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rileyaurora83's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
thisisnotnatti's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Good book to start off with as I get back into reading. About halfway through I managed to figure out the ending but I think that’s just a testament to good writing rather than predictability. I kind of wish it were longer to get to know the characters more, most of the information given felt like just means to an end but they were still lovable and interesting in their own way.
melbsreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content warnings: violence, murder, death of a friend, blood, electrocution, ableism
I wanted to love this because the premise sounded creepy and mysterious and I trust Nijkamp to always write an extremely diverse cast of characters. And, like, it WAS that. But it was also just kind of confusing because I couldn't keep track of which bits were the game they were playing and which bits were reality. I also did struggle at times to tell the characters apart. I think for me, there were just a couple too many narrators and between all of them and the plot as a whole, I just found myself losing more details than I would have liked.
I wanted to love this because the premise sounded creepy and mysterious and I trust Nijkamp to always write an extremely diverse cast of characters. And, like, it WAS that. But it was also just kind of confusing because I couldn't keep track of which bits were the game they were playing and which bits were reality. I also did struggle at times to tell the characters apart. I think for me, there were just a couple too many narrators and between all of them and the plot as a whole, I just found myself losing more details than I would have liked.
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
“The world is a messed up and scary place. It's lonely to go through it on your own. So, you have to find your family. You have to find people who will stand by you and make you laugh until you cry, and who will hold you while you cry until you laugh again.”
➽ Even If We Break was an engaging survival Thriller about a group of five friends. This book was what I wanted Five Survive by Holly Jackson to be! I'm not sure why this book has such a low average rating, but if the premise sounds interesting to you, I'd suggest giving it a try. I personally really enjoyed Even If We Break as it was suspenseful from start to finish and had such a diverse cast of complicated characters. The story follows Finn, Maddy, Ever, Carter & Liva who are going to an isolated cabin in the woods for their last RPG! I loved that their roleplaying game was a part of the story, as it brought them together in the first place. Now with graduation looming on the horizon and a rift in their friend group, it's their last time playing their characters.
➽ I liked the characters and their messy dynamics! Finn was probably my favorite. He's a trans, disabled teen who's still dealing with the trauma of being a victim of a hate crime. He's lost faith in most of his friends after the incident but was convinced by his best friend and secret crush Ever to come to their last getaway. Ever is the gamemaster and they're trying to keep everything together, even if everyone is no longer as close as they used to be. Maddy is having a hard time as well, as she was in a severe car accident that left her in chronic pain and no longer able to play lacrosse. She also struggles to live in a neurotypical world as an autistic girl and is currently dealing with mental health issues. The only person who has been helping her is Carter. He's a bit of a jerk and obsessed with becoming successful. Carter's currently interning for Liva's father and feels like he has to claw his way to any recognition. Liva is the typical, spoiled rich girl who was a good friend when everything was easy, but quickly disappeared for the hard parts. Her casual ableism and classism definitely made her the most unlikable character in the book.
➽ I was a bit scared because this book was intense! An isolated cabin in the woods is a textbook setting for a horror movie and the five friends quickly discover that no one is coming to help them. Stalked by a mysterious attacker and disappearing one by one, it seems like someone doesn't want to let them leave alive. I liked that the story subtly built up to the disaster and transported this feeling of unease and paranoia. I loved how their fight for survival tied into their RPG! Finn, Ever and the others have no idea who would wish them harm and are fighting to get back to civilization. The ending is a bit ambiguous but definitely realistic!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Ableism, Hate crime, Violence, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Murder, Addiction, Grief, and Blood
kwims's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
the_lawyer_librarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
youngthespian42's review
2.0
This one did not hit good at all. The characters felt like they were more focused on checking representation boxes than being full fleshed our characters. Most of the POVs did not talk like teens at all. I’m a huge dnd player but these kids felt detached from reality like in Mazes and Monsters more than actually immersed in their game.
afabbi's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0