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Fracture
At 33, Colin is still a virgin. He’s never questioned his sexuality, but when Alek arrives on Colin’s doorstep, he’s unexpectedly heartstruck by the young man’s beauty.
Colin has done a crazy thing. He’s burned down his house and built a duplex, a house divided into two apartments. His reason for doing this is simple. He wants to spy on his tenant, the young girl he imagines renting the place to, but the arrival of Alek puts an unexpected twist on this plan.
Is Colin gay? As he watches Alek through the two-way mirrors he’s installed in the bedroom and bathroom, he begins to wonder. In fact, he thinks he might just be falling in love with Alek Antonov, and with this tangled love comes a spiral toward madness, toward murder.
Colin has done a crazy thing. He’s burned down his house and built a duplex, a house divided into two apartments. His reason for doing this is simple. He wants to spy on his tenant, the young girl he imagines renting the place to, but the arrival of Alek puts an unexpected twist on this plan.
Is Colin gay? As he watches Alek through the two-way mirrors he’s installed in the bedroom and bathroom, he begins to wonder. In fact, he thinks he might just be falling in love with Alek Antonov, and with this tangled love comes a spiral toward madness, toward murder.
153 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2013
11 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 25, 2014
so. much. of this:
but here's the thing: it's kinda great.
in that it's aggressively unpleasant, with a nasty edge i can't help but appreciate—with many lulz, in one section.
but still. it hurts my face.
that i gave this up at 80 percent is a measure of my esteem for a book i did not "enjoy" so much as "endure."
i admire it. but i wouldn't fuck it again with someone else's dick, na'mean?
but here's the thing: it's kinda great.
in that it's aggressively unpleasant, with a nasty edge i can't help but appreciate—with many lulz, in one section.
but still. it hurts my face.
that i gave this up at 80 percent is a measure of my esteem for a book i did not "enjoy" so much as "endure."
i admire it. but i wouldn't fuck it again with someone else's dick, na'mean?
November 7, 2015
4,5 stars!
For all those who don't know:
Adam Ryle = Todd Young
I know, I started to be repetitive though I'd like to share my thoughts about the pen name's topic.
I swear, it is THE LAST TIME!
BUT it has to be said!!!
Just ignore the part from ***||*** to ***||*** if you don't want to read them.
***||***
***||***
Or you can skip my review and read a Syfy's review. She nailed it.
It is not a typical Todd Young story:
It doesn't contain a lot of graphical sex scenes. Sex happens mainly in heads and not on the sheets, on the other level, so to say.
I stayed up all night reading it. I couldn't put it down. The story didn't let me go! What for a wild ride!
Is Colin a psychopath, a sick a voyeur,a victim of circumstance or a poor devil?
I have to repeat myself AGAIN.
Sorry for using the same adjectives every time I describe my emotions reading Todd Young's books.
Yes, it is weird and creepy and crazy and odd and strange.
And it is disturbing and fascinating at the same time.
And tragically sad.
And powerfully amazing.
And this ending...
P-E-R-F-E-C-T.
September 1, 2013
"And Colin felt what he had felt for many years, that everyone was odd, that the world was a sick place."
That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. Colin is my spirit animal. But that makes me a terrible, terrible person.
So this book has been described variously as "creepy" and "creepy", and that's pretty accurate, actually. It tells the story of Colin, a very introverted man who has (in my opinion) sociopathic tendencies. So yes, he burns down his house so he can build a duplex and spy on his tenant and yes, he does some genuinely awful stuff which I will not mention but is very bad. But despite the creepy, I found myself seriously empathizing with this guy. Colin is a horrible person, but he's also very insecure and all he really wants is to be loved. He is both naive and self-aware. Generous and ridiculous. A lot of a pervert and a bit of a prude.
The writing is spare and this suits the pared-down life that Colin lives. It's quite a short book, but reads as though it's much longer. I must admit, it was rather an uncomfortable read, I kept putting it down and having WTF moments because this guy is just so unbelievable. He, of course, is not the only character in the book. His tenant (and romantic interest) is a young (male) college student, Alek, who is also very strange and a little bit damaged (but I won't say why as it gives too much away).
Now all of that sounds like a set up for some lovely, angsty story-telling, but it really isn't. It's not at all a 'dark erotic romance'. The language is not purple enough. Which is kind of refreshing. However, I do wish the sex scenes (or at least the first one) was more descriptive because I think that it would provide a great deal of insight into (a virgin at 33) Colin's weird dichotomous psyche. As it is, the most we ever get is a "they made love". Huh.
