Broken Things by Lauren Oliver (Book Summary)

Purchase Broken Things by Lauren Oliver via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s7ZoNo

Summer, Mia, and Brin were best friends who loved a novel called ‘From the Way to Lovelorn.’ They loved it so much that they believed they had found Lovelorn. The book is unfinished. There is no end, no sequel, and the author is dead. So, Summer, Mia, and Brin wrote their own sequel.

However, Summer died – she was murdered near the shed they called Lovelorn. There were three suspects for her murder – Mia, Brin, and Owen. Owen is Mia’s childhood sweetheart who ended up briefly dating Summer. There was an investigation. The evidence gathered isn’t enough to arrest them, but the people from their town already judged them. They lost contact with each other.

NOW, 5 years after Summer’s death – Mia, Brin, and Owen meet again.

Brin was released from rehab. She isn’t really an addict. She just wants to stay in recovery because she doesn’t want to go home. Her cousin, Wade, helps her pass-fail the drug test. At this time, Wade couldn’t help her because of the terrible weather.

Mia was decluttering her house with her new best friend, Abby. Mia’s mom hoarded for years, which resulted in a mountain of trash in their house. While going through the trash, she found the novel. In the book, she found a paper Summer once wrote and realized she struggles with writing. Mia suspected that someone was helping Summer write their sequel (back then, they just submitted their ideas to Summer, and she’d be the one that rewrites/edit it). Mia thought that whoever was helping Summer could possibly do with her death. With that in mind, she went to rehab to visit Brin, not knowing that she would be released. Mia ended up driving Brin home – but Brin didn’t go home.

Mia and Brin met again in the shed, what used to be Lovelorn. Mia and Abby looked for clues while Brin was sleeping there since she didn’t plan to go home. Brin lied about her mom having an accident, and she was able to stay at Mia’s house.

Owen went home from Scotland. He just graduated. And he helped with their investigation.

Brin’s cousin, Wade, also helped.

They suspected Mr. Harding (Summer’s foster parent) and the Bus Driver during the investigation. They were wrong. They eventually figured out that it was Miss Gray – their teacher. Brin figured out when she asked one of Summer’s ex-boyfriends how he knew about her and Summer (Brin is lesbian and in love with Summer). He told Brin that it was Miss Gray who told him about them.

Mia figured out when she visited the spot where Summer was murdered and found it well-tended. There were also carnation flowers, Summer’s favorite. Summer recalled that Miss Gray was wearing carnations during Summer’s memorial. Just in time, Miss Gray showed up. She was very calm. She talked to Mia and didn’t stop her from leaving – she just simply stared at her.

They also looked up Miss Gray online and found out that she corresponds with the description of the Shadow (the Shadow is the villain in the novel). They also found news about a young girl who was murdered. Whose mouthpiece (the instrument with her name on it) was found in the shed. Miss Gray was interviewed for that news article.

They have decided to confront Miss Gray. They went to her house the next day, and it looked like she was waiting for them. She told them she was just waiting to ask since she was ready to reveal the truth.

Miss Gray loved Summer, and they spent so much time together. She created Lovelorn for them. She made them believe it was real back then. She was the one who helped Summer write.

On the day Summer was murdered, they had an argument. She also saw Summer doing the ritual based on the book. It was a ritual to get rid of the Shadow. Miss Gray was angry – because she was the Shadow.

After Miss Gray’s calm confession, Mia, Brin, and Owen walked out of the house and simply told her to wait for the police. Miss Gray just agreed. She told them she wouldn’t leave. When they were out of the house, they heard a gunshot – Miss Gray killed herself.

The truth was revealed – and Mia, Brin, and Owen were finally no longer monsters in their town.

Owen went to college. Mia also went to New York with her dad. She’s still thinking where she’d study – while her mom is being treated back in town. Brin and Mia stayed in touch. Owen and Mia are hopeful that they can start again.

The End Broken Things by Lauren Oliver.

• Purchase Broken Things by Lauren Oliver via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s7ZoNo