Book Review: The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or other related entity.

Synopsis:

Breakdown Review:

The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World by Amy Reed was a bit of an oddball YA contemporary with a magical realism feel.

The setting is strange and mysterious and vaguely reminiscent of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. For those who have read that series, I feel that there can be a bit more understanding and enjoyment of the magical realism component. Reed plays with the scenery and the Dragons vs. Unicorns storyline to create something fun that feels a bit tongue in cheek. There are some definite dark overtones to this as the fog rolls in and everything takes on an eerie, foreboding feel.

Reed's primary protagonists are quintessential teens with some heartbreaking backgrounds. Billy has never really felt loved by anyone, yet he is the unfailing optimist who cares for everyone else while allowing himself to be severely taken for granted. Lydia is a talented girl who doesn't quite feel at home in her own skin, though she makes all outward attempts to appear as though she does. She sports a rough exterior and struggles to accept love from those who truly care about her. I loved these kids. I felt so incredibly sorrowful at their circumstances, but felt that I came to know them well through the narrative. I rooted for them both in different ways and felt both frustration and pride in their actions. They were well-written dynamic characters who felt believable. The supporting characters were also well thought out, though admittedly not always very likable. Reed seems to be quite good at creating characters with distinct flaws.

The story contains several concurrent events swirling around each other, keeping the narrative moving and intense. This stays consistent from beginning to end with moments of severe tension. The magical realism component created a bit of confusion, but for me that worked in a good way. It kept me guessing as to both what was going on and what was going to happen.

Parallels to modern circumstances with regard to political occurrences and environmental concerns played a minor part through the majority of the book, but became stronger and clearer as to their involvement in the book as the end neared. I certainly did not see where this section of the book was headed from the beginning, but I very much enjoyed how it was all wrapped together with a solid, though somewhat quirky ending.

For those who enjoy something different, are fans of YA, and love a bit of magical realism, this is a fantastic read. I look forward to reading more from Amy Reed in the future.


Emotional Response:   

The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World was a huggable read for me. It made me happy, made me sad, made me concerned for the characters as well as frustrated with them. I ran the gamut on emotions. I also found myself highly entertained and amused with some of the sideline antics and the bits and pieces of magical realism that were tossed in. All in all, I just had a darned good time.

Rating: