Read of the Week: The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.

Surprise, surprise, another Read of the Week yet again where science fiction is the subject of the selected matter. I, for once, though, am not feeling too iffy about talking about this one, because The Brokenhearted isn’t your typical science fiction young adult novel. If I was to put together all the different genre’s The Brokenhearted is really made up of, you almost wouldn’t believe me, unless you’ve read the book already.

Romance. Dystopia. Urban fantasy. Super-heroism. Strong heroine. Steampunk. Thriller. Mystery.

And probably a gazillion other things I can’t think to subdivide this big beautiful thing into.

What really got me about The Brokenhearted was all the different twist and turns. There were so many things happening all at once and once one loose end was tied, it was almost as if another seam would instantaneously come undone. While this was good because it kept the reader entranced and really hooked, it also made the book feel like it was dragging on. All the different subplots, while not messy, were thrown together strategically and was almost too overwhelming. This, of course, is not to say that I still didn’t enjoy it with all my heart.

Unpredictable romance? Check and check. Also not-too-heartbreakingly-romantic deception? Enormously tragic big bold red check. Predictable romance is sweet and sensual, obvious but pleasant. The Brokenhearted took blinded love to a whole new level of bittersweet betrayal. Even though from the beginning I was sure that something was wrong with both Anthem’s current and previous choice of love interests, I couldn’t even think to see what was only pages from unfolding before me. I have to give it to Kahaney for taking the plot in the direction she did. It was constructed very well despite my problem with all the sneaky little subplots.

Something else big, bright and new about The Brokenhearted? We aren’t just looking at another post-apocalyptic dystopian novel. We’re looking at something completely and entirely out of this world. The idea of Anthem dying and being brought back to life by something all too close to that of a hummingbirds heart was something I’ve never seen  handled before. I loved that the world we’re handed in this novel is so close to our current reality that at times you couldn’t even tell the difference between the two. Throwing Anthem and her unique situation into this world really put a spin on things and made the novel relatable and so much more enjoyable. And bringing light to the current heroine hate we have going on in the YA world that I certainty don’t agree with, I feel that it’s dire to mention Anthem’s self struggle and overbearing battle that she handles surprisingly reasonably in The Brokenhearted.

DID I ALSO MENTION THAT THERE IS A CLIFFHANGER AT THE END AND THAT I AM ODDLY NOT TOO HAPPY WITH IT BECAUSE NOW IT HURTS TO WAIT. I AM THE BROKENHEARTED. THE BROKENHEARTED IS ME. 

So much to love, and all that’s left to do is wait.

Rating: 9/10

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