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c0smic_killj0y's review against another edition
3.0
“Rachel, people don’t commit murder over a parking space!’ ‘I’m sure people have been murdered for less,”
3.5 stars
I liked this more than [b:Behind Closed Doors|29437949|Behind Closed Doors|B.A. Paris|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458854462s/29437949.jpg|45981530]. It was a good read even though the writing was not up to the mark and the book became slow in the middle, but overall it was a good thriller.
3.5 stars
I liked this more than [b:Behind Closed Doors|29437949|Behind Closed Doors|B.A. Paris|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458854462s/29437949.jpg|45981530]. It was a good read even though the writing was not up to the mark and the book became slow in the middle, but overall it was a good thriller.
jaemac's review
4.0
"The Breakdown" by B. A. Paris will be released on June 20, 2017. Paris also wrote "Behind Closed Doors" which has fantastic reviews and it is on my to read list. Knowing that Paris had written this book heavily influenced me to agree to review "The Breakdown". I had heard such great reviews and also had heard about "Behind Closed Doors" so often that I was thrilled to get my hands on the newest thriller by this author.
Cass is in her mid thirties but she's worried she's losing her memory especially since her mother suffered from early onset dementia before her death recently. Everything is made worse when, on a dark and stormy night, Cass witnesses a murder victim right before her horrible murder. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and on the wrong road. She'd promised her new husband that she'd never take that backroad at night but in a moment of panic she wants to get home quickly, she breaks her promise. On that road she sees a woman sitting in her car. She doesn't stop and help, she's afraid of the storm and wants to get home but now she can't live with the guilt. When Cass learns the woman is dead she is distressed that she left the woman stranded and vulnerable. Cass's guilt sets off further hand wringing, memory problems and anxiety. Over time Cass gets worse, does she have dementia like her mother? Is her paranoia about the killer stalking her mean she has a mental disorder? Will her life ever get back to normal? No one believes her and she just wishes she could forget that woman like she seems to be forgetting everything else.
I had so many feelings about this book as I read it. I started out being excited and anxious to get stuck into the story. I thought I had it figured out by the first chapter but knew it would be a good story anyway. Then for about half of the book I just wanted it to move faster. I felt like it should have been edited to be shorter. I thought the writer didn't need to go on and on and on about phone calls and anxiety experienced by Cass. When finally in the last fifth of the book it started moving I found I was not exactly right about who done it or why. I found my enjoyment increased a whole star in about two pages.
I must admit that Cass was a little simpering and she didn't help herself at all in the beginning. I found that eminently frustrating. I found myself yelling at my Kindle, begging the main character to think outside the box and get a backbone. The writing was well done and truly conveyed the anxiety and debilitating loss of hope one would feel at thinking one had early onset dementia. My final note would be that I wished in the end Cass hadn't blamed herself for not loving the murderer enough. As though what she could have done would have saved the murder victim. If the book hadn't gone there, to blame the victim in the last few pages I certainly would have given this book four stars. I'm taking half a star away because innocent victims should never blame themselves unnecessarily. I wish the author had left the main character in a slightly brighter place, I found it a real let down when Cass blamed herself once again.
I do actually recommend this book, just know that the middle is going to frustrate you. The ending is well worth it though. Just ignore Cass's last few thoughts.
Cass is in her mid thirties but she's worried she's losing her memory especially since her mother suffered from early onset dementia before her death recently. Everything is made worse when, on a dark and stormy night, Cass witnesses a murder victim right before her horrible murder. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and on the wrong road. She'd promised her new husband that she'd never take that backroad at night but in a moment of panic she wants to get home quickly, she breaks her promise. On that road she sees a woman sitting in her car. She doesn't stop and help, she's afraid of the storm and wants to get home but now she can't live with the guilt. When Cass learns the woman is dead she is distressed that she left the woman stranded and vulnerable. Cass's guilt sets off further hand wringing, memory problems and anxiety. Over time Cass gets worse, does she have dementia like her mother? Is her paranoia about the killer stalking her mean she has a mental disorder? Will her life ever get back to normal? No one believes her and she just wishes she could forget that woman like she seems to be forgetting everything else.
