Broken by A . E. Rought

Title: Broken
ARC Review provided by NetGalley
Publishing Date: January 3, 2013
Author: A. E. Rought

"Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's." (from Goodreads.)

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows."

 Think of a Twilight version of Frankenstein....that is basically this book.

That came out negative, which is funny cause I quite liked the book.

It is much creepier than Twilight...the ending is beyond freaky and was perfect with Halloween approaching. Unfortunately, it did have that instant-love Twilight has. When you read the book though, the instant love sort of makes logical sense. I don't want to spoil but it's not as unrealistic/predictable as the love in Twilight.

Still, the plot line follows similarly. A protective supernatural boy (Alex,) and an awkward girl (Emma.)

One thing that made me enjoy this book was the minor characters.  Emma's mom and Emma's best friend both have strong personalities in which the develops the plot. Even though I didn't identify with these characters, they were unique. In addition, Alex's father is so beyond creepy that it completes the book. Without this character, the weirdness factor wouldn't have been there. 


Also, a retelling of Frankenstein? LOVE THE IDEA. Seriously, this book may be even creepier than the original story, which I quite liked.

Obviously, I am sort of back in forth on my opinions. I love a good sappy romance, but I also love a romance that is realistic...despite the romantic flaws in the book, the characters and disturbing plot is great.

Please note, if you are squeemish and hate eerie novel's this isn't for you! 

Cover Art: 8/10 (Love the colors and the spookiness of it.)

Characters: 9/10 

Plot: 10/10

Pacing: 8/10
Romance (added this just for this review): 6/10

Overall: 8/10