Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

Beautiful Broken Things

by Sara Barnard

Beautiful Broken Things is a moving story of friendship from debut author Sara Barnard, shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and selected as part of Zoella's Book Club. Now with a bold cover look.

I was brave
She was reckless
We were trouble

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne's past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realizes, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

'I felt like I was living this book' - Zoella

'This book is exquisite, and exactly what YA needs . . . This author is one to watch!' - Holly Bourne, author of Am I Normal Yet?

Reviewed by Joséphine on

4 of 5 stars

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Note: I received an advanced reading copy from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Initial thoughts: I've been in Caddy's situation before. More than once. While the outcomes varied, and I'd like to think I was a great deal more sensible than her, I completely understood. Beautiful Broken Things isn't a happy book but what I liked was the intensity of friendship it embodied. Not every friendship is equal though — some are good, some are bad, and others don't make a dent either way.

Realism and reality aside, the resolution followed so quickly after the climax that the climax hadn't even fully sunk in yet. With a little tighter pacing, my rating would've been closer to five stars. As it stands, My mind is in tangles, dealing with my memories as well as the book that I just finished reading.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 March, 2016: Finished reading
  • 11 March, 2016: Reviewed