#Book #Review “Perfectly Broken” by Robert Burke Warren

Description:

His rock star days may be behind him, but stay-at-home dad Grant Kelly's life is getting more interesting by the day. It's the beginning of the post 9/11 era, and he and his wife and four-year-old son have traded a New York City apartment for a Catskills farmhouse, where ghosts from the past, worries for the future, and temptations in the present converge to bring about drastic changes in their marriage, their friendships, and their family.

A gorgeously nuanced novel with unforgettable characters, PERFECTLY BROKEN is a story of human frailty, the endurance of the heart, and the power and possibility of forgiveness.

Advance Praise

“Robert Burke Warren's sensory acumen and keen eye for detail – emotional and physical – make Perfectly Broken a wonderful ride. Fantastic, sharp dialogue and vivid characters, all in a distinctive, captivating voice. A stunning debut novel.” – Rosanne Cash

“Whether writing about music, parenthood, or life in the sticks, every page crackles with been-there-done-that verisimilitude. At turns funny and suspenseful, heartwarming and heartbreaking, Perfectly Broken hits all the right notes, covering fame and fortune, love and death, success and failure, and fatherhood and marriage, as artfully and beautifully as a song you’d endure the jammed phone lines to call in and request on the radio. A triumphant debut."

– Greg Olear, author of Fathermucker and Totally Killer

MY TAKE:
3 STARS

The title of this book is perfect. Perfectly Broken. Everyone in this book, somehow or someway, is broken. They are currently living in the city, kind of stuck in a little of a time warp of the late 80’s going into the early 90’s, (which I didn’t mind the late 80’s because ANY of the 80’s were my stomping ground years! I could completely relate to that time frame, but started getting lost when their time hit the 90’s!) The family decides to move out to the country to find more of themselves, get better at everything, kind of like a reboot. Grant is the stay-at-home Dad, and he really wonders what he has missed while staying at home with the children. Not that he would have had it any other way, just that it’s very different for a man to do, or at least that is the feeling I got. I think he’s wondering where does he stand now, now that the kids are older and he has time. All of these characters worked on fixing their flaws and moving ahead into the future, and I found it hard to accept the paths some of the characters took, but it is like that in life, too, and we don’t get a say-so for someone else. This book was okay, but I found it hard for myself to completely relate to. ters did decide to do. Even after they fixed their problems, they still had problems. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have. I like to read more upbeat things, and I felt pulled down while reading this book. I would suggest reading some other reviews about this book besides just mine. I like to read more Women’s Fiction and Thrillers, so this book really took me out of my comfort zone. What I like and what you like may be two completely separate things, which is why I do encourage you to see what perhaps two other people think if you are reading these reviews to decide to purchase this book and read it. Enjoy!

I received this book for FREE and I want to thank the Publisher, The Story Plant and NetGalley in exchange to read and write a review about it. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but just to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it and giving my own honest opinion no matter whether it is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.