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Yes, this is a totally heart-breaking, totally gut-wrenching novel. The subject matter is tough. But it was fucking beautiful. It didn't gawk at the tragic event that takes place in the book or at its survivors, it didn't make excuses or try to make saints or devils out of the various characters, it didn't make me feel like a victim or hopeless myself. It made me feel sad a lot of the time, sure, but it also made me feel warm, like only a really good, really honest book can. It was just real.

The women in this woven story are so wonderful. Vulnerable and wary, curious and funny, loving and strong. But not that cliched type of strong that's so prevalent and often forced in fiction today. They aren't ~strong female characters~ because they were put through the wringer and made battered and broken for the reader's sake and that's why you're supposed to love them. No, they're strong because that's how they were raised and because of the strong bonds they have with each other. I fell in love with the women of this book. In fact, I think this is the book that has made me feel the most while reading it.

The Break is a painful and beautiful read, all at the same time. One that has impacted my life greatly. It's one of those books that can't not have an impact on you.