Review: What's Broken Between Us by Alexis Bass

Title: What's Broken Between Us                               

Author: Alexis Bass

Publication: December 29th 2015, HarperTeen

Format: e-ARC, 304 pages              

Source: Edelweiss (Thanks to the publisher)        

Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | The Book Depository | Kobo | National Bookstore / Fully Booked (PH)

Synopsis:   

A year and a half ago, Amanda Tart's brother got behind the wheel drunk and killed his best friend. Today, he's coming home from prison.

Amanda's been the one living with the fallout, made worse by her brother's recent unapologetic TV interview. People think he's a monster. Still, she loves him. It's her dark secret, until she starts getting close to Henry again--whose sister is paralyzed from the accident. 

A year and a half ago, her brother destroyed his life. Now Amanda has to decide if she'll let his choice destroy hers.

                                 

Review:

I don't really like writing negative reviews because it leaves a bad after taste in my mouth and I feel like I'm gonna be sick but I've always been honest with everyone when it comes to my reviews and this books is the first of probably a few that's going to be coming along the way, that I did not enjoy very much.

What's Broken Between Us is probably one of those books that started off really mysterious and cool and then got slapped in the face by an array of characters that felt a little too over the top.

Let me explain. I loved Alexis Bass writing style. I think it's beautiful, thoughtful and well put-together. But I guess her characters ate that magic away the minute that certain interactions happened. I honestly loved Amanda and Jonathan's family dynamic and how slowly the effects of his imprisonment is eating the normalcy of his family.

As much as I praise the way it's been written, the characters are what made this book quite disappointing. Particularly Amanda and Henry. Now, I don't hate romances happening during troubling times but Amanda's and Henry's just seemed a little too forced. I mean, Henry's like the quintessential British guy, tall and beautiful. Who wouldn't fall for him? I would've if only he didn't seem like such a prickly character that's too obsessed with his sister and is like a really contemporary version of Edward Cullen. And Amanda. I liked how her first words weaved into my head. She's a really cool chick and seems to be level-headed but the moment she talked about something outside of her brother's issues, I just can't deal with her.

My if only's would usually come around this part where I somehow wish that a book was written this way instead. It seems too imploring but I think taking out the romance and focusing on the matters of Jonathan's life after prison and the consequences between him and his family would've worked just fine on it's own. And because Bass is a terrific writer, it's the simplest of plots but with the most immense possibilities.

What's Broken Between Us is a beautifully written book about life after imprisonment and the harshness of society  yet disappoints me to a degree that it makes me feel badly about it. I would like to try Bass' other books, her debut and the upcoming ones. Hopefully they won't disappoint me like this one did.

About The Author:

                                                                                  

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Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.