Then there's the ending. Fair warning, oh lovers of happy endings: you will not get one. But even from very early on you aren't expecting one.
All that said, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. But I'm sitting here typing this with a kind of sick feeling; like I need to go take a bath (but I'm covering up my damn mirror first).
That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. Colin is my spirit animal. But that makes me a terrible, terrible person.
So this book has been described variously as "creepy" and "creepy", and that's pretty accurate, actually. It tells the story of Colin, a very introverted man who has (in my opinion) sociopathic tendencies. So yes, he burns down his house so he can build a duplex and spy on his tenant and yes, he does some genuinely awful stuff which I will not mention but is very bad. But despite the creepy, I found myself seriously empathizing with this guy. Colin is a horrible person, but he's also very insecure and all he really wants is to be loved. He is both naive and self-aware. Generous and ridiculous. A lot of a pervert and a bit of a prude.
The writing is spare and this suits the pared-down life that Colin lives. It's quite a short book, but reads as though it's much longer. I must admit, it was rather an uncomfortable read, I kept putting it down and having WTF moments because this guy is just so unbelievable. He, of course, is not the only character in the book. His tenant (and romantic interest) is a young (male) college student, Alek, who is also very strange and a little bit damaged (but I won't say why as it gives too much away).
Now all of that sounds like a set up for some lovely, angsty story-telling, but it really isn't. It's not at all a 'dark erotic romance'. The language is not purple enough. Which is kind of refreshing. However, I do wish the sex scenes (or at least the first one) was more descriptive because I think that it would provide a great deal of insight into (a virgin at 33) Colin's weird dichotomous psyche. As it is, the most we ever get is a "they made love". Huh.
Then there's the ending. Fair warning, oh lovers of happy endings: you will not get one. But even from very early on you aren't expecting one.
All that said, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. But I'm sitting here typing this with a kind of sick feeling; like I need to go take a bath (but I'm covering up my damn mirror first).
April 13, 2015
**4" It's official. I'm fractured" Stars**
This book left me feeling way more disturbed with myself then with Colin. Yes his actions were a 10 on the creepy richter scale. Look, I may be dumb but I'm not blind (I do wear prescription glasses, but that's here nor there) . . . Even so, I never wanted to throttle him. . . . iwantedtogivehimabearghug.
**note to self** No more excuses. Schedule shrink appointment, ASAP.
I really need to get over my affection toward broken men. It's not healthy. Anywho, as far as the story goes, I thought I knew exactly how this tale was going to unfold. . . .
WRONG !!!
WRONG!!!
WRONG!!!
Folks, the synopsis tells you everything you need to know. If it intrigues you, READ THE DAMN BOOK. If the synopsis gives you the heebie-jeebies, please be on your merry way ..MWAH!
For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
This book left me feeling way more disturbed with myself then with Colin. Yes his actions were a 10 on the creepy richter scale. Look, I may be dumb but I'm not blind (I do wear prescription glasses, but that's here nor there) . . . Even so, I never wanted to throttle him. . . . iwantedtogivehimabearghug.
**note to self** No more excuses. Schedule shrink appointment, ASAP.
I really need to get over my affection toward broken men. It's not healthy. Anywho, as far as the story goes, I thought I knew exactly how this tale was going to unfold. . . .
WRONG !!!
WRONG!!!
WRONG!!!
Folks, the synopsis tells you everything you need to know. If it intrigues you, READ THE DAMN BOOK. If the synopsis gives you the heebie-jeebies, please be on your merry way ..MWAH!
For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
dnf
November 25, 2013DNF
This a slow, slow motion train wreck and honestly, requires more patience than I'm presently feeling. Following the mundane minutiae of a psychopath is not that exciting when the backdrop is like a seventies movie. The book is creepy, but boring. Sort of felt like swimming through Jell-o.
This a slow, slow motion train wreck and honestly, requires more patience than I'm presently feeling. Following the mundane minutiae of a psychopath is not that exciting when the backdrop is like a seventies movie. The book is creepy, but boring. Sort of felt like swimming through Jell-o.
October 30, 2014
"You have some characters. Some things happen to them. They talk to each other. Either nothing very remarkable or something entirely bizarre happens, and then the film ends - without having an actual ending." ~ Colin's impression of European films.
That's exactly what I thought after finishing Fracture.
And you know what?
I get it and at the same time I don't get it.