I had so many feelings about this book as I read it. I started out being excited and anxious to get stuck into the story. I thought I had it figured out by the first chapter but knew it would be a good story anyway. Then for about half of the book I just wanted it to move faster. I felt like it should have been edited to be shorter. I thought the writer didn't need to go on and on and on about phone calls and anxiety experienced by Cass. When finally in the last fifth of the book it started moving I found I was not exactly right about who done it or why. I found my enjoyment increased a whole star in about two pages.
I must admit that Cass was a little simpering and she didn't help herself at all in the beginning. I found that eminently frustrating. I found myself yelling at my Kindle, begging the main character to think outside the box and get a backbone. The writing was well done and truly conveyed the anxiety and debilitating loss of hope one would feel at thinking one had early onset dementia. My final note would be that I wished in the end Cass hadn't blamed herself for not loving the murderer enough. As though what she could have done would have saved the murder victim. If the book hadn't gone there, to blame the victim in the last few pages I certainly would have given this book four stars. I'm taking half a star away because innocent victims should never blame themselves unnecessarily. I wish the author had left the main character in a slightly brighter place, I found it a real let down when Cass blamed herself once again.
I do actually recommend this book, just know that the middle is going to frustrate you. The ending is well worth it though. Just ignore Cass's last few thoughts.
oceandream's review
4.0
Listened to the audio book. The story was very easy to get back into each day and stuck with you. I did get frustrated at one point as it seemed to be the same things happening a lot but as an easy read it’s a good choice.
lisabee12's review
3.0
3.5 stars. Reminded me of other other book I read by the same author... it kept me reading but everything fell into place so neatly in the end. A case of good but not great, kept me reading but wasn’t all that impressed once it was done.
keegan_rellim_taylor's review
2.0
So I had trouble with the first half of the book because I just couldn't buy that this character wasn't more open and honest with her husband and her best friend. Like, not telling your husband that your mom had dementia at a young age and you are a little concerned, or not telling him more of the things you're forgetting? That just seemed weird to me. My husband is my first confidante, so I just have trouble buying these kinds of characters. In a way, it's still a little weird because it wouldn't have been impossible to have the same antagonists, but I guess it would have given everything away a lot sooner? I don't know. I just felt skeptical about the behavior of the main character for a LOT of the story. Also, at the end of the story, it seemed weird that the antagonist confessed everything. Seemed awfully easy to tie everything together that way.
spiritismus's review against another edition
4.0
'Gebroken' vind ik het beste boek van B.A. Paris, al moet ik nog één ander exemplaar van deze auteur lezen. De opzet van deze thriller is niet doorsnee, het moordmysterie heeft niet een directe link met het hoofdpersonage Cass. Zij heeft de vermoordde alleen gezien, die noodlottige avond, verder kent ze haar eigenlijk niet goed. En toch gebeuren er allemaal vreemde dingen. Omdat Cass allerlei dingen vergeet, weet je als lezer ook niet wat er in hemelsnaam aan de hand is. Wordt Cass gek? Is ze ziek? Wordt ze voor de gek gehouden? Wie belt haar in hemelsnaam? Beeld Cass zich alles in, of is er echt meer aan de hand? Tot de ontknoping zit je met vragen, en dat is precies wat je wilt bij een psychologische thriller. Tot slot is het verhaal geschreven in simpele taal, zonder poespas, en leest het dus lekker weg.
sharonv8497's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️ Voor het middenstuk
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Voor het begin en het einde
Het verhaal begint zeker goed en spannend. Er is een vrouw vermoord, en de dader is nergens te bespeuren. Cass is die bewuste avond langs de plaats delict gereden, en is bang dat de moordenaar het op haar heeft gemunt.
Cass wordt steeds vergeetachtiger. Zou het verleden nu ook haar toekomst kapot maken?
In het begin roept dit verhaal al direct veel vraagtekens op.
Waarom is de vrouw vermoord en door wie, maar ook wat er met Cass aan de hand is?
Deze antwoorden lieten alleen onwijs lang op zich wachten. Zelfs storend lang.
Ik vond het middenstuk niet bepaald boeiend. Herhaling op herhaling.
Ik had wel medelijden met het personage van Cass. Je voelde eigenlijk al direct dat bepaalde zaken niet klopte. Sommige zaken waren ook wel redelijk voorspelbaar, maar gelukkig niet helemaal.
De rest van de personages vond ik wel oke. Ik vond ze soms een beetje simpel en te gemakkelijk, maar dat paste ook wel bij dit verhaal.
Maar dan dat einde.. gruwelijk goed.
Vragen die beantwoord werden, maar vooral op een manier die ik niet verwacht had.
Hoe matig enthousiast ik was over het middenstuk, zo razend enthousiast was ik over het einde. Dit was echt de knaller die dit verhaal nodig had om het toch nog als een echte thriller af te sluiten.
Als mensen me nu vragen waarom ik dit boek zou aanraden, dan zou ik zeker antwoorden: om het einde.
Ik vond het dan ook erg lastig om dit verhaal te beoordelen, maar ik houd het gemiddeld bij ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Voor het begin en het einde
Het verhaal begint zeker goed en spannend. Er is een vrouw vermoord, en de dader is nergens te bespeuren. Cass is die bewuste avond langs de plaats delict gereden, en is bang dat de moordenaar het op haar heeft gemunt.
Cass wordt steeds vergeetachtiger. Zou het verleden nu ook haar toekomst kapot maken?
In het begin roept dit verhaal al direct veel vraagtekens op.
Waarom is de vrouw vermoord en door wie, maar ook wat er met Cass aan de hand is?
Deze antwoorden lieten alleen onwijs lang op zich wachten. Zelfs storend lang.
Ik vond het middenstuk niet bepaald boeiend. Herhaling op herhaling.
Ik had wel medelijden met het personage van Cass. Je voelde eigenlijk al direct dat bepaalde zaken niet klopte. Sommige zaken waren ook wel redelijk voorspelbaar, maar gelukkig niet helemaal.
De rest van de personages vond ik wel oke. Ik vond ze soms een beetje simpel en te gemakkelijk, maar dat paste ook wel bij dit verhaal.
Maar dan dat einde.. gruwelijk goed.
Vragen die beantwoord werden, maar vooral op een manier die ik niet verwacht had.
Hoe matig enthousiast ik was over het middenstuk, zo razend enthousiast was ik over het einde. Dit was echt de knaller die dit verhaal nodig had om het toch nog als een echte thriller af te sluiten.
Als mensen me nu vragen waarom ik dit boek zou aanraden, dan zou ik zeker antwoorden: om het einde.
Ik vond het dan ook erg lastig om dit verhaal te beoordelen, maar ik houd het gemiddeld bij ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
kfogg's review
4.0
Slow build to a very fast-paced finish. Lots of things happen which all mean something and you can really empathise with poor Cass - what she is going through. Slow build but plenty to keep you going into the early hours.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
1.0
I’m so hit or miss with B.A. Paris. I’ve enjoyed two books and hated two. This unfortunately was one I hated. Unreliable narrators are my biggest pet peeve, and this book not only had that, but moved at a snail’s pace. So many times the same thing was mentioned in two or three different ways. I understand the author was trying to show that the narrator was losing her mind, but trust that your readers will pick up on it and don’t beat us over the head with it.
lexilusk's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
this was my first ready by B.A Paris.
i feel like this was a redundant lifetime movie. it took quite a while to learn how everything tied into each other. it also felt a little rushed towards the end, because everything started to unfold rather quickly. overall the read was good.
i listened to the audiobook so i finished in two days.
i kind of had an idea one of the culprits was Matthew but i didn’t expect Rachel to be the killer.
i feel like this was a redundant lifetime movie. it took quite a while to learn how everything tied into each other. it also felt a little rushed towards the end, because everything started to unfold rather quickly. overall the read was good.
i listened to the audiobook so i finished in two days.