Book Review: Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart @NicoleLynnBaart @AtriaBooks

“If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll want to crack open this new novel by Nicole Baart.” —Southern Living

An engrossing and suspenseful novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Amy Hatvany about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed facade starts to come apart with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl.

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 and thanks to Nora’s fierce aloofness, their relationship consists mostly of infrequent phone calls and an occasional email or text. But when a haunted Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn’s house just hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion that will change both of their lives forever.

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 her safe, and not to utter a word about the child to 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, and Quinn finds herself the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy.

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

Nicole Baart is an author I’d never read before until now, but I could not resist requesting Little Broken Things since it is touted for fans of Liane Moriarty, who is one of my most favorite authors! Not only that but the book is being compared to Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, which is my favorite book by Moriarty! How could I possibly resist reading this then, right??

All I have to say is that I’m so very glad I gave Nicole Baart’s newest book a chance since I have discovered another new favorite author this year! There is no denying that Little Broken Things is similar to Big Little Lies since it is filled with engaging characters, strong, compelling women, dark secrets, suspense, betrayal, and dysfunctional families…and as the title so perfectly suggests, broken families and people.  Yet, although there are some similarities to Moriarty, Baart is a great writer in her own right, and I think the biggest similarity between the two authors is that they have written books touching on family secrets and domestic themes.

Baart has woven a story that is not only richly atmospheric but beautifully layered!  Even though I do love my suspense and mystery high paced, thrilling, and a bit terrifying, I also enjoy slowing things down a bit at times and savoring a slower paced suspense that really focuses on some important life issues. And that is exactly what Little Broken Things does!  And although there were moments in the middle of the book where the pacing was a bit uneven and I wanted it to move forward faster so I could find out if my suspicions about the big secret were correct (which they were!), the book was a page-turner that kept me reading until I was done! The premise was completely engrossing, and it hit on some very important topics! I can’t really say anything about the topics or give away too much about what happens in the book because otherwise, that would really ruin the entire plot! Trust me, you want to be surprised while reading the secrets in this gripping family drama!

The many secrets in the story are revealed through the multiple POVs of sisters Quinn and Nora, their mother Liz, as well as glimpses given by Nora’s best friend Tiffany.  The characters in the book are all flawed, and all of them are broken in one way or another. Some characters you will love, others you will just like, and there are ones you will probably utterly hate like I did! From the very beginning of the book when Quinn receives the text from her sister Nora that says “I have something for you,” I was completely invested in the welfare of little Lucy/Everlee! 

The mother in me was so haunted by the little girl who is only a year younger than my own daughter, and I not only wanted to protect her from whatever she was hiding from but fight for her just like the strong females in the story! I really loved how this story touched on the theme of motherhood and what exactly it takes to be a mother or who is a mother…in some way it reminded me of the motherhood theme that was so very prominent in one of my top five picks of favorite books for 2017, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, and I once again began to ponder while reading Little Broken Things what exactly defines motherhood and makes someone a mother. It reminded me that being a mother is so much more than just giving birth and caring for “your” child, and those thoughts really resonate in the book! 

As I mentioned before, this is a story about broken families and broken people, but it is also a story about moving on and healing.  I really loved this part of the story since I have felt broken so many times in my life, but I know with love you can heal and be better for having been broken. Baart excelled at showing this with the relationships between Nora, Quinn, and Liz who had all been living broken, distant lives from each other for years! And they ALL had been keeping secrets from each other! That changed when little Lucy/Everlee brought them together. As Baart points out, everyone is broken in some way or another, but those broken things can be cherished, protected, loved and ultimately, healed.

Although I did figure out the big secret that Nora had been trying to hide for years by the time I got to the middle of the book, it didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of the novel. Oh no, there are still plenty of twists and turns that will keep you in suspense! This is a perfect family drama, and I think Little Broken Things is a perfect Thanksgiving holiday read…or the perfect book for reading anytime on a cold fall or winter night!  I say move this one to the top of your TBR, snuggle under your blankets, grab a cup of tea or coffee, and ENJOY! Personally, I can’t wait to read Baart’s next novel!

Thank you, Edelweiss, Atria Books, and Nicole Baart for providing me with an ARC of Little Broken Things in exchange for my honest review.

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