Fractured
by Catherine McKenzie
Normally, I don’t like books that are told in dual narratives and time jumps, but I made an exception for both with Catherine McKenzie’s Fractured. The time jumps are pretty necessary to the plot, building tension in the readers and keeping them on the edge of their seats as they wonder what in the world has happened. In the present timeline, written in present tense, the residents of a small suburban town are rattled and destroyed because of an unrevealed incident. Just when you start wondering what the incident is, the chapter ends and the story takes you back in time to the previous year when new neighbors move onto the street and change everything. The new neighbor is a best-selling authoress, recently recovering from a stalking attack, seeking peace and quiet in a small town. Unfortunately, the nosiness of her neighbors, as well as old patterns repeating themselves, threaten the very peace and quiet she seeks. Just when you start getting engrossed in that timeline, the chapter, and past tense, ends and the present-day, present-tense timeline starts again.
The first few pages grabbed me. A welcome to the neighborhood letter shows the new neighbors and the readers just how “friendly” the suburbs can be. Remember in Desperate Housewives when Bree gives her new neighbors a basket of muffins, then asks for the basket back? This letter is just welcoming yet eerie, and controlling in a creepy way. If you like these types of stories that lift the lid on suburban paradise, check this one out. Yes, there’s a lot to get over, with the tense changes and dual timelines, but I liked it quite a bit. My one recommendation is to read it quickly. With all the back and forth, if you take longer than a week to read it, you might forget some things or get lost.
An added bonus is the protagonist of the story is an authoress who achieved previous fame and fortune by writing a novel called The Murder Game. The book is referenced constantly, and the plot was so interesting, I found myself wishing that it was a real book. It turns out after Fractured, Catherine McKenzie actually wrote The Murder Game and released it under the character’s name! I’m so excited to pick up a copy!
The first few pages grabbed me. A welcome to the neighborhood letter shows the new neighbors and the readers just how “friendly” the suburbs can be. Remember in Desperate Housewives when Bree gives her new neighbors a basket of muffins, then asks for the basket back? This letter is just welcoming yet eerie, and controlling in a creepy way. If you like these types of stories that lift the lid on suburban paradise, check this one out. Yes, there’s a lot to get over, with the tense changes and dual timelines, but I liked it quite a bit. My one recommendation is to read it quickly. With all the back and forth, if you take longer than a week to read it, you might forget some things or get lost.
An added bonus is the protagonist of the story is an authoress who achieved previous fame and fortune by writing a novel called The Murder Game. The book is referenced constantly, and the plot was so interesting, I found myself wishing that it was a real book. It turns out after Fractured, Catherine McKenzie actually wrote The Murder Game and released it under the character’s name! I’m so excited to pick up a copy!