406p. (Gr. 9+)
Tags: Character Driven, Thrilling, Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract (and find out they aren’t all that different)
It would be a disservice to try and put this book into one category, but I will try my best to give it a one sentence wrap-up. Reasons We Break is a story driven, slow burn, opposites attract, romance wrapped in thrilling action and filled with character growth, and journeys of self-acceptance.
Summary:
Simran is a “good girl,” a high achieving daughter of immigrants with her family’s expectations on her shoulders, and as long as Simran has known Rajan, her community has warned her away. She knows what they call him, especially since he got out of juvie: an addict. A gangster. A killer.
But Simran can’t believe Rajan is beyond hope. He’s the only one who’s noticed the pressure she’s under to be perfect—and how close she is to breaking. To Rajan, she was the only person who never gave up on him.
When Rajan’s old gang tries to force him back in, Simran makes a desperate bargain: She’ll become their bookkeeper to clear his debts and keep him out of prison. Rajan won’t leave her side while she works, and their forbidden attraction becomes harder to ignore. Worse, there’s a gang war brewing—and neither of them is likely to get through it unscathed . . . if they survive at all.
I devoured this book, and though it can be a slow read at times, it is well worth all the time dedicated to plot, storyline, and character development.
A word of caution:
There are depictions of gang activity and gang violence in this book that may be disturbing for some readers.
