Reviews

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell

siakou's review against another edition

4.0

The TLDR is that this was way better than all my expectations combined and I’m kinda shook!

I don’t think anyone would ever pick up a book that is part of a "marvel crime series" and expect it to be the epitome of realism but just in case, people who can’t deal with unrealistic situations should steer clear.

I was conflicted on whether I should request the arc or not because I hate almost everything related to marvel but the synopsis had me on a chokehold.
I don’t know about you but reading how this was all about a mom who hires a PI because she wants to know if her children were being cloned or duped or switched (you know, the usual freaky shit) after they come back home from a trip to UK and they look and act different sounded too intriguing for me to pass it up. And I’m glad I didn’t.

Going in, you should definitely keep an open mind, forget common sense for a few hours and just trust the process. The plot line alone was worth it I loved all the creepy things we get to discover along the way, the execution was not boring at all, the pacing was perfect to achieve maximum engagement, the characters were pretty well developed, the interactions between them felt genuine and overall this exceeded my expectations.
Also, my concerns about this being to heavy handed with the MCU and all that were thankfully not a big deal. It could have been way more ridiculous than it actually was and I appreciated very much that things were kept relatively mild.

I’ll be definitely keeping an out for the rest of the books in the series, curious to see what else they’re gonna do with it.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for the digital ARC!

mattjc_00's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

shelbyaguirre's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I tried to have an open mind about this one but I constantly found myself asking “what is happening..”. I enjoyed the mystery and it definitely kept me reading as I wanted to know how it was going to end. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

cmyrup's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

3.0

I love Lisa Jewell’s work and have consistently rated her books 4-5 stars. 

While I thought Breaking the Dark sounded intriguing when I requested to read the advanced reader copy I think it just wasn’t for me. 

I don’t have any real connection to anything Marvel and I think that made it hard for me to really get into the story. 

I do believe that Lisa Jewell/Marvel fans will enjoy this. The writing was in true Lisa Jewell fashion. I believe if I ever get into the Marvel universe this will be a book I will come back to. 

Thank you to the author, publisher and. NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc. 

acton's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Breaking the Dark was my first experience with Lisa Jewell. I’d been curious to read one of her novels, and am grateful to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for making this title available to read now. 

This was a very different read for me, and though it was not my favorite type of mystery and I know little about Marvel superheroes, I did find it to be mostly entertaining. Some parts of the plot were a bit difficult for me to understand, and I also found the motivations of a couple of the characters to be puzzling. Of course, I realize that a  thriller involving superheroes demands that the reader suspend her disbelief, but  I sometimes had a hard time doing so. 

The fusion of mystery with superheroes  is a creative concept, though it’s not my preference. I look forward to reading a more typical Lisa Jewell novel, but am glad that I experienced this one. 

_rebeccareads_'s review against another edition

4.0

I wasn't sure how I would get on with this one - I enjoy Marvel, will go to the cinema to see any of the new films, but I'm by no means a super fan. I am, however, a massive Lisa Jewell fan. I definitely didn't need to have worried - this book was everything I love about Lisa's writing, with a sci-fi/supernatural twist. 
 We followed a few different POVs all taking place in different parts of the world - I was particularly intrigued by Ophelia, Polly and co. I was fascinated by the individual stories, and it was so satisfying to see how they all connected as the story slowly pieced together. 
 Not just a superhero story, this book also covers some really important topics - society's obsession with being perfect, and the moral dilemma surrounding this, and Jessica's difficult relationship with motherhood to name a few. 
 I couldn't write a review without quickly mentioning how much I loved Malcom, Jessica's intern. He was a brilliant addition to this story! 
 I'd definitely now be more inclined now to consume more content including Jessica Jones. Overall, a really enjoyable read - I think the Marvel Crime series could make Marvel more accessible for a lot of people!  

njnic23's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this! I'm an MCU/Marvel girlie, so I knew what I was getting myself into, but I've only read one Lisa Jewell book (The Family Upstairs) and loved the tension in that. Lisa does a good job of orienting readers with Marvel lore and relationships without getting bogged down in exposition. In this story, Jessica is hired by a NYC mom whose twins come back from a summer abroad acting strangely and who emphasize how perfect they feel. While investigating the case, Jessica discovers that this is far deeper and more nefarious than even she was prepared for. 

I came for Marvel, and stayed for the thriller! 

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue for a review copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. 

rhack05's review

4.0

Did I request this ARC without reading the blurb? Yes. Did I realize it was based on Jessica Jones from Marvel? No. I am glad I gave it a chance because I really ended up liking it despite knowing next to nothing about Jessica Jones. I love Lisa Jewell's writing so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I liked it but seeing as how I'm not really a Marvel fan, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. 

I love how the mystery of what was happening to the twins unfolded and I NEVER would have guessed what was causing their "oddness". This was very unique and clever not to mention extremely relevant in today's society. I loved Jessica's character and her sassy attitude and quick thinking. The story flowed beautifully and I flew right through it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue and Lisa Jewell for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

shonataylor's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

megs004's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0