Title: The Broken Hearts’ Society of Suite 17C
Author: LeighAnn Kopans
Publication Date: May 22, 2015 (Kindle Unlimited Copy)
Grade: B
This was an enjoyable book, although it had some odd pacing, and it starts off slow then skips over time during the last two-thirds of the book. The book takes place over the course of Freshmen year for three students who happen to start their year on a sour note.
Rion is your ‘tough girl’ for this particular story. She comes from a broken home, her father died in a car accident and her mother dealt with her grief with a bottle and is in prison for a DUI. Rion herself spent time in a group home where she met her ex-boyfriend, who happened to frame her for distributing pot (It was really him). She ends up meeting a artist-tattoo guy and struggling with letting herself be open to that and trusting someone again.
Then there is Arielle, a Lesbian jew who comes to this particular school to be with her girlfriend – only said Girlfriend decides she is not ready to be out at school and breaks it off with her. However she meets Lauren, who has always considered herself straight but feels something for Arielle and decides to explore that.
The final main character is Amy, a girl who was raised Southern Baptist and has to learn where she stands in her own relationship with god, as well as how to deal with her long time boyfriend deciding college is for seeing other people. She meets Matt, a fellow Christian who helps her try to find her way.
This story deals with a lot of clichés, but I enjoyed finding the diversity of secondary characters, the fact that it included non-hetrosexual couple, and that it had a Christian character who wasn’t painted badly.It was also nice to see a book where the three girls form a healthy friendship, there isn’t any love triangles, and underlying issues are dealt with.
The issues this book has aren’t many. I felt like there was maybe too many social issues hit upon in a single book. It seemed to titter on the line between it being naturally addressed and it being a bit preachy on a subject.
I will however recommend this book.
Sokorra Lewis 