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abbyreads2's review against another edition
3.0
I give this a 3.5 stars because I'm normally not used to reading books like this, at least not by choice. I picked this for the romance part mostly. I wasn't expecting that ending at all. I'm shocked. I'm speechless. I don't know how realistic that felt. It felt too unreal. I'm not sure if I like this book or hate it. I like the romance part. Although the constant back and forth between them did get kind of old, I didn't mind it much. It didn't get on my nerves. I didn't hate it. I understood it. But the whole memory thing? I'm still not sure what to think about that ending. It had me wanting more though. What happened next? It was just wow. I don't know what to think of it. I don't know if I liked it or if I hated it.
hpitcher15's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. When I decided to read this, it was definitely not what I expected. I expected a story about a girl trying to remember her old life, maybe becoming a better person yadda, yadda, yadda but what I found was a story that was so much more complex than that. I really was completely thrown by what happened in the end.
phillygirljl's review against another edition
4.0
Mystery surrounds a teen who wakes up from a coma with no memories & two very different voices warring in her head in All The Broken Pieces.
This story intrigued me from the very start of the book. The mystery surrounding Liv’s coma and what caused it drew me in. I liked how Liv’s past was pieced together (pun intended) through memories she slowly regained, as well as through clues her parents inadvertently dropped. The beauty of seeing through Liv’s eyes was that it was hard to decide whether her memories were real. As a reader I was able to completely immerse myself into Liv’s story and really experience her character’s feelings.
I also liked how Madsen wrote Liv using the two different voices in her head. It added to the mystery and also had me wondering which was the real Liv. Was one voice her old persona from before the accident? Or was she always like that and this was a clue to what had happened to her? It was thought-provoking to say the least and grabbed my attention enough that I had a hard time putting the book down.
My one complaint was that I felt the actual ending of the story and the final reveal felt a little rushed and I was a little skeptical about the plausibility, but I still enjoyed reading the novel and was surprised at the conclusion, despite the clues that were given.
Author Madsen did a great job of weaving Liv’s mysterious circumstances into a captivating story. This is a good contemporary YA fiction story that will pull readers in with its characters and writing.
This story intrigued me from the very start of the book. The mystery surrounding Liv’s coma and what caused it drew me in. I liked how Liv’s past was pieced together (pun intended) through memories she slowly regained, as well as through clues her parents inadvertently dropped. The beauty of seeing through Liv’s eyes was that it was hard to decide whether her memories were real. As a reader I was able to completely immerse myself into Liv’s story and really experience her character’s feelings.
I also liked how Madsen wrote Liv using the two different voices in her head. It added to the mystery and also had me wondering which was the real Liv. Was one voice her old persona from before the accident? Or was she always like that and this was a clue to what had happened to her? It was thought-provoking to say the least and grabbed my attention enough that I had a hard time putting the book down.
My one complaint was that I felt the actual ending of the story and the final reveal felt a little rushed and I was a little skeptical about the plausibility, but I still enjoyed reading the novel and was surprised at the conclusion, despite the clues that were given.
Author Madsen did a great job of weaving Liv’s mysterious circumstances into a captivating story. This is a good contemporary YA fiction story that will pull readers in with its characters and writing.
sk24's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, but wanted to scream at the ending a little bit. The story starts of with Liv (Olivia) waking up from a coma, not having any memory of who she is or what happened to her. Throughout the novel, she tries to uncover the truth behind what actually happened -- did she really run her car into a tree? Are her parents telling her the whole story? And who are these people she keeps dreaming about? The reader watches Liv develop into the person she becomes, through her confusion of not knowing what type of person she is supposed to be.
The character of Liv is very likeable and I couldn't help but feel for her and what she was going through. All the Broken Pieces is the perfect title for this novel, as it encompasses the entire book in those four words. Olivia wants to piece together the puzzle that is her life, through figuring out what happened. Her life is full of broken pieces. The title also has something to do with Liv's love interest, Spencer. He is quite the puzzle himself, with his own broken pieces of his past.
I sympathized so much with Liv throughout the novel. I was constantly frustrated for her by the people in her life. Spencer -- what the hell is up with him, anyway? He seems to like her, but he won't let her in. He seems like a nice guy, but everyone says he isn't. And then there are his moody moments when he shuts down completely and won't even talk to Liv. What a frustrating, yet loveable, character. Liv's parents -- they are incredibly frustrating and I'm not sure I'm all that fond of them. They won't tell Liv what happened or anything about her life before the accident. Every time she inquires, they either change the topic, get all weird, or just tell her to drop it. Soooo frustrating for Liv and for me, the reader!
Overall, the book was good. I want to give it a really good rating, but the part that's holding me back is the ending. I did not like how the ending played out. Okay, I get that what happened to her happened (it's weird, but whatever, I'm accepting it -- it is fiction after all), but the part about her parents and their part in it is not right. I can't believe that Liv would just accept it and move on. It's a bit unrealistic to me that her or Spencer would have done what they did at the end once they uncovered the truth.
I would recommend this book to YA lovers. There is some good romance aspects (although, frustrating at times, it becomes worth it, hehe). So, yes, read it. I enjoyed it.
This review was originally published on SIK Book Reviews
The character of Liv is very likeable and I couldn't help but feel for her and what she was going through. All the Broken Pieces is the perfect title for this novel, as it encompasses the entire book in those four words. Olivia wants to piece together the puzzle that is her life, through figuring out what happened. Her life is full of broken pieces. The title also has something to do with Liv's love interest, Spencer. He is quite the puzzle himself, with his own broken pieces of his past.
I sympathized so much with Liv throughout the novel. I was constantly frustrated for her by the people in her life. Spencer -- what the hell is up with him, anyway? He seems to like her, but he won't let her in. He seems like a nice guy, but everyone says he isn't. And then there are his moody moments when he shuts down completely and won't even talk to Liv. What a frustrating, yet loveable, character. Liv's parents -- they are incredibly frustrating and I'm not sure I'm all that fond of them. They won't tell Liv what happened or anything about her life before the accident. Every time she inquires, they either change the topic, get all weird, or just tell her to drop it. Soooo frustrating for Liv and for me, the reader!
Overall, the book was good. I want to give it a really good rating, but the part that's holding me back is the ending. I did not like how the ending played out. Okay, I get that what happened to her happened (it's weird, but whatever, I'm accepting it -- it is fiction after all), but the part about her parents and their part in it is not right. I can't believe that Liv would just accept it and move on. It's a bit unrealistic to me that her or Spencer would have done what they did at the end once they uncovered the truth.
I would recommend this book to YA lovers. There is some good romance aspects (although, frustrating at times, it becomes worth it, hehe). So, yes, read it. I enjoyed it.
This review was originally published on SIK Book Reviews
kaymariko's review against another edition
2.0
Mainly giving this two stars because I enjoyed the dynamic between Liv and Spencer.
Otherwise, Liv as a protagonist was kind of frustrating, and aspects of the story were either cliche, or just generally unrealistic. The end just had me outright enraged.
Otherwise, Liv as a protagonist was kind of frustrating, and aspects of the story were either cliche, or just generally unrealistic. The end just had me outright enraged.
nannasa16's review against another edition
4.0
woh, mi aspettavo qualcosa di molto diverso e nonostante delle parti in cui la somiglianza con Dentro Jenna era evidente, è un libro molto bello. I personaggi sono davvero ben descritti e il finale è davvero perfetto.
REVIEW COMING SOON ON ;DIAVS katnissbraid.blogspot.it
REVIEW COMING SOON ON ;DIAVS katnissbraid.blogspot.it
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 STARS!
Thank you Entangled Teen for this ARC. This is such a unique concept that's equal parts creepy, cool and romantic. There's also kissing which I'm a HUGE fan of! Liv appears to suffer from multiple personalities and one might jump to conclusions that's she's either schizophrenic or riding the crazy train, but she's not. Even though she has no memory of her life before her accident, she does have really vivid dreams she can't explain and the answers she gets from her parents are shady at best. When she starts a new school, she longs to find a place to fit in, but that's almost always easier said than done. The voices aren't much help as they argue about whether she should hang with the popular crowd or be friends with everyone.
Spencer is the one person she can be herself with, even if she isn't exactly sure "who" that self is. When we first meet him, he's a giant angrypants but the more he and Liv hang out, the more he lets his guard down. *clutches Spencer* He's as broken as Liv is, but in different ways and my heart melted into a big puddle of swoon as they worked through her list of "firsts", slowly rebuilding each other along the way.
The "creepy" element comes into play as you try to figure out what the heck happened to Liv and when everything is revealed, it's a total "WHOA!" moment. The ending was both unexpected and bittersweet and had me crying ALL THE TEARS! :)
One of the things I enjoyed about this read is that there's nothing to cringe about. It has it's heart melting kisses but no sexy parts and the language is mild. (one s-word, I think.)
Thank you Entangled Teen for this ARC. This is such a unique concept that's equal parts creepy, cool and romantic. There's also kissing which I'm a HUGE fan of! Liv appears to suffer from multiple personalities and one might jump to conclusions that's she's either schizophrenic or riding the crazy train, but she's not. Even though she has no memory of her life before her accident, she does have really vivid dreams she can't explain and the answers she gets from her parents are shady at best. When she starts a new school, she longs to find a place to fit in, but that's almost always easier said than done. The voices aren't much help as they argue about whether she should hang with the popular crowd or be friends with everyone.
Spencer is the one person she can be herself with, even if she isn't exactly sure "who" that self is. When we first meet him, he's a giant angrypants but the more he and Liv hang out, the more he lets his guard down. *clutches Spencer* He's as broken as Liv is, but in different ways and my heart melted into a big puddle of swoon as they worked through her list of "firsts", slowly rebuilding each other along the way.
The "creepy" element comes into play as you try to figure out what the heck happened to Liv and when everything is revealed, it's a total "WHOA!" moment. The ending was both unexpected and bittersweet and had me crying ALL THE TEARS! :)
One of the things I enjoyed about this read is that there's nothing to cringe about. It has it's heart melting kisses but no sexy parts and the language is mild. (one s-word, I think.)
weecha22's review against another edition
5.0
"[An] interesting story of a girl who can't remember her early life...Liv's high school relationships, especially her conflicts with the popular girls and her first dealings with romance, ring nicely true. Intriguing." - Kirkus Reviews
"All the Broken Pieces kept me guessing and frantically flipping the pages. It's a unique story with layered characters I couldn't help but fall in love with." ~ Nyrae Dawn author of Charade
"I knew this book would have a mystery, but I turned page after page waiting for Spencer and Liv to kiss while this perfect love story unfolded. You will not be able to put this one down."
~Anne Eliot, Author of Almost & Unmaking Hunter Kennedy
"All the Broken Pieces kept me guessing and frantically flipping the pages. It's a unique story with layered characters I couldn't help but fall in love with." ~ Nyrae Dawn author of Charade
"I knew this book would have a mystery, but I turned page after page waiting for Spencer and Liv to kiss while this perfect love story unfolded. You will not be able to put this one down."
~Anne Eliot, Author of Almost & Unmaking Hunter Kennedy
jess_readsromance's review against another edition
3.0
Donna asked me to review this for her as she didn't have the time. It's the second memory loss-car accident-YA book that I've read in the past two weeks. This one was pretty good overall. As a story it's pretty gripping from the get go, the pacing wasn't too bad and I was interested all the way through.
Liv is a pretty awesome character. She has no memory of the car accident, nothing before it anyway, but she seems to be recovering well apart from the flashes of what she feels are dreams, and what her mother claims is her brain making things up to deal with having no memory. She's a strong character although she finds it hard to deal with social situations now, she gets through it. I pretty much liked Liv from the start and I got pretty involved in everything she did which made the book easier to like and enjoy.
I have no major gripes with the book, except for this. It takes an extremely long time for everything to be revealed. Nothing much happens except for Liv starting school, trying to please the popular crowd but hating them too,dealing with Spencer blowing hot and cold. There just didn't seem to be much action involved, and I generally like YA books to be full of it. It's not until around the 84% mark that everything comes to light, even then. Nothing much happens. I just felt that it very much lacked action in places. That however didn't take much away from the enjoyment of the book, but I think I was expecting more.
There's a great element of mystery in this book, and that's great if you enjoy that. I do, most of the time if it's not too heavy on information etc. All The Broken Pieces has enough element of mystery and intrigue to keep the reader entertained, It just lacks action. That's where the star dropped for me slightly. It just lacked the 'shock factor', that's what I'm trying to say.
Overall it's not a bad story at all. It's not even a bad book, apart from lacking any action and things being revealed too late in the story I enjoyed it. I believe this is Cindi Madsens second book, so I will pick up another book of hers absolutely.
It's intriguing and mysterious, but lacks oompf! But it's definitely worth a read :)
Liv is a pretty awesome character. She has no memory of the car accident, nothing before it anyway, but she seems to be recovering well apart from the flashes of what she feels are dreams, and what her mother claims is her brain making things up to deal with having no memory. She's a strong character although she finds it hard to deal with social situations now, she gets through it. I pretty much liked Liv from the start and I got pretty involved in everything she did which made the book easier to like and enjoy.
I have no major gripes with the book, except for this. It takes an extremely long time for everything to be revealed. Nothing much happens except for Liv starting school, trying to please the popular crowd but hating them too,dealing with Spencer blowing hot and cold. There just didn't seem to be much action involved, and I generally like YA books to be full of it. It's not until around the 84% mark that everything comes to light, even then. Nothing much happens. I just felt that it very much lacked action in places. That however didn't take much away from the enjoyment of the book, but I think I was expecting more.
There's a great element of mystery in this book, and that's great if you enjoy that. I do, most of the time if it's not too heavy on information etc. All The Broken Pieces has enough element of mystery and intrigue to keep the reader entertained, It just lacks action. That's where the star dropped for me slightly. It just lacked the 'shock factor', that's what I'm trying to say.
Overall it's not a bad story at all. It's not even a bad book, apart from lacking any action and things being revealed too late in the story I enjoyed it. I believe this is Cindi Madsens second book, so I will pick up another book of hers absolutely.
It's intriguing and mysterious, but lacks oompf! But it's definitely worth a read :)