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Breaking the Pattern #1
Deviation
Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here
“You’re a good kid, Henry.”
Everyone knew that he was a good guy; geeky, responsible, hard-working. Henry has had a lot to deal with in the past. Now, as he should be focusing on his schooling and preparing himself for the future, he is hindered by abuse, the challenge of raising his baby brother while dealing with his mother’s deep depressions, and the return of a ghost from the past Henry has tried his best to forget.
But it seems that Henry can’t avoid the nastiness of life. As hard as he tries, it’s one more disaster after another as his life spirals out of control.
Can Henry escape the darkness, or is he doomed to be consumed by it?
“You’re a good kid, Henry.”
Everyone knew that he was a good guy; geeky, responsible, hard-working. Henry has had a lot to deal with in the past. Now, as he should be focusing on his schooling and preparing himself for the future, he is hindered by abuse, the challenge of raising his baby brother while dealing with his mother’s deep depressions, and the return of a ghost from the past Henry has tried his best to forget.
But it seems that Henry can’t avoid the nastiness of life. As hard as he tries, it’s one more disaster after another as his life spirals out of control.
Can Henry escape the darkness, or is he doomed to be consumed by it?
230 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2013
17 people are currently reading
557 people want to read
About the author
P.D. Workman
224 books496 followersAward-winning Canadian author P.D. Workman has written over a hundred addictive page-turners featuring diverse and divergent sleuths, high-stakes investigations, and stories that linger long after the last page. Her books dive deep into characters’ minds while exploring timely social issues through fast-paced, emotionally charged plots. Readers praise her work for its powerful emotional truth combined with unputdownable suspense.
Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.
Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.
Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.
Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 25, 2017
This was a difficult story to read, yet also difficult to put down. It's the first book in a series, but does not end in a cliffhanger.
This story is a tragedy based on reality. It's not just about mental illness. It's about poverty, opportunity, family, friendship, and moral values. Teenage years are often filled with confusion and strife. A good family and friend support system is essential for strong character development. Without it, one might be susceptible to repeating mistakes, making poor decisions, or doing very bad things. I've seen it. Such is the case for the main character in this horribly sad and sometimes chilling story.
This story is a tragedy based on reality. It's not just about mental illness. It's about poverty, opportunity, family, friendship, and moral values. Teenage years are often filled with confusion and strife. A good family and friend support system is essential for strong character development. Without it, one might be susceptible to repeating mistakes, making poor decisions, or doing very bad things. I've seen it. Such is the case for the main character in this horribly sad and sometimes chilling story.
August 6, 2016
The first in the Breaking the Pattern series by P.D. Workman.
This book was so good and also very sad. The main character, Henry, has taken care of his little baby brother, Bobby, since he was born. He also tries to take care of his trouble mother and put up with her boyfriend, Clint who is mean to Henry. I highly disliked him...
Henry gets into trouble without even trying and is for the most part a very good young man.
He runs into the only man that was ever a father to him and wants to have him as a part of his life. He even takes Bobby when he goes to visit him. But Frank starts acting strange around Bobby when he is holding him and tells Henry to take him home. Henry is confused by his sudden change in how he acts towards him too.
He finds out that Frank has been arrested for being around him and Bobby and that he is a pedophile. The police come to Henry's house to question him and his mother tells them that he had bothered Henry when he was just a little kid. But Henry does not remember any of that and thinks his mother is lying. But is she? Was he molested by the one person that he trusted so much?
Girls start getting killed, mostly prostitutes. Sandy, a prostitute that you'll meet and get to know more in book 2 has befriended Henry and helped him in many ways. He gets hooked on drugs and ends up in jail. Could he have been the murder? A sweet young boy who was such a good brother to baby Bobby? Did the mental system let him down by putting him on the wrong kind of meds?
Henry's favorite thing to do was take pictures. Every time he got any extra money he bought more photography items to help him. He took pictures of women that he thought were beautiful without them knowing it. Sandy was shocked to find out that he had taken so many pictures of her and she didn't appreciate it either. She told him to not take pictures of her, and there is a big reason for that too.
My heart broke for Henry through so much in this book and I was hoping that eventually things would work out for him and Bobby. If you want to know if they did you will have to read this book and the next two to find out the whole story. It will touch your heart and make you mad in many ways. I think the system had a part in the things that happened to Henry but that does not make everything okay.
A heartwarming, sad, intense story that will keep you turning pages until the end. I loved it and gave it a 5 star rating... P.D. Workman has a wonderful gift and some of her books could very well help us all to see things about the mental health care system and the foster care system are not always what we think they are.
