Broken Soup

Rowan is holding the family together, after the death of her brother Jack. Problem is, it's been several years since Jack's passing. Her mother is beyond help at this point and doesn't even realize Rowan and her sister, Stroma are there half the time. While in the store on day, a boy gives Rowan a photo negative. It's not hers and the small piece of film is the first piece of a mystery that leads everyone to some amazing, life altering truths. What will happen with the boy, Harper who gave Rowan the negative too? As everyone holds on to their pieces of Jack, yet tries to get on with life, while not completely losing him. I loved this book. Rowan was a strong character with a terrific voice. I also loved the fact that it's set in London show more so I get little pieces of the British slang. I guess I should say, "I love this book to bits!" show less

15-year old Rowan's world is still shaken from the death of her outgoing, lovable older brother Jack. But she's not reeling. She doesn't have time for that. Jack's death has left a hole in her family that has plunged her mother into a deep depression, broken up her parents' marriage, and left her to singlehandedly run the household and care for her 6-year old sister, Stroma.

Then something weird happens at the grocery store, and her life starts to change. A guy she's never seen before tells her that she dropped something and hands her a photo negative. It's definitely not hers. She doesn't even have a camera. So she throws it away.

But the curiosity of a schoolmate, Bee, who witnessed the exchange compels her to fish it out of the trash show more and develop the photo. It's really not hers. But it's of her dead brother. Where did it come from? And who was that guy?

This is one of the most mature and realistic "journey of healing" type books I've read. It wasn't gimmicky at ALL, and this book had the potential to be extremely gimmicky. It wasn't wrapped up too nice and neat at the end. The 15-year old narrator matures visibly throughout the course of the book. I especially liked the way the romance was handled. Rowan didn't bore everyone by spending page after page pining after her crush when she clearly has other things on her mind, and yet it managed to feel natural, not cheap or tacked on. It was a minor part of the book, but added a nice element.

I would definitely recommend this book to teens looking for a realistic read. show less

Having read the Ant Colony recently, which I liked immensely, I was a little disappointed in this title. Valentine writes well and explores some of her characteristic themes--the mysterious connections we form with others as a result of bad circumstances (the silver lining to the cloud) and the need to make our own family when the biological one we are born into doesn't work. The characters are likable but after a particular mystery is solved--where a mysterious photo negative of the main character Rowan's dead brother actually came from--the book seemed to lose its luster. I might've liked it more had I read it before the Ant Colony. There is some mild profanity in the text recommending it for a 14+ crowd, for those of you out there show more who select books for school and public libraries. show less

This is a lovely story about 15-year-old, Rowan, who is trying to hold her family together after the death of her older brother, Jack, in a drowning accident. Her father has left the family home and her mother is suffering from a severe nervous breakdown so it left to Rowan to take care of the house, her mother and her little sister, Stroma. However, Rowan's life becomes even more complicated when a teenage boy hands her a negative claiming that she dropped it while in the checkout queue of the grocery store.

This book deals with personal identity, bereavement, friendship and the difficulties of growing up. Rowan is a very engaging, likeable character who is struggling to survive. She is stubborn, introspective, brutally honest with show more herself and lonely. Although quite sad in parts, the book doesn't wallow in gloom and the thread of mystery throughout the story adds to a satisfying plot with an unexpected twist at the end. A worthwhile read. show less

Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/05/24/review-broken-soup/

Summary: Rowan’s older brother is dead. Her father has left. Her mother sleeps all day, leaving Rowan to take care of her little sister. So when a stranger at the store insists she dropped a photo negative, she doesn’t have the energy to argue with him. But then she can’t get that mystery photo out of her mind. And who was that boy anyway?

Review: I luuuuurve this book! The story unfolds a little at a time, luring you deeper and deeper into what Rowan is going through. I admire how the author strings you along and keeps creating mystery in your mind. Jenny Valentine, please hurry and write more!

This is the type of novel I would love to diagram or use to practice show more plot-boarding.

Here’s a little from the first page to whet your appetite:

"It wasn’t mine.

I didn’t drop it but the boy in the line said I did.

It was a negative of a photograph, one on its own, all scratched and beaten up. I couldn’t even see what it was a negative of because his finger and thumb were blotting out most of it. He was holding it out to me like nothing else was going to happen until I took it, like he had nothing else to do but wait.

I didn’t want to take it. I said that. I said I didn’t own a camera even, but the boy just stood there with this 'I know I’m right' look on his face.

He had a good face. Friendly eyes, wide mouth, all that. One of his top teeth was chipped; there was a bit missing. Still, a good face doesn’t equal a good person. If you catch yourself thinking that, you need to stop."

Now go and read the rest! show less

First I should say that I did like the characters and cared about them. That being said, I didn't like much else. The plot varied between being unbelievable (coincidences, etc.) to being way too predictable. Also, the formatting of the dialogue was annoying. I guess I've just read so many books like this that this one doesn't stand out in any way for me, other than the fact they're in London rather than in the US.

This was one of the more touching YA books I've read. No wonder that it received awards and great reviews.

Occasionally, I felt that the style of writing was a bit too distracting, pulling one's attention away from the story to the more stylistic, verbal elements, instead of emphasizing the plot, the characters and the message.

The characters in the book are all very memorable. Particularly Rowan with her big heart, tolerance, acceptance and understanding for everything and everyone. She's a much better person than I am and I wished, many times throughout the book, that I could be a bit more like her.

Reading this story will leave a mark.