Breakaway - Kat Spears

Title: Breakaway
Author: Kat Spears
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: September 15th 2015
Available Editions: Hardcover and for review, EBook

Netgalley Synopsis:

When Jason Marshall's younger sister passes away, he knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates--Mario, Jordie, and Chick--to be there for him. With a grief-crippled mother and a father who's not in the picture, he needs them more than ever. But when Mario starts hanging out with a rough group of friends and Jordie finally lands the girl of his dreams, Jason is left to fend for himself while maintaining a strained relationship with troubled and quiet Chick. Then Jason meets Raine, a girl he thinks is out of his league but who sees him for everything he wants to be, and he finds himself pulled between building a healthy and stable relationship with a girl he might be falling in love with, grieving for his sister, and trying to hold onto the friendships he has always relied on.

A witty and emotionally moving tale of friendship, first love, and loss, Breakaway is Kat Spears at her finest.

Review:

Well where do I begin? Yet another book in a whole day and let me tell you this, I was utterly surprised with how it ended and that's being very vague with how strong my feelings were. In this review, like most of my reviews I have to be honest, so sticking to that rule I must admit I liked the cover and was interested by the synopsis but after reading the book and looking back at the cover, thought to cover could of been more related to the story. This is my opinion and I admit the cover is nice but I think it could relate more to the story than it does.

I loved several parts of this book, mostly how it wasn't like other books I had read, it wasn't all based around a relationship between two teenagers, it was much, much more than that. I also loved how the book was based around one situation and then there were several mentions of several taboo subjects, it felt like the books was one step towards being somewhat, more open about these subjects. To keep this section short my last loved part of the story is the story progression, you were automatically into the story and always fully aware of what was happening.

Bringing up the characters I have to admit I was quite happy with the few characters there were, based around Jason, who's 17 and at the beginning of his book its becomes clear his sister has passed away, and is dealing with his mourning mother without support from his father. He is soon joined by his close friends Mario, Jordie, and Chick. Once you know all of them, you find it odd that they would be friends but the friendship works. The characters clash a few times but also have moments filled with jokes and laughter. When Raine comes into the main frame of the story, there are many moments of sarcasm and laughter.

Each character helps bring the story together, taking the reader on a journey through the eyes and mind of a teenager in a worn down house, dealing with love and loss. I have to admit I was hooked on the book within a few pages, and I was unable to put it down (the proof of this is sitting on wet grass for 45 minutes reading and getting hit with a basketball that was kicked for my dog to chase) I was expecting the story to last for more pages than it did and that was really my only problem with the book/story, it ended so soon just as I had gotten my ticket to get on the emotional roller coaster. If ever possible I would love a follow up book or two just to show their lives in the future maybe months or a year later than when this story ended.

I give the book a rating of 4.7/5 and recommend it to anyone who's up for a quick read or wants to see taboo subjects put into a new light to see from another perspective.