There are reviews… and then there is this. If ever an author could thank a reader…

Broken is unlike anything you will ever read and this reader takes the time to eloquently tell you why.

** spoiler alert ** I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review…

This book is one of a kind. It takes you into the deep, dark depths of the mind of someone who lived their life void of human love, comfort, compassion, and contact. I have read a handful of memoires on survivors of abuse, rape, neglect, etc. and none of come close to where this book takes you. Other memoires describe so little of what they are suffering on the inside; they will say “I feel worthless” or “I felt dirty” or “I wanted to die”, but this author really takes you in a whole other realm of insanity and chaos. It’s haunting, it’s chilling, it’s heart breaking, it’s gut-wrenching, it’s terrifying, and it’s mesmerizingly terrific.
“Elizabeth” is an innocent, young soul who was the subject of an abusive family. Raised by a mother who neglected her needs, by a father who was verbally, emotionally, and mentally abusive, and lived with a brother who was violently physically abusive, then met her first boyfriend who was disturbingly sexually abusive. When she was finally able to “escape” these three men, she was preyed upon at the age of sixteen by a 45-year-old pedophile who abused her in all of the ways stated above. After five years of that tortured, she called it quits but immediately jumped into a relationship (who later became her first husband) who was verbally and emotionally abusive, only decreasing her already tortured state of mind and prolonging the help she desperately needed.

The one thing the author did not shy away from talking about was how she “coped” with all of this abuse. It is a well-known fact that someone who had to endure this type of torture will often 1) black out 2) “bury” the moments and memories someplace deep and 3) escape into a fantasy/delusional wonderland with often imaginary friends for comfort. The state of mind does this as a way of protection oneself from the extreme abuse, and “Elizabeth” spent nearly her entire life doing just that. She also suffered many extreme self-esteem issues that many survivors suffer from: blaming themselves and believing that they are worthless. She spent most of her life truly believing that she was only the worth of one dollar, due to her father’s constant belittling. He would tell her that she was worthless and selfish every single day, and grew up believing it. She refused to believe that the rapes from her first boyfriend and the pedophile weren’t rapes, but consensual sex. She refused to blame the perpetrator, and constantly blamed herself for everything that happened to her. She truly believed that all men were abusive, and that in her world “every man hits women” and it was a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

I work with mentally ill adolescents who often come from homes where they endured extreme forms of abuse. Working for so many years with them, with so many children, I thought I already had a strong understanding of why they were they way they are, and what goes on inside of their heads. This book took me to a whole new level of knowledge and understanding. It is so indescribably raw and real, and beyond emotional, to read what the author is going through and dealing with and how her brain is trying to deal with all of the trauma. It gave me a completely new perspective, one that I never thought I would have before.

I could NOT put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Yes, all 310 pages in one sitting. This author takes you on a disturbing journey that is unimaginable. The ending left you cheering for joy, rooting for her, and wishing you had her (second) husband for your own, who I believed saved her from the years upon years of self torture.

I highly recommend reading this book and if you are able to stomach the blunt details, then it will be well worth your time!

You can read this review on Goodreads

Broken is currently on sale for the holidays.

The eBook is on sale for $0.99 down from $2.99. This sale ends 31 December 2015.  Broken is also available on Kindle Unlimited. View this sale on Amazon.

The paperback has been marked down to $8.69 from $14.00. This sale ends 31 December 2015. View this sale on Amazon.

20 copies of Broken are looking for a home on Goodreads. You can enter to win 1 of the 20 signed paperbacks here.

About the Author

Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats.

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