I was sold at prep school with a hint of paranormal, but that doesn't seem like what we got. I didn't read the first book of this series, but companion novel usually means that you don't need prior knowledge. Now I'm wondering if it would have helped...

2.75/5 I didn’t really care about this story. I read it and wasn’t hooked right away. It actually took me quite a while to get through it. I mean I normally like suspense and mystery but I didn’t like that I felt like Charlotte was glamorizing sucidide. I noticed in reviews on goodreads I’m not the only one to think this. Also I didn’t like that Charlotte was offered so much help from people and it seemed that she would turn her nose up at them. She was just ungrateful. The characters weren’t great and that really brought me down on this book. The plot was okay, but again those issues really kept me from enjoying this novel.

An amazing companion to Rollins's BURNING. I loved seeing the how the characters from the first book connected to the characters in BREAKING. And, in classic Rollins style, the writing was fantasic... and perfectly spooky, suspenseful, and psychologically twisted.

**3.5 Stars**
Charlotte has spent the last month feeling lost and depressed since her best friend Ariel committed suicide, but when she is awakened one night just to find the dead body of her other best friend, Charlotte is sure she can't take anymore. Just when she is packing to leave her boarding school, she finds a strange glass vial left in her belonging from Ariel saying it is a clue. Thinking it was just some stashed alcohol, Charlotte drinks it. But soon, nothing in her life makes sense, but in the best possible way- her appearance is better, classes finally click, and the boy she has crushed shows her attention. But Charlotte knows that this is not real and she wants to know the truth.
​
I found this to be a really interesting, dark mystery which ended up having a surprising supernatural flair. After reading the story I discovered that this is the second book in a series, but I feel like this for the most part could be read without having read the first book Burning. This story was a separate mystery with only a tie in in the last like 10 pages or so. I had a debate on the main question in this story at work- what would you want in return to give up your humanity. And that, that is the question that I kept thinking about after reading about half the book- what would I be want to obtain just to lose myself? I don't want to be too spoilery, but I found this story to bring up some interesting ideas about people and what what we do for fame, intelligence, talent.

​"I did a bad thing. But I had my reasons.
I just thought you should know that."
The story is narrated like Charlotte is giving a confession​ to the reader, or maybe an interview, making it seem like she is explaining her actions, which I found to be a really interesting approach. But we (as in the reader) never know who she is talking to which leaves me pondering.

The author Danielle Rollins is also Danielle Vega (who I love!), which I had no idea, but it makes sense with the creepy atmospheric setting and the very adult teen actions- Danielle doesn't pull any punches when it comes to teen drama and horror of real life.

​I was surprised by the mixed reviews that I read on Goodreads after I read the book because I found the plot of the story to be interesting and overall I liked this story. It was twisty, strange, dark and I had no idea as to what would happen next. That being said, I really want to get my hands on book 1 in the series, Burning, and based on how this story ended, there will be more to come and I need the next book like ASAP. This is a perfect teen mystery with some surprising paranormal elements, good for older/more mature teens and adults.

For more reviews visit https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

4.5 Stars

'Breaking' is an incredibly well done YA thriller that fans of the genre are going to devour. Mysteries and thrillers are at the top of my favorite genres, and by this point it's a bit hard to fully capture my attention. This book grabbed me right from the very beginning and sucked me into Charlotte's world. I ended up reading the entire novel in one sitting. I loved all the twists and turns, the secrets and lies, and the supernatural aspects the author included. It made the story unique and captivating, which is definitely a hard feat to accomplish. I loved getting to know Charlotte and watching her change throughout the book. The author chose to write in the first person point of view - from Charlotte's perspective - and I'm so happy she did. It's by far my favorite style and does the best job at allowing the reader a deep and personal connection to the narrator. It's a perfect fit for this novel and any other writing style wouldn't have done the story justice.

The plot was fresh and engaging, with plenty of twists that you don't see coming. I thought I had it all figured out a few different times, only to have my theories demolished time and time again. The fact that the author could stump me like that was a huge plus for me, as not many can manage to do so anymore. The characters were rounded with distinct traits and personalities that made them realistic - especially Charlotte, our main character. I was able to easily identify with her from the very beginning of the book. She's definitely flawed, but has a lot of positive traits too. The secondary characters were also decently rounded and helped bring the story to life in my mind. I loved the setting too - even though some people might think the whole private/prep school is too common. It felt like the perfect place for the story to take place - it all fit together seamlessly. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA mysteries, thrillers, suspense, contemporary, and paranormal/supernatural fiction.

I was very excited for the opportunity to read this. I was excited by the suspense and thriller. I hadn't read the first book, but understood that I didn't need to. I didn't feel lost, but can't help but wonder if it would have helped. But I enjoyed the drama of it, and the darkness.

Rollins's exquisite prose brings the reader deeply into Charlotte's world. The characters are almost fairy-tale like; the handsome prince (the love interest, Jack), the deeply unsettling and distant Mother, and the two dead best friends - who live on in the story through Charlotte's memories. A book to recommend to readers who want a mystery with a touch of science-fiction or fairy-tale.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the e-galley of Breaking, by Danielle Rollins! It was billed as: "prep school gets a twist of supernatural suspense in this YA thriller." I've been binge watching Gossip Girl (for the very first time, can you believe that?), so this sounded right up my alley with my recent tastes.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about the book was the writing. It flowed very nicely and the tone of the first-person point of view was always consistent. Even if I didn't sympathize with the protagonist at times, at least I understood her. The thing I hate the most about first-person point of views are awkward, choppy trains of thought. In this regard, I think Rollins did a great job.

Another thing I appreciated was the diversity of the prep school. Sure, it was really only diverse based on ethnicity, but that's a start. There were some clever lines that touched on racial stereotypes, and then defied them in the same breath.

The above two points are the reason why Breaking has two stars from me. Because, to be honest, the story fell completely flat. The supernatural elements that it was advertised to have were flimsy. I went through the entire book without realizing that there was supposed to be anything supernatural at all; I had forgotten the description from Netgalley's website. It would have been the exact same book without the fantastical twist at the end of the book.

Another thing that I took issue with was how the protagonist, Charlotte, reacted to her best friends' apparent suicides. She rationalized them, even glorified them, at points throughout the book. The "supernatural element" oversimplified their apparent suicides as well.

This goes for the standards by which Weston Prep evaluates their students as well. Extraordinary beauty, mental brilliance, physical prowess. The students are frustratingly one-dimensional. The romantic subplot between Charlotte and Jack was intriguing, but it took up more of the book than necessary, especially as things start to really escalate.

As you can see, I appreciated Rollins' writing. I think the idea had potential. But the way it was executed was flat and left a lot to be desired. It seems like Breaking is the first book in a series, but I doubt I'll be picking up the second book. However, I will definitely be checking out other works by Rollins!

Although I completely love the cover of this book, I kept putting it down because the story was not as exciting as I hoped it would be. The general idea seemed interesting. The main character's best friends had committed suicide and she discovers there may be more to their death and finds clues left by one of her friends. The story had potential, but my mind kept wandering and I found myself very disappointed when I finally did reach the end. Why, why, why ... AHHHH I don't even really care at this point.

I had no clue the book had anything to do with a different book until I saw it on a cover at Books A Million earlier today. I hope book 1 was more interesting.

HERE’S WHAT I LOVED:

The dark and gritty, almost fairy tale-like quality of Ariel, Devon, and Charlotte. It almost read like magical realism with a sci-fi twist. I adored the dreamy, twisted idea of them being archetypes of fairy tale princesses whose mothers either abandoned or neglected them and all they had was a sisterhood. Yes, that. Yes.

The characters are imperfect. In fact, they aren’t even really likable for the most part. The more Charlotte reminisces about Devon and Ariel, the more cruel and sadistic they seem. Some scenes are truly horrific and disturbing. Like if you love animals…one scene will give you some serious anxiety. I held my breath through that one. The anticipation and fear are too real. Charlotte is one of those characters that you sort of sympathize with, though she does have quite a bit of self-pity. She thinks she’s less attractive, less intelligent, etc., than everyone at her school. There is a total of one scene that shows where that insecurity comes from-the pretty much abusive mind games her mother forced her to play as a child. I wasn’t entirely sold on her character. She was okay. As the story progressed, she did get better. She became rebellious, angry, and a little vicious. Not everything was so black and white.

Mystery definitely propels the plot forward. What at first seems like a string of suicides becomes suspect. What made two girls who were relatively happy and popular kill themselves? There are all sorts of clues and weird incidents that make you question everything.

The ending. Violent, vengeance-fueled, incendiary 😉 it’s sort of evil, but also justified. It was deeply satisfied with the ending.

HERE’S WHAT I DISLIKED:

The romance. There is so much build up that makes you think it’s something it’s totally not. Something more. Maybe Charlotte is blinded. Whatever. But the reader can see. There’s chemistry sure. And lust, definitely. But anything else, I wasn’t getting any strong emotions, even before the numbness started to set in.

I read Burning. There were several references to things that happened in this book that it kept throwing me off and I flipping through my memory trying to remember anything that might be relevant to the story. There is SO little about what happened in Burning and as a companion where the events that happened in the first book directly influence major plot points, I felt like there should have been more than a few measly clues.

The pacing was a little slow for me. It did pick up but way, way towards the end. Then it’s just crazy action and violence and all sorts of chaos.

Breaking was a novel that had such a strong premise, but ultimately the characters were what did the story in. I had not read Burning, but I'm sure it adds something to the world of story that I ultimately missed. But I digress. The prep school lifestyle in Breaking was just so sad. So devoid of meaning. And I never found the intrigue that the synopsis gave. So I closed the book at only a quarter of the way in, not tantalized to find out more.

An exciting, quick read that was not at all what I expected based on the description. It is not necessary to read the companion book prior to reading this one, but it probably would have prepared me for the superpowers. Good for readers who liked Cinder.

It is very hard to write a thriller that both makes sense and keeps readers on the edge of their seat. While Breaking did make sense, it failed to do the latter so the whole of it was lost on me.

I went into Breaking having no idea what it was a companion novel for Burning. Yes, the covers were similar and so were the titles but some authors have books like that but they aren't connected, they just like things to match. I heard someone say it was a companion and I was like 'No, you're wrong'. Turns out, I was wrong and I didn't figure it out until there was a name mentioned of someone who died and then I ran over to my shelves and pulled Burning down and searched for the name and found it. So, yeah, it's a companion and I recommend reading Burning first.

Plot:
First, I would like to say that there is suicide in this book. But it's not suicide the way you and I would conventionally think about it. It is a pivotal part of this book and there is no mental health issues surrounding it really. So, if you think you can handle that, then please pick this book up.

Charlotte goes to an elite prep school that her elite mother got her accepted at. She made friends with Ariel and Devon, two very different yet similar girls. These girls form a family because their families leave a lot to be desired. Then Ariel is found dead from apparent suicide. Charlotte's world is turned upside down and Devon is all she has left. Then Devon goes missing and is found in a very different position but still an apparent suicide.

Dr. Gruen comes to pick Charlotte up because she believes she doesn't need to be at this school any longer. Charlotte ends up leaving but coming back because before she left she found a clue one of her dead best friends had left for her. Charlotte needs to solve the mystery because with the clue there was a little vial that said 'drink me' and that is exactly what she did. Now she has to figure out WHY her best friends killed themselves and why she all of a sudden has the ability to pay attention in class and not suck at fencing. Then there is the matter of her new roommate and the weird symptoms both of them now share.

Then there is the little problem of Ariel's ex boyfriend, Jack. Something happened between him and Charlotte right before Ariel killed herself and Jack is now starting to show some signs of improving at school, too.

This book is a HUGE mystery and I really enjoyed following it.

Characters:
Charlotte
Ariel
Devon
Jack
Dr. Gruen - Charlotte's Mother
A bunch of elite snobs

I liked Charlotte enough. She wasn't dreadful but she also wasn't A+. She was a very determined girl and I did appreciate that side of her but she was also pretty unstable and that was before she drank the stupid vial.

Ariel and Devon were described in great detail since we didn't get to meet them for ourselves. Both of the girls had this very Pretty Little Liars personality. I can't really describe it any other way. They were mean girls but they were cold and calculated about it.

Jack and his situation was weird and that is one of the things I really hope ends up being explained a bit more in the next book(there needs to be another book). He was a very obsessive person but he was also very mysterious, in a bad way.

Dr. Gruen was just a horrible person trying to make some rich snobs dreams come true. That is all that can be said about her without spoilers, really.

World Building:
The world building was fantastic. You get this creepy, elite private school setting and then this creepy medical setting as well. I really loved how the author described one of the ending scenes. It was this weird room full of kids on gurneys and all I could think about was the one scene in Freddy Vs. Jason. So I really loved that! The author is amazing at setting thriller/horror backdrops and I am so glad us horror lovers have someone like her on our team.

Oh! The other thing, I am not sure if this is exactly world building but it was a big part of the plot, the author described fencing with such vigor that I am now wondering if she fences herself. And if she does, that is one lady I don't want to meet in a dark gym!

In the end, I found out the connection to the first book and I am hoping for a third book because that ending was NOT enough. Fingers crossed! And Charlotte's mom seriously got what was coming to her. I did feel bad at first but she probably would have done many more horrible things if she was allowed to continue.

As a little afterthought, even if you don't connect with the characters in these books the author makes it nearly impossible for you to care too much because her beautiful and vivid writing just draws your attention in. Sometimes the books aren't always about whether you like the characters. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you can't enjoy their story and what is going on in the world around them. Just because you have a negative or neutral emotion towards something doesn't mean it's automatically a bad thing.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

A dark thriller that dives into the issues of suicide and teen struggles. With such a dismal subject, I was hoping that the story would flow well and at least give me something interesting to attach myself to. The story progressed slowly and didn't have enough depth in the mystery aspect to keep my attention. There was a good concept here, but it fell flat for me.

This isn't a direct sequel to Breaking, more of a linked novel. This means that you can understand this one well enough without reading Breaking. We never really engage with the characters, though.

Breaking by Danielle Rollins is the companion novel to Burning. I think Breaking should be listed as a sequel because you need a lot of knowledge from Burning for everything to make sense. I think Breaking is more of a ya-thriller than Burning was too.

These characters drew me in right away. I was extremely interested in Charlotte’s life and how it would connect with Angela’s from Burning. Breaking is very mysterious and I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery. I think Charlotte’s character is interesting. Her best friends committed suicide but she doesn’t know why. Charlotte finds a clue from Ariel and now she is on the hunt to find the other clues.

There is a bit of a romance in this book that plays into the book but it isn’t the center of it. There is enough hint of it though that it keeps the reader wondering what is going on between these two characters and how did it affect the others. Rollins did a great job playing with the readers with this romance.

I liked Breaking a lot more than Burning but I still feel like there is so much more to the story. Very few things were answered from the first book and I wish I could have answers. The mystery is great but I want more! It doesn’t sound like there will be anymore books in this series though.

While I enjoy the characters that Danielle created, the story did not have that pull I'd expect to go along with the mystery aspect. Overall, it's a forgettable story that I wanted more from.

This one wasn't really for me - I was intrigued at first, but it was so vague! There's mention of Charlotte feeling better, having better skin, whiter teeth, a better looking face(?), but no real clue as to why. Is she dreaming/hallucinating? Is it something her friends took that lead to their deaths? I just don't get it. And so I ended up losing interest.

Also: as a side note: Ariel was a TERRIBLE friend. She does something horrific in the book (which is worthy of jail-time but which Charlotte and the entirely of Weston just BRUSHED OFF) and yet there was no repercussion, Charlotte wasn't angry and sure, a lot of that is to do what happened immediately after, but Charlotte still defended Ariel as a friend and I just didn't get it.

The whole Charlotte/Jack thing also grossed me out. He was dating your BEST FRIEND. HOW CAN YOU DO THAT?! Regardless of what I thought of Ariel, there's an unwritten rule that you do not fall in love with your best friend's boyfriend. And it kind of ruined Charlotte's character because she then goes all moon-y over Jack again, when he's with *another* girl. Like girl, please, have some self-respect!

Unfortunately, Breaking wasn't for me. It ends where there could be a sequel (or another companion maybe) but I won't be reading it because I just didn't really like the characters. The writing was fine, but Charlotte was so dull. Of the three friends, I'd have liked if it was narrated by Devon, because she was the most mysterious I think.

You win some, you lose some.