fairies, princesses, trolls, tournaments, stealing hearts, a centaur, and most importantly a Shadow. It just seemed so jumbled and I wish the author had developed more of the actual background for The Way into Lovelorn. The mystery aspects and the complexity of the relationships between the characters were satisfying. I do wish I had Owen’s perspective of Summer and their time together. I kept waiting for it to be revealed. Like I said, I liked it, but it seemed unfinished.
catiebug's review against another edition
5.0
Lauren Oliver did it again. I love this book so much. And I didn't seethe ending coming! I normally can figure out the mystery, but this one I just couldn't. I was so engrossed in the story and looked forward to every time I could sit down and read it.
caszriel's review against another edition
3.0
Initial thoughts: okay but first off. Summer reminds me of Alison DiLaurentis so much? This book gave me major Pretty Little Liars vibes yet was so different from those books, however actually had the bookish feels of the TV show? Like I imagine if Broken Things was made into a TV show it'd probably be quite like the PLL TV show just because the feel of the PLL books is different from the show but Broken Things the book has a similar feel to the show. I'll stop rambling now and I probably should've talked about the book more but I'll do that in the review because there's a lot to say, good and bad.
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~I received an advance copy from Hachette NZ and willingly reviewed it~
RTC
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~I received an advance copy from Hachette NZ and willingly reviewed it~
RTC
shelfaddiction's review against another edition
2.0
Stay tuned for the upcoming podcast episode where I discuss this title with another book nerd!
eroof514's review against another edition
3.0
I received this copy in exchange of an honest review. I thought this book was written well and enjoyed the story. As someone who has read tons of suspense I could see the ending pretty much right away. Mia and Brynn are believed to have killed their best friend when they were 13, but did they really do it? In this book we get to learn how Mia and Brynn are struggling in the town they live in because they are suspected killers. They want to find out who killed their friend to clear their names. This one is definitely worth a read!