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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
This had a slow start building the characters but once the story got going I couldn't put it down. The characters are well defined and very interesting. The PTSD is well done.
Would recommend you set aside an afternoon for this because once you start, you will not want to stop til it's done! It is intensely gripping and excellently written.
I admit that this was one of those books that you want to read, every blog post/review says you must read but I held back til I felt strong enough because I didn't know if I wanted to read about the bad.
Well, whilst the bad is there, in the flash backs and nightmares that Aaron has, when he is remembering or talking to someone, it is at a slight remove and whilst it is horrific, disturbing, makes you cry, it is not lived first person.
As other reviews have said, it is about acceptance and healing for both Aaron and Spencer.
It will make you cry and grin and want to shake some and kill others - literally - for what they did to Aaron and Juliette. And to raise a cheer for Spencer and his dad, Dr Thomas, who get the breakthrough to help Aaron.
But it is a hopeful story too - that Aaron will learn to reconnect with his family and the world. It is a lesson that actually those he connects with first are not his family and I can imagine that that would be hard in reality but understandable. There is obviously a long way to go and the book ends with the promise of progress.
I won this from the author on Elisa Rolle's blog along with the JPB version, Aaron. I read the two side by side and really there is not a lot of difference - the topic of a key therapy session is different and the epilogue starts slightly differently. I ranked here at 4* but it is probably a good 4.5* at least.
I admit that this was one of those books that you want to read, every blog post/review says you must read but I held back til I felt strong enough because I didn't know if I wanted to read about the bad.
Well, whilst the bad is there, in the flash backs and nightmares that Aaron has, when he is remembering or talking to someone, it is at a slight remove and whilst it is horrific, disturbing, makes you cry, it is not lived first person.
As other reviews have said, it is about acceptance and healing for both Aaron and Spencer.
It will make you cry and grin and want to shake some and kill others - literally - for what they did to Aaron and Juliette. And to raise a cheer for Spencer and his dad, Dr Thomas, who get the breakthrough to help Aaron.
But it is a hopeful story too - that Aaron will learn to reconnect with his family and the world. It is a lesson that actually those he connects with first are not his family and I can imagine that that would be hard in reality but understandable. There is obviously a long way to go and the book ends with the promise of progress.
I won this from the author on Elisa Rolle's blog along with the JPB version, Aaron. I read the two side by side and really there is not a lot of difference - the topic of a key therapy session is different and the epilogue starts slightly differently. I ranked here at 4* but it is probably a good 4.5* at least.
I have to say that A Broken Kind of Life is not as easy book to read. To witness the aftermath of a brutal attack on a lovely sixteen-year- old boy is difficult, especially as a parent myself. To then watch this child barely exist, let alone live, is heartbreaking. When Aaron started to heal, it was like watching the sun come out after a brutal thunderstorm. The first time he touched Spencer was a gift; the first time he let Spencer touch him was a miracle. I think one of the biggest messages I got out of this book is that no matter how bad you have been treated, no matter how much you want to curl up and die, you can’t let that happen. The minute you give up, your abusers win. There is always hope, someone will always be able to see past the scars and be patient enough to wait for you.
You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach
You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach
This was 'Aaron' with minor changes for a YA audience
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced