All Our Broken Pieces

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All Our Broken Pieces by L.D. Crichton (May 7) To Purchase from Your Local Bookstore (Affiliate Link)
Overview: Lennon is taking over Bel-Air... well, not really. Lennon is forced to move in with her dad and step mom after her mom passes away. The traumatic event has brought Lennon's OCD out in full force, and all the change isn't helping the matter. Then she meets her neighbor, Kyler, the boy who was handsome, or so everyone in the neighborhood says. The left side of his face is scared from a house fire when he was a child. Kyler hides his scars with hoodies while Lennon tries to keep her tapping and other compulsions from people's notice. That is, until, they find each other. Overall: 5 

 Characters: 5 I am so in love with Kyler and Lennon! Kyler is like the ultimate book boyfriend. He's a musician (that writes amazing lyrics!), hot, blunt, somewhat broody/mysterious, and an outsider. He's also the sweetest person you'll ever meet. Even though Kyler sometimes gets it wrong when it comes to understanding and being sensitive of Lennon's OCD, he genuinely tries. He loves her for and with her quirks, and he makes her feel that they are normal and okay.
Lennon feels a kinship with Kyler because of the shame he feels about his scars. While Kyler tries to hide his external differences, Lennon tries to fight her internal panic. The depiction of Lennon's OCD is compelling and accurate. She has bad and good days and days that are totally given to spirals, but she never loses herself in them. She's caring and kind, the calming eye of Kyler's thunderstorm.
I also loved Lennon's therapist and both Kyler and Lennon's family. All of these characters were well fleshed out to the point where they have their own driving narratives. Knowing the world around them so intimately helps fully pull you into the story.

Plot: 5 I could not put this book down. There are so many awesome and interconnected storylines, there's plenty to keep you entertained. Kyler and Lennon continually fight for their relationship, to overcome the Romeo and Juliet archetype. They also fight for themselves. Kyler learns to accept how he looks now because Lennon loves him for it, and Lennon learns to love her mind, even if it betrays her sometimes, because of Kyler's love for her. I love that their healing processes are not because of their love interest. They are totally self driven, but their partner is there to encourage and help bring out the best in them. I also love the developing family storylines and how it's sometimes difficult for parents to fully grasp what their child is dealing with and how to best respond.

Writing: 5 The dialogue in this book is amazing! It's witty, it's fast, and it's fresh, and I am head over heels for it. Crichton draws all the elements together to produce the perfect story that makes you feel like you're living in it. Every crisis is pressing, and your happiness is wrapped up with the character's success. Every note is hit perfectly.

More Like This...
Under The Rose Tainted Skies: Review Here
You'd Be Mine: Review Here

 Links of Interest:
What's Coming Up In May: Here
Ship It: Review Here
Taylor Swift and the "ME!" Era: Here
With The Fire on High: Review Here

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