This book was so good and also very sad. The main character, Henry, has taken care of his little baby brother, Bobby, since he was born. He also tries to take care of his trouble mother and put up with her boyfriend, Clint who is mean to Henry. I highly disliked him...
Henry gets into trouble without even trying and is for the most part a very good young man.
He runs into the only man that was ever a father to him and wants to have him as a part of his life. He even takes Bobby when he goes to visit him. But Frank starts acting strange around Bobby when he is holding him and tells Henry to take him home. Henry is confused by his sudden change in how he acts towards him too.
He finds out that Frank has been arrested for being around him and Bobby and that he is a pedophile. The police come to Henry's house to question him and his mother tells them that he had bothered Henry when he was just a little kid. But Henry does not remember any of that and thinks his mother is lying. But is she? Was he molested by the one person that he trusted so much?
Girls start getting killed, mostly prostitutes. Sandy, a prostitute that you'll meet and get to know more in book 2 has befriended Henry and helped him in many ways. He gets hooked on drugs and ends up in jail. Could he have been the murder? A sweet young boy who was such a good brother to baby Bobby? Did the mental system let him down by putting him on the wrong kind of meds?
Henry's favorite thing to do was take pictures. Every time he got any extra money he bought more photography items to help him. He took pictures of women that he thought were beautiful without them knowing it. Sandy was shocked to find out that he had taken so many pictures of her and she didn't appreciate it either. She told him to not take pictures of her, and there is a big reason for that too.
My heart broke for Henry through so much in this book and I was hoping that eventually things would work out for him and Bobby. If you want to know if they did you will have to read this book and the next two to find out the whole story. It will touch your heart and make you mad in many ways. I think the system had a part in the things that happened to Henry but that does not make everything okay.
A heartwarming, sad, intense story that will keep you turning pages until the end. I loved it and gave it a 5 star rating... P.D. Workman has a wonderful gift and some of her books could very well help us all to see things about the mental health care system and the foster care system are not always what we think they are.
September 20, 2017
I am confused as to the author's "intent" with this book, and what i mean by that is that the ending was no surprise. Was it supposed to be?? It's apparent all throughout the book what Henry is, what's he's been doing, so the ending was anticlimactic. I though the author did a brilliant job with "Looking over your shoulder", but this one was a miss for me. I just skated on the periphery of Henry's world, rather than being drawn into it. He was a lukewarm character to me, a sketch.
August 19, 2018
Intriguing book
Book about a young, geeky boy and his troubled life. He keeps getting accused of murder but there is never enough evidence to convict him. Is he a good boy or is there a killer inside that geeky boy?
Book about a young, geeky boy and his troubled life. He keeps getting accused of murder but there is never enough evidence to convict him. Is he a good boy or is there a killer inside that geeky boy?
October 14, 2021
That was … okay. It picked up in the second half of the book but I thought it was slow going at first. Also, it’s not particularly hard to figure out the twist so that was disappointing. There was one element that surprised me and that was the bit that didn’t get explained lol
February 19, 2018
A tragic life
This is a great example of how a good kid's life can go to hell because of a lack of a proper environment and parental guidance.
This is a great example of how a good kid's life can go to hell because of a lack of a proper environment and parental guidance.
December 5, 2021
Poignant and heart wrenching but at the same time exciting, thrilling edge of your seat unputdownable❣️
You are hooked as soon as you start reading...
Very anxious to read more . . .
You are hooked as soon as you start reading...
Very anxious to read more . . .
November 21, 2016
I feel bad rating it so low when I only got 3% into the book, but this was the 4th free book I started during my lunch hour and dropped. I think I actually started reading another of this author's books online and found the subject matter more to my taste. This author's writing style is very plain and clunky, with little tension or atmosphere. I may try again later, but probably not.
July 15, 2016
Five srars
This book was great didn't expect it to end like this. Wow a serial killer didn't see that coming wow
This book was great didn't expect it to end like this. Wow a serial killer didn't see that coming wow
October 12, 2016
Not my normal cup of tea, but a good read none the less.
Not my normal cup of tea, but a good read none the less. A good coming of age story. Some people go through hell.
Not my normal cup of tea, but a good read none the less. A good coming of age story. Some people go through hell.
March 24, 2017
Great book! Henry was such a good kid. His love for his brother was so heartfelt. This is a sad book about someone's life getting into such a mess when their heart is good. People tend to mold others life without the knowledge that is is happening. You see yourself following instead of heading. A must read!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews