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Even If We Break
by
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp comes a shocking new thriller about a group of friends tied together by a game and the deadly weekend that tears them apart.
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.
Are you ready to pla
...moreGet A Copy
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
September 15th 2020
by Sourcebooks Fire
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Popular Answered Questions
Minou⁷
there is not any explicit romance or much swearing but there are mentions of gore etc. Hope that helps a little!
Jo Ladzinski
Ever is nobinary and uses they/them pronouns, while Finn is trans and uses he/him pronouns.
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Start your review of Even If We Break


Y'all, buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Even If We Break was a huge disappointment for me.
I knew going in that the reviews weren't the greatest. Regardless of the super interesting synopsis, it seemed a lot of Readers weren't enjoying it, but why?

Frequently, I find myself in the minority opinion on polarizing books, so in spite of the negative reviews, I still wanted to give it a go.
I love slightly cheesy, Teen Slasher stories, particularly those featuring weekend getaways. This book sound ...more

1 star.
I'm going to try and write this review in the nicest way possible though I have a feeling I'll fail because this book frustrated me to no end. Rarely are there books that frustrate and now Even If We Break Joins that list.
I can't describe this book. I can't describe it because it doesn't know what it wants to be. It wants to be slasher horror with character growth but it fails in so many ways that I don't even know why this book was written.
Get ready folks. Strap in and let's go for a ri ...more
I'm going to try and write this review in the nicest way possible though I have a feeling I'll fail because this book frustrated me to no end. Rarely are there books that frustrate and now Even If We Break Joins that list.
I can't describe this book. I can't describe it because it doesn't know what it wants to be. It wants to be slasher horror with character growth but it fails in so many ways that I don't even know why this book was written.
Get ready folks. Strap in and let's go for a ri ...more

Oh, no! I hear the choo choo sounds of the disappointment train is about to arrive to the “this story is going anywhere” stop! Five friends in the cabin with secrets gave me “Cabin in the Woods’ vibes but promising premise and exciting start turned into something slow, repetitive, boring drama. And slowly all those brilliant potentials start to drown in a muddy place as my dreams about reading action packed, full of adrenalin rush thriller disappear forever!
I like the representation of transgend ...more
I like the representation of transgend ...more

I recieved this book from a GoodReads giveaway! I really enjoyed reading this! The beginning was a little slow going at first, but ended up picking up not to long into it. Each chapter is about one of the characters. And each character has experience something that has made their friendships change within the group. They have always spent their summers togeather in the family cabin☠this year is their last.... And definitely the Scariest!! ☠ recommend if your into suspense!! Great Halloween/ Fall
...more

Even if we break was disappointing. I was hoping for a gripping mystery/thriller but unfortunately, I never managed to connect to the characters even though it had good representation (queer & autistic characters). I also never connected with the plot which confused me at first when I saw that their "game" was actually role play. I thought why not, and I tried to get into the book but sadly, it left me a little bored and lost.
I was wondering for a while if someone really died or if it was part ...more
I was wondering for a while if someone really died or if it was part ...more

To be honest, this wasn’t my favorite. However, I did really enjoy the social dialogue and issues presented with some of the main characters. The diversity in this book has allowed me to up my rating from 2 to 3 stars. Definitely a very YA vibe so if you battle on some YA books, maybe skip this one. This one is definitely more middle grade focused (in my opinion).

EDIT: I decided to write a more cohesive post about passive and unintentional ableism in readers and what is wrong with saying things like ''The diversity/representation is the only good thing in the book.'' followed by calling the passages about trauma recollection ''annoying'' and an overstimulated autistic character ''whiny''.
EDIT: Worded the below review a bit better.
_____
This book was amazing! I really love how the disability, mental illness, trauma and transness of the characters is inter ...more
EDIT: Worded the below review a bit better.
_____
This book was amazing! I really love how the disability, mental illness, trauma and transness of the characters is inter ...more

Oct 03, 2020
Anniek
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
1-2020-releases,
lgbtq,
trans-mc,
2-ya,
autistic,
non-binary-mc,
disabled,
3-mystery-thriller
I started this book last night, then stayed up to finish it, because I absolutely needed to know how it would end. And admittedly, it was pretty scary at times, although I'll be the first to admit I'm easily spooked. It was a very fun thriller, especially because I loved the characters, and I loved the RPG aspect and how it was weaved into the story. I will say I figured out who did it immediately, which was a bit of a shame to me, but I still had a really good time reading this.
Most importantly ...more
Most importantly ...more

"As I catch my breath, I glance around at the group. We're a collection of individuals, all of us broken, all of us fragile. But the thing that scares me the most isn't that I might break us apart farther. It's that I want to."
Even If We Break follows five people who used to be best friends and now barely hang out. They get together one last time at a cabin buried deep in the woods, because they will be graduating and going their separate ways soon. Going into this book I thought it was going to ...more
Even If We Break follows five people who used to be best friends and now barely hang out. They get together one last time at a cabin buried deep in the woods, because they will be graduating and going their separate ways soon. Going into this book I thought it was going to ...more

This was a DNF at page 88.
Firstly I want to say that I am pretty sure it’s me and not the book because I went in with completely different expectations so when it wasn’t what I thought it completely threw me off.
The book itself has a lot of representation which is always good to see and I was intrigued to see what the characters secrets were, however to the point where I was I just want interested enough. It’s not like I’ve got to a point where it’s hard to DNF because it wasn’t.
Once again it’s ...more
Firstly I want to say that I am pretty sure it’s me and not the book because I went in with completely different expectations so when it wasn’t what I thought it completely threw me off.
The book itself has a lot of representation which is always good to see and I was intrigued to see what the characters secrets were, however to the point where I was I just want interested enough. It’s not like I’ve got to a point where it’s hard to DNF because it wasn’t.
Once again it’s ...more

Apr 20, 2020
Mara YA Mood Reader
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
autumn-reads-halloween,
2020-new-releases
Yaasss bring on the creep factor just in time for Fall!!

4/20/2020 ...more

4/20/2020 ...more

Absolutely terrifying horror thriller about five roleplaying friends going to a haunted cabin, that shines through its queer and disabled representation.
Read the full review on the blog!
Content warnings include: murder, character death, graphic violence and injury, emotional torture, ableism, addiction to painkillers, transphobia.
Mentions of car accident, getting beaten up, poverty.
Even If We Break immediately scores with its heavy atmosphere from page one onwards. Even without the actual horror ...more
Read the full review on the blog!
Content warnings include: murder, character death, graphic violence and injury, emotional torture, ableism, addiction to painkillers, transphobia.
Mentions of car accident, getting beaten up, poverty.
Even If We Break immediately scores with its heavy atmosphere from page one onwards. Even without the actual horror ...more

Dec 01, 2020
Drew's ambitious reading
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
tbr-shelf,
hardcover,
2020-reads,
library-books,
new-releases,
buddy-reads,
audiobook,
thriller,
fall-tbr-2020
First book for December is finished and we are kicking the month off with a ya thriller and a 4 star read! RTC SOON!(:

Thanks to the publisher for providing a digital ARC of Even If We Break in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a self proclaimed horror junky. I used to pride myself on having read every single goosebumps book (published pre 2013), I grew up on scooby doo, then goosebumps, then are you afraid of the dark and the haunting hour and now I watch and read every horror story I can get my hands on. Even If We Break is not a horror story.
Even in kids horror, one of the most important aspects of a scary st ...more
I'm a self proclaimed horror junky. I used to pride myself on having read every single goosebumps book (published pre 2013), I grew up on scooby doo, then goosebumps, then are you afraid of the dark and the haunting hour and now I watch and read every horror story I can get my hands on. Even If We Break is not a horror story.
Even in kids horror, one of the most important aspects of a scary st ...more

Oct 08, 2020
Alaina
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
contemporary,
2020-ng,
books-i-own,
thriller,
lgbtqa,
audiobook,
horror,
fiction,
young-adult,
mystery
...what did I just read?
Even If We Break almost broke me. The beginning honestly sounded pretty cool, and so did the synopsis, but I was just so bored with everything that was happening. Also, the whole game thing is still weird and creepy to me. SO yeah, don't put me down for that game EVER.
In this, 5 friends are going to a cabin to play a game or whatever. At first, I thought it was like roleplaying something like dungeons and dragons. I honestly didn't know what I was getting into and once I ...more
Even If We Break almost broke me. The beginning honestly sounded pretty cool, and so did the synopsis, but I was just so bored with everything that was happening. Also, the whole game thing is still weird and creepy to me. SO yeah, don't put me down for that game EVER.
In this, 5 friends are going to a cabin to play a game or whatever. At first, I thought it was like roleplaying something like dungeons and dragons. I honestly didn't know what I was getting into and once I ...more