I'm trying to sort it out in my head. It's obviously not a romance. That much is clear. As thrillers go, however, this one is really good.
But something was missing here. The line between the right and wrong was very blurry, in my opinion. Readers get to experience the entire book through the psycho's POV and naturally, being in his head, leads us to involuntarily look for excuses and try to accept the reasons behind his horrifying actions. It's very unsettling.
Throughout the book, I tried very hard to distance myself from the narrator. I didn't want to be pulled into his sick world entirely and start feeling compassion or, God forbid, affection towards him. And I succeeded.
Because I had my stakes on Alek. I urged him mentally to correct the wrong and deliver the punishment. At the very least, I expected him to do something! I shouldn't have had my hopes up, though.
But at the same time, I kind of get it. The idea of two sick, damaged men falling in love. The idea of this powerful and blinding feeling when nothing else matters, and even the worst possible faults could be accepted and overlooked, if not forgiven. It even could be considered romantic!
Perhaps, that's the point of this book. I'm still not sure. But it did keep me on my toes all the way throughout. And the writing, as usual, is brilliant. I would've liked a few questions answered though and thought the ending, although, satisfying in a way, was slightly abrupt. Just like in European films, right?
But overall, a great thriller.
***3.5 stars***
P. S.: Isn't it ironic that for a decade the narrator's favourite cologne was Obsession For Men? How fitting!
August 10, 2014
Stunningly twisted and frighteningly transparent..fragile-intricate thought patterns of the human mind. F'ing nuts.
As usual I am befuddled..bewildered..and introspect..with this sort of bastard-stepchild affection I have for this writer.
As usual I am befuddled..bewildered..and introspect..with this sort of bastard-stepchild affection I have for this writer.
Want to read
August 30, 2013Digging this creepy blurb!
Oh.. and yo! Currently free on Amazon.
Oh.. and yo! Currently free on Amazon.
May 24, 2016
Nice and creepy, just what I needed at the moment. This was quite different from other books I've read by this author.
It felt like he restrained himself a bit, and I did not finish the book with that same old feeling of wanting to scrub myself clean, or taking off all my clothes because they feel to tight...
So I was very happily surprised by this thriller/ kind-of-romance.
Around 60% it started going too much in a Crime&Punishment direction, but after a while it changed back into the direction I was hoping for
As always when reading these kind of books (well, except for American Psycho), I found myself rooting for the bad guy...I wanted him to have a HEA, and realize the error of his ways and change (of course through luuurve). Well,
It felt like he restrained himself a bit, and I did not finish the book with that same old feeling of wanting to scrub myself clean, or taking off all my clothes because they feel to tight...
So I was very happily surprised by this thriller/ kind-of-romance.
Around 60% it started going too much in a Crime&Punishment direction, but after a while it changed back into the direction I was hoping for
As always when reading these kind of books (well, except for American Psycho), I found myself rooting for the bad guy...I wanted him to have a HEA, and realize the error of his ways and change (of course through luuurve). Well,
August 30, 2013
I really ended up liking this book. I admit, at first I was unsure because Colin was definitely strange (ok, he was a straight up PERVERT) but I actually ended up feeling a little sorry for his character later in the book...
Colin is a lonely, socially awkward man in his 30's who has never been in a relationship. He has no family or friends and doesn't work since he is well off, so he decides to build a duplex and spy on his renter, Alek, who ends up being on the strange side too.
Even though Colin clearly has mental issues he does try to be "normal" but just doesn't know how to behave with other people. He tries but never knows quite what to say, how to respond, etc. Alek on the other hand is the opposite. He attends the local college, has lots of friends, and goes out regularly. Together they end up having a very dysfunctional relationship.
Like I stated earlier, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book but am happy I read it. It kept me intrigued all the way through (I kept waiting for Colin to get caught!!) and couldn't put it down until I finished.
4 stars and two thumbs up from me (I knocked off 1 star because the sex scenes were not descriptive AT ALL - Colin was a 33 yr old virgin who had never even been kissed so I was really looking forward to reading about his first kiss, first time "getting lucky", etc.!!) LOL
Colin is a lonely, socially awkward man in his 30's who has never been in a relationship. He has no family or friends and doesn't work since he is well off, so he decides to build a duplex and spy on his renter, Alek, who ends up being on the strange side too.
Even though Colin clearly has mental issues he does try to be "normal" but just doesn't know how to behave with other people. He tries but never knows quite what to say, how to respond, etc. Alek on the other hand is the opposite. He attends the local college, has lots of friends, and goes out regularly. Together they end up having a very dysfunctional relationship.
