Fracture

This novel read more like a contemporary then a paranormal story which is something I really liked about it. I've been going through a bit of a contemporary phase so I was especially excited to start this one. I was disappointed though when the story never morphed into something I could enjoy and relate to.

Fracture follows Delaney Maxwell after she falls into a frozen lake and her childhood best friend/boy next door, Decker, pulls her out. Only she should never have survived being in the water that long and when Delaney wakes up she isn't quite the same.

I think the reason I didn't enjoy Fracture was because I had a hard time connecting with Delaney. After her experience with death has a hard time reconnecting with her old life and while that is understandable she became very dark and it was something I just couldn't relate to. I kept wishing she would see what a gift it was surviving but instead she had serious survivor's guilt and ignored those people who loved her most. She was just not a sympathetic character for me.

I also wasn't crazy about the relationships Delaney kept finding herself in. It is obvious that Delaney and Decker have feelings for each other but because neither of them wants to leave the comfort of their friendship neither acts on it. Then Delaney meets Troy a boy with abilities similar to hers and it looks like there might be something there except Troy is all kinds of crazy and not the sexy interesting kind of crazy.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and the writing was fabulous it was just a little too dark for me. At this point I'm still unsure if I will pick up the sequel but if I find it for a good deal I will probably read it.

After Delaney fell into Falcon Lake something changed. Delaney can now sense when someone is about to die. Most of Delaney’s friends start to distance themselves from her because it seems like people around her die. When Delaney was at the hospital she met Troy. At first Troy seemed like a great friend for Delaney because he has the same ability as her. I liked Delaney’s character she’s smart and curious. Troy’s character seemed nice at first but towards the end he has some scary secrets he hasn’t told anyone. I really like this book. The ending is great I got chills reading it, its unexpected. I would and I did buy the sequel to this book which is Vengeance and it’s in Delaney’s friend Decker’s point of view. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Mysteries, and Thrillers.

Megan Miranda has made an impressive entry into the young adult genre with the debut of her first novel, Fracture. I picked it up intending to read a chapter or two before bed but devoured it in just a few hours.

Having been revived after eleven minutes trapped under the ice, Delaney wakes from a coma with her faculties seemingly unscathed. The doctors are baffled, but Delaney is simply relieved until an itch starts in the middle of her brain and her fingers start twitching. Returning home is not the triumphant moment she expected, her parents are anxious and watchful, her relationship with her best friend, Decker, has indefinably altered and Delaney is confused by her sudden fascination with the dying. Troy Varga knows just how she feels but while Delaney's instincts are to try and prevent death, Troy believes he survived the crash that killed his parents and sister, to prevent suffering.

The premise of Fracture is intriguing and Miranda grabs the attention of the reader in the very first pages as Delaney struggles beneath the frozen ice. What I found so appealing about Fracture was the contemporary setting paired with simmering suspense and the lightest touch of 'other'. There is a slow build up of tension through out the novel, the faintest scent of menace surrounds Delaney from the moment she awakes from her coma.
The story explores interesting themes such as guilt, near death experiences and euthanasia without finding it necessary to resolve the complex issues. I like that Miranda has tackled such serious ideas in a way that teens can relate to. The element of the paranormal is well grounded, given Delaney's brain damage, and is integral to the plot but does not overwhelm it.
There is, as to be expected, a romantic angle but I think the author handles it well. Delaney's changing relationship with her best friend, Decker, is realistically complicated and her attraction to Troy an understandable reaction to her situation.
The only thread of the plot I had difficulty reconciling was Delaney's changed relationship with her mother. I think Miranda was trying to show how sometimes loved ones withdraw from a victim after a serious incident, an unconscious self protective mechanism, that for Delaney's mother was complicated by her own childhood issues. I just don't think it quite worked and her mother's withdrawal may prove largely inexplicable for some readers.
I have to admit Delaney is not the most likeable character, she is quite prickly with family and friends and somewhat self destructive in the wake of her guilt and confusion. It's difficult to make that judgement though, as we really only get to know her after the drowning, which provides a credible excuse for her behaviour.
I do think the author was able to genuinely portray her protagonists complicated emotions, from Delaney's frustration and fear to Troy's pain and righteousness.

Fracture is a aurprisingly absorbing novel with a unique premise, and fully realised characters. It will likely appeal to adult fans of YA as much as it's intended audience and is a strong debut from a talented author.

Delaney had been underwater for eleven minutes before her best friend Decker pulled her out. She was trapped in icy waters under a partly frozen lake in Maine for an entire eleven minutes. Her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped functioning. She should have died--but somehow she didn't. Against all odds and despite the scans showing brain damage, Delaney is alive. But she isn't completely well. She finds herself waking in the middle of the night with a strange itching sensation from within her body and hands that won't stop shaking. She finds herself pulled in strange directions which all seem to lead to people dying. Delaney's terrified that something is seriously wrong with her, but she doesn't know who to turn to; her parents don't know how to deal with her anymore, and her relationship with Decker isn't the same. But then she meets Troy, and he seems to know exactly what she's going through. Like her, he's drawn to people who are dying. But what is this strange ability? Is it a curse, or a gift? And what are they supposed to do with it?

Fracture is a book with a fascinating concept but a story that is not quite as spectacular to accompany it. Miranda has created such an unusual premise of a girl who, for all intents and purposes, was and should still be dead, but isn't. I was intrigued by Delaney's unusual situation, especially as it became apparent that it was connected to something greater and possibly more sinister--the deaths of others. However, I was much less impressed by how these ideas manifested in the story. The reasons for, precise nature of, and implications of Delaney's strange ability are never really explained, even though this ability is very central to the novel as a whole. The focus, instead, seems to be on Delaney's evolving relationships with her family, friends, and new acquaintances. This would be fine if it was well done, but Delaney's tendency towards melodrama in describing how she's been wronged became rather irritating. I was also disappointed with the ending, which didn't leave much sense of accomplishment or conclusion. Though Fracture certainly has a unique premise, the poor execution of its story made reading it less enjoyable than it could have been.

Fracture will still be enjoyed by fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, and Frost by Marianna Baer.

Delaney Maxwell should have been dead, thats what medicine and science would say when she was pulled from the ice cold waters after being submerged for eleven minutes. Her heart had stopped, she had stopped breathing, and she did in fact die, but came back seemily unscathed. Delaney is thankful for her life back but when a new guy Troy shows up who went through a similar trama she starts being drawn to people who are dying. Is she drawn to them or is she killing them? She feels like its her fault that she can't save them.

Let me start by talking about the characters in this book. I loved them all from Delaney to her best friend Decker, and even had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Troy. I wanted to hate him at times, but still felt sorry for him/his situation. The characters were well-crafted, and thought out. They all played a significant part in the overall tone of the novel. Delaney was relatable, and I feel like pretty much anyone (boy or girl) could relate to her and the emotions that she faced.

Megan Miranda created an absolutly outstanding book, I honestly loved everything from the storyline, the characters, the plot, everything. This book was hard to put down and captivated me from the get-go. They say if your a fan of If I Stay by Gayle Forman, then you'll enjoy this book and I agree. its emotional, and heartbreaking and overall fantastic. This book tugs at your emotions and I was on the verge of tears through a good part of this book. Megan's writing style was beautiful and I couldn't have thought of a better way for this story to play out.

I have a feeling this book is going to end up in my top 12 of 2012, I know it's early in the year, but I'm calling it right now! If your doing the debut author challenge or just like supporting new debut authors, or just need a good book!! then check this book out. It's one of the best debut novels i've read in a long time! I loved its uniqueness and it had a lot of good messages within the novel, a reminder that your alive, but never know when your time or the time of a loved one will run out.

Fracture by Megan Miranda is an intense thought provoking story that boggles the human mind, and has you reeling in thoughts even days after you finished reading!
The story maintains a steady pace all the way through the end. It's like watching a drama-suspense movie unfolding between your hands. Fracture has you wondering what path would you take and which would you choose. Would it be easier to be the one who survived; the one awaiting to die; or the love one of the survivor? It has you questioning if the 'right thing' is RIGHT or could it be wrong; giving yourself an excuse to ending a life. I know, it makes my head hurt too but you just can't help thinking about it. =)
The characters were easy to relate to. Not in reading the characters' actions that is to be expected and want to happen with them, but by reading the actions that most annoys you which in fact is realistic and believable. Prime example is how dense Decker is with how Deleaney feels about him even when her actions scream "I love you! Don't touch her!". It was also nice to read a few quips that lightened some intense scenes giving some light heartedness to the story.
The way Delaney accounts for her situations throughout the book made memorable impacts because it felt like you were drawn into the dilemma. Megan Miranda no doubt is skilled in putting depth into her writing. Nearing the end, it became a bit touching and I did shed a tear.
One thing though that strikes me wrong is the ending. I totally saw it happening differently in my mind, and really wished that's how it should have panned out. I can't really express what I mean by this because I would be putting in a major spoiler in my review and I don't do that. =D
I enjoyed reading Fracture by Megan Miranda and I'm sure you will too!
Another great rainy day read!

*Side Note: reminded me of Sublime (movie)

In Fracture, debut author Megan Miranda gives us a story that thrills, mystifies, and has us asking ourselves some hard questions. After falling through the ice, Delaney miraculously wakes up from a coma when no one had much hope that she would survive. While she should have been dead, or at least completely brain damaged, she shows no signs of any problems at all. Until she discovers she has the eerie ability of being drawn to those who are about to die.

So what would you do with an ability like this? Do you try to stop it from happening? Do you help them die peacefully? Do you tell them so they can do that one last thing they've always wanted to do before they die, but keep putting off? One day she meets a strange boy with the same ability and his own ideas of what to do with them.

I really enjoyed this story---it was an exciting, tightly written story with great characters that were realistic and relatable. Delaney's group is a mixed bag of personalities, and how their relationship changes after Delaney's falls through the ice seemed natural. Her parents are also a big part of the story, especially her mother, and we do get a little taste of her backstory as well.

The love story was great, but not really at the forefront of the story. Delaney and Decker have been best friends for years and years. It's glaringly obvious that there is way more going on there, but both are too scared to risk their friendship by going for it. This is one of my favorite kinds of love story---cliched as it may be, it's a cliche for a reason: because it really happens. I love all the history, the anticipation, the awkwardness, the doubt...all the crazy intense emotion that goes along with that kind of relationship. To those who might shy away from this for fear of love triangles: I'd say give it a shot. In all honesty, Troy was never a viable love interest. There is just something off and creepy about him from the start. While I understood Delaney's draw to him as someone who knew what she was going through and could provide a few answers, it kind of irked me that she blew off some very blatant warning signs about him. So for me, it was all about Decker. :)

I also loved the whole medical aspect. I've always been fascinated with the mysteries of how the brain works, there is so much that seems unexplainable, so while this gets touted as a paranormal story, something traumatic happening to the brain that lets you sense things your normally wouldn't doesn't seem that far-fetched to me! Plus I love the sort of moral inner battle Delaney faces with her new ability. It made for an incredibly fascinating story!

Highly recommend this one!!

I pretty much knew before reading Fracture that I would enjoy it, but what I didn't expect was how much I would love it. I immediately (on page one) connected with Delaney, the protagonist... she was such a real teenage character, and my teenage self could identify with her in so many ways. I was quickly gripped by the story and I had a hard time putting it down!

What starts out as a fun afternoon with friends quickly turns to horror when Delaney slips and falls through the ice, to what everyone thinks is her death. She is trapped under the ice for 11 minutes until her best friend Decker is able to pull her out. She should be dead, but miraculously she survives seemingly fine. There is no explanation for her walking, talking wellness since by all medical standards she should have been brain dead after 8 minutes. However, Delaney doesn't feel exactly fine, and she slowly realizes that she is drawn to death. She is relieved when she meets mysterious and "dreamy" Troy, who has her same abilities.

My favorite thing about this novel is the relationship between Delaney and Decker. They're neighbors and grew up together as best friends, the kind that knows each other inside and out. I loved the push and pull between them as they realize their feelings for each other. OK, I admit it. I might have a little huge crush on Decker! Their relationship was complicated, and you didn't know what would happen to them until the very end... and it was delicious to read!

I truly enjoyed this contemporary that has a bit of mystery/suspense and a paranormal twist. Fracture is well written with fantastic characters, and great pacing. I highly recommend that you pick this up now!

