Publisher: Entangled Teen
First published: December 11th, 2012
Source: Received from publisher
Format: eBook (Kindle)
Pages: 304
Goodreads Summary:What if your life wasn’t your own?Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?
My Rating: 4.0 / 5
First thoughts:
Even though memory loss stories can be found very often in YA books at the moment and can therefore become a little bit tiring, I thoroughly enjoyed All the Broken Pieces.
More detailed:
... the narration and the plot:
I usually prefer stories told from a first person narrator, because they make it a lot easier to connect with the main charcter. All the Broken Pieces is told from a third person narrator who isn't omniscient though. At first this confused me since I'm not as used to this technique, but soon it no longer made a difference. We get to experience the world from Liv's point of view, who isn't a very reliable narrator thanks to her memory loss, which makes stories like this so very interesting.
As I already mentioned above, memory loss stories aren't unique and so far I have read a couple - some were good, some not so good. All the Broken Pieces is definitely one of the better ones, even though it cannot replace my current favorite. The problem I've had with its plot is the rather slow pace and the missing action. While it's mysterious, I found it to be more like a "simple" contemporary coming-of-age story with some elements that are supposed to keep us guessing. Nonetheless I loved those moments that hint at a big secret behind Liv's awful accident and I loved trying to find out about it.
... the characters:
Liv is a character you can't help but end up liking. She isn't too whiny even though she has enough reasons to be and tries to figure out the mysteries of her accident without forgetting that she has a life to live nonetheless. What I didn't like about her though, were her inconsisent reactions. There were moments when she completely overreacts, while I'm completely baffled after some scenes where her reactions are just too mild.
Spencer, too, is a very likeable main character and a great love interest for Liv. He has to work through his own issues, which makes him a very understanding friend and boyfriend for the poor girl, who never fails to support her when she needs it the most. The other characters we meet in All the Broken Pieces are diverse but none of them really stick out (except for Liv's parents maybe).
... everything:
All in all, I can definitely recommend All the Broken Pieces, if you're looking for an entertaining and slightly mysterious contemporary to your tbr-pile. It's a lot of fun to guess along with Liv and Spencer and find out what really happened. And while it's definitely possible to guess the truth (I wasn't too mistaken actually), I'm sure some of you will definitely be surprised by what truly happened.
This review is part of All the Broken Pieces' blog tour.
Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.
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