Broken (Broken, #1)

Oct 06, 2012 Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} by: my conscious, who wants me to have guilty pleasures

Shelves: arcs, guilty-pleasures, horror-fiction-romance, paranormal-romance-fiction, young-adult, three-stars

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Strange Chemistry in exchange for an honest review.

So after some pretty hilarious business while reading BROKEN, I have finally finished... and color me impressed.
Damn.
BROKEN is a very creepy, well-done, intriguing retelling of
Frankenstein.

I confess I'm a sucker for retellings. Retellings change the way you see stories - I mean, who knew that the monster's bride was pretty awesome, or that Sleeping Beauty was a heroine addict?

Emma Gentry is a high-school girl who h...more

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Jan 12, 2013 L.M. Preston rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a test reader I'd say this will knock your socks off. Can't wait for the release.

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Jan 05, 2013 Zemira Warner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gothic, retelling, net-galley

The first this you need to know about Broken is that it has an interesting plotline, normal (read not annoying main character) and dashing hero.

The main reason I didn’t give 4 or 5 stars is- this book is meant for younger readers (13-16) even though it has some seriously disturbing scenes. After that awesome start the middle part of the book got a little bit repetitive. I really don’t need to read about every detail in the MC daily routine. Emma is still grieving the death of her beloved boyfri...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

From the summary : Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

2.5 stars. Yet another case of "great concept, poor execution." Don't get me wrong...I can appreciate a love story as much as the next romantic, but when a story is being marketed as a spin on Frankenstein, I expect to see more to that side of the tale. Throwing in names like Shelley and Franks every few...more From the summary : Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

2.5 stars. Yet another case of "great concept, poor execution." Don't get me wrong...I can appreciate a love story as much as the next romantic, but when a story is being marketed as a spin on Frankenstein, I expect to see more to that side of the tale. Throwing in names like Shelley and Franks every few pages isn't enough to bring the concept to life.

What makes this story even stranger is that there was no real break between one life-changing incident and the introduction of a person who was too closely tied to it all. The main character Emma was so confused in her own head, that I felt uncomfortable watching her pick and choose her emotions because she wasn't sure which feelings were even appropriate for her to feel. I can't say this enough : it's not hard to write in a chapter header which says two years later, or something to that effect.

Where the story did finally manage to break out into interesting territory was in the last 50 or so pages. I almost wonder if this story could have been more interesting had it been told in reverse, or if more of the facts had been given upfront. The supposed 'air of mystery' wasn't really a mystery, since the reader knows what's coming before they even pick up the book. So instead of wondering what's going to happen, the observer is required to sit through pages and pages of everyday angst. A book centered on Frankenstein should have less attention given to basic day-to-day activities and silly drama. Some of the details did manage to tie in with the rest of the story, but by the time we got to that point, I felt like I'd been lulled into a place of not caring.

Granted, there is going to be an audience for the book. Even though Broken is being marketed as regular YA (probably because of some violence), I'm thinking the middle grade/tween crowd is going to better love this one.

As well, I think fans of the 2005-2010 (ish) style of emotion-driven YAPNR will probably be less harsh on the slow build to action. If your favorite books in the genre are the old-school style ones in which the romance carried the majority of the plot, you'll probably be a bigger fan of this book than I was. Like I said, I'm all for romance, but when you're bringing out the Frankenstein angle as a draw, there needs to be more on the story/background side (for my tastes) than what we got with this book. A better balance would have pushed this book from okay to something special.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Mitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Too bad Broken isn't going to be released in time for Halloween, because this is another book that kills it with the creepy atmosphere. A.E. Rought nails the gothic inspired horror, not only with easy stuff like spooky graveyard scenes or genuinely twisted nightmare sequences, but through her suspenseful writing style that sends out all sorts of warning bells. The actual story, though, leaves something to be desired, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I so desperately wanted to end yet was stil...more Too bad Broken isn't going to be released in time for Halloween, because this is another book that kills it with the creepy atmosphere. A.E. Rought nails the gothic inspired horror, not only with easy stuff like spooky graveyard scenes or genuinely twisted nightmare sequences, but through her suspenseful writing style that sends out all sorts of warning bells. The actual story, though, leaves something to be desired, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I so desperately wanted to end yet was still disappointed when it was over.

