Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

Even If We Break

by Marieke Nijkamp

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp comes a shocking new thriller about a group of friends who go to a cabin to play a murder mystery game...only to have the game turned against them.

FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.

For five friends, this was supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways―a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they've been playing for the past three years. But they're all dealing with their own demons, and they're all hiding secrets.

Finn doesn't trust anyone since he was attacked a few months ago. Popular girl Liva saw it happen and did nothing to stop it. Maddy was in an accident that destroyed her sports career. Carter is drowning under the weight of his family's expectations. Ever wants to keep the game going for as long as they can, at all costs.

When the lines between game and reality start to blend with deadly consequences, it's a race against time before it's game over―forever.

Are you ready to play?

Perfect for readers who love:

  • teenage mystery books or YA horror
  • LGBT stories about intersectional groups of friends
  • Karen McManus, Gretchen McNeil, or Natasha Preston

Reviewed by helenfarch on

4 of 5 stars

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“We’re here, alone, and we have nowhere else to go. We don’t have an escape route. We don’t know what’s waiting for us. We can’t protect ourselves from whatever’s out there with wooden rifles and foam daggers and make-believe skills.”

“Even if we break” by Marie Nijkamp tells the story of five friends - Ever, Finn, Maddie, Carter and Liva.

One last weekend together.
One last weekend to bring a fractured friendship group back together.
One last weekend immersed in the world of Gonfalon, the RPG that brought this mis-matched group together 3 years ago.
One last weekend for all the secrets they hold to be exposed.

“It always starts with a murder.”

In a cabin on a mountain, 5 friends arrive, but how many will leave?

This story is creepy, it is atmospheric and it is so well paced that you are always left on edge about what is going to happen next.

The magic of this thriller is in the storytelling. @mariekeyn has perfected the craft of drawing the reader in and leaving clues along the way for us to savour. Each new clue gives the reader a deeper understanding of the characters, their flaws, their motivations, their challenges in life, their dreams and desires.

This is a #ownvoices diverse book where the diversity of the characters is embraced and celebrated - as it should be.

Another wonderful must-read from Marieke Nijkamp.

Read this if you love thrillers. Read this if you love RPG and fandom. Read this is you love to see diversity portrayed in a thoughtful, meaningful way.

If you love reading, then read this book. If you don’t love reading - then this book just might change your mind.


Thanks to @Netgalley & @sourcebooksfire for the ARC.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • Finished reading
  • 6 August, 2020: Reviewed