Broken officially releases today even though it’s been available for a couple of weeks already. I’d love for you to buy a copy and then share what you think. So far it looks like this book is somewhat polarizing. I’ve seen some great reviews but have also seen a couple of very strong negative reviews.
I don’t think Broken is an easy book in terms of reading. It’s a quick read, but most of the time I expect the reader to be wondering what the heck is going on. Some people like myself love stuff like that. Others hate it. It all depends on the ending and if that works for the reader.
If you are expecting Isolation Part 2 or Beyond Ghostwriter, this will let you down. All I can say is that I gave this book my best shot just like every other flawed shot I’ve taken. I really love this story and really love Laila. I hope you get a chance to check it out.
It's burning a hole in my iPod Touch at this very moment… a fresh full-book digital download from amazon.com. Finishing Tinkers by Paul Harding this weekend,then it's on to Broken, hopefully in a tree hammock in the park on Memorial Day.
Hey Travis, I finished Broken today and I have to say it is a first for me, a Travis Thrasher novel that I did not love. As I read the book I was wondering where it was going and why so many characters and subplots. The level of some of the violence surprised me, but did not take me out of the story. It is a gritty story and the violence and language was appropriate for the setting. What really stood out for me was that I really did not care for the characters. I was curious what the final outcome would be for the leads and was saddened by some of the events of the book, however I really was not fully invested in the characters, especially Laila. I admire your bondness with some of the plot twists and I was truly touched by a few moments. Overall is was a decent read, but it did not feel like a Travis Thrasher novel from a story telling standpoint. I do not want to ramble on. I can't say that I was dissappointed and I am not sorry for reading the book, there is some good stuff in there. It just was not, for me, the typical Travis Thrasher novel that I want to read again as soon as I finish it. I greatly look forward to reading more of your books. God bless!!!
Thanks for the honest feedback, Goldtop. I tried some different things with that novel. I tried to make it no-nonsense, brutal, and surface thin. Not in terms of plot but in terms of delving under the surface. I didn't focus on backstory or on character's thoughts–I wanted to try to show this through action.
I don't think there is such a thing as a typical Travis Thrasher novel, but BROKEN is definitely not the first novel I'd give someone. It's in the same category as BLINDED.
Not sure if you've read SOLITARY, but I'm getting some nice comments on that. And you have to read 40 that comes out in May, 2011. I unleashed the floodgates for better or worse on that one. 🙂
I did get the sense that you were attempting something different with Broken, I can appreciate that. Blinded I loved, Broken I liked, both different from your other books.
I know that there is not a typical Travis Thrasher novel, however for me in the other books of yours that I have read regardless of the genre, there is such a readabilty, (I think I made up a word,)about them. The writing is so clear and I just want to keeping on reading more even when the story is finished. The characters are so rich that one grows to care about them as the book progresses. This was especially true of Admission, the story was over, but I still wanted to keep reading about Jake's life.
I have not read Solitary yet, I do have it at home, along with Ghostwriter, in my short pile of books to read. I greatly look forward to reading them and your future novels! God Bless!!!