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A review by mollylooby
Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
5.0
Prepare yourself for a gush-fest. This book is a testament to the complex and crazy reality of female friendships. Everything was so real and true that it struck a chord with me. Why don’t people write about female friendships like this? To be honest, it’s probably because so few of us understand them!
So onto the book. When a book starts with the word ‘Before’, it immediately gives me a chill and sets me up for heartbreak. I was ready, but not totally sure what I’d find.
What I found was a breath of fresh air. No silly love story in sight. And though I love a love story (who doesn’t?) sometimes you just need a break away from them. Beautiful Broken Things is the perfect break.
I immediately fell in love with the voice. The narrator, Caddy, is so real and honest you can’t help but love her. Sometimes I wanted to shout at her for making the wrong decisions, but it wasn’t that she was being stupid; she was just trying her best, so I couldn’t get annoyed at her. That’s one of the things I loved most, everything just made so much sense.
The rest of the characters were just as believable as Caddy, which made every page a joy. Plus, all the scenes were set in just the right place, at just the right moment, meaning it was impossible to put down. I read the first 100 pages in one go and the whole thing in about three sittings. It engrossed me totally.
And of course I adored the Britishness! I always appreciate a book set in the UK, and this felt like an accurate representation of being a teenager in Britain. Hearing familiar brand names is always comforting, and rare — for me at least.
For the sake of a balanced review, I did have one criticism: Adverbs. Yes, Movellians, I tell everyone off for adverbs, including published authors! Just don’t use them, okay? They suck all power away. I suppose I’ll let Barnard off though because it was done in a chatty way, and we all use adverbs in our speech. (Yes, even me, the Adverb Slayer.)
I’m going to reiterate because I don’t think this can be clear enough, Beautiful Broken Things is such a true portrayal of female friendship, which is such a complex thing to explain, but it’s done with beauty, insight, and rawness.
I think this is a book every teenage girl should read. It’s gorgeous.
First blogged for Movellas here: http://www.movellas.com/blog/show/201611100009440412/mollys-book-review-of-beautiful-broken-things
So onto the book. When a book starts with the word ‘Before’, it immediately gives me a chill and sets me up for heartbreak. I was ready, but not totally sure what I’d find.
What I found was a breath of fresh air. No silly love story in sight. And though I love a love story (who doesn’t?) sometimes you just need a break away from them. Beautiful Broken Things is the perfect break.
I immediately fell in love with the voice. The narrator, Caddy, is so real and honest you can’t help but love her. Sometimes I wanted to shout at her for making the wrong decisions, but it wasn’t that she was being stupid; she was just trying her best, so I couldn’t get annoyed at her. That’s one of the things I loved most, everything just made so much sense.
The rest of the characters were just as believable as Caddy, which made every page a joy. Plus, all the scenes were set in just the right place, at just the right moment, meaning it was impossible to put down. I read the first 100 pages in one go and the whole thing in about three sittings. It engrossed me totally.
And of course I adored the Britishness! I always appreciate a book set in the UK, and this felt like an accurate representation of being a teenager in Britain. Hearing familiar brand names is always comforting, and rare — for me at least.
For the sake of a balanced review, I did have one criticism: Adverbs. Yes, Movellians, I tell everyone off for adverbs, including published authors! Just don’t use them, okay? They suck all power away. I suppose I’ll let Barnard off though because it was done in a chatty way, and we all use adverbs in our speech. (Yes, even me, the Adverb Slayer.)
I’m going to reiterate because I don’t think this can be clear enough, Beautiful Broken Things is such a true portrayal of female friendship, which is such a complex thing to explain, but it’s done with beauty, insight, and rawness.
I think this is a book every teenage girl should read. It’s gorgeous.
First blogged for Movellas here: http://www.movellas.com/blog/show/201611100009440412/mollys-book-review-of-beautiful-broken-things