Originally posted on my blog, A Book and a Latte - bookandlatte (dot) com.

Wow! This is one of those books that really makes you think about life, and a lot about death. It raises questions like: How would you spend your last day? Is it better to hold on to your loved ones even though they are suffering? What is your definition of stopping someone's suffering? Do our actions completely change the events in our lives, or are things already predetermined? Just weighing in at 272 pages, this little book packs a lot of punch!

As Delaney struggles to find out what is going on with her, she is also trying to convince everyone else she is not crazy (even if she doesn't quite believe that herself). The reader definitely figures out what is up with Delaney before she does, but that didn't bother me because it made me try and understand what Delaney's problem might mean for her in the future.

It is a relief when Delaney meets Troy and finally has someone to confide in. This relief, however, is short lived. Troy soon becomes an erie and unreliable character. I found myself loving him, then being creeped out by him. I think the author did a great job of making the reader go through the same emotions as Delaney did when it came to Troy.

As there usually is in YA, there was the lifelong dependable boy/friend/maybe something more character. Decker was a character I loved from the beginning. He was always there for Delaney, even when they were fighting. He dealt with lots of guilt throughout the story as he blamed himself for what happened to Delaney. Of course he was part of the often present love triangle, but the story would have been boring without one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is an easy read that I finished in one day. It does have a bit of a creep factor, but the main topic of the book is death, so what else would you expect. I think this is a fantastic debut and I hope to read more by Megan Miranda in the future!

Fracture is my new favorite novel!
A lot can happen in eleven minutes...I mean, I can do a lot of stuff in eleven minutes. (But that's beside the point.) In Megan Miranda's novel, Fracture, Delaney falls into the icy lake. She's dies. But her best friend, Decker, pulls her out (eleven minutes later!), starts unflinching CPR and brings her back to life.
When Delaney wakes up, (after a six day coma!) all's good. She's a little sore, disoriented. But her brain scans show irreparable damage--really, how the hell is she thinking/walking/talking, the doctors wonder.
She isn't normal and A-okay, in case you've yet to guess that. When Delaney wakes up, she finds herself drawn to the dying--people close to death. Her fingers start shaking, and a weird itch-like sensation starts in her brain and spreads as the dying get closer and closer to dying.
So what does she do? She tries going about her life, despite the fact that she is, in fact, messed up.
Then she meets Troy, a boy who has similar problems after waking from a coma.
Okay, summary-time is over. Let's get onto my actual thoughts.
This book is amazing. I fell in LOVE with the premise, then all but glued my damn eyes to the pages for a few hours and read read read. This book kept me entertained, from the first page to the last. The emotional turmoil that the main character, Delaney feels, is enough to get tears churning and your heart racing.
Delaney's character is perfect. She sympathizes with herself and her problems beautifully. She doesn't whine, is what I'm saying. I seriously thank the author for having some intelligence when it comes to science, too. It made all the doctor reports and mumble-jumble actually sound medical! (You read books and it's all "You have a messed up brain. The end." But here, it's all, "You have a messed up brain. *Explains in detail why the heck she can't be doing what she's doing, yadayada*") Her character is perfect, and you can actually believe that this happened to her.
Troy on the other hand, just bugged me from the beginning. Maybe it's because in the first description of him he isn't like, the hottest dude on earth. I dunno. I kind of hate him. Oh, and he has "ice blue eyes" which messes with my brain, because my uncle has "ice blue eyes" and ick. (I'm a strange one, I know.)
Then there is Decker, who is like, awesome extraordinaire even though he's kind of an a** half the novel (hey, in his defense, so is Delaney! So bug off!). I gotta say, I loved his character! I wish he had more cameo's (though he's legit in every chapter) just because I like him so much.
Unfortunately, I freaking LOVED the ending, but if you've read it, you know that's a little strange. I mean, I'm not spoiling anything when I say that everyone kind of got their Just Desserts (I've always wanted to say that, even though it's lame!!).
That ending, though, DESERVES a sequel! I really hope there is a sequel, because DAMN. There is so much stuff that has yet to be tied off. I mean, it wasn't a cliffhanger. But it was just one of those novels that you know might have a sequel.
Loved loved loved the story line, the characters, and the experience I had while reading. Looking forward to more from this author (and *fingers crossed* from these characters!). 5/5 stars.

I'm not exactly certain why my brain repelled the idea of reading this book. It was like all the stress from this past week was being pinned onto this book and I instantly took several steps back. But when I finally hunkered down and started reading, I wanted to slap myself into a stupor for being so irrationally reluctant. A blend of two of my favorite genres, Fracture hit high scores for both its paranormal and contemporary facets. Anna at Anna Reads described it perfectly by connecting it to both The Body Finder and If I Stay, because that's one of the best ways to epitomize the sadness, guilt, and Delaney's miraculous recovery permeating the story.

The mystery of Delaney's unexplainable retraction from death kindles questions in our heads that we can't ignore while reading about her return to her once normal life. Our hearts go out to this young girl who was once carefree and happy, her only concern resting on where to hide during a game of manhunt while donning a bright red parka in the snowy white of her world, and who now has the role of the miraculous guilt-ridden survivor of a horror that has killed so many before her. What makes me so special? is her on-going dilemma that begins to fester and block out what's really important--like how her best friend has feelings that don't belong in someone who's just a friend. This survivor's guilt plagues her, and the sadness disarms us, clogs our throat as a result. Even when her guilt and sadness vaporizes her sense at times, we're subtly persuaded to sympathize with her, and all those around her who suffer alongside her.

Fracture is told entirely from Delaney's perspective, but the easygoing, simplistic connection running from us to Decker provides us with such insight into his feelings. Unlike half-done, far less appealingly written friendships, it's abundantly clear how well these two characters know each other, how deeply embedded they are into each others' lives. Their romantic spark just adds another delightful layer to their relationship, although at times we want to pull our hair out from the understandable, yet totally frustrating one-step-forward-two-steps-back transition. Their moments run from wrenching to heartwarming, and it's so hard to determine which their next scene together will fall under. At the same time, this aspect is so well-written and agonizing and genuine, that we're pleased when hope flourishes for what they may have together.

I expected to hate this one and was stupidly amazed when I realized I didn't once I hit the end. If the opportunity to read something else of Megan Miranda arises again, I won't waste time with foolish doubts.

Review featured on The Lost Dragonfly Chronicles

I thought this book would start off slow and ease into Delaney's accident. Oh no, of course not, it grabs you by the throat in the beginning of the book and drags you along for the ride. Fracture immerses you into the story like Delaney was immersed under water. You can tell Megan Miranda did her research for this book. Everything had impeccable detail and she made you feel like you knew everything about brain traumas. There was many ways this book could have gone wrong and she pulled it off flawlessly.

When Delaney drowns it scares the crap out of me. I won't lie I cringed the whole time because that is one of my biggest fears. Why on earth they decided to walk over ice, I have no clue. I liked Delaney as the main character in Fracture. She had more strength and wits than I could have had after such an accident. Her eagerness to learn was a pleasant thing to read. I wish more characters were serious about school like her.

All the characters in the book were likable, except for Delaney's mom and Troy. I never really understood what Delaney's mom problem was, but I guess from having such a hard childhood she was just a broken character. Troy, dear psychotic Troy, I wanted to like your character. You just kept getting creepier and creepier though. I am sure some anger management could have helped you. The way Troy treated Delaney was just unacceptable to me. He acted like he cared, but the way he showed it didn't seem very caring. I did enjoy how the ending intertwined their characters in ways I did not expect.

I am sure you thought D&D stands for Dungeons & Dragons, but they lied. It stands for Delaney & Decker. The relationship between Delaney and Decker was pretty obvious to me. I am not sure why Delaney pushed him away so much when she had those feelings as well. I know they were childhood friends, but the love there was undeniable. It was hurtful though to see some of the things Decker does and how he acts. I also didn't understand why the story had to bring in a love triangle, or really a love rectangle.

I enjoyed that the book had a small town feel. Everyone knows your business and you know theirs. That sounds too familiar for me. I didn't like some of the religious undertones in Fracture. I can understand being in a life altering accident and wanting to question things like God, but some of it wasn't necessary. I enjoy though the one thing that Delaney would say, "If you had one day to live, what would you do?" You never know if today is your last and one thing we don't know for sure is what happens after death. Everyone has their own speculations, but it is the biggest guessing game when it comes to life. I think I will end up in a field filled with willow trees, having a tea party with all the people I love and multiple dragonflies dancing around. That's just my opinion though.

