Breaking Beautiful Review

Publish Date: April 24, 2012

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Number of Pages: 354

First Thoughts:

To me this story was different from the over used, typical plot, it had elements of suspense, surprises that took some time to discover and the all-consuming need to continue reading it. Though I wouldn’t consider this a favorite of mine I did find it quite enjoyable to read. And the cover though not the most gorgeous out there does have some character of its own that helps draw the reader into the story.

Plot:

The plot held all of the required elements of a traditional plot plus even more. I found myself being drawn into each and every little incident and scene that was happening, this plot in a way was like a maze; some of the sub-plots and stories we were following along led to dead ends while others swerved and veered down different paths until we finally reached the finished product/line. I enjoyed that this wasn’t one of those books with the mundane plot, I liked that the author took time to create a colorful and creative plot filled with all a plot needs along with a whole bunch of ideas. Though there are a few ideas that already exist they blend in with the rest of the story and help build it to become stronger and more enjoyable. There were a few scenes I found that could have been cut; they just seemed to slow the book down more than anything. But overall the plot was well defined and fun.

Characters:

The characters were interesting, some more than others and while I could only really connect with the main character I did fine the other characters a necessary element to the overall storyline. Some characters were three dimensional and I was able to see the layers within their minds and souls but some characters lacked in this area and became flat and dull. But overall the characters that outshone the dull were the key characters that built this world and created a plot filled with angst and compassion; heartache and love.

Transformation of the character:

The best transformation was of the main character, she made such a gradual and big transformation that it made the story that much better. All of the transformations were believable and the characters that didn’t transform were just as good, it made the feel of the story more realistic. There weren’t really any issues in this area of the book and enjoyed seeing some of the characters change from something so little to something so big.

Description:

The description was beautiful at times; there were moments that had that poetic/lyrical feel while other moments were a little bit stiffer. I wish there were more moments of the poetic writing, it was so beautiful and I thought it really opened a different door inside the character. Another issue I found with the description is that I felt that there was too much dialogue, I felt this type of story in particular needed more description of the inner thoughts and feelings and less outer thoughts, the reader needed a little bit more description and a little less talking. Though I feel that dialogue is important and each story is different depending both on the author and the character themselves I do believe this is when the author needs to take control and paint a more detailed scene so that the reader can grasp a deeper truth to what’s happening. But overall it wasn’t all that bad; with a few minor adjustments this could be resolved.

Style:

I found the authors style to be good at times, I enjoyed that she started the story after the accident, it allowed us to be just as blind as the main character herself; it gave us a more enjoyable read. I did like how the author ended the chapters and all the breaks she made, the editing of this aspect of the story was well rehearsed and prepared, it allowed the story to flow more smoothly. So overall the authors style was unique and fun to read and though like I mentioned earlier about the dialogue  being too much it really didn’t detract from the story that much.

Quote of the book:

“I close my eyes against her words and let the blue pills carry me away to an ocean of red dresses, black pickups, and dead boyfriends.”

Goodreads Summary:

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

 When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to young teens and to any readers who enjoy realistic stories; this has no paranormal whatsoever so if you’re one of those readers this book might not be for you. I really did enjoy the overall finished product of this book and with a few changes or tweaks it could become something even greater. And the whole idea and lesson behind this story is one everyone should take to heart, it’s one of those kinds of books that makes you realize how lucky you are in life…to lose your memory and to slowly unravel the complex puzzle and unravel some painful realizations…well that takes a strong person and this author did just that. I will definitely be checking out future works by this author.

My Rating: