Customer Reviews

Broken: A Novel

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You'll recall the Biblical story of Hosea: called by God to marry a prostitute in order to demonstrate the love God has for His people and to portray in vivid detail how His people are sinning against Him. The picture we get from this comes from God's perspective. But what of the woman? What of this soul so broken that she finds it hard to love herself let alone another?

In a stunning tale of mystery, intrigue, and danger, Broken takes us on a heart-rending journey in the life of Laila, a girl whose broken past is beginning to catch up with her. Six months earlier, she'd killed a man. In her defense, it was to protect herself, but she's still haunted by the guilt. Nobody knows. Nobody. Or so she thinks. When she's discovered by a stranger who knows about her crime, and wants to make her pay, she's forced to run. But running seems to do little good. Her only chance is to accept the help of the One who can bind up the broken and make her whole again.

Each time I read a novel by Travis Thrasher, I close the cover and tell myself that was his best. But I find it hard to imagine that Thrasher is going to be able to surpass Broken easily. As the pieces fell together in the closing chapters, as the mystery became clear, as the tension heightened, as the story climaxed, as the theme hit home and began to wash over my soul...the story literally drove me to tears. And when I did close the cover, it left me in quiet and prayerful contemplation.

The writing is superb. It takes a few chapters to get used to Thrasher's use of the present tense, but it's a technique that throws the reader into the moment more than ever. Flashbacks in the form of diary entries serve to paint the background story for this broken soul. The action is intense, the pace breakneck, the aura of mystery palpable, the sense of the supernatural mysterious. But it all serves only to point to Thrasher's theme: No matter how broken, there is hope for redemption.

Broken? That's a place I've been, a place I am. Not the situation that Laila finds herself in, but I get Thrasher's message. It's his Hosea story. It's his story of all of us and how utterly broken we are and how we need the hope that can only be found in Jesus. Of how, even though we are the cause of our brokenness, He takes His broken heart and heals us with His broken body. In the vein of Isolation and Ghostwriter, Thrasher gives us Broken, one of his best stories to date.

What a ripping good story this is.

Laila Torres works at a bank in Greenville, South Carolina. A co-worker, Kyle, is interested in her. She is clearly a beautiful woman. She keeps discouraging Kyle. He doesn't understand. He doesn't know her past. But her past is about to catch up with Laila, Kyle and just about anyone else associated with her.

And it's a past that only gradually unfolds, adding layer upon layer to Laila's story, a story that begins with one fact: she shot and killed a man.

Or did she?

The twelfth novel of author Travis Thrasher, "Broken" is a wonderfully crafted story of a woman haunted by her past, chased by the brother of the man she believes she killed, and pursued by her own conscience. The story moves from Chicago to New York to Greenville and finally to post-Katrina New Orleans, the perfect "broken" setting for a broken woman running from a broken life. Thrasher sustains the growing tension of the story by allowing Laila herself to finally face what she's truly been running from, what she cannot forgive herself for but only can be supernaturally forgiven.

"Broken" is a great story. Thrasher has written a series of suspenseful, sometimes terrifying but always satisfying and even provocative stories, and this one is one of his best.

"Broken" was...surreal. Weird. Creepy. Depressing. Not to mention disjointed and confusing. It's a fast-paced suspense novel, but it was hard to be worried when I sometimes had no idea what was going on. I'd actually call "Broken" a horror novel. The author mixed nightmares, reality, and supernatural until I wasn't sure what was happening. Granted, the author was probably trying to make the reader feel what it was like inside Laila's head, but for much of the novel we're not really in her head but at a distance watching things unfold.

The author also introduced new characters without telling us how they related to other characters, where they were, or why they were acting in the mysterious way they were. Sometimes he gave full names but no connections, but other times he hid the character's identity, too. An author can get away with a little of this, but this happened so much that I felt confused most of the time. Ironically, though, I still did guess the "surprise twist" before it was revealed.

All that said, the characters dealt with realistic problems and were realistic enough. I only really liked one of the characters, though, and I'm angry at the author for what he did to this character.

Most of the novel had a "supernatural" theme rather than a Christian one since spooky supernatural events were the focus. Laila rejected God because she believed that He didn't care about her--if He even existed. And, if He did, then He wouldn't want anything to do with her anyway because of all the bad choices and sins in her past. A Christian message was worked into the last few chapters, though, as Laila thought over things she experienced and things she believed now but still struggled to accept.

The novel was written in third person, present tense ("Laila goes to the door") which read awkwardly. There was some swearing and cussing. There was no explicit sex or gore. Overall, this novel just didn't work for me.

I received this book as an advanced readers copy from the publisher.

Reviewed by Debbie from Genre Reviews

I love Travis Thrasher! I work for a library and he's always on my "recommend to librarians" list. Broken is a about Laila, a small town girl that went to the big city to be a model, but wound up committing murder. Now she's on the run and the ghost of the man she killed seems to be following her! But there's more to Laila's story than you think and we learn Laila's history as she runs from her past and witness her ultimate redemption. A wonderful blend of suspense, horror, and healing. Powerful stuff. (Also my favorite title by this author.)

This book was so action packed, I felt like I was watching the action unfold as I read it. This book is truly a page turner. I read this book over 2 days. The appeal of this book is amazing, you go from natural to supernatural to horror, suspense, the love of a brother and the love of God. It makes you think of how you can get lost in this world, this life, the afterlife and your relationship with God. Enjoy the journey!

`Christian' novels come in all different flavors. `Broken,' by Travis Thrasher, shows that we live in a broken world, and the only way for us to get through this life in a satisfying manner is to follow the Lord, and to follow His precepts.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

The Tormented Tale of a Woman on the Run from Her Past, and A Stranger Who Knows Her Darkest Secret. Laila had it all - love, family, wealth, and faith. But when her world fell apart, Laila escaped New York to pursue a career as a model. Her new world of glamour turned out to be an illusion, however, full of danger that eventually led to murder.

Now, reinventing herself once again, Laila has managed to create an unassuming life in Greenville, South Carolina. Though she avoids personal connections, she can't resist a male colleague's persistent attempts at friendship that could lead to something more.

But even as Laila struggles to move forward, she can't seem to forget the crimes of her past. When a stranger approaches her and says he knows what she did, Laila runs, pursued by mysterious men in dark shadows and haunted by visions of the man she killed. Little does she know she's being hounded by something not of this world, something that knows her deepest, darkest secret that will follow wherever she goes.

Here is the biography of this author:

The author of eleven works of fiction, Travis Thrasher (www.travisthrasher.com) creates flawed characters and takes them on harrowing journeys of redemption. He and his wife, Sharon, live with their daughter in Chicago, IL.

Each chapter opens with a journal entry from Laila; they really help us to get a glimpse into the mind of this beautiful, yet troubled, woman. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 8:

What good is living in the moment when the past always inevitably overshadows it?

Sometimes I tell myself I need to find a good shrink, someone different than the ones in New York and Chicago that needed more help than they could prescribe. Sometimes I tell myself I need to find someone, anyone, that will accept and love me for who I am. But I can't imagine - I can't begin to imagine the layers I'd have to go through to get to the core.

And then - yes, when I hear those words "accept" and "love" and "who I am," I think that what I need is the faith of my father. But every time I think about praying, think about going to church, think about any of that, I go back to the mess I left behind.

My problem is not wondering why God could allow bad things to happen. My problem is believing that God can do wondrous things. Yes, the Garden of Eden might have been real, and Moses parting the Red Sea and all the prophets of the Old Testament doing their miracles, and yes, even Jesus coming and dying on the cross next to a couple of criminals and surrounded by masses who mocked him. That might all be real, but to me right now, it seems like a fairy tale. Just like in all the stories of old, the stories from youth, when things worked out happily ever after. Those stories sell because people are looking for happily ever afters, and that includes people going oto see a shrink or people living their whole lives in their own bubbles of a family, or people sitting down in church and getting saved.

