Title: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, LGBTQ
Length: 248 pages
Book Rating: C+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp comes a shocking new thriller about a group of friends who go to a cabin to play a murder mystery game…only to have the game turned against them.
FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.
For five friends, this was supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways—a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they’ve been playing for the past three years. But they’re all dealing with their own demons, and they’re all hiding secrets.
Finn doesn’t trust anyone since he was attacked a few months ago. Popular girl Liva saw it happen and did nothing to stop it. Maddy was in an accident that destroyed her sports career. Carter is drowning under the weight of his family’s expectations. Ever wants to keep the game going for as long as they can, at all costs.
When the lines between game and reality start to blend with deadly consequences, it’s a race against time before it’s game over—forever.
Are you ready to play?
Perfect for readers who love:
- teenage mystery books or YA horror
- LGBT stories about intersectional groups of friends
- Karen McManus, Gretchen McNeil, or Natasha Preston
Review:
Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp is an intriguing young adult mystery.
With some of the group leaving for college in a few months, five friends go to a remote cabin to play their role playing game one last time. Liva Konig’s wealthy family owns the cabin and she is the group’s costume designer. She is looking forward to one last game before she sets out on the course her parents have set for her. Non-binary Ever is the game master and they created and set up everything for this final game. They just completed their junior year and they are very devoted to taking care of their father and sister. Maddy is autistic and she relies on body language to help her gauge other people’s emotions. She is struggling with the changes in her life following an auto accident. Her friend Carter works for Liva’s family’s business and his parents urge him to work hard to get ahead. Finn is transgender and suffers from chronic pain due to arthritis. Finn has been estranged from the group for several months and harbors misgivings about the get together.
Everyone arrives together and after settling into their rooms, they begin playing their final RPG. Liva’s ghost stories add a layer of unease as they settle into their various roles. Despite some of the tension between friends, they are soon immersed in solving their final mystery. After an unexpected change in the game, things begin to go wrong. Strange occurrences are disconcerting and they make the mistake of splitting up to investigate a shocking discovery. Fearful of what is going to happen next, they agree to stay together as they plan their escape to safety.
Even If We Break is a young adult mystery with a clever storyline and interesting characters. While the characters are diverse, they are not very well developed. The narration shifts between each of the characters and some of their voices are too similar to tell them apart. The RPG element is unique and role playing readers will definitely enjoy the scenes where the final game takes place. The first part of the story is fast-paced but the last half becomes mired in long, repetitive passages of dialogue and internal monologues. The mystery aspect is predictable and the perpetrator’s motive is bizarre. With the characters undergoing a touching journey of self-discovery, Marieke Nijkamp brings the novel to a satisfying conclusion.
