This is the kind of book I am always looking for. Never mind the plot, (though it is fantastic) just give me characters I can believe in! Give me real people with real lives, people I start to care about and root for. Beautiful Broken Things is narrated by sixteen year old Caddy, a girl who has always been well behaved. Caddy and Rosie have been best friends for years, though they do not attend the same school. Everything is turned upside down with the arrival of Suzanne, a rather dark and troubled soul, who befriends Rosie at school. At first Caddy is jealous and insecure. Suzanne seems to like her, but she can't help feel intimated by this girl, who is wild, secretive and beautiful. Caddy is slightly bored of being a good girl and longs for a 'significant life event' to happen to her. Well, it happens in a big way when Suzanne slowly leads her off the rails, jeopardising her relationship with Rosie, the trust of her parents and even her own safety. Suzanne is a brilliant character, with many layers, secrets and faces. I enjoyed how this book explored the truth that lies between friendships, in that we all show a different face to different friends, depending on what we get from them. Suzanne is one way with Caddy and another way with Rosie. The communication and dialogue between the girls was incredibly well done, never once feeling forced or contrived. I felt they were all very real, individual people. I felt tremendously for Caddy, who just wants to be noticed, needed and interesting. She goes on quite a journey in the book, shedding the skin of the old, timid her to become something more. I also felt incredibly moved by Suzanne's story; she is a very fragile and broken character, and I felt the author did well in exploring how hurtful pasts continue to haunt people even after they have 'moved on.' The ending was satisfying and realistic, and everything about this book made me smile. YA at its best.