Book Review: Cracked - K. M. Walton

CRACKED:
Published: January 3, 2012:
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 311 pages
Source: Amazon.com
*Debut Novel*

Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills -- only to wake up in the hospital. 

Bull is angry, and takes all his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel a little better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are getting worse -- much worse -- before they get better... 

"K. M. Walton's debut novel tugged at my heartstrings with this tale of two boys who have been drastically affected in their lifetime. Cracked is absolutely brilliant!"

When I first heard of this novel, I honestly didn't know what to expect. So when I ordered it on Amazon and started it, my breath was taken away at how beautiful and great the book was!

This book was incredible.

First, the writing style. I loved K. M. Walton's voice in these two boys. I felt for them (even Bull), and whenever something horrible would happen (something like abuse), it really pulled at my heart. I loved that this story was about bullying and basically trying to overcome a bully, and I appreciate K. M. for crafting the story like she did.

Next, the characters. Like I said before, Victor and Bull made me feel sad and happy. I felt bad for Victor right from the get-go, and I finally came to understand Bull's mean ways. And the way that K. M. put them in the situations they got into really made me breathless. She's a very talented writer!

Then, there's just the actual story. I hate bullying, and when Bull would do something to Victor, I wanted to jump into the pages of Cracked and force Bull to stop being a horrible and wicked person. This book kept me up all night, and I finished it in just a day. This book was such a great book.

One more thing before I wrap this all up: the pacing. K. M. Walton paced this novel perfectly, and I always wanted to keep reading the story just to find out what exactly would happen. The story and characters always intrigued me, and I loved this story! And... it had short chapters! I love short chapters in a book. I have no idea why, but I do!

Overall, I highly recommend you go get this novel! :D

My Rating: