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A review by haley_j_casey
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
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