Susan Jane Bigelow

Not gonna lie, normally I find sci-fi incredibly boring and couldn't be bothered with it, and then Extrahumans came into my life.

The plot of this book is essentially: closing up a story about superheroes living among us in a dystopian world. Jill is trying to survive, and somehow gets the team back together in the process. There will be love, loss and lots of fighting in this epic finale. It felt like a cool mix of Star Wars, Star Trek, the beautiful landscapes and colours of Jupiter show more Ascending and a pinch of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It took all the best things of my favourite sci-fi movies and mashed them together in the best possible way (in book form, of course).

There's something about this book that makes it fun and engaging, and I could barely put it down. It's packed full of fun character (with real flaws - they're not perfect!), there's lots of action and adventure, superpowers galore, dystopian landscapes, a Pakistani woman lead and a little LGBT representation!

I found it a tiny bit difficult jumping into the last book of this series, but I think Susan Jane Bigelow did an excellent job of filling in the blanks within the book. I would have enjoyed understanding the past relationships and struggles the characters had before, but I was still able to fully throw myself into this book. Either way, I'd love to read more by Susan now because she is just a really good writer! Any writer who can make me love a genre I typically don't is totally worth reading.

I also did not enjoy Jill's character in the beginning. I found her super annoying and childish, but then she started growing and changing as the events of the novel took place. And, at least for me, the surprises about her in this book were welcome and absolutely lovely. I was very happy to see her character develop into someone I could actually respect instead of dramatically roll my eyes at.

Overall, I would highly recommend this series! It's a fun, sci-fi adventure with an excellent writing style. If you love sci-fi, I'm sure you'll love it more than I did!

Four out of five stars.

i received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. show less

From start to finish, Broken is snappy, well-paced, and utterly engaging. Although the prose is often stark, it fits well with the bleak, dystopian future laid out before us - a future where mankind has united under one government following several devastating wars, including one interplanetary conflict. That government is, perhaps, not as benevolent as we might like - a fact that young Michael Forward, who is capable of seeing glimpses of the future in other's faces - is quickly coming to show more realize.Michael's own fate is intertwined with that of Broken, a fallen superhero who illegally left the Extrahuman Union when she lost her ability to fly. Living on the streets, she's a shadow of her former self - but that doesn't stop her from joining forces with Michael and Monica, a young woman who's lost her family to rioting and bigotry, in order to try to rescue humanity's last best hope for a better tomorrow.While the setting of Broken is engrossing and impossibly well-thought-out, it's the characters that truly make this book shine. Dystopian stories often have really unlikable characters, people you wouldn't mind seeing eaten by the local cannibals. Not so here. Everyone has their flaws - some significant - but that just makes you care about them MORE. Every time Michael, or Broken, or Monica screws up, gets frustrated, screams or cries...you know why, and you empathize. You feel for them when they triumph, and worry when they get in a corner. And you always, always want to know more about them.Broken could've been just another "young hero following his fate" action story, or just another "what happens when the world goes wrong and a dictatorship takes over" story. It could've been just another grey, dull, depressing entry into the popular YA dystopia genre. It could've been just another story with superheroes.It's not.It's a glimmering look into a bleak future, dotted with bright little sparks of hope, and threaded throughout with a realism that makes your heart alternately ache and soar right along with Broken... show less

I was really surprised by Broken. I've seen a lot of superhero movies, but had never read a superhero novel. I had assumed that superheroes just wouldn't work in novel form. Broken showed me the error of my ways.

Broken was a superhero named Silverwyng before she lost the ability to fly. Now she's a homeless alcoholic who is killed often but just can't seem to stay dead. As she tries to help Michael save a baby he psychically sees as the savior to their unstable world, she begins to face her show more own demons along the way.

Michael is the heart of the story. He cares in a world where people have lost hope. He risks his life time and again (and knows it since he can see his own future by looking in the mirror) to give the world a chance at happiness in the future. In Broken, Michael is the character you root for, care about, and inevitably come to love.

Broken is a dark story with a troubled superhero battling more than just villains. This was a fantastic debut novel for Susan Jane Bigelow and I can't wait to read more from her in the future. show less

Broken is the debut novel of Susan Jane Bigelow, published by Candlemark and Gleam earlier this year. It's a gritty science fiction story that takes place in what's left of the United States after many wars and many heartbreaks. The title character, Broken, is a homeless drunk who used to be a superhero. When she lost her ability to fly, her world went to hell. A young boy, Michael, seeks her out because he, too, has special powers and can see possible futures. She is an integral part of show more most of the futures he can see.

I was very impressed by this book. Ms. Bigelow has created some fascinating characters who will stay with me for quite some time. She has also created a story that is most definitely a "page-turner." Michael and Broken grabbed me on the first page and wouldn't let me go until I had completed their journey with them. My heart broke or cheered for them depending on what page I was on. Along the way I got to see the author's idea of what the future might be and what that new world (actually, new worlds) will hold. It's a dark place, but not hopeless. Kind of like now.

Just as a point of interest, this book is being somewhat presented as a YA title. That shouldn't stop you if you're over the age of 18. I am several decades over the age of 18 and enjoyed every minute of it. I've heard through the grapevine that the author is going to be creating more stories that take place in this future world. I'm looking forward to them. show less