Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

I was brave
She was reckless
We were trouble

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

Oh I feel like I should use the word beautiful a lot, because this book has been beautiful, sad, funny and touching, but most of all beautiful.

Caddie and Rosie have been friends for over 10 years, despite the fact that they go to different schools. While Rosie goes to a 'normal' school Caddie goes to a private, girls only school. Because of this Caddie feels like she is missing out on life a lot, 16 now and still no boyfriend, or even the option of one. She thinks her life is rather nice and boring compared to her best friends. Things change even more when Suzanne starts a friendship with Rosie. Caddie is wary at first and rather a bit jealous, worrying that her best friend will come to like her new friend more then her. But she soon starts to build a bond with Suzanne who becomes the third person in their friendship. But the confident Suzanne is battling with her demons from her past. Only slowly do the girls realise how troubled she really is. Caddie however is always there for her friend, not always realising how this effects her own life. She begins to make bad choices to join her new friend. But how deep are Suzanne's wounds really? 

This is such a beautiful story (there it is again), I couldn't put it down. It's most of all about friendship, the friendship between Rosie and Caddie that is slightly being put to the test. But also the kind of friendship that changes you. It shows how far someone goes for their friends and how much this affects everyone. 

I love the amazing, uncomplicated friendship Rosie and Caddie have, one that feels natural and part of you. And I can fully relate to the worry a new person coming in causes. Caddie is amazing in trying to welcome the new third person even tho she is very reluctant at first. In general I just love Caddie, she is a great friend in every aspect. Even when she thinks she doesn't know the right things to say, she says exactly that. So when she finally gets to know Suzanne she becomes the exact thing her new friend needs. They build a strange kind of friendship, being completely the opposite. Caddie wanting to have more fun in her life and Suzanne needing someone she can rely on. And slowly Caddie finds out more and more about Suzanne's past and her current struggles. 

The horrific things Suzanne had to go through broke my heart every time. I absolutely appreciate the way the subject has been approached really gently and how her behaviour and past have been uncovered slowly. 

It was very interesting to see all that's happened from a friends perspective rather then Suzanne herself. To see how much she wanted to be the one to help her and maybe even safe her. How much it affected the friend, her life and even her parents. 

This is a powerful story in every way. I have gone through every emotion while reading it. No idea where it would lead me and fully enjoying every single page. It's beautifully written. I found myself wanting to be their friend too. This book is about 3 totally different girls, their very eventful year and their own ways of dealing with it all. So much can change in a year. 

I have kind of gone into this blind, falling in love with the cover and not knowing much about the book or the Author, but it was worth it. 

This is the kind of story that will stay with me for some time. I gave it 5 stars on goodreads, that was no brainer. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Published 11th February 2016