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My rating: 3.7 stars
Book summary:
"Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next . . . until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.
Quinton once got a second chance at life-but he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life . . . but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?"
It's been a while since I read The Secret of Ella and Micha, and a little bit later The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden. What I remember the most about those books is how much they surprised me and made me feel. To be honest, I don't really have a valid reason why I never got back to the sequels. That was back when new adult novels just started to gain their audience and I was 100% sold to the whole idea. And then came whole drama - people had a lot of bad things to say about genre, but still everyone continued to read them despite their hatred. It wasn't about the book for me - I love new adult romance novels and I am not ashamed to admit it - but the whole attitude of reading community. I kind of lost my way. But not anymore.
Depression, drugs, broken people and a lot of bad choices. This pretty much sums up Breaking Nova. One of my Goodreads friends wrote in her review that she felt like she was drugged after she finished reading. I did too - at some point everything got crazy and out of the hands. It tends to be that way when you end up in the company of the people like Dylan or Delilah. Even Quinton. It is so easy to fall of the cliff when you're eighteen and still don't feel like you get around as well as other people. Add to that all of the problems Nova had, you have the killing combination. That was the best part of the story for me. The most believable one.
What I didn't like that much? Like any other new adult novel, Breaking Nova has standard cliches. There is nothing bad with them, but you have to find that golden middle ground to make it work. Beginning was the weakest part because it looked like "my life sucks more than your life" contest. Also whole deal with Nova and OCD was really too much. Or at least it could be a main focus in her character development and some other details could have been left out.
Jessica Sorensen wouldn't be Jessica Sorensen if she don't end her novels with the cliffhanger. This one wasn't that bad, but still I am happy that I waited for second book to come out.
Happy reading,
I hate to break it to you but there is a third too that isn't out yet. I read the second expecting that to be it and...it isn't Gah!
OdgovoriIzbrišiI saw that, but it's not that hard to wait next month release.:)
IzbrišiSometimes clichés in books can work okay if the book is done well! Glad you liked it overall.
OdgovoriIzbrišiYes, they can. It was a surprise for me, I didn't think it would turn out to be this serious.
IzbrišiJanhvi has read this author's books and I've been told they're really good stories but somehow, I never got to them. Well, I like stories with broken people and bad choices so this sounds like it's right up my alley. But as you said that it's just another cliche like most NA books these days, I'm slightly doubtful. Nonetheless, I'm glad you enjoyed the book overall, Glass. Awesome review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiSarika @ The Readdicts
Don't run away - it is really good book, you have to read it. There are cliches in every genre - YA, adult, paranormal, realistic fiction... But as I said, those are not a bad things as long as the story is good and everything has its measure. There are only few things in maybe first three chapters that bothered me, but the rest of the novel is great.
IzbrišiThank you.
Yep. So no more Jessica Sorensen books until the series is finished. Dully noted. And I like NA too, I just have to be in the right mood for it, but I think I will hold off on this one (maybe even after the series is complete) b/c it sounds a little too depressing for me, what with the my life sucks more than your life" contest and the "depression, drugs. broken people, and a lot of bad choices" summary. I'm glad you liked it though! Great review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiJessica @ Rabid Reads
Thank you , Jessica. This is definitely one of the more serious NA novels - sequel is even harder for me to read. There is a love story, but main focus in on drug addiction. If you're in the mood for lighter themes, go with Colleen Hoover or Abbi Glines.
IzbrišiURGH I. Hate. Cliffhangers. I'm going to wait until a few more installments are released before I tackle this one so that I can read them back-to-back. It's better for my sanity that way.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI have yet to read a Sorensen book despite having a bunch of them on my kindle. I hope to fix this soon, I really want to read Callie and Kayden.. Great review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiTeresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives
I've never read any of this author's books. I have mixed feelings about NA, but I am always open to good ones!
OdgovoriIzbrišiJen @ YA Romantics
I read Ella & Micha a while back and I... didn't hate it. But it didn't leave me with any great desire to read Sorensen's books ever again. Truth be told, for someone like me who tends to avoid contemporary fic and the drama it inevitably brings, this sounds like something to avoid.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI'm glad you ended up liking it.
Great review.
I've read a couple of Sorenson's books, before I realized every single one had an awful cliffhanger. I did like them, though. I've heard this one is so dark, which I haven't been in the mood for lately. I'm glad you liked Breaking Nova, Glass. Thanks for the review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiDepression, drugs, broken people and a lot of bad choices. Wtf, please tell me THIS IS NOT. AGAIN. Omg, when will this stop? I'm sorry, I can't even. So.. I mean.. Lila and Ethan had the same thing in it. Um, Violet and Luke has the same topic. THIS HAS IT TOO? Shocker! Srsly, if you copycat your own work then.. I can't even. I'm going to stop now before I say anything I'm going to really regret. I'm glad that you enjoyed this book as a whole though, but I cannot cope with reading the same story all over again and paying for doing this so yeah. Btw, sometimes cliches can be good--after a really dark read you sometimes need cliches and cheese and fluff and all that but I'm tired of NA cliches so I'll just stay away from this book.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI was never one to get into the NA genre when it came out and I've still not given it a try really, but I'm glad you ended up enjoying this one :) Great review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiJanina @ Synchronized Reading
New Adult have not been my thing. I've given good number of books a try. The only new adult which sounded good was Unteachable. Breaking Nova has the concept of drugs and definitely agree the feeling of being drugged. Glad it worked out for you, Glass (: Wonderful review!! (:
OdgovoriIzbrišiI can deal with the cliches in new adult if I get some distance and read the with other books in between. It sounds like I'd enjoy Breaking Nova more after taking a new adult break and coming back to it fresh. Glad you enjoyed it. Lovely review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiI wasn't a huge fan of this one. I thought it was sloppy and boring and predictable. I've concluded that reading one of Jessica Sorenson's series is enough and you'll enjoy it but when you start reading a few of them they start to blend together and you realize they are pretty much the same.
OdgovoriIzbrišiLily @ Lilysbookblog
There's not too many new adult novels I really like, but this one sounds great! It sounds like it holds your attention and is an entertaining read. I don't like cliffhanger endings, so it's awesome that the second book is already out, too :) Great review!
OdgovoriIzbrišiThat's actually a pretty good rating, considering :P If I were in your shoes I'd probably have let go of this like a hot potato, given the clichés in NA that I am absolutely sick of seeing (some of them are in YA now too nuuuu). I may still read this for the concept of drugs and its role in the story. It sounds really awesome and I can't wait to experience it myself!
OdgovoriIzbrišiFaye at The Social Potato Reviews
This was a tough read because I hate reading about characters on a destructive and downward spiral, but somehow Nova made this story work for me. Don't know if I'll pick up the rest of the books, though. I do not I won't pick up the next one until the last is out. I'm not a fan of JS's cliffhangers. Great review, Glass! :)
OdgovoriIzbrišiGood to know that she tends to end her books with cliff hangers - I'll probably wait until the series are finished to start reading then. I don't mind waiting a little bit for a cliff hanger, but too long and I either feel tortured or forget about it and it loses its punch.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI love that you felt drugged when you finished the book, though. I love reading hangovers (and hate them lol)!
I totally know what you mean about NA novels getting a bad rap, I hope authors keep writing for it though and defining the genre into something that is more set. They were an interesting gap in fiction, it still has a ways to go though. Great review on this book, it sounds like it was an emotional read.
OdgovoriIzbrišiJeann @ Happy Indulgence