I did not expect the ending at all. I think this was the first time in a long time I was genuinely surprised at how the book ended. If you saw what was coming, kudos to you. I really thought fracture was going in one direction and I was completely thrown off course by the last 60 pages. I still am in a little shock by how Fracture ended. It will probably be a book that sticks with me for awhile.

So I ask you Delaney's favorite question, "If you had one day to live, what would you do?"

Fracture has an explosive first chapter. It's impossible to not get completely hooked within the first few pages. The rest of the book lives up to that first chapter. It was captivating, intense, and almost impossible to put down. Megan Miranda has written an excellent debut.

Delaney wakes up in this unfathomable situation. She died for 11 minutes. She's supposed to be brain dead, but she's not. She's definitely not the person she was before, though. I really liked Delaney for the most part. As a reader you get to figure out things along with her. The one small issue I had with the book was Delaney's inability to communicate. She never asked questions about her condition or told a certain someone how she felt. That frustrated me a tiny bit, but it wasn't a huge deal and some of it was necessary for the plot.

I loved Decker. I really, really did, but I also enjoyed the Troy aspect of the story too. He brought a lot of mystery to the story. I liked not knowing whether I should like him or not at first. Don't go into the book expecting a romance. It's much more of a thriller/suspense YA. Which is awesome!

Overall, Fracture was a fantastic debut. I flew through it. The premise was great and the entire book was gripping. I definitely recommend this one.

First Impressions: First I must say I really love the cover of the book which is one of the reason's that I decided to read Fracture in the first place. The other was that I kept hearing so many great things about it and reading such amazing reviews on the book that I knew I would have to read it soon after it hit the book stores. I really liked the idea behind this novel and after reading more into what Fracture was about I went to pick it up to read so I could see for myself how good this book is... and I am very happy I did.

Review: The beginning of the book had a very strong hold on my attention. The plot was engaging and fast paced. Delaney who is the main character of the book falls through some thin ice while trying to run and catch up to her best friend Decker who is waiting far ahead. Delaney is sucked under the ice and soon to be rescued but was under the ice for far to long; 11 minutes. Delaney's heart and brain stopped working. She is dead, or was. Somehow Delaney came back and not even her Doctors can understand how she is alive and more so how she is doing okay. But Delaney is far from being okay because now some very unusual things begin to happen. She can sense or literally feel when someone is near her who is about to die. She does not know who to turn to about her new found ability, not Decker; ever know he is her best friend and the one who saved her from the ice. Decker seems to be tired up with "other" things (or someone). Delaney feels lost and depressed and does not understand what is happening to her until one day when she feel the "pull" of death near her but comes finds more that she thought she would...someone who knows exactly what she feels. Troy - who has the same abilities as Delaney although he is using his abilities in a different way.

I don't want to go into anymore details about the story as a whole otherwise I would be giving to much away. I was going through some ups and downs while reading Fracture. While I really loved and was fully immersed in the story I found myself having to stop reading a certain points in the book. The beginning of the book I felt was amazing but toward the middle it seemed to slowed down some and I lost interest during a few chapters. One of the things I did not really care for was how whiny Delaney was towards the middle/end of the book. She keep talking about how her life was so depressing and awful. Like she would have been better of dead. She is a very dramatic and hard character to like. She was given a gift somehow and is pissed off at the world for having to life and deal with it. I can understand the author's point of having Delaney feel this distraught and angry; she went thought a lot in such a short period of time but it turned me off and began disliking Delaney for being so whiny.

I will say I loved Megan Miranda writing style and how she was so detailed about the condition (ability) Delaney and Troy have. Her words are so expressive and give the novel such life. I so love to be able to get a clear image of what is happening in the book. I find it to be fun and more imaginative for the reader to read a novel and feel what the characters are feeling. Fracture is a great mystery with many twist and turns through-out the book. Although it was not as good as I thought it would be I did truly enjoy the story.

