Broken Beauty (#1 Broken Beauty Novellas): Book Review

I recently came across this novel by Lizzy Ford writing as Chloe Adams. It deals with a sensitive subject that I don't ever really see written about or at least not in personal emotion or real depth.
This story touches on the life of a young soon to be senior in high school and her ordeals with a devastating event.
*Spoiler alert*

This won't be a summary of the novel but I will be touching base on my feelings on certain subjects and scenarios so please DO NOT click below since there will be spoilers. There is a sensitive subject matter too so if you are uncomfortable or disturbed, then do no continue to read.
First off, I wanted to write this review because of the content of the story. To be straight forward, the story focuses on the issue of rape and a rape that occurred to a teenage girl and her perspective on it. I applaud the writer for writing on such a sensitve and hushed down subject that almost seems taboo to most people.

We are delivered into the mind of a young woman and the outcome of a nasty situation where she was drugged (rapist added roofies or something to her drink at a party), and chased and raped.

I like how the author portrays the main character, Mia, in a real light. Yes she was drinking before hand at the party which may have impaired her judgement. Yes she was probably wearing something that was alluring to the opposite sex. However, it wasn't as if she asked for him to drug her or asked him rape her.

What makes the story seem more personal was the aftermath of the scene. Being a conservative's daughter, the very real topic of Plan B pills after a rape incident came into play and how she was brought up to believe a woman could not become pregnant from a rape by what her father had taught her, so her family was against the pill especially after she was recommended them by the doctors.

Also, the reality of how the victim must feel shows the real emotions of what it must feel like to be in that situation. As you are reading, you are rooting for her , much like her friends and other characters in the novel, to tell the truth about what happened and her inkling of who did this to her. But she's scared and as scared as anyone has the right to be in her situation. She understands what is all on the line with her father being a political figure tied to the family of the rapist. She just wants it all to go away even though it has forever scarred her. She knows what the right thing to do is, but she just can't, quite yet, bring herself to tell the truth. She then becomes more aware of how she could help other victims of the same rapist if she were to step forward and go to court, but she is still in the frightened mind set. She wants nothing to do with having to see her attacker and becomes so frightened with the image of him she can't bear to look anymore.

There is a young police officer that helped her at the crime scene and calms her down throughout the book by being a protecting presence. For me, this character is vital because it is a male figure in her life that she can depend on even though he isn't related to her. She can't rely on her father or uncle. I want to see how their relationship develops as they become closer to one another. At the end of the novel, she is working with his sister who works with women's relief (or the like) and are destined to be more involved.

Then the end of the book comes with you leaving in suspense as she finds out that she is indeed pregnant with her rapist's child. Everything she was ever taught to believe in from her father basically turns into a lie and ultimate betrayal and because of her family's stance on the Plan B pill, she does end up with child. She also briefly considers abortion and is worried for what she wants, but her father and uncle have the stance on pro-choice and will not allow it to happen.
That is basically how the book ends and I am looking forward to how the author will portray Mia's life and ordeal through the pregnancy. I feel like she will put Mia's situation to justice by bringing down the rapist but the scenes to lead up to it will be interesting to read.




3 comments

  1. I might try this out, I love books that are deep and make you think x

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    Replies
    1. This is a very deep book and I highly recommend it if you are not too sensitve about the subject. There are going to be 6 books total in the series so I can't wait for the other 5 to come out.

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