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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Break My Heart 1,000 Times by Daniel Waters

Break My Heart 1,000 Times
 
 
Break My Heart 1,000 Times is a creepy tale of ghosts and the difficult process of grieving.  Unlike other books, this novel is neither a ghost story nor is it just a story of loss.  Let’s look at what this book is centered on.  Apparently there was an “Event” that occurred on Earth.  After said “Event” many died tragically; however, those people would never be forgotten.  Images of those that were killed during the “Event” are now stuck on replay.  Here is an example, MC Veronica sees her father every day at the breakfast table.  Every day he flips through the same newspaper, drinks the same coffee from the same mug, and give the same look to her mother and leaves.

There are some unique takes as to why the images remain.  Of course these are not interactive ghosts; however, that changes a bit.  SO not only is this story about the after effects of the “Event” but there is also a ghost in Veronica’s home, who she is not aware of, yet.  This ghost has intent; this ghost is not an image.  Veronica is intrigued by this fact but also to who the ghost is. 

To add to that side story, Veronica has a creepy teacher that has been rumored to have killed a young girl a couple of decades ago.  Unfortunately for him, this dead girl is an image at his door every morning, fortunately for him there is no proof he killed her (remember there is no intent with the images, it’s not like she can have a full blown convo with the police). 

Better yet, there is another teacher in Veronica’s high school that is writing about the difference of the images and why they came into existence.  Kirk, a classmate of Veronica’s, investigates the images for this teacher… and somehow it’s all connected to the side story above.  This isn’t just a mystery book; it is also a book about loss and grieving.  Veronica’s mother captures this, by stating that every time she sees her husband and has to see him leave without interacting with him it’s like her heart is breaking 1,000 times.  How could we live with the images of our loved ones popping up every day like clockwork?  Would it hurt more when they stop appearing?

Very interesting ghostly read.  Thanks NetGalley!  3/5 stars.

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