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the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this on a lot.
It was a bit of a slow burn YA thriller with some romance thrown in. Likable characters, and a great plot that kept me guessing about who the baddie was right until the end.
It was a bit of a slow burn YA thriller with some romance thrown in. Likable characters, and a great plot that kept me guessing about who the baddie was right until the end.
missprint_'s review against another edition
4.0
Naomi doesn't want to board at Killdeer Academy but she can't stay with her grandparents anymore now that her grandmother has so much to do taking care of Naomi's grandfather as his Alzheimer's progresses.
Kyle hopes to be able to remake himself at Killdeer Academy with a new last name and a determination to forget all about his serial killer father. His mother's decision that Kyle should board is a surprise. But he's dealt with worse.
Kyle expects to have a completely blank slate at the Academy. The only problem is that he recognizes Naomi immediately. She was the daughter of his father's last victim. Kyle wants to stay away from Naomi but he isn't sure how to ignore when she seems to actually want to be his friend--and maybe even more. When people start dying on campus both Naomi and Kyle will have to confront their pasts to stop the murders in Breaker (2016) by Kat Ellis.
The book alternates first person narration between Kyle and Naomi which makes both protagonists well-developed. While other characters factor into the story in crucial ways, they remain decidedly secondary to Kyle and Naomi and are consequently somewhat less dimensional.
In a departure from her debut mystery fantasy, Blackfin Sky, Ellis delivers a much darker story here. Kyle is haunted by his father's legacy as a serial killer, terrified that the stigma will cling to him forever and the thought that he could have turned out like his father. Naomi saw her mother's murder and has spent the intervening years doing her best to not think about her mother at all to avoid the pain of that traumatic loss.
Kyle and Naomi are a completely unlikely pair but their chemistry in Breaker, not to mention their draw to each other is undeniable in this fast-paced thriller that is sure to appeal to fans of the genre. Breaker is a creepy and atmospheric story filled with choice details that bring Killdeer Academy to life in all of its eerie and dilapidated glory.
Possible Pairings: The Leaving by Tara Altebrando, With Malice by Eileen Cook, The Devil You Know by Trish Doller, The Night She Disappeared by April Henry, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Kyle hopes to be able to remake himself at Killdeer Academy with a new last name and a determination to forget all about his serial killer father. His mother's decision that Kyle should board is a surprise. But he's dealt with worse.
Kyle expects to have a completely blank slate at the Academy. The only problem is that he recognizes Naomi immediately. She was the daughter of his father's last victim. Kyle wants to stay away from Naomi but he isn't sure how to ignore when she seems to actually want to be his friend--and maybe even more. When people start dying on campus both Naomi and Kyle will have to confront their pasts to stop the murders in Breaker (2016) by Kat Ellis.
The book alternates first person narration between Kyle and Naomi which makes both protagonists well-developed. While other characters factor into the story in crucial ways, they remain decidedly secondary to Kyle and Naomi and are consequently somewhat less dimensional.
In a departure from her debut mystery fantasy, Blackfin Sky, Ellis delivers a much darker story here. Kyle is haunted by his father's legacy as a serial killer, terrified that the stigma will cling to him forever and the thought that he could have turned out like his father. Naomi saw her mother's murder and has spent the intervening years doing her best to not think about her mother at all to avoid the pain of that traumatic loss.
Kyle and Naomi are a completely unlikely pair but their chemistry in Breaker, not to mention their draw to each other is undeniable in this fast-paced thriller that is sure to appeal to fans of the genre. Breaker is a creepy and atmospheric story filled with choice details that bring Killdeer Academy to life in all of its eerie and dilapidated glory.
Possible Pairings: The Leaving by Tara Altebrando, With Malice by Eileen Cook, The Devil You Know by Trish Doller, The Night She Disappeared by April Henry, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
3.0
This book caught my attention as soon as I saw that it was about the son of a serial killer. I loved the Jasper Dent ([b:I Hunt Killers|7766027|I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent, #1)|Barry Lyga|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333289403s/7766027.jpg|10644152]) series, and was hoping to explore the whole issue of genetics vs. free will vs. how you were raised. This wasn't exactly that type of book, it was more of a mystery book, but I was okay with that-- because I love mysteries!!
We get off to a slow start when we learn that Kyle is going to start a new life in a Pennsylvania boarding school. Then, dun dun dun, the daughter of his father's final victim is in his first class. This cannot be a coincidence, right?? Of course, Kyle doesn't think it's a good idea to say "Hey Naomi, I'm the Bonebreaker's only son. Wanna be BF4E?" So he doesn't tell her at all. Since they have a mutual attraction thing going on, it gets harder and harder for him to keep the secret. And when bodies start turning up, Kyle knows his identity won't be secret for long...
I didn't LOVE this book. I liked it. It felt a lot like a 90's thriller, which I'm a big fan of (and totally think we need books like that always), but I kind of had higher hopes for this book. I wanted less mystery and more psychological. There were a lot of characters and I have to say I was a fan of all of them but one. Addison was all types of terrible. She was mean girl/frenemy on steroids and I think the book would have been better if she was removed all-together.
OVERALL: A cool YA Mystery with an even cooler setting-- boarding school that used to be an asylum. It involves generations of people dealing with evil and tragedy which I found super interesting. While I wished there was MORE on the psychological side, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend for someone who just wants to read a mystery.
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We get off to a slow start when we learn that Kyle is going to start a new life in a Pennsylvania boarding school. Then, dun dun dun, the daughter of his father's final victim is in his first class. This cannot be a coincidence, right?? Of course, Kyle doesn't think it's a good idea to say "Hey Naomi, I'm the Bonebreaker's only son. Wanna be BF4E?" So he doesn't tell her at all. Since they have a mutual attraction thing going on, it gets harder and harder for him to keep the secret. And when bodies start turning up, Kyle knows his identity won't be secret for long...
I didn't LOVE this book. I liked it. It felt a lot like a 90's thriller, which I'm a big fan of (and totally think we need books like that always), but I kind of had higher hopes for this book. I wanted less mystery and more psychological. There were a lot of characters and I have to say I was a fan of all of them but one. Addison was all types of terrible. She was mean girl/frenemy on steroids and I think the book would have been better if she was removed all-together.
OVERALL: A cool YA Mystery with an even cooler setting-- boarding school that used to be an asylum. It involves generations of people dealing with evil and tragedy which I found super interesting. While I wished there was MORE on the psychological side, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend for someone who just wants to read a mystery.
My Blog:
alexisaflop's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I enjoyed reading this book but not as much as some other works by the same author (wicked little deeds is a 5* imo). I found the characters difficult to relate / sympathise with, but thoroughly enjoyed the setting of the book. The pace of the book and mysterious elements helped to keep my attention.
thesassybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this on a lot.
It was a bit of a slow burn YA thriller with some romance thrown in. Likable characters, and a great plot that kept me guessing about who the baddie was right until the end.
It was a bit of a slow burn YA thriller with some romance thrown in. Likable characters, and a great plot that kept me guessing about who the baddie was right until the end.
serendipity_viv's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome edge of your seat, fly by pants thriller.
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
I enjoyed this on a lot.
It was a bit of a slow burn YA thriller with some romance thrown in. Likable characters, and a great plot that kept me guessing about who the baddie was right until the end.
It was a bit of a slow burn YA thriller with some romance thrown in. Likable characters, and a great plot that kept me guessing about who the baddie was right until the end.
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