Review: Fracture

Fracture was attracting quite a bit of Internet buzz, but it was a co-worker who mentioned I might be interested in reading it. I saw it at B&N and bought it because I was planning for it to be the next read for the teacher YA book club. But, there are too many tragedies happening around us right now, so we opted to go for something a little different for the next read. Since I had already purchased it, I made this my weekend read - and I could not put it down.

Summary (from book jacket):

By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.

But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, or a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening…

My Thoughts:

I love mystery novels, but the problem is I usually can figure out the ending within a chapter into a novel. Not with Fracture. Miranda kept me guessing throughout, and I enjoyed every page of it.

The plot was an interesting concept – what would be the fallout for someone who has “died” to return to the world of the living. I enjoyed this concept because the author really captured the hardships of trying to understand the gravity of what has happened not only to Delaney but also to those who love her most: her parents and her best friend.

This was not a plot-driven novel; it was character-driven. The characters of the novel were all worth the reading investment.

The main character is developed nicely. Readers experience her ups, her downs, her confusions, and her realizations as she does. Having the novel told from her point-of-view really strengthened the novel as a whole. With Delaney guiding readers, readers experience everything with her at the moment she experiences it. This led to me investing in Delaney more as a character.

However, the minor characters are the ones who steal the show. Decker, the best friend, is what every girl is looking for in the opposite sex. Not only did he pull Delaney from the ice but he also keeps vigil next to her bed. He experiences survivors guilt in a way that I felt stayed true to the plot. Out of all of the minor characters, he was my favorite. Then there are Delaney’s parents. I am not usually a fan of parents playing a huge role in YA novels because they usually just complicate the plot, unnecessarily so; however, Miranda balances their role very nicely. Their role is vital to their daughter’s recovery, and before readers even realize it, they too are caught up and invested in Delaney’s recovery on the same level as her parents – as care givers. And then there is Troy. There is not too much I can comment on with his character without giving away important plot points. I will simply say this: read with caution. There is definitely more to him than meets the page.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys reading YA. I don’t think it appeals to one type of reader over another. It is just a nice YA mystery novel that will keep readers guessing until the very last chapter.