Review: Amazing Novella
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 19, 2013
4.5 StarsI’m normally not really a huge fan of novellas. I find that the shorter length normally leads to a rushed, shallow storyline and underdeveloped characters. This book shows that novellas can be just as well-crafted as a longer work. Mia has so much depth and all her emotions are so well explored. I didn’t FEEL like I was reading a novella, it felt like a full length novel (in a good way!)Now onto the themes in this book, Broken Beauty deals with the difficult topic of rape and I think the author dealt with this sensitive subject brilliantly. Mia’s struggles with her decisions and even just to continue living after her ordeal seemed so realistic.Whilst this book is not explicit it doesn’t gloss over the horror of what has happened to Mia. Because of this it may be difficult for past victims of sexual assault to read but it may also help you realise that you are not alone.Whether you agree with the choices made by Mia or not, I believe that most people would do the same in her situation. I found Mia to be very relatable despite the fact she is nothing like me. She is a very likable character who has gone through something no one should ever have to face and is simply trying to do the best with the cards she has been dealt.We get to meet several other characters in this book, some likeable, some not, all surprisingly well developed for mere secondary characters in a short novella. I hope to see more of Dom in the future novellas as he seems to have the power to help Mia in the way her family can’t.The storyline behind the Broken Beauty novellas was originally published as a single book called No Way Back which despite being on my amazon wishlist since release I never had the pleasure of reading. According to the authors note at the start of this book she has expanded the story to better do it justice (it definitely has been expanded, No Way Back was roughly 200 words and this – the first of 6 parts – is nearly 100).This is the first of 6 serialised novellas to be released across a year period. For a serial novella this has a good ending, Mia’s story is nowhere near complete but you don’t feel like you have simply read the first few chapters of a book.I would fully recommend Broken Beauty to all who want a moving and emotional story. I am highly looking forwards to reading the rest of the novellas.*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way*