Brad About Books: Engines of the Broken World by Jason Vanhee

Read from July 17 to 18, 2013

ENGINES OF THE BROKEN WORLD
Published: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Format: ARC
Page Count: 272 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Merciful Truth and her brother, Gospel, have just pulled their dead mother into the kitchen and stowed her under the table. It was a long illness, and they wanted to bury her—they did—but it’s far too cold outside, and they know they won’t be able to dig into the frozen ground. The Minister who lives with them, who preaches through his animal form, doesn’t make them feel any better about what they’ve done. Merciful calms her guilty feelings but only until, from the other room, she hears a voice she thought she’d never hear again. It’s her mother’s voice, and it’s singing a lullaby... 

Engines of the Broken World is a chilling young adult novel from Jason Vanhee.

(Brad About Books note: This book will mess with your mind in the most fantastic ways.)

WOAH, YOU GUYS, THIS BOOK. Engines of the Broken World is an eerie, chilling read that will have you looking over your shoulder and keep you up into the late hours of the night. This book messed with my mind - and I loved every second of it.

Let's go ahead and state something: this is not your typical book. Right from the first page, Engines of the Broken World is a creepy, unique novel that begins with something out of the ordinary. In fact, everything about this novel is out of the ordinary. You will never find another book like Engines of the Broken World, and I was so entangled with this world. Merciful and Gospel have to bury their dead mother, but now that she's hearing her mother singing to her, she knows something isn't right. Engines of the Broken World sent chills down my spine - it's the perfect book to read in the dead of night. Needing something creepy or deliciously eerie? Engines of the Broken World is the perfect choice.

The world is completely falling apart, and I love how the reader is never quite sure what has happened to the world. Another fantastic thing about Engines of the Broken World is how you can never trust anybody. Something is wrong and creepy about every character (especially The Minister), and deception is always lurking. Vanhee's writing perfectly matched the uniqueness of the book. Each word and sentence is haunting, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Engines of the Broken World has easily become one of my favorite horror, creepy reads.

Oh gosh, the ending. Fast-paced and heart-racing, Engines of the Broken World kept me biting at my nails and turning pages in anticipation. I was so connected to Merciful so much, and I loved traveling through these odd, scary situations with her. Unique and thrilling, I couldn't get my mind off of Engines of the Broken World. If you're needing to be creeped out, read Engines of the Broken World - it's terrifying and marvelous, all at the same time.

Overall, Engines of the Broken World is one whirlwind of a ride. Bizarre and fantastic, Engines of the Broken World shouldn't be missed.

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