Breaking Beautiful
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Fans of dark contemporary stories will feel right at home in Jennifer Shaw Wolf's debut as she takes them on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and ultimately, forgiveness.
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident--including her memory of the event. She doesn't remember driving on the cliff road. She doesn't recall jumping from the truck just before Trip lost control.
As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she's kept hidden for so long, the horrible reality of their abusive relationship. When the police reopen the investigation, it quickly turns on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. As the threats begin and the survivor's guilt takes over, Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On the night of Allie's 18th birthday, she and her boyfriend, Trip, get into a horrible car accident. Trip drives over a cliff and dies, and although Allie survives, her memory of the night is patchy. She refuses counseling, but when a detective comes to her small Northwest town to reopen the investigation, her dark memories of Trip's abuse and the fateful night resurface ("Everyone thinks I have survivor's guilt. What would they say if they knew what was really inside?"). Allie feels attacked from all angles: at school she's resented by Trip's friends, and at home she's smothered by her parents and her concerned twin brother, who has cerebral palsy. Her only ally is her childhood friend and crush Blake, whose troubled past makes him a suspect in the accident that killed Trip. When Allie receives threatening notes written in Trip's handwriting, she is finally forced to confront her memories. Wolf's debut impressively weaves Allie's chilling memories with present-day drama. Part romance, part mystery, this solid outing offers a persuasive portrait of guilt and recovery. Ages 12 up.
