Weekend Pick for October 14, 2022

Weekend Pick for October 14, 2022

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 All Our Broken Pieces by L. D. Crichton (2019)

L. D. Crichton

As an avid reader, I have my favorite authors and preferable kinds of stories. We all do and often influence each other’s reading choices by suggesting books that are trending or gaining popularity among friends, YA experts, and colleagues. Fear of missing or ignoring a book that has been enthusiastically advertised and promoted is often driving these choices. However, from time to time, I pick up a book by an author I don’t know and just read. One of these books is All Our Broken Pieces by L.D. Crichton (2019), an author of The Enchantment of Emma Fletcher (2017).

While the story Crichton tells her readers is engaging, it took me a few days to read because it was raw and full of pain. I had to pause, think, and grieve with characters about their losses, whether emotional or physical. All Our Broken Pieces is a story of two teenagers, a girl and a boy, affected by an immense trauma and attempting to cope with it. They find each other and form a bond that helps them survive their tragedies and rediscover hope. Crichton narrates the characters that are believable, flawed, angry at times, resolute at other times, strong, yet extremely vulnerable. I am not going to retell you the story because I will give out some spoilers. Here are just a few teasers for you.

The story is told by both protagonists. Lennon, the girl (and yes, Beatles have something to do with her name), deals with a heavy case of OCD to the point that is unable to ride in a car without thinking someone she loves will die because of it. Her daily rituals, tapping, counting, and rearranging things create an overwhelmingly intense picture of her real struggles. Kyler, the boy, has survived the house fire that left a huge scar on his face. Since then, he wears hoodies and keeps his head down. A talented musician and songwriter, he plays in a school band with his friends, but refuses to perform in public. 

​The two adolescents are neighbors in a wealthy LA suburb; they go to the same school and are assigned to work on a group project for the English class together. As they grow to know each other better, Kyler’s fondness for the girl is vividly convincing when he describes her as “Lennon from Maine… with serious issues… who sews… and is broken… and beautiful… and badass…” ​Lennon, in her turn, records her fact: “I’m so in love with Kyler Benton. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Read it for yourself and see how these two strong adolescents cope with their trauma and mental health issues. Their story might help someone you know to heal. 
 
Until next time,
Leilya