Final Thoughts: I would recommend the book to others after reading Fracture although as for myself being told to read it many times my friends I was hoping for a bit more and did not find that "wow" factor I was looking for in the book. All in all I would say I enjoyed it and I think to be honest I did love the ending the most. I did shed a tear or two. Very touching.

A crack in the ice. Fractures rippling outward. Eleven minutes is all it takes to change a life.

Delaney Maxwell spent eleven minutes trapped beneath the ice of a frozen Maine lake. When her best friend, Decker Phillips, finally pulled her out, she was dead. Pale skin, blue lips, no heartbeat. Yet the paramedics got her to the hospital and hooked up to machines. Not only did she live, but she was anything but a vegetable.

Delaney is just as alive as anyone else - maybe more so. Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Then she meets Troy Varga who came out of a coma with the same abilities she is experiencing. At first, she feels like he is the only one who can understand her, but she soon learns his motives differ greatly from hers.

Written in the first person from Delaney's point-of-view, Fracture is intense right from the start. And Janna's (a secondary character) retelling of what happened to Delaney while she was in the hospital was intense and scary. Decker's reactions and actions, as Janna explained them, were frantic but also showed the depth of his feelings for Delaney.

I loved Decker and I understood the skirting around he and Delaney did because they were young and this one traumatic thing happened, but turned out okay, so things between them kind of continued on as normal. But then Troy came into the picture and of course, I thought he was creepy and dangerous at first, but once Delaney (and thus, the reader) got to know him a bit better, I felt more comfortable with him. Chapter 10, particularly pages 138-139, completely sold me on him. He went through something traumatic too. It has stuck with him and it affects him every moment, so I felt for him.

But Megan Miranda was really clever (and why would she not be - as I prepared this post, I learned that she is a former scientist). After that, I saw a different, scarier Troy and was wondering how in the hell I fell for it. Boys. It must be boys. And Delaney's confusion. I did have to rely on her observation, after all.

As Fracture progressed, Delaney continued to spiral downward and I was really worried about her. She was broken inside and she was right on the edge of not caring anymore. That is a horrible feeling, but sometimes the only feeling one can cling to.

After another traumatic event involving Delaney, but one where she was not in danger, all of her friends abandon her. It disgusted me. She deserved better. By this point in the story, I did not care for Decker or for Troy. As I kept reading the aftermath of this latest traumatic event, I was appalled! How dare these kids, these people who were supposed to be friends, treat Delaney in this way? It really affected me and angered me.

Fracture is definitely an emotional book as you all can probably tell from my rambling, and not only because of the previous paragraph. Most of the time when I read about death or see it on television, I am moved but ultimately fine. However, at points, Fracture had me really thinking about death and that is a scary place to go. But the premise of Fracture, the story, and its execution were all amazing. Any books that makes you feel like this and really think is a worthwhile read.

Recommended for young adult readers sixteen and older who enjoy contemporary fiction with a twist of the paranormal. If you liked Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, you will like Fracture.

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Delaney Maxwell died. She died and through the miracle of modern medicine she also lived. However things are different than they were before. Many strange unexplained things start to happen to her. At first she thinks it might be from the trauma she suffered but things don't add up. Everyone around her is acting differently since her accident including her best friend, Decker Phillips. Everything really starts getting complicated when she meets a strange boy named Troy.
Fracture by Megan Miranda has a slow start. It wasn't until a few chapters into the book when I really started connecting with the characters and story. This story is different from a lot of the books for young adults out there. Delaney comes back from the dead. That evokes a whole thought process of 'why me?', and 'What does it mean?'. Fracture also covers themes such as death, letting go, relationships and more.
Delaney has a great deal to think about in this novel. She goes through quite a bit trying to figure out what the right thing to do is. If she can change what's meant to be. There is an interesting and deep aspect to this book. It really speaks to the heart and conscious. However I can't tell you more without spoiling it for you.
The story line has a slow start but picks up and then takes off. There is also mystery, romance, and a little teen angst included in this book. The mystery aspect really made this book a page turner. Overall I like this book and would recommend it.

Review: Fracture was an incredible read and I was completely engrossed in the mystery behind Delaney's injury. When we first meet Delaney she is going out with her best friend Decker and some other friends to the lake. Everything seems normal but then Delaney falls and the ice cracks. We get a detailed image of what she goes through during her time under the ice. My heart was pounding just reading about it!