My problem is the cliched and extremely predictable plotting. Read the summary and you have this entire book in a nutshell, everything that happens I can easily predict without reading even a word of the book. Worse, the first few chapters follow the stereotypical depressed girl falls for new guy all the other girls can’t keep their hands off of routine - for a book inspired by Frankenstein, it takes a really long time before anything resembling Frankenstein actually happens. In the meantime, I’m bored out of my mind knowing exactly what Alex Franks’s secret is and yet having to sit through the same old song and dance with Emma falling for Alex while wondering why he reminds her so much of his dead boyfriend Daniel and the other girls, besides supportive best friend Bree, giving her the evil eye. The only unanswered question that kept me reading was how Daniel died and why isn’t his body buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery, which unmercifully is stretched out for way too long in a drip drip of information among various filler as Emma goes about her high school life.

It all gives me the impression that nothing of note really happens during the first half, the real plot starts up between the half and three quarters mark, with the last quarter as a rush job ending. I guess I wanted less depth in the parts of the plot that really didn’t matter much to me, introducing Alex as a new student at Emma’s school, and more depth in the part of the plot I actually cared about, the repercussions of who Alex is, particularly on Emma. Frankly, while the ending feels fairly final to me, I still have a huge number of questions about Alex and Daniel, and I’m rather disappointed that Broken spends so much time on the high school scene and Emma only discovers the truth about everything so late in the game that I just didn’t feel there were enough pages left over to explain everything about Alex’s connection to Daniel while still doing Dr. Franks and his mad science justice.

But lest I give the impression everything about Broken is a retread, there’s still a lot to like about this book. Rought’s writing, for one, completely surprised me - it’s strangely gothic and works quite well with the plot. The story might not be memorable, but a couple of scenes - and nightmares - definitely are, surprisingly good even though I wouldn’t classify the book as light horror. And Emma’s mourning for and somber memories of Daniel, besides how the flow of information is handled, I don’t think I’d care so much about Alex and Daniel if Emma’s constant grief wasn’t so well written. Plus, I liked how Bree and Emma’s parents inserted themselves into the plot and lightened things up, the story certainly isn’t completely morbid or depressing.

I guess what it all comes down to is Rought’s writing rescues a rather average plot. Broken would’ve been a much better book for me if it didn’t take so long getting to where it needed to be.(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Levina C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horrorific-fiction, romantic-fiction, novels, arcs

First off, the blurb for this book spoils most of the story, so if you've read the blurb, then you've pretty much read the story up to page 340.

When I first started reading this, I was convinced that the author had been re-reading Frankenstein, and then Twilight for the first time, and decided to simultaneously deconstruct and also add a dark spin on Meyer's cliched love story. You've all heard this tale by now: There's a new kid at school. The protagonist feels instantly drawn to him or her fo...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Sophie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-o-galley, bad-case-of-insta-love, badass-main-character, cry-about-it, did-not-live-up-to-potential, fantasy-pnr-supernatural, give-the-melodrama-a-break, hauntingly-good, i-get-it-already, i-yawned, mc-with-a-death-wish, mega-eyeroll, tall-dark-and-dangerous, they-see-me-angstin, writing-gorgeous

This review can also be found on The Dreaming Reader.

Alex FRANKS goes to SHELLEY High. Oh my, could this possibly be a FRANKENSTEIN retelling? Except now the monster has become a hot seventeen year old boy?!?!?

Joker approves of my superb reasoning skills.

This would've been a great book if it hadn't been so reminiscent of Twilight horrified. Rought had a lot of things going for her. She had a strong main character, a successfully enigmatic male lead, and a plot that any classic/YA lover would b...more This review can also be found on The Dreaming Reader.

