Just Finished Reading … Break My Heart 1,000 Times
Break My Heart 1,000 Times
By Daniel Waters
Published by Hyperion
On October 16, 2012
Source: bought
My summary: Since the Event six years ago, ghosts have roamed freely in the suburbs around Manhattan. In Jewell City, Connecticut, Veronica sees them everywhere. The ghost of a teenage boy lurks in her bathroom, and other ghosts roam their school, leaving Veronica’s best friend Janine jumpy and petrified. HIgh school teacher Mr. Bittner is looking for a particular ghost — he can’t understand why his dead daughter hasn’t also returned as a sprit. He’ll do anything to see Eva again — even kill another girl so that Eva will have a body to inhabit. Veronica and her friend Kirk are convinced that Mr. Bittner is up to no good. Can they get proof before Veronica becomes his next victim?
My take: I haven’t read any of Daniel Waters’ Generation Dead books, but I really enjoyed this one. The whole Event/ghost thing reminded me a little of the Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready. But Break My Heart isn’t paranormal romance, it’s a thriller in which the reader knows the identity of the bad guy right off. Multiple POVs — from Veronica’s bathroom ghost, from Veronica, from Kirk, from Mr. Bittner — give this story a fun cat-and-mouse feel as Mr. Bittner creeps closer and closer to Veronica and she tries to decide if he’s just harmless and weird or actually dangerous.
Veronica was an interesting character — she’s smart and good-looking and she owns it. Some readers might find her arrogant, but I welcomed the change from the plain-Jane-with-two-hot-guys-in-love-with-her heroine that YA books often serve up. The relationship between Veronica and Kirk reminded me a little bit of the one between Velvet and Nick in Velveteen. In both of these pairings, the guy is the lovesick one in the relationship and the girl is aloof and standoffish.
While there’s plenty of suspense and creepiness in this book, it also looks at loss and mourning. We’re not given many details about the Event, just told that it killed millions. As a result of the Event, many of the characters in the book have experienced the death of a loved one and each reacts differently, from anger to depression to denial to complete psychosis.
Break My Heart 1,000 Times is a quirky, creepy book that has some unique characters and very unexpected twists. Recommended to readers who enjoy thrillers, tough girl characters, multiple points of view and ghost stories!
Just reading the summary kind of creeped me out-why is the teacher trying to hurt a student? That's just so appalling! I haven't heard too much about this one but like you I enjoy a confident heroine instead of the plain Jane so this might be a good read for me.
Well, poor Mr. Bittner has some issues. And somehow, knowing right off that he's totally nuts made it not that disturbing to me. Then there was a really cool twist involving Mr. Bittner that I didn't see coming at all!
Usually I stay away from books that are going to creep me out but I think I may actually give this book a read. Great review 🙂
Great review! I have heard mixed things about this one. The premise sounds interesting. I'm glad that you liked it.
I like ghost stories, and I love thrillers!
added to goodreads!
Hope you like it!
I like the sound of this one 🙂 I've read a couple of ghost stories recently, some good and some bad, so it will be interesting to add another to the collection 🙂
Let me know what you think!
I've heard a lot of great things about Generation Dead but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.
This one sounds super creepy – which I love! The bad guy is usually one dimensional but it this sounds more complex than your average crazed murderer type.
Yes, that's one of the reasons I like the thriller format — you get more of the POV of the killer!
Oh my gosh, this does sound creepy! I didn't think that I would be interested in Break Your Heart, but you may have changed my mind.
Thanks for sharing!
VERY creepy!!!
Wow. This sound fabulous. And I love the title… very evocative…
It was really fun!
I love ghost and thriller reads! This sounds like something I would really enjoy. I haven't even heard of the Generation Dead books. Must go look them up. 🙂
The covers will probably look familiar to you — I'm putting them on my "Read When I Get a Chance" list.
This sounds really interesting. I really like how sometimes it's the guys that are the lovesick ones, instead of making the girls always the one that is.
Great review!
Exactly!! It's fun to have the usual formula mixed up a little!
I love the sound of this. A thrilling ghost story is just what I need right now.
I love ghost stories too!!!
Oh love creepy ghost stories! Ya 😉 and oh my goodness. I hate love triangles with two very hot guys pining over a plain girl that in real life has an infinitesimal chance of actually getting him! Glad you enjoyed though Jen, and nice review 😉
I think that kind of love triangle is getting a little predictable. I'm loving a change of pace with the girl in the driver's seat!
Is it just me or does Veronica kinda sounds like Rose? 🙂 Anyway, this sounds like a good read! The cover kinda creeped me out, and I couldn't finish Generation Dead, but this books actually sounds kinda good! I might just give this a try!
PS- Ooh, spam alert two comments above!
I know — those spammers are getting more and more clever!
I'm so glad to see that you liked this book! I saw some negative reviews and my excitement for this book disappeared. I'm starting to get enthusiastic again 😀 I like the sound of Veronica! Great review.
I'm glad that I'm winning some people over. I loved the suspense and the creepiness of this one. It's a great change of pace!
I love something different once in a while!
This book sounds CRAZY! But still, I love a good ghostly read! I didn't really know what it was about — the cover doesn't really give too much away.
I might have to check it out!
Great review, Jen!