Break

I just finished Break by Ken Bagnis. Let's talk about it.

Trey Barrow is in serious trouble now. Finding himself in a teenage psych unit after a high speed chase with police and he was wearing nothing but shoes....

He was running from a threat only he can hear and see and being strapped down to be a bed in the hospital isn't helping.

When Pearl, another patient, believes him and knows exactly what to do, they hatch a plan to escape and get to her grandmother in Texas.

With no money they steal a car only to find out the car has a kid in it and she is sassy and . Stealing snacks and racing to beat the darkness, they find a world of friendship, hope and kindness in a world full of dangers.

My heart really ached for Trey, his parents are as useful as a chocolate kettle. The two people in the world that should have your back no matter what, and they almost wash their hands of you, tragic. I felt Pearl really bought the real Trey to surface and taught him that sometimes love comes from a place you least expect it. Millie, however, was my favorite and in reality, accidentally kidnapping her was the best thing that could have happened to her. 3 very different kids, coming from 3 different worlds and they still had each other's backs. I loved it.

I loved the gentle humor and the creative way this book touches on mental health and child neglect. It covered how neglect isn't always the way you think, that it actually comes in many forms and often can't be seen on the surface.

These characters touched my heart and I laughed a little, cried a little and the ending really was first rate. As someone who has people in their life with mental health issues, reading this book was a massive comfort for me and I truly applaud how cleverly written this book was. The writing was excellent and I felt like I was in the car with these three renegades and it's a journey I will definitely take again.

Thank you Ken for gifting me a copy of your beautiful book and honestly I don't have the words to truly express how much I loved every page.

5 stars!