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Bits of Broken Glass by [Martha Reynolds]

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Martha Reynolds

Bits of Broken Glass Kindle Edition

by Martha Reynolds (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Can you ever really go home again?

The 25-year high school reunion - love it or dread it?

How much really changes in 25 years? Former classmates are poised to find out as their first-ever high school reunion gets closer. Some lives have improved, some have soured, but all remained connected by their shared West Alton High past...

Once the target of ridicule, one-time "ugly duckling" Kellie has transformed in both beauty and attitude, though her fears and fragility remain as deep scars within. Will facing those who once wronged her help or do even more damage to her delicate psyche? Joe was adored by everyone in school. Well...almost everyone. Being gay in a close-minded small town, he knew he had no future in West Alton, so right after graduation, he traded one ocean for another. Now an Oscar-winning Hollywood director, Joe is ready to return. Except that it means having to face the horrific event that ultimately pushed him away... Former cheerleader Cherry planned this reunion to make peace with those she may have wronged in school. But as she faces cancer and stares down her own mortality, will she really be able to make things right again? And then there's Scott, the West Alton "lifer," who's been collecting a disability pension from the town for a suspicious back injury, among other questionable life choices. Are his reasons for wanting to attend the reunion pure? Or does he have another agenda? As the months count down, long-kept secrets will be revealed as the question ever looms... Can you ever really go home again?

Print length

219 pages
Language

English
Publication date

December 23, 2013
File size

4590 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Bits of Broken Glass is a bit of a departure for Reynolds, but the story is a powerful and fascinating look into how much we are all affected by our pasts. We peek into the lives of these classmates and watch how they are connected by circumstances other than just being classmates. Thanks for another engrossing read, Martha--looking forward to many more

- Nan Reinhardt, USA TODAY bestselling author

About the Author

Martha Reynolds is the award-winning author of seven novels, including the bestselling Chocolate for Breakfast. Her writing has appeared in Magnificat magazine and her very short poem was read by journalist Connie Schultz during NPR's "Tell Me More" poetry challenge. She and her husband live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00F9JBU3I
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 23, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4590 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 219 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,656,318 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #909 in LGBTQ+ Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #13,580 in Coming of Age Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #18,771 in Gay Fiction

Customer Reviews:
41 ratings

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4 star		36%
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madkitty23

Who can't relate to reunion anxiety?

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2014

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Everyone can relate to a high school reunion: the anticipation, the angst, the memories. For some, it's a great time to reconnect, and for others, a time to relive an awkward time. The West Alton High School class of 1988 has never had a reunion, until now. Their 25th. Four classmates who had little interaction in high school will reunite in this moving novel by author Martha Reynolds.

The story begins with a countdown to the reunion, and tension builds as the date draws closer. Cherry, the popular cheerleader, organizes this reunion, even as she battles a life-threatening illness. Joe, the guy with the movie-star looks, hasn't ventured back to his hometown since graduation, and in doing so, must revisit memories of a terrifying time as a teenager, when being gay wasn't accepted by everyone in the small town. Scott is enjoying an "early retirement" from the town thanks to a suspicious injury, but has failed at marriage and fatherhood. And Kellie, who hides a shameful secret, realizes that the only way to put the past behind her is to face it.

Martha Reynolds takes on some difficult subject matter in this book, but draws the reader right into the story. She brings the characters to life and you'll find yourself turning each page in anticipation of what comes next.

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Good read...but I want more!

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2013

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A wonderful, well written story of a group of people who share the fact that their 25th High School reunion is coming up, and each has reasons they don't want to go...and compelling reasons TO go!

I found the characters interesting, if maybe a little stereotypical - the cheerleader, the wall flower, the bully, the gay, but Martha has made each character interesting and worth turning the page to see how they progress towards attending (or not!) the reunion. Some characters have to face past demons, which is well presented by the author. Some characters have NOT changed much, while some characters have changed completely since high school.

There is an undercurrent of violence and hurt in some of their lives that the author has conveyed well, not as a "data dump", but revealed slowly as we get to know the characters.

The only reason I did not give it a "5" is because I found the ending of the story - the reunion - to be too short and almost a "perfunctory" ending. There is the Big Reveal by the main character, and the Big Revenge against another character, but since the reunion was the driving force of the entire book, I would have liked to see the author expand it out some more, build the tension some more, use her wonderful writing talent to put us on the edge of our seats, prolong the Reveal and Revenge. It just seemed all over too quick.

So ultimately, what I'm saying is that Martha is a wonderful writer and this is a good book, and I want her to present us with longer examples of her craft, to push her self a little more in character development. Build some more tension, slowly, luxuriously. Show us more of your talent, Martha. You have it!

One person found this helpful

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Linda Demaree

A Decent Read

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2014

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I did enjoy this book because I have been where the characters in this book have been. I have never been to a class reunion because I was never really accepted by certain people in high school, so I can relate to Kellie in this book. Mine wasn't quite so extreme as hers, however, I can relate. This novel kept me reading and the character development was good, however, it was not a book I couldn't put down. I love a good thriller. This was more along the lines of a good human interest story - a caring story. It was very good in that it portrayed people in their weaknesses and their strengths! Good story!

One person found this helpful

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Julia A. McDonald

Ending was somewhat abrupt..... but understandable.

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2014

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This was an light and entertaining book focused around characters coming together for a 25th high school reunion. We get to see read about not only their present life but the back story of high school and traumatic events that lead up to their attendance at the reunion. The old saying " what goes around, comes around" is never more true than at the reunion. The end leaves us at the end of the night somewhat abruptly. A good read but nothing extraordinary. would recommend for beach read or long flight.

2 people found this helpful

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Lynne Radiches

"Bits of Broken Glass" Completes a Hat Trick For Martha Reynolds!

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2013

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I was a big fan of both Martha's debut novel, "Chocolate for Breakfast" and its sequel, "Chocolate Fondue", so I was pretty excited about the recent release of Martha's 3rd novel, "Bits of Broken Glass". This captivating story about the lives of a group of 40-somethings in the months leading up to their 25th high school reunion really does complete a hat trick for this talented author. Early into the book, I felt so much like I knew Kellie, Suzanne, Joe, Cherry, and Scott - that I was tempted to check the mail for my own invitation to the reunion! Martha consistently writes in an easy, relatable style, painting vivid pictures for her readers. Her ability to tie a story together is amazing, as is her gift of establishing just the right pace for that story. Rhode Islanders will appreciate the local references (i.e., the Quonset "O" Club). I resisted the urge to complete the read in one sitting, instead allowing myself the treat of looking forward to a few chapters each night over several consecutive evenings. Martha is on a roll - and I am already looking forward to her next release!

2 people found this helpful

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AnnE.

Another good read from this author

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2013

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I was looking forward to reading another book by this author and I was not disappointed in this one. The author tells such a compelling story of people in the days before their 25th high school reunion and the people they were then and have become. I really enjoyed this book and the story of redemption for some of the characters that were the not so popular students and seeing karma come around for some of the others that were the bullies during high school. I am definitely looking forward to the next book by this author.

One person found this helpful

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