Like I stated earlier, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book but am happy I read it. It kept me intrigued all the way through (I kept waiting for Colin to get caught!!) and couldn't put it down until I finished.
4 stars and two thumbs up from me (I knocked off 1 star because the sex scenes were not descriptive AT ALL - Colin was a 33 yr old virgin who had never even been kissed so I was really looking forward to reading about his first kiss, first time "getting lucky", etc.!!) LOL
September 18, 2014
This was such a creepy book. And I liked it for the most part, but there were times I thought it was a little boring. It's nothing something most people would expect me to like, but I love dark thrillers, even ones without romance. I just have to be in a certain mood to enjoy them.
This book is not a romance. But there is a couple, sort of. To be honest, they're pretty fucked up and they really don't have a stable relationship. But, for me anyway, that's what makes this book so good. It's not your typical gay romance, it's not your typical romance full stop. There are things in this I would never read in my m/m romance.
And the ending is, well, it fits perfectly with the story overall. So again, not something I would recommend to those who want a HEA. This is not that type of book. It's dark and creepy and not meant for the faint hearted.
This book is not a romance. But there is a couple, sort of. To be honest, they're pretty fucked up and they really don't have a stable relationship. But, for me anyway, that's what makes this book so good. It's not your typical gay romance, it's not your typical romance full stop. There are things in this I would never read in my m/m romance.
And the ending is, well, it fits perfectly with the story overall. So again, not something I would recommend to those who want a HEA. This is not that type of book. It's dark and creepy and not meant for the faint hearted.
October 6, 2015
This one was a strange and sometimes disturbing read....there's no real romance or is there....Colin builds a duplex to spy on a girl but ends up spying on a guy..Alek......both getting used to the fact they are gay.....It really was a great book....I loved how the paragraphs were short too so you could put it down in a safe place.....How colin dealt with how he was worked really well....He really did have a problem but Alek seemed to grow to love him...The ending I won't spoil but if your looking for a HEA this is not gonna give you that...The only thing i will say is that it ended quite abruptly....I think it could have gone on for just a few more pages but in all a great read x
November 13, 2020
This was an ok read even creepy at times. Colin is a 33 year old virgin who burned down his house so he could built a duplex to spy on people at first it was young woman so he thought until Alek moves in. Colin never thought he was gay but their is something about Alek that he is attracted to. Colin has two-way mirrors he’s installed in the bedroom and bathroom and is watching Alek. I found this really creepy and a total invasion of his privacy. This was my first time reading this author although I have had this book for awhile. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
November 5, 2013
Ok wow. That was a really wild tale.
My take on it? Loved it.
Deadpan, unemotional prose had me freaking out! In a nutshell; Colin is crazy, Alek is odd. It's beautiful, tragic, and ends horrifically.
My take on it? Loved it.
Deadpan, unemotional prose had me freaking out! In a nutshell; Colin is crazy, Alek is odd. It's beautiful, tragic, and ends horrifically.
maybe
August 30, 2013Buddy read of a difference Alice will read Uneven and I will read Fracture, both of us are *half* wusses, we are branching out:P
Want to read
August 31, 2013Currently Free on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Fracture-ebook/...
http://www.amazon.com/Fracture-ebook/...
August 30, 2013
Creepy is the only word I can think of to describe this book.
Could have been closer to a 3, I guess, but for some things that really kept pulling me out of the story. I 'think' the story was set in the US, all of the characters seemed to have British names. I kept seeing Harry Potterish extras every time someone's name was mentioned (Major Winterson, Colin Hardgrave, Mrs. Pettigrew, Claire Thirgood, Adriana Ranvesthorpe, etc), and the town names (no idea if they are made up or real) - Hollensvale, Malderton, Maidensborough, etc) seem British, also. I would have thought the story took place in the UK, but for mentions of 'Lowe's' for home improvements, going to Arizona, NYC, and Maine. I guess stuff like that won't bother others, but it did annoy me.
Other than that, it's pretty readable.
Could have been closer to a 3, I guess, but for some things that really kept pulling me out of the story. I 'think' the story was set in the US, all of the characters seemed to have British names. I kept seeing Harry Potterish extras every time someone's name was mentioned (Major Winterson, Colin Hardgrave, Mrs. Pettigrew, Claire Thirgood, Adriana Ranvesthorpe, etc), and the town names (no idea if they are made up or real) - Hollensvale, Malderton, Maidensborough, etc) seem British, also. I would have thought the story took place in the UK, but for mentions of 'Lowe's' for home improvements, going to Arizona, NYC, and Maine. I guess stuff like that won't bother others, but it did annoy me.
