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A review by kfriend
Fractured Things by Samantha Lovelock
5.0
Poe and Stella are finally back! And Fractured Things has the same magic as Fragile Things. Sexy, emotionally complex, suspenseful, and angsty- this story is every bit as full of twists and drama. But this story also has its own vibe- an insular focus that makes it even more emotionally resonant and makes the stakes feel higher- because Fractured Things is about fixing what is broken, and there is no one more broken by the revelations of book one than Stella.
After the jaw dropping ending of Fragile Things, I’ve been anxiously awaiting our next book to figure out how these characters can move forward from the life changing revelations and scarring violence. Stella, with the support of the best ride or die bestie ever in Sunday, has left Folkestone behind- not ready, or perhaps unwilling- to confront the horrific truths she learned about her family and the Heirs. Poe, meanwhile, is devastated and lost- he broke his own rules to love another, and now she’s gone. Can he find a way to repair Stella’s fractured heart? And what secrets yet remain in Folkstone?
Samantha really changed up what I expected from this story- in a way that I find really clever. Fragile Things moves at a frantic pace- the unraveling of secrets and the powder keg collisions of characters. Fragile Thing was about a cacophonous breaking of our characters. Fractured Things feels entirely different- because the catalyzing focus of this story isn’t about Stella figuring out the mystery of her background or adjusting to the elite and volatile world she finds herself in like in book 1- no, this is more about her existential reconciliation of all she learned. And Poe and others trying to repair the fractures in their relationships with Stella as the result of the depravity and secrets of the Heirs. Of course, there are still secrets and twists at every turn- just when Stella thinks she has all the information she inevitably finds out she doesn’t- but the plot is slower here, the secrets and twists more steadily meted, and the focus is more emotional: Stella’s journey to try to make sense of all she’s learned about her life and where that means she needs to be, all while trying to figure out what transgressions and mistakes are forgivable, and those that are not, for those she trusted and loved. That’s a quieter character journey, but one that is equally as captivating as book one. But that does give the story a different feel- because the focus is no longer on revelations (even though we still have them), the focus is on reparations.
This book made me fall even deeper in love with Poe. We get to see how much he’s changed, we get to see his sweet and tender heart, and we feel so much for him as he faces impossible decisions. This story softens him, gives him vulnerability. Whereas Stella, we get to see her emerge stronger, harder, more resilient and more empowered. She gets hurt, A LOT, and she spends a lot of this story in an emotional vornando, but she finds the right nexus of courage and kindness, and she finds her place. She finally belongs. But she has to learn to forgive, to trust- and Poe? Well he has to find a way to be worthy of both.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again- it still SHOCKS me that Samantha is a newer writer. Not only is she a technically accomplished writer- the prose is polished, engaging, and beautifully scribed- but she has created such a captivating world and characters. Characters who touch our hearts, whose stories pull at our emotions. A world about escaping the burdens of your past, of letting go of the pains and mistakes of your parents. A story about finding who YOU are...about belonging. Not only am I impressed, I am ADDICTED. I want to live in this world and with these characters forever.
Of course, just when we think things are all peachy, Samantha gives us a hint of what is to come. And I for one as SHOCKED but also overjoyed with the possibilities. I’m so ready for Restless Things- and our heroine?! Oh my- she’s going to steal the whole show.
After the jaw dropping ending of Fragile Things, I’ve been anxiously awaiting our next book to figure out how these characters can move forward from the life changing revelations and scarring violence. Stella, with the support of the best ride or die bestie ever in Sunday, has left Folkestone behind- not ready, or perhaps unwilling- to confront the horrific truths she learned about her family and the Heirs. Poe, meanwhile, is devastated and lost- he broke his own rules to love another, and now she’s gone. Can he find a way to repair Stella’s fractured heart? And what secrets yet remain in Folkstone?
Samantha really changed up what I expected from this story- in a way that I find really clever. Fragile Things moves at a frantic pace- the unraveling of secrets and the powder keg collisions of characters. Fragile Thing was about a cacophonous breaking of our characters. Fractured Things feels entirely different- because the catalyzing focus of this story isn’t about Stella figuring out the mystery of her background or adjusting to the elite and volatile world she finds herself in like in book 1- no, this is more about her existential reconciliation of all she learned. And Poe and others trying to repair the fractures in their relationships with Stella as the result of the depravity and secrets of the Heirs. Of course, there are still secrets and twists at every turn- just when Stella thinks she has all the information she inevitably finds out she doesn’t- but the plot is slower here, the secrets and twists more steadily meted, and the focus is more emotional: Stella’s journey to try to make sense of all she’s learned about her life and where that means she needs to be, all while trying to figure out what transgressions and mistakes are forgivable, and those that are not, for those she trusted and loved. That’s a quieter character journey, but one that is equally as captivating as book one. But that does give the story a different feel- because the focus is no longer on revelations (even though we still have them), the focus is on reparations.
This book made me fall even deeper in love with Poe. We get to see how much he’s changed, we get to see his sweet and tender heart, and we feel so much for him as he faces impossible decisions. This story softens him, gives him vulnerability. Whereas Stella, we get to see her emerge stronger, harder, more resilient and more empowered. She gets hurt, A LOT, and she spends a lot of this story in an emotional vornando, but she finds the right nexus of courage and kindness, and she finds her place. She finally belongs. But she has to learn to forgive, to trust- and Poe? Well he has to find a way to be worthy of both.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again- it still SHOCKS me that Samantha is a newer writer. Not only is she a technically accomplished writer- the prose is polished, engaging, and beautifully scribed- but she has created such a captivating world and characters. Characters who touch our hearts, whose stories pull at our emotions. A world about escaping the burdens of your past, of letting go of the pains and mistakes of your parents. A story about finding who YOU are...about belonging. Not only am I impressed, I am ADDICTED. I want to live in this world and with these characters forever.
Of course, just when we think things are all peachy, Samantha gives us a hint of what is to come. And I for one as SHOCKED but also overjoyed with the possibilities. I’m so ready for Restless Things- and our heroine?! Oh my- she’s going to steal the whole show.