Thank you to Source Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows a group of 5 best friends who head up to a remote cabin for the weekend to play one last game in their invented role play world. Relationships are already fractured, but when mysterious notes start turning up and one of them goes missing it quickly spirals into a dark game for survival that none of them could have anticipated.
What I Liked:
Characters. This book had 5 POV characters, Ever, Finn, L ...more
This book follows a group of 5 best friends who head up to a remote cabin for the weekend to play one last game in their invented role play world. Relationships are already fractured, but when mysterious notes start turning up and one of them goes missing it quickly spirals into a dark game for survival that none of them could have anticipated.
What I Liked:
Characters. This book had 5 POV characters, Ever, Finn, L ...more

This was a good lesson in the value of paying attention to the reviews from your Goodreads community, even if they are unfavorable but the synopsis sounds good.
Nijkamp had a great premise here, and parts of the book were successful (more on that in a moment), but on the whole, the book is a big letdown.
There is some heavy, heavy angst going on with all of these characters, and it is painful and frankly kind of irritating to read. Do we want our protagonists to fight to overcome hardships throu ...more
Nijkamp had a great premise here, and parts of the book were successful (more on that in a moment), but on the whole, the book is a big letdown.
There is some heavy, heavy angst going on with all of these characters, and it is painful and frankly kind of irritating to read. Do we want our protagonists to fight to overcome hardships throu ...more


Well... I really wanted to like this book. Right off the bat, it had three things going for it:
- Full of diverse characters: trans-rep, nonbinary-rep and disability-rep - and I freaking loved all of the representation here.
- cabin in the woods slasher horror
- spotlight on nerdness - let your nerd flag fly!
But sadly, that's where the positives end. This book was ... awkward. This group of teens who were once really close decide to have one last hurah together but no one really wants to be there a ...more

This is the first book I have read by this author and definitely won't be my last! I can't wait to read Before I Let Go! Things I loved about the book: the setting (cabin in the mountain/woods) I love books and movies with that setting! So spooky! It gets scary pretty quickly after they arrive at the cabin, diversity, that there are five POV so we get to know what everyone is thinking and feeling, there is a ghost story thrown in so you don't know if it is a ghost or one of them that is doing ev
...more

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings: murder, death, addiction
Representation: trans POV characters, bisexual POV character, autistic POV character, chronic pain, disabled POV character
I honestly don't know how to rate it. It's a 1 or 2 star read. While this book has a variety of representation, the execution is lacking. The transitions between monologues, flashbacks, RPG, and the mystery/thriller elements are awkward. While I have empathy for some o ...more
Trigger warnings: murder, death, addiction
Representation: trans POV characters, bisexual POV character, autistic POV character, chronic pain, disabled POV character
I honestly don't know how to rate it. It's a 1 or 2 star read. While this book has a variety of representation, the execution is lacking. The transitions between monologues, flashbacks, RPG, and the mystery/thriller elements are awkward. While I have empathy for some o ...more

Oct 19, 2020
PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
I’ve enjoyed book I read from this writer less than the one before. After a stellar debut, it’s time we part ways.

Five friends are brought together by their mutual love of a fantasy-based RPG—Gonfalon. Together, they’ve created an immersive world full of magic, murder and mystery.
RPGs are a great form of escapism, and everyone in this group is trying to escape something. Unfortunately, the game that once brought them together is now tearing them apart. They decide to meet up one last time to try and salvage what’s left of their friendship.
But what happens when you develop too much dependency on escapism? O ...more
RPGs are a great form of escapism, and everyone in this group is trying to escape something. Unfortunately, the game that once brought them together is now tearing them apart. They decide to meet up one last time to try and salvage what’s left of their friendship.
But what happens when you develop too much dependency on escapism? O ...more


Disclaimer: An eARC was provided via the Publisher and Netgalleyin exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
Actual Rating 2.75 Stars
Oh dear, I really had such high expectations from this horror mystery – but it failed to leave a mark on me.
Five friends; from different walks of lives who have had only one thing in common – a RPG that they all immerse themselves in; come together to play one last game, before they all mo ...more

I'm torn.
This is the second book I've read by Marieke Nijkamp, and there were some things I enjoyed. Ahem:
1) It was definitely a thriller and I'm usually hard-pressed to find a thriller that doesn't keep me turning the pages
2) It's use of RPGs as the backdrop for the plot and the friendship was really interesting and well done; I hadn't seen a book that used that before. I'm not super familiar with that world, but it seemed very well-researched. And finally:
3) The diversity?
This is where thi ...more
This is the second book I've read by Marieke Nijkamp, and there were some things I enjoyed. Ahem:
1) It was definitely a thriller and I'm usually hard-pressed to find a thriller that doesn't keep me turning the pages
2) It's use of RPGs as the backdrop for the plot and the friendship was really interesting and well done; I hadn't seen a book that used that before. I'm not super familiar with that world, but it seemed very well-researched. And finally:
3) The diversity?
This is where thi ...more

Five friends go to a cabin for the weekend for their last game of live-action role playing. As difficult is it is for them to let go of the world they’ve created, most of them are moving on after high school, and there are already fracture lines in the group. All of them have secrets, and somebody seems bent on making the game more real than it’s ever been, with deadly consequences. Trigger warnings: character death (graphic, on page), car accident, suicidal ideation, severe injury, addiction, b
...more

A copy of this book was kindly provided by Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t read thrillers books as often as I would like. So, I was pretty excited to read Even if We Break! I’ve also been wanting to pick up one of Marieke Nijkamp’s books for a while, so this just added to my excitement.
I started reading and got pulled right in–and I think part of it is that Nijkamp started the narrative with the characters already on their way to the cottage at which most of the action i ...more
I don’t read thrillers books as often as I would like. So, I was pretty excited to read Even if We Break! I’ve also been wanting to pick up one of Marieke Nijkamp’s books for a while, so this just added to my excitement.
I started reading and got pulled right in–and I think part of it is that Nijkamp started the narrative with the characters already on their way to the cottage at which most of the action i ...more

this book had an interesting premise, but it didn’t deliver for me.
there were a lot of characters in this book, and they kinda ran together in my head😂 in the beginning, i thought that every character had a really big secret that would get revealed, and they didn’t? that was a let down for me, especially because i felt
that it could’ve been a better motivator for the killer if the other had betrayed them, but no. the killer’s motivation ended up feeling very weak to me. i had a hard time caring ...more
there were a lot of characters in this book, and they kinda ran together in my head😂 in the beginning, i thought that every character had a really big secret that would get revealed, and they didn’t? that was a let down for me, especially because i felt
that it could’ve been a better motivator for the killer if the other had betrayed them, but no. the killer’s motivation ended up feeling very weak to me. i had a hard time caring ...more

*UPDATE*
I was seriously disappointed with both the lack of plot in this book, and the writing style of the author. Yes, this author does an amazing job at creating elaborate RPG and jump-scare situations, and she gives a much-needed voice to the LGBTQ+ and mental health awareness communities...but with no plotline, it makes me feel like the only reasons for reading this are to support the aforementioned communities as well as be delightfully chilled by the jump scares. When I read a book, I go i ...more
I was seriously disappointed with both the lack of plot in this book, and the writing style of the author. Yes, this author does an amazing job at creating elaborate RPG and jump-scare situations, and she gives a much-needed voice to the LGBTQ+ and mental health awareness communities...but with no plotline, it makes me feel like the only reasons for reading this are to support the aforementioned communities as well as be delightfully chilled by the jump scares. When I read a book, I go i ...more
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Challenge Corner: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp -> Restarting January 24th, 2021 | 19 | 20 | Feb 11, 2021 07:43PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp - Restarting January 24th 2021 | 34 | 19 | Jan 29, 2021 07:40PM |
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Marieke Nijkamp a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek.
***
Please note I don't respond to friend requests or messages on GR, but you're always welcome to tweet or email me. :) ...more
***
Please note I don't respond to friend requests or messages on GR, but you're always welcome to tweet or email me. :) ...more
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“It’s not giving up. It’s standing together, not alone. It’s facing whatever comes next. Because you believe in a cause, perhaps, but most of all, you believe in one another.”
—
2 likes
“Some sounds can break through everything:
Silence.
Tension.
Night.
Imagination.”
—
1 likes
More quotes…
Silence.
Tension.
Night.
Imagination.”