Other than that, it's pretty readable.
November 24, 2013
This book reminded me of the movie "Sliver" with William Baldwin and Sharon Stone, but I found this read more entertaining than the movie and I think it was partly because of the missing female protagonist...
Even a week after having read it, I have difficulties to find the exact words to describe how much I liked this book.
It was of a dark mood, suspense filled and with a crime happening.
I was tied to my kindle and could not stop reading. The story was so twisted and I was continuously wondering what would happen next.
The End?
Priceless and deserving...
Even a week after having read it, I have difficulties to find the exact words to describe how much I liked this book.
It was of a dark mood, suspense filled and with a crime happening.
I was tied to my kindle and could not stop reading. The story was so twisted and I was continuously wondering what would happen next.
The End?
Priceless and deserving...
September 7, 2013
Disturbing, creepy, but I couldn't put it down. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, tbh. In some ways, I'm unsatisfied. In others, it was perfect. Either way, I don't think this is a book I'll read again, but I certainly won't forget it in a hurry.
August 13, 2014
The basic idea was intriguing. A potential much like "Sliver". Unfortunately the execution wasn't my thing at all, and the direction this took neither.
September 18, 2014
3.5 to 4 disturbing stars.
February 13, 2016
Tragic. Weird. Different. For that I give it five stars.
September 27, 2020
Interesting POV
This book is unlike others, you really get to see a mentally unstable characters go through turmoil. The thoughts going through his mind going from rational to irrational all throughout the story. I enjoyed Alek and hoped to see more out of their relationship. Im giving it 3 stars because the ending was left up to the reader to interpret and I felt if the novel was longer we could've gotten a better connection with the MCs. I really like it though and recommend it to anyone who is looking for something fresh and original.
This book is unlike others, you really get to see a mentally unstable characters go through turmoil. The thoughts going through his mind going from rational to irrational all throughout the story. I enjoyed Alek and hoped to see more out of their relationship. Im giving it 3 stars because the ending was left up to the reader to interpret and I felt if the novel was longer we could've gotten a better connection with the MCs. I really like it though and recommend it to anyone who is looking for something fresh and original.
April 20, 2019
An unappealing protagonist and an implausible story
Write a story with a hideous misanthrope as the lead. Include misogynistic murder and an ending that proves the author got as tired of writing this as I did reading it. AVOID.
Write a story with a hideous misanthrope as the lead. Include misogynistic murder and an ending that proves the author got as tired of writing this as I did reading it. AVOID.
March 22, 2019
This was all kinds of f&cked up. Several points in this book I almost stopped reading it. I really wish I had.
November 2, 2020
Dark, deadly edge of your seat stuff. This book was suffocating. I couldn’t stop reading but at the same time wanted to stop.
February 16, 2023
There is something very clearly wrong with Colin. Props to the author for not sugar coating him. The rating is mostly because the story felt shallow.
October 5, 2022
I loved but also HATED this book soo much! And the ending ... 💔 ｡･(˃̣̣̥ᴖ˂̣̣̥)･｡
April 22, 2025
Yet another book with a low/average rating that I enjoyed...
> Loved the atmosphere, dark, creepy, claustrophobic.
> interesting, flawed, messed up characters
> smooth and immersive writing
> It could have been 100 pages longer, honestly
This one really stands out.
> Loved the atmosphere, dark, creepy, claustrophobic.
> interesting, flawed, messed up characters
> smooth and immersive writing
> It could have been 100 pages longer, honestly
This one really stands out.
September 17, 2013
This is a rather disturbing story...and yet I liked reading it.
I read the whole story in bed last night between 10 and 1...
Lets get the creepy out of the way, yes it is...
But Colin, the storyteller, is more a voyeur, setting up two way mirrors and hidden cameras in the duplex that he rent out to beautiful students. One turns up, Alek, gorgeous with long dark hair - and a guy..
So, at 33 and a virgin, Colin finds out that he is gay..and enjoying watching Alex..
But when Alex desides to get a girlfriend, jealousy, murder, love, sex, cops and friends and enemies shows up in Colins life..
It might be a disturbing story, but it was also facinating, and I could not put it down...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews