Friday 5 June 2015

The Broken by Tamar Cohen

The Broken
By Tamar Cohen
Published by Random House (23 April 2015)
ISBN: 978-0552779371



Publisher's description
Best friends tell you everything; about their kitchen renovation; about their little girl's schooling. How one of them is leaving the other for a younger model.

Best friends don't tell lies. They don't take up residence on your couch for weeks. They don't call lawyers. They don't make you choose sides.

Best friends don't keep secrets about their past. They don't put you in danger.

Best friends don't always stay best friends.

My verdict
The Broken is a chilling psychological thriller focusing on the dangers of getting too involved in friends' relationship problems. And how you may discover that you don't really know your best friends at all.

This is the story of best friends Dan and Sasha and Josh and Hannah, and what happens when Dan decides to leave Sasha for a younger model (literally). As Dan and Sasha's marriage breaks down, cracks start to appear in Josh and Hannah's marriage too. All four lives are plunged into turmoil, as they struggle to adapt to their changing relationships. Josh and Hannah are unsure where their loyalties lie as conflicting stories are revealed. It's difficult to know which one - Dan or Sasha - they should trust.

Tamar 'Tammy' Cohen has the knack of creating believable characters, so normal that they would be right at home in your own backyard. These days, it's fairly commonplace for marriages to break down, and this book felt very real. I could imagine myself in very similar scenarios and experiencing the same feelings as Josh and Hannah.

The memoir of a young girl dotted throughout the book keeps the suspense going. I did guess the twist at the end, but it was still cleverly written. The author leaves the book hanging, which doesn't always work but I felt that it did in this particular case.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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