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A review by booksafety
Broken by Nicola Haken
5.0
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“‘I think it’s easier to accept things are never going to improve than fight for them to get better.’”
Hooo boy, I need a hug, I think.
I have put off reading this book for a very long time, because I knew it would be heavy. And it was, as well as utterly heartbreaking. Thankfully, it was also beautiful. This is the second book I’ve read by Nicola Haken, and I can already tell that this one will stay with me for a very long time, just as Who We Are did. I’ve read over 250 books this year so far, and I won’t have any problem remembering this one like I do with some of the other ones. That doesn’t mean the other ones are bad either, but sometimes you read that one book that just hits differently. This author is extremely talented, and I wish I could jump in and check out the rest of her work, but honestly, I need a break and I need to read something so sweet and happy that my teeth will rot.
“When you’re living with mental illness, there is no happily ever after, like the kind we write about every day. Instead, we look forward to future days spent basking in the most dazzling light, followed by ones drowning in the deepest depths of darkness.”
These boys might not get a happily-ever-after in the traditional sense, but I felt like the book ended on an uplifting note that made me feel positive and confident for their future, which I think is all anyone can hope for. If the content warnings don’t stop you, I would definitely recommend this book. Unquestionably five stars, but still one I won’t read again. I won’t ever forget it, anyway.
“I miss you. Please miss me, too.”
“‘I love you.’ It’s probably the most honest, yet also the most selfish, thing I’ve ever said.”
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health, bipolar disorder, CEO, boss/employee, publishing house, ONS-enemies-lovers, author MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Suicide attempt
CPR
Hospitalization
Restraints
Forced commitment to psychiatric hospital
Forced sedation
Blanket warning for mental health/illness
Self harm
Scarring
Explicit sexual content
(I might have forgotten something here, just know it’s not a happy book)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: Sort of?
POV: 1st person, dual
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
“‘I think it’s easier to accept things are never going to improve than fight for them to get better.’”
Hooo boy, I need a hug, I think.
I have put off reading this book for a very long time, because I knew it would be heavy. And it was, as well as utterly heartbreaking. Thankfully, it was also beautiful. This is the second book I’ve read by Nicola Haken, and I can already tell that this one will stay with me for a very long time, just as Who We Are did. I’ve read over 250 books this year so far, and I won’t have any problem remembering this one like I do with some of the other ones. That doesn’t mean the other ones are bad either, but sometimes you read that one book that just hits differently. This author is extremely talented, and I wish I could jump in and check out the rest of her work, but honestly, I need a break and I need to read something so sweet and happy that my teeth will rot.
“When you’re living with mental illness, there is no happily ever after, like the kind we write about every day. Instead, we look forward to future days spent basking in the most dazzling light, followed by ones drowning in the deepest depths of darkness.”
These boys might not get a happily-ever-after in the traditional sense, but I felt like the book ended on an uplifting note that made me feel positive and confident for their future, which I think is all anyone can hope for. If the content warnings don’t stop you, I would definitely recommend this book. Unquestionably five stars, but still one I won’t read again. I won’t ever forget it, anyway.
“I miss you. Please miss me, too.”
“‘I love you.’ It’s probably the most honest, yet also the most selfish, thing I’ve ever said.”
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health, bipolar disorder, CEO, boss/employee, publishing house, ONS-enemies-lovers, author MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Suicide attempt
CPR
Hospitalization
Restraints
Forced commitment to psychiatric hospital
Forced sedation
Blanket warning for mental health/illness
Self harm
Scarring
Explicit sexual content
(I might have forgotten something here, just know it’s not a happy book)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: Sort of?
POV: 1st person, dual
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile