Book Review: Little Broken Things

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This is my book review of the suspense novel Little Broken Things, by writer Nicole Baart.

An engrossing and suspenseful novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Amy Hatvany. An affluent suburban family’s carefully constructed facade begins to crumble with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl.

Author: Nicole Baart
Book Title: Little Broken Things
Genre: Fiction, Suspense
Published: November 21, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 368

Book Summary:

I have something for you. When Quinn Cruz receives that cryptic text message from her older sister Nora, she doesn’t think much of it. They haven’t seen each other in nearly a year. Thanks to Nora’s fierce aloofness, their relationship consists mainly of infrequent phone calls and an occasional email or text. But when Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn’s house hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion.

Nora’s “something” is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering, wide-eyed, and tight-lipped. Nora hands her over to Quinn with instructions to keep the child safe and not to tell anyone. Especially not their buttoned-up mother, who seems determined to pretend everything is perfect. But before Quinn can ask even one of the million questions swirling around her head, Nora disappears. Quinn finds herself the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy.

Quinn struggles to honor her sister’s desperate request and care for the lost, scared Lucy. But she fears that Nora may have gotten involved in something way over her head. Something that will threaten them all. Quinn’s worries are nothing compared to the firestorm that Nora is facing. It’s a matter of life and death, family and freedom. And ultimately, about the lengths a woman will go to protect the ones she loves.

My Book Review:

I enjoyed reading this book. However, it somehow didn’t live up to my expectations. I had read quite a bit about this novel. Maybe I assumed it would be a ball hit out of the proverbial ballpark.

At times, I felt it was a little too cryptic. The story about the mother was too lengthy. I thought the book could have been edited more concisely to eliminate some of the less essential parts.

I do think this writer has a lot going for her.

About The Author:

Nicole Baart is the mother of four children from four different countries. The founder of a nonprofit organization, One Body One Hope, she resides in a small town in Iowa.

OBOH is a bi-national, non-profit organization that collaborates with a network of churches and mission homes in Monrovia, Liberia.

A critically acclaimed novelist, Nicole’s work has been featured as a Midwest Connections book pick. It was also nominated for a Christy Award and earned a starred and featured review from Publishers Weekly.

My Disclosure:

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.