Customer Reviews

The Breakable Vow

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was glued to this book for many reasons. As a well educated woman, I never expected the man of my dreams to be an abuser. In this book I found a light that illuminated the nightmare I was living. This book helped me make sense of the muddy, confusing situation of being emotionally and physically abused. The Breakable Vow educates the reader about the consistent dynamics presented in all abusive relationships. I wish I had read a book like this as a teenager. I am grateful Ms Clarke wrote this book. It saved my life and the lives of my five children. Whether you agree with Annie's choices along the way , or not, you cannot deny that Ms Clarke has done a fabulous job of showing and telling what it is like to live with an abuser. Just as important, the back of the book is LOADED with good information on how to get out of the abusive relationship safely and how to help a family member or friend who is stuck.

Kathryn Clarke has successfully conveyed exactly what it is like to be trapped as a young woman in an abusive relationship, while trying to rationalize her choices and keep herself safe. I applaud this incredibly talented writer for boldly addressing a terrifying issue and for writing so honestly and adroitly about dating violence.

In the United States, the greatest increase in partner violence is in the group of young woman 13-18 years old and Ms. Clarke's well-written and compelling story reaches this audience in a book every young woman should read. I recommend this keen and poignant novel for every teen's bookshelf-- male or female. Give it as a gift to every young woman you know as she enters high school or graduates. Give as a gift to every young man you know as a reminder that controlling behavior is hurtful and wrong. As parents, we can take the lessons from this well-told story and learn how to be more understanding and concretely helpful to the young women and men we know who may find themselves in relationships they are simply not prepared to handle. Congratulations to Ms. Clarke for a superb story about a topic we all need to understand.

I know how difficult it is to articulate the confusion and chaos of that turmoil. Ms. Clarke has done this better than any other writer I have read on the subject. What Anna Quindlen's "Black and Blue" did for the understanding of domestic violence in marriage, let this be the bible for young women and men understanding violence in dating relationships.

This book is one of the best that I have read lately. It is for the most part realistic. You come to care for Annie greatly and want her to get out of the abusive situation with Kevin. Kevin acts like the typical abuser. He does something then he claims that he is sorry and will never do that again. Obviously he does. This book also has details about abuse in the back which can be very helpful in figuring out if you are in an abusive situation. I would recommend this book to everyone. I believe that even guys need to read this book because it might help them to see what abuse is for women and if they are heading towards being abusive.

Kathryn Clarke's book the Breakable Vow is an absolute necesity for every teenager and college student. As a college student myself, the information I learned from this book has been immensely useful in my life. I urged parents to buy this book for their children, it is a necesity in our society today. It not only describes the horrors of abuse, but more importantly clearly states the warning signs so that people like myself can stop any violence before it happens. The fictional story is beautifully written with incredibly interesting characters. You will not be able to put this book down!

I have used this book and curriculum in my classroom to teach high school students about an issue that plagues them sorely: domestic and teen dating violence. Both the students and I learned a great deal about the mindset of the abused as well as of the abuser, information that is necessary to deal with this issue effectively. I recommend it to anyone and everyone who will read it, abused, abusers, and their families, as well as those who have never been touched by this awful crime of the soul and spirit. Read it, in conjunction with the tools in the back of the book, and learn how to make a difference. Kathryn, Thank you for your candor. You are saving lives.

This has to be one of the best and most memorable books I've ever read. You follow a journey with this woman that's just amazing. She meets Kevin, they date for a few years, she gets pregnant, they get married, go to college and she ends up fighting for her life from who used to be a trusting and loving friend & now is a complete monster. It's like a Lifetime movie in a book! I reccommend this to any and everyone. My ownly complaint is the length of the book, it's so long, but it's so good I couldn't give it anything less than 5 stars!

As a young child, I was abused by my father and often saw my mom go through almost the same things Annie goes through in this story. Most people don't understand why women and sometimes men just don't pack up and leave, just like that, but it is incredible the mask that the abuser can tie tighter than a noose around the victim. The list about Batterers really helped me to understand the vicious cycle that the abusers use. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though at times I didn't like the writing style. This book is EXTREMEMLY realistc, even though it seems stupid that Annie and Mary didn't just leave. It's so true to life I had to go sleep in my sister's room at the end, because I was having flashbacks of what happened to me. It is so amazing how true this book is.

I recommend that every teen read this book -- they'll be glad in the future that they did.

Stephanie 3/28/07

The Breakable Vow, Kathryn Ann Clarke 0-06-051821-9

In 2001 there was reported 691,710 cases of non-fatal violence from spouses, ex-spouses, and boyfriends or girlfriends. There should not be violence in relationships between people. In The Breakable Vow Annie and her boyfriend, Kevin, had been going out for a while and Annie went on a camping trip with her friend, Rene. Kevin is a pretty jealous guy, so he showed up to surprise her, but was really making sure she wasn't cheating on him. While they were there Rene went off to hang out with some other camp people, and Kevin pressured Annie into having sex with him. When Annie got back from the camping trip she felt very sick, and found out that she was pregnant. When she told Kevin he told her that his mom could pay for an abortion, but Annie didn't want to get rid of her kid.
This story is realistic fiction. One day after one of Annie's doctor appointments Kevin was getting ready to drive her home, but stopped. He said, "Who's Herold." Herold was a guy that Annie met while camping. Then, when she said that he was just a guy she met while camping and didn't do anything with him, Kevin reached over and started to strangle her. She tried to get out, but couldn't. He told her he had no choice, but to strangle her, and that she was a slut. She finally got out of the car and ran home. She wasn't talking to him, but a couple of days later he came to her house and apologized. He said he would never touch her again. So, a couple months later she had her baby, and they got married. They moved to Texas for Kevin, because he had a football scholarship there. They continued to get into fights, and some were violent, but not extremely violent. Annie started going to a counselor. She told her that Kevin hurts her, then acts all nice to get her back, and that she's in big danger. Well, one night when Kevin found out that some boy at Annie's work liked her he came running into the house extremely drunk and it went too far.
This was one of the best books I've read in months! It had an interesting topic to start out, and it was very suspensful. For example, when Kevin found out that some guy at Annie's worked liked her it ended the chapter with this, "She was two steps from the front door when she saw the knob turning." I could not put the book down, because I wanted to know what happened next, and if Annie would get out alright. I 100% recommend this book, because it kept me reading for hours, and the story line never got boring. Also, some books have really stupid endings, but the ending to this book made me feel like I knew what happened, even though it pretty much left you at a cliff hanger. I felt very satisfied after the book ended. I hope that you read this book, and learn some facts on abusers too.

I loved this book. It was so sad, but seemed so very realistic. The way she described Kevin and how he acted put chills up my spine, it scared me so much ,i didnt read it for three days. But i had to find out what happened to Annie and Mary. It was a great book. I'd reccomend this to anyone.... its such a tearjerker.

This book was an amazing story of strength, courage and healing. I find it hard to believe that some reviewers commented on grammatical errors or the length of the book. Did they NOT read this heart-wrenching story? From what I know about Kathryn Clarke, this book is largely based on her personal experiences and is semi-autobiographical. Truth is often stranger than fiction. "Annie" is a young woman who is a survivor of abuse who displays amazing intelligence, faith and determination. The cycle of abuse is often difficult for others to understand if they are not engulfed in that situation. This author does an incredible job of giving the reader insight into how and why someone can get caught up in the pain and dangerous pattern of abuse. She also gives HOPE to anyone in a similar situation. I HIGHLY recommend this book!