What are they saved from? That's what I want to know. (pp. 44-45)

Obviously, Laila has left the faith of her family. Her younger brother, Lex, still clings to that faith. Here is an exchange between Lex and his wife, Dena, who is not happy that he is trying to track down Laila:

"She's missing because she wants to be," Dena says.

"I'm going to find her."

"Probably shacking up with the devil himself."

"Stop it."

"That girl doesn't deserve to be found. What're you gonna do? Bring her home? Save her soul?"

"I can try."

"She needs to stay away. She's no good."

"So was I."

"God shined his face down on you."

"Yeah, I know," Lex says. "And I'm hoping He's got some more mercy to spare. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm going to find her."

"Heartache is all you're gonna find. Heartache and death." (p. 111)

Another character in the book that has strong faith is Laila's coworker, Kyle. Here is a conversation between the cynical Laila and the steadfast Kyle on the subject of confession of sins. Kyle begins:

"Telling me won't. But you can tell them to God."

"If He's there He already knows about them."

"But you can put them before Him and ask for forgiveness."

"What's that going to get me? A golden ticket to the heavenly spa up there? A get-out-of-jail card where I won't have to worry about it anymore?"

"It doesn't work like that," Kyle says.

"So how does it work?"

"I don't know, but I know what I believe. I know that I believe in God and I believe in His son, and I know this is going to sound like preaching 101 but I believe there is a way Jesus takes my mistakes. I have to believe this because if I don't I'm hopeless."

"What mistakes have you made? You're a good guy."

"We all make mistakes. All of us." (p. 201)

I have read one other book by Mr. Thrasher - `Solitary' (you can read my review here - http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/2010/10/solitary-by-travis-thrasher-book-review.html). That book is Juvenile Fiction; this book decidedly is not. This book brings to the forefront the truth that this world is ruled by the enemy of our souls. Mr. Thrasher does not sugar coat life on this planet. You don't want to read a book like this too far away from a loved one; it is chilling and not for the faint of heart. That said, Mr. Thrasher is gifted in his writing style, and puts you into the hearts and minds of his characters (cold and calculated as they may be). Fortunately, and thankfully, Laila finally sees what is truly important in this world; for that, I am grateful - and there will be no spoilers coming from me!

This book was published by FaithWorks and provided by them for review and giveaway purposes.

Reviewed by Andrea Schultz - Ponderings by Andrea - [..]

BROKEN is like no other I've read. Being a fan of Travis Thrasher's romance novels, when I spotted BROKEN I purchased it. Though he may write in a variety of genre, how can one not at least give one of his other novels a try?

I loved the journal entries before each chapter. It pulled you into the very heart of the main character, Laila.

The story started as pure mystery that kept you turning the pages, wanting to understand what was going on. As the story unfolds, page after page, you are slowly taken on a journey of a young woman who through a series of bad choices found herself on the run.

Travis did an amazing job of bringing in several characters with such vivid stories they each elicited their own set of emotions within you, whether that be sorrow, anger, love. Though I'm not a fan of the supernatural ideas, I loved the message BROKEN gave. A glimpse into one's journey of learning to trust in God enough to start a new chapter in their life.

The most powerful aspect of the story for me was why Laila became who she became. The message of how bad decisions can haunt us for a very long time if we don't confront them and make peace with them through God.

This is the first time I've had the opportunity to read anything by Mr. Thrasher. A friend and I happened upon him on a random night in a Barnes & Noble and got a signed copy of his book. It was right at closing and I felt like I couldn't rightly speak to him without getting a copy of his book. I am so glad that I did.

The Characters are dynamic and you get the story from many different character perspectives and it makes you want to read more and more to find out where the trains are going to collide. I really enjoyed this book and plan on reading more as I can.

Kudos Travis!

Broken: A Novel

As a teenager Laila was wild and in spite of a wealthy loving family, she goes down a dark road that leads to gang rape. Despondent she leaves her small Texas hometown for Chicago where she becomes a high priced escort. One night her client gets too violent and Laila shoots him. She thinks she killed him. For the next six months, Laila is on the run, but hears voices and sees visions.

She no longer can delineate between what reality and fantasy are. The brother of the John she shot goes after her and forces her to do his bidding which includes paying off a debt he owes to despicable men. Laila realizes the man she shot is alive. She flees to New Orleans, but they follow her with demonic determination to use her in their plan. Also in the Big Easy is her brother hoping to find her and praying if he does he can bring her back to God's graces as something evil pursues her.

Laila is an interesting flawed individual who has lost her way because she believes she cannot be saved as redemption is out of reach. However, there is some hope still inside her especially when she encounters a being not of this earth. She is not the key to this strong inspirational drama; her enemies are fully developed atypical antagonists whose malevolence makes the beleaguered heroine see like a choir girl. Travis Thrasher provides a character driven morality tale as hope is a key element of faith.

Harriet Klausner

Laila lived a charmed life. She had a loving family, was wealthy, and strikingly beautiful, but at the age of fifteen, one night changed everything. That one defining moment instigated a string of choices that led to her current predicament. Six months ago she shot a man and fled her life as a call girl in Chicago to begin anew in Greenville, South Carolina. Unfortunately, her past caught up with her. The brother of the man she shot wants a lot of money to compensate for his loss. Though her family is capable and willing to pay the money, she refused to call them believing she can disappear again.

Meanwhile Laila's brother, Lex, has learned she's in trouble. He doesn't know exactly what has happened or even where she is, simply that he needs to find her and try to help her. His search eventually leads him to the only friend Laila has made during the six months in her new home, a co-worker, Kyle. Both are determined to help her and both are willing to risk their lives for her, but the question remains why? In a powerfully gripping, intense story, supernatural elements emerge as both sides fight for Laila.

It is early in the year, but Broken is definitely going to be in my top ten favorites for 2010. It's been awhile since I've read a book this intriguing, suspenseful, and haunting. It is a fantastic story and one that has earned Thrasher a new fan.

There is a feel to this story from the beginning that things are just a little off. There is a mystery that surrounds Laila and Thrasher does a great job of revealing it a little bit at a time. We never find out the complete story, but what we do find out about her life is fascinating. Her story is dark and brooding, filled with violence and despair. This is not a happy story. While it does offer hope, the majority is anything but hopeful. It has an oppressive atmosphere and succeeds in helping the reader to feel Laila's isolation and hopelessness. Being a Christian for so long, it's often times hard to remember what it's like to be without God, to be without hope. Broken immerses the reader into those feelings of loneliness and separation from God with masterful writing and raw emotion.

Broken has a wonderful array of characters, but the best is Laila. There is little reason for the reader to like her. She's beautiful, but cold. She has a wonderful guy ready to win her love, but she can't overcome her fears and doubts. She had the opportunity to live a charmed life and fled. Underneath her choices and attitude though, we get a touching look at this totally broken young lady. By seeing Laila's life, the reader gets a better grasp of the chain of events that can lead to personal devastation and hopelessness. This is a fictional story, obviously, but much of it is true. That's what makes this story powerful. Fiction grounded in a harsh cold reality that many live in and through. When Thrasher created Laila, he made a broken young lady, devoid of hope, that's not too difficult to find in the real world.

From beginning to end Broken is a gripping story. The characters are alive, the writing is wonderful, and the story excellent. The themes are modern and relevant. The action is intense, the setting dark and haunting. The supernatural and spiritual elements were worked into the story well and enhanced the book. I really can't say enough about Broken--it is absolutely fantastic.