Book Review: The Brokenhearted - Amelia Kahaney

Title: The Brokenhearted
Author: Amelia Kahaney
Pub Date: October 8th, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 336

A teenage girl is transformed into a reluctant superhero and must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become.

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.

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I feel like this author doesn't know the meaning of pacing - or if she does, she definitely didn't apply it. - Nova @ Out of Time

I should've known not to read this one. I've heard... things about it and I know it isn't really the type for me. However, I was at Goodwill and it was two bucks for a hardcover, so why not, right? Anyway, I side with the majority when I say that this book was a waste of my time.

The first and major thing that completely wrecked the book was the pacing. It just didn't make sense. First, the story practically rushes all the "boring" parts and cuts straight to the action in what? Two chapters? While this sounds pretty awesome, it also means that there was no real connection to anything. All I saw was a foolish girl who wanted to have a rebellious moment. Then she does something really stupid and eventually pays for her actions in the end.

Ain't karma a real bitch? That's a spoiler, actually so I'm not going to say any more.

I hated Anthem. She just felt really stupid and annoying. Since she's locked in a really controlling family dynamic, I sort of understood why she acted the way she did but I also didn't excuse her. She was more in love with the idea of "love" than the actual person. She also didn't seem heroic. Jumping into the face of danger without rhyme or reason is not something to be proud of.
I also felt like the author gave her way too much power. Especially since she has more air than brain in that head of hers.

There is instalove. And it hurts. I cringed so many times at Anthem's inner thoughts on how much she loves Gavin. Nothing was real.

There was also no worldbuilding. I was like "what am I reading?" because it felt sort of Steampunk but also almost like a post apocalypic. For a book like this, world building would've actually changed a lot. This book fell so flat and though there are a lot of factors to that, I think some decent descriptions and life in the settings would've helped propped the other stuff up [or at least make it look less unappealing.]

Overall, with all static characters and a plot that didn't really make sense half the time, The Brokenhearted is not something I would recommend. At all. Unless, that is, you like instalove and characters who are more martyr than hero. Then, by all means, go forth and read. The only reason it isn't getting any lower than one star is because it was a pretty quick read.

A quick death [haha all the spoilers.]

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Amelia Kahaney grew up an easily sunburnt child in San Diego, CA and Hilo, HI. At age 12, self-exiled from surf camp due to lack of coordination, Amelia sought refuge in her local library and spent the rest of her summer filling up yellow legal pads with her first attempts at fiction. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in English, she lived in Portland, Oregon and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala before landing in New York City with a giant suitcase and high hopes. Nine apartments and a dozen jobs later, she began to study fiction writing at Brooklyn College. Her short stories have appeared in Best American Nonrequired Reading, One Story, Crazyhorse, and other literary magazines. She wrote most of The Brokenhearted in a coffee shop that has since gone out of business, and is currently testing out new locations in which to dream up superpowers for book two. She is still a fan of libraries, and is also partial to bicycles, art cars, fire, hermit crabs, voices harmonizing, flash mobs, hot springs, and voracious readers of all ages. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and son.