Review: Heartbreaking and Beautiful
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 5, 2014
I’m in complete awe of Nicola Haken’s bravery as an author. She pushes boundaries and doesn’t always stick with the safest path, She discusses the uncomfortable topics and does so in a way that draws you in, makes you hold your breath and cling to her words. Every single one of her books has left me in utter disbelief at one point or another. Missing Pieces is no different, except I do believe I may actually be a bit traumatized at how severe and twisted some of the storyline in this book is. Does this make it a bad read? Absolutely not! Nicola Haken has found her way into my heart and I love all her books thus far including Missing Pieces. This book is pretty heavy and though I’ve read all her published work so far, this is probably the most disturbing book I’ve read for a number of reasons. I wasn’t quite sure what would happen by the end of this book, but I couldn’t quite shake the feeling of impending doom. Was I right? You’ll have to judge for yourself…yeah, some things you just have to experience for on your own and I won’t give away the ending.The book is about two relatively young adults Maddie and Blaine, both are seventeen and seniors in high school. They’ve grown up incredibly fast and taken on roles unsuitable for the typical high school student. Their home life is pretty screwed up and they end up leaning on one another as they learn more about each other.Blaine is the star football player and all the girls at school want a piece of him. He’s got a reputation for being a womanizer – a love ‘em and leave ‘em guy, but when Maddie moves to America and is forced upon him by his stepmom, he tries everything in his power to push her away. She gets under his skin and he doesn’t like feeling that way. Maddie can’t figure Blaine out and is stuck trying to figure out why he is so hot and cold. As Blaine and Maddie grow closer, secrets they’ve tried to keep hidden begin to unravel. Soon they begin to need one another. They rely on one another to get through the many traumatic and heartbreaking events of this book. Blaine fears his secrets will only push Maddie away. While he longs to keep her in his life he knows it will only bring pain upon them. He’s afraid she will know he isn’t as strong as she believes.Maddie has become the parent of her household; her life has been one obstacle after another. Never remaining in one place long enough to make friends or get comfortable, Maddie begins to form some of her best relationships while in California. The one relationship she wants more than anything is with Blaine, but he harbors some pretty deep scars and even though she’s breaking through to him she’s afraid she’ll push him away if she digs too deeply.This book is heartbreaking and beautiful. I couldn’t put it down. I wept for the two young adults that endured a tremendous amount of pain while exhibiting an inconceivable amount of strength and love. Though Missing Pieces is about two young adults, it does contain mature content and can get pretty dark at times. It is not suitable for readers under 18.  I’d recommend this for Nicola Haken fans, New Adult/Mature YA fans and anyone who is interested in a story of strength, courage, unwavering love and loyalty.