Alex FRANKS goes to SHELLEY High. Oh my, could this possibly be a FRANKENSTEIN retelling? Except now the monster has become a hot seventeen year old boy?!?!?

Joker approves of my superb reasoning skills.

This would've been a great book if it hadn't been so reminiscent of Twilight horrified. Rought had a lot of things going for her. She had a strong main character, a successfully enigmatic male lead, and a plot that any classic/YA lover would be drawn to. I love retellings, and this is the first retelling of Frankenstein that I've seen. In the first couple pages, I rushed through this book. It was exciting, exhilarating, and I wanted to know more about Daniel and Alex and Em. Even though the GR blurb pretty much ruined the big secret for me, I still wanted to get to the bottom of everything and understand it completely. Also, Rought's writing style? Gorgeous. Sometimes it seems to go into the realm of too dramatic, but most of the time, it contributed just the right amount of haunting beauty and really added to the dark tone that existed throughout the book.

There didn't seem to be much going wrong in the first, oh, 100 pages. And I thought this book would be great, but as is the case with my crappy badness-radar, I turned out to be wrong.

Alex Franks was great for five pages. Then his whole mysterious, hood-over-face thing got old fast. It's been done so many times before, and besides his apparent good looks (in which case, why would he need the hood? And if the hood was to hide himself and people had already seen his face, what was the point?), there wasn't really much else he had going for him. I know, I know, he's related to Em's old boyfriend, but despite that, I still felt like she was cheating on Daniel. And this sort of bothered me. Also, what was the deal with Josh? He seemed like such a comical mustache-twirling villain that I couldn't take him seriously. On top of all that, he was a ginger. Figures.

The beginning and end were pretty interesting. There's some action and guts in the last couple pages. But the middle is just mind-numbing backwards and forwards lovin' between Em and Alex, with a couple memories of Daniel scattered in to make her feel guilty. I was never sold on the love. Isn't Rought essentially showing that Em only loves Alex because Daniel's in him? That's messed up, man. What guy wants to be loved because he reminds his girlfriend of her old boyfriend? No one, unless he couldn't get a girl any other way. And given Alex's supposed good looks, I think he'd be able to get someone.

Em is a badass in the first couple pages when she punches people and throws insults, but she softens too much. Sadly, she follows the trend and starts crying a lot. Not that she doesn't have reason to, but sometimes the tears were just unnecessary. I appreciated Rought's integration of Em's mom and dad instead of making her some poor orphan, but I think she really could've done a better job with her characters. None of them really made sense to me.

I recommend giving this book a try, even if it does get redundant in the middle. The end is pretty cliche, but you should just stick with it for the writing style. I think that was my favorite part. (less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Vivien rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this e-ARC through Netgalley.

Emma Gentry's life is forever changed when her boyfriend Daniel is killed. Her best friend, her love, her life. For months she is numb, going through life like a zombie. Without Daniel she isn't the same. It's like half of her is missing and her connection to life itself is broken.

Alex Franks is new to town. Cloaked in his ever present hoodie, he has a reputation to match his mysterious appearance. After an incident with a sticky locker results in a broken...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, netgalley, arc, for-review

2.5...A Fair and Flawed Story

I cry for everyone I’ve hurt withdrawing from life. Mom never stops stroking my shoulder, or my hair, a gentle contact anchoring me. I pull in a slow, deep cooling breath and realize the hurt has lessened. I feel scraped and stinging inside, gutted like the jack-o’-lantern sitting on the ground outside the clinic door. Except somewhere in the aching emptiness I see a spark, a flicker of my own, the light Daniel would’ve wanted me to finally find.

Hope.

Emma Gentry ha...more

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May 13, 2013 Tehani rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf, horror, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another reviewer recommends not reading the blurb before reading this book and I wholeheartedly agree – DON'T READ THE BLURB! It actually gives you an entirely different expectation and kind of spoils the plot, whereas the author manages to keep you in the dark quite successfully for some time, if you don't know what is coming, which is very effective.

That said, that effective drawing out of reader uncertainty is perhaps the best aspect of the book. For the rest, I had some quite major concerns...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Arlena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-good-book, death, ebooks, horror, my-reviews, paranormal, twist-and-turns, creepy, gothic, romance, young-adult

Author: A. E. Rough
Published By: Strange Chemistry
Age Recommended: YA
Review By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4

Review:

"Broken" by A. E. Rough was a different read for me...Frankenstein? I am still wondering why I picked this particular book up but after reading it I did find it rather amusing...especially after going back and looking at the plot and finding out this was a 'Modern Frankenstein'...Oh, well I usually do not like care for horror or these types of books... but I picked it up so I will give y...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Bat Reader rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was almost a DNF, but as several reviews said that it got better at the end I stuck it out. Yes, it got better, but unfortunately it was too late.

Overall, the author needed to spend more time developing plot instead of spending half of the book's word count describing all the boring mundane aspects of life that we are already far too familiar with. The ring of a cell phone, breakfast in the morning, the ring of a cell phone(again), hooded sweatshirts, the ring of a cell phone(yes, again), g...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Mei rated it 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis

Emma's life fell apart the night she watched her boyfriend fell to his death. She is stumbling through life haunted by his ghost and memories when a new boy shows up to her school. Her attraction to him and the joy in his eyes when he meets her both upsets and intrigues her. She has to both fight her guilt about moving on from her boyfriend's death and try to open herself up to the alarming happiness offered by Alex. If she can survive getting to know him, the end result might be worth t...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Stephanie Ziegler rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adult

Shelves: advance-reader-copy, ebook, first-reads, giveaway-win

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

I did not realize this book was intended for young adults until I did some research after finishing the book. My review was going to be about how this book is more for the younger crowd.

This book started a little slow but eventually became a book that I stayed up late to finish. You will think you know what is going on, but the ending was something that I did not see coming!

I read an advanced copy of this book and I am not sure if any changes will be made....more

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Jan 31, 2013 Dawn Vanniman rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, first of all, this story is set in Michigan. I live in Michigan, so I had to read it. Also, it's a retelling of Frankenstein.

Emma Gentry's boyfriend dies and she's just inconsolable. Then she meets a new guy at school, Alex Franks. Alex reminds her of her boyfriend, Daniel. He even knows Daniels nickname for her. Alex's dad is a surgeon and he does not like Emma.

Since it's a retelling, I expected a bit more creepiness a...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-author, 2013-reading-challenge, 2013-release, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews

2.5 stars

I am a huge fan of classic story retellings. I love the spin that some authors are able to inject into an already great story, and how they're able to give the story a modern day feel. BROKEN was one of those books I was looking forward to reading. When the name Mary Shelley gets thrown around, and Frankenstein, and mentions of love, I'm all in. Going into this book I had high hopes and expectations that this re-telling would do Mary's classic story justice. Rarely do I compare other bo...more 2.5 stars

I am a huge fan of classic story retellings. I love the spin that some authors are able to inject into an already great story, and how they're able to give the story a modern day feel. BROKEN was one of those books I was looking forward to reading. When the name Mary Shelley gets thrown around, and Frankenstein, and mentions of love, I'm all in. Going into this book I had high hopes and expectations that this re-telling would do Mary's classic story justice. Rarely do I compare other books, but the only other retelling I've found true to Mary's story is Kenneth Oppel's The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, which I loved. Retellings to me are tricky. Not only does the author need to find that middle ground where they stay some what true to the feel of the classic story, but they also need to find that unique voice that makes the story it's own. I feel Broken would have fared for me personally if it had not mentioned Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.

I at first felt for the story's main character Emma. The story starts off with her still mourning the death of her boyfriend Daniel, but soon after she meets Alex there was something I got annoyed with, with her. I don't know exactly what it was that made me feel this way. Emotionally she was all over the place, which given what she's gone through was understandable, but it also made it hard for me to connect with her. I felt Emma was a smart girl, and I desperately wanted her to trust that little voice in her head that kept warning her that something wasn't right, and I grew frustrated when she didn't. She also does a few things through out the book that I felt didn't quite fit her character wise. Try as hard I might, I just couldn't connect with her nor did I really feel like I got her character wise, but at the same time I couldn't stop reading her story. I know, that probably doesn't make sense.

Part of that has to do with the way A.E. writes. I like her descriptiveness, and the mood she gives her story. The other part of my not being able to stop reading Broken has to do with Alex. Yes, I at first fell for that dark, brooding guy who hides inside his hoody all the time. I wanted to know what he was hiding. Sure all the characters think he's hot, and I got the attraction he and Emma had together, but there was something between the two of them that was undeniable and in some weird ways fit together between them. It also didn't take me long to figure out who he really was. I'm not sure if that ruined some of the excitement over the storyline or if it made me more intrigued with the direction the story was going in.

I went back and forth on liking this story and wanting to love it for much of the duration I spent reading it. But once I got to the last 50 or so pages I enjoyed it much more. If that had been the case earlier on in the book I would have liked it a lot more. Yes it gets darker, a bit violent, but it also reveals the story's "true love" plot that lies just beneath the surface of much of the story's romance. It's also during the last few pages I felt it most like a modern day, lighter retelling of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Broken for me is a book that has this exciting concept that made me want to read it, but it lost me along the way with the execution of the over all storyline. I needed more depth and that darker, enticing feeling that came towards the end of the book, much earlier on in the story. Don't get me wrong, this is a good/okay read, but for me personally I needed more from the story than what I got, to really enjoy the book like I wanted to. I think some of that has to do with what I except to find in YA books.

Though A.E.'s story telling is engaging, it has this exciting, predictable storyline that I feel tween and early YA readers will enjoy more than a older YA readers. This is a book I would have personally enjoyed as a middle grade reader, and it reminded me of some of the books I read then (back in the late 80's and early 90's) with the way the story plays out. Despite my not loving the book like I had hoped, I think there are readers out there who will enjoy this book more than I unfortunately did. (less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Jenni (mommalovesbooks) rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was the second title from this publisher I read, and sadly it did not hold up to the first. I am sure there are many who will like it, but it was not for me. It was far too slow, only finally picking up speed at the end, but at that point it was too little too late. It was also very sad which isn't in and of itself a bad thing, but it got to be tiresome after a short while, and there were points where the excessive sadness and depression seemed needless, and held the story back when it coul...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been meaning to read basically all of the Strange Chemistry books, but BROKEN is the first one I got to. A. E. Rought's debut young adult novel is an update of FRANKENSTEIN, with far more romance, fistfights, and high school gossip than the original.

Emma Jane Gentry is still recovering from the death of her boyfriend Daniel. He fell to his death right in front of her, which definitely left an impression. Then Alex Franks transfers to her school. He's got a weird disease and his dad is creep...more I've been meaning to read basically all of the Strange Chemistry books, but BROKEN is the first one I got to. A. E. Rought's debut young adult novel is an update of FRANKENSTEIN, with far more romance, fistfights, and high school gossip than the original.

Emma Jane Gentry is still recovering from the death of her boyfriend Daniel. He fell to his death right in front of her, which definitely left an impression. Then Alex Franks transfers to her school. He's got a weird disease and his dad is creepy, but Emma is still drawn to him. He reminds her of Daniel in the strangest ways, but he's also a decent guy in his own right.

The fact that BROKEN is based on FRANKENSTEIN diffuses some of the tension. The dark secret behind Alex's connection to Daniel is pretty easy to deduce. Fortunately, Rought doesn't focus the story too much on Alex's secrets. Instead, Emma's recovery and her romance with Alex drive the story. And it's a good romance. Their relationship builds throughout the story, and they actually talk about making it official. It's very high school, and sweet, but still driven by an intensely physical attraction.

I also liked how much time is spent within the walls of the high school. Emma goes to class, she hangs with friends, she avoids the guy who tries to get her attention in all the wrong ways, and she has homework when she goes home. She also has two parents, both of whom are involved in her life. Her mother isn't afraid to ground her for getting up to standard paranormal romance shenanigans. And when she fractures her hand, it continues to be a problem throughout the story. These things aren't present enough to interrupt the momentum of the story, but it's nice to actually see them in a paranormal.

I enjoyed BROKEN. I'm curious as to how Rought will launch a series from this title, as it stands alone just fine. But I'll definitely read the next book, because BROKEN is a good start. I feel like I haven't read much paranormal fiction lately, so it was nice to start the year off with a fun example of the genre. (less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Becca rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received an e-galley of this book from Netgalley - Thanks!

I loved this book, although I didn't know it was a retelling of Frankenstein when I started it. Since I started reading the galley copy without checking to see what it was about, I missed the plot synopsis. After about three-quarters of the book, I started thinking I was really smart for figuring out that the story was a reworking of Frankenstein. Once I finished (and all along feeling really clever), I went back and read the plot synop...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Leah (The Pretty Good Gatsby) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, america, didnt-live-up-to-hype, fairy-tales-retellings, for-review-netgalley, meh, paranormal, ya

http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....

I wanted monsters. Instead I got an 18 year-old sex god and a deer with a limp.

Broken was hailed as a fresh, new retelling of Frankenstein. That alone was enough to command my attention. I'm a huge sucker for retellings and they're certainly in abundance these days. That there was a Frankenstein retelling... I couldn't pass it up.

Unfortunately Broken is a classic example of an intriguing idea with a horrible execution (something I've dubbed the Matthew Pea...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Leeanna rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, for-review

I was really excited to read “Broken.” First, the cover is gorgeous! I especially liked the heart in the “O” of the archway and the red background. Second, it’s billed as a “modern spin on ‘Frankenstein,’” which is one of my favorite classics.

Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last long. But before I get into the bad, let me talk about what I did like about “Broken.”

Emma. I liked some aspects of her personality. Many of the other girls at Shelley High are catty and cruel, like clique-y teenag...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Angela ReadingCave rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book via the publishers through NetGalley. That in no way influenced my review.

If they gave standing ovations for books, Broken would receive one- and then an encore.

When the love of her life, Daniel falls to his death Emma withdrawals from everyone. Only her best friend Bree understands the pain that she is going through and stands beside her. Daniel’s best friend, Jason was there that night. He has been a little bit flirty with Emma lately, much to her cringe.

Emma goes about h...more I received this book via the publishers through NetGalley. That in no way influenced my review.

If they gave standing ovations for books, Broken would receive one- and then an encore.

When the love of her life, Daniel falls to his death Emma withdrawals from everyone. Only her best friend Bree understands the pain that she is going through and stands beside her. Daniel’s best friend, Jason was there that night. He has been a little bit flirty with Emma lately, much to her cringe.

Emma goes about her day an empty-shell of a being, frustrated that Daniel is no longer there. She suffers from survival guilt, and sees memories of Daniel everywhere. She and others blame herself for Daniel’s death. You can literally feel her pain, and aimlessness with every turn of the page. You cannot help but feel that Daniel truly was the love of her life. Which is why her feelings for Alex cause her such anguish.

Alex is the new guy, a transfer student from a local private school. There is something about him that is well so Daniel like. Alex has got to be one of the nicest guys on earth- although he has not always been this way. It wasn’t until his daddy stitched him back up that he changed. Why that change happen he does not know, all that he does know is that he is drawn to Emma. Alex is amazing in that he wants to protect Emma from the instant he met her. Yet he fights the attraction- he knows that it will cause her pain. He knows that he is not ready, he knows that something is not right.

As they exam and explore their attraction they are painfully aware that something strange is going on. What and why are running through their heads. The answers to those questions could be the thing that tears them apart forever.

I am not sure if it is the emotional side of the story. The story teller guarantees that you will feel Emma’s pain and Daniel’s confusion with every turn of the page. It could be the gothic like setting or even the premise of the story itself. Regardless Broken has got to be one of the best stories released this year.

http://readingcave.blogspot.com/2012/... (less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-2012, best-of-2012-list-pick, dark-and-delicious, favorites, 2013-read

My Thoughts
The overwhelming sense of loss and pervading grief that Emma Gentry feels after the loss of her boyfriend Daniel, engulfs readers in its beautifully woven shroud at the start of this story. You really feel for Emma as you watch her struggle for life, happiness, and peace.

Until...

Alex Franks...The quiet, intense, new boy who knows things about Emma and does things that only one person could...Daniel.

Alex is not written as the 'prince charming' that is going to ride in on his 'noble st...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Kristy Sartain- Whispering Pretty Stories Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book as an ARC from netgalley.com.

It's refreshing to read a book that ends on the last page. As much as I enjoy series, I also enjoy singles.

Emma has suffered a devastating loss. Her boyfriend died while they were dating. She mourned for months. Then Alex walked into her life.

From the first time they saw each other, they knew they had a connection. And really, without giving anything else away, that's all I can say about the plot.

Once again, I'm not a fan of scary movies, but books...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Eliza Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Original Post can be found here: http://abeautyandthebook.blogspot.com...

Think of a Twilight version of Frankenstein....that is basically this book.

That came out negative, which is funny cause I quite liked the book.

It is much creepier than Twilight...the ending is beyond freaky and was perfect with Halloween approaching. Unfortunately, it did have that instant-love Twilight has. When you read the book though, the instant love sort of makes logical sense. I don't want to spoil but it's not as un...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Journal rated it 2 of 5 stars

Broken by A.E. Rought

ARC provided by NetGalley

While I believe the author does have writing ability, this book was not my brand of paranormal romance. I like my paranormals with a little more action and conflict from other characters, not just a story centered on the romance and the heroine pining for the love interest. I wanted more. It felt like absolutely nothing happened in this book.

Most of the scenes consist of the heroine mourning her deceased boyfriend, obsessing over the new boy at schoo...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Fatema rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, brought-back-from-death, death, fav-guy, favorites, netgalley, paranormal, romance-to-remeber, story-retell

This is first retelling of Frankenstein that i have read and i was not disappointed. This book was amazing. I don't know the exact story so i kind of just let this one unfold before my eyes. At the beginning of the book, Emma is still grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Daniel. A few pages in Emma meets Alex, a new boy in school. From the moment they meet Emma spots confusing similarities between Alex and Daniel. And the story takes off from there. The thing about retelling is that they're they'...more

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Aug 29, 2012 M.B. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faves

I knew little about the story and just allowed it to unfold as I read it. For this I was extremely grateful as I was completely sucked into this book.

I was fortunate enough to get an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of this book and delved straight in. Although I know there may be a few edits made before it is published January 2013, I really enjoyed it.

It's classed as a YA book; but to me, the only aspect that reminded me of this fact was the mention of the High School. Not once did it read as a YA b...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Alise (Readers in Wonderland) rated it 1 of 5 stars

See this review complete with gifs at: http://www.readerswonderland.com/2013...

This was bad. Like, really bad. Predictable, unrealistic, cheesy, sappy, and boring are a few adjectives that immediately come to mind. It was... weird. Not weird in a good way either, but seriously kind of messed up.

Let's start with our main character, Emma. Her boyfriend has recently died and she's still torn up apart it, visiting his "grave" every day after school. I say grave with quotation marks because it's not...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Nadia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-dac, january-2013-dac

What is a nightmare? According to the dictionary definition, Nightmare is a frightening or unpleasant dream or a terrifying or very unpleasant experience or prospect.

This is what I would like to call a nightmare. Who writes like this? (Apparently A.E. Rought does). To call it awful would be sugar coating it.

The plot, well the plot...can't discuss it here, because then I would be saving you all from getting the experience yourself. Just let me tell you this, my suspicion came out to be true in t...more

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