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A review by choicepotatoes_old
The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The main plot is, for the most part, delicious.
The story is extremely plot-driven, however, and so every now and then the characters will do or say something that feels (sometimes wildly) out of character for the purpose of furthering the plot.
The most frustrating example of this isthe growing romance between Touraine and Luca.
Touraine is repeatedly shown to be loyal to a fault. Every decision she makes ties back to her desire to protect her fellow conscripts, who she considers to be her family. Additionally, in the first few chapters of the story, we learn she's been in a years'-long romantic relationship with Pruett, whom she considers to be one of her two closes friends.
Given all of the above, it makes literally zero sense that she develops a giant schoolgirl crush almost immediately after becoming her assistant.
Not only did I have trouble believing Touraine's relationship with Pruett could be thrown aside so easily, the power dynamics between Luca and Touraine make any romance between them extremely problematic and--because Luca's feelings are reciprocated by Touraine in a way that feels reminiscent of a lighthearted romance--I don't think that's successfully addressed in the book.
Personally, I feel like the romance sublot would have worked better if it had been one-sided. Luca--who we're told has a history of taking relatively temporary lovers of all genders--could grow infatuated with Touraine, the one "thing" she can own, but can't *have*.
All of the decisions Luca makes regarding Touraine could stay exactly the same, but she would need to experience extreme character growth--potentially over the course of multiple books--and Pruett would need to be completely out of the romance picture before Touraine might start to have feelings for her.
Another unfortunate consequence of the novel being plot-driven is my inability as a reader to connect with any of the minor characters.Perhaps because they had so little screen time, none of the minor character deaths had the intended impact.
All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the worldbuilding and the plot. Clark did an excellent job depicting the impact of colonialism on a colonized country, and the politics Luca navigates as future queen of the colonizing country are fascinating.
---
3.75 - the parts that were done well were done really *really* well, but there was at least one major issue that negatively impacted my enjoyment of the book
The story is extremely plot-driven, however, and so every now and then the characters will do or say something that feels (sometimes wildly) out of character for the purpose of furthering the plot.
The most frustrating example of this is
Touraine is repeatedly shown to be loyal to a fault. Every decision she makes ties back to her desire to protect her fellow conscripts, who she considers to be her family. Additionally, in the first few chapters of the story, we learn she's been in a years'-long romantic relationship with Pruett, whom she considers to be one of her two closes friends.
Given all of the above, it makes literally zero sense that she develops a giant schoolgirl crush almost immediately after becoming her assistant.
Not only did I have trouble believing Touraine's relationship with Pruett could be thrown aside so easily, the power dynamics between Luca and Touraine make any romance between them extremely problematic and--because Luca's feelings are reciprocated by Touraine in a way that feels reminiscent of a lighthearted romance--I don't think that's successfully addressed in the book.
Personally, I feel like the romance sublot would have worked better if it had been one-sided. Luca--who we're told has a history of taking relatively temporary lovers of all genders--could grow infatuated with Touraine, the one "thing" she can own, but can't *have*.
All of the decisions Luca makes regarding Touraine could stay exactly the same, but she would need to experience extreme character growth--potentially over the course of multiple books--and Pruett would need to be completely out of the romance picture before Touraine might start to have feelings for her.
Another unfortunate consequence of the novel being plot-driven is my inability as a reader to connect with any of the minor characters.
All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the worldbuilding and the plot. Clark did an excellent job depicting the impact of colonialism on a colonized country, and the politics Luca navigates as future queen of the colonizing country are fascinating.
---
3.75 - the parts that were done well were done really *really* well, but there was at least one major issue that negatively impacted my enjoyment of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Death
Moderate: Racism