When Delaney wakes up in the hospital she knows she was not supposed to survive. She's not supposed to ever be the same as she was before, but somehow she is..for the most part. Instantly, she has Decker by her side. He is devastated. This was the point where I immediately knew I'd love his character. He was so open with his feelings about the accident and it was easy to see how deep his connection with Delaney was.

After Delaney gets out of the hospital she runs into Troy. This is where the mystery heats up. I gotta say, I had no earthly idea what was going to happen. I soon figured out what was drawing Delaney to certain individuals; however, I didn't know why or what the heck Troy had to do with it all. Was he a demon, a guardian angel, just a dude? Who knows! That really kept me puzzled. I couldn't put the book down because my mind was whirling trying to figure out how everything was connected.

Delaney was a sweet girl. She seemed to have a kind heart and a need to help others. Decker was so realistic and sincere. He would do anything for Delaney and his devotion was something I never questioned. Troy was just a mass of confusion for me. I couldn't figure him out. If he did something good I would think "Oh, he's going to turn on her". If he did something bad I would think "But maybe it was for a good reason". But this is why I loved this book! So mysterious!

The way Megan Miranda delivered this story really sucked me in. I couldn't stop flipping the pages to see what would happen next. It was delightful and mystifying. Brilliantly done!

Recommended: This book is perfect for paranormal and contemporary book lovers. If you want a good mystery, this is a great pick!

Opening sentence: "The first time I died, I didn't see God."

Beginning Thoughts: I discovered this book while randomly searching book trailers (which is just something I do...for fun). I probably watched the trailer at least ten times before finally getting the book. Anxiously I started reading the book ready to learn about the main character, Delaney and her anomaly.

Main Character: Delaney is an interesting enough character, but she kind of frustrated me with her "I was going to..., but then I didn't." Maybe she was nervous? Or confused? I don't know, but it got kind of annoying after a while. Then, she had three guys to choose from (yes, three, you heard me right). One minute, she's all, "I'm fat, and not very pretty," and the next she has to decide between three guys. WHAT? I must be downright disgusting if she's ugly.

The three guys: Carson, Decker, and Troy... I have to say, I like all of their names. Very original. Carson seems to be an okay guy, if not a huge flirt. Or at least that's what we're told, even though he doesn't really flirt with that many girls. Decker, on the other hand, can't decide which girl he wants between the main character and big-boobed-Tara. Troy could have been so much more interesting, but his time was...cut short. Troy is in all of the action, but yet we never really learn that much about him until almost the very end.

The Romance: There really wasn't that much. Delaney and Decker have supposedly known each other since they were young, so they mostly just sit at a comfortable friendship that they uncomfortably try to turn into something more. But, problem is, neither of them wants to admit that that's what they're interested in.

Final Thoughts: Even though the review sound like I hated the book, I didn't. I enjoyed the read, even if there were a couple of flaws. I don't regret the time I spent, and I still look forward to reading more from the author. And I am glad to finally find a standalone book.

Somebody please explain to me why I had Fractured for almost a year before I read. Please. Tell me. I had heard nothing but good things about this story, and yet I put it off.

The plot was fascinating. Delaney Maxwell was dead for eleven minutes. When she wakes from a coma, she should be left in a vegetative state, but she doesn't seem to be brain damaged in the least. But soon she realizes she is drawn to death. But is she drawn to death or is death after her because she lived. I really didn't know what to expect with Fractured. I thought it would be a simple story of a girl who struggles to find normal after a brush with death. And it is, but there is also a mystery that ends with one of the most tense scenes I've ever read.

What really blew me away about Fractured, though, was Megan Miranda's simple, beautiful portrayal of the emotions Delaney and those around her go through. Delaney's sadness, desperation, and confusion made me hurt. To add to my emotions, I have a daughter named Delaney. To read about someone's child who "died" and she shares the name with my daughter, made me a wreck. Decker, who I have to say was a badass hottie that I loved, almost stole the show. His actions, feelings, and courage to always help Delaney made me fall in love with him. I'm so happy that he's getting a book!

Fractured was brilliant. I stayed up until 2:00 am finishing it and have zero regrets. Megan Miranda is an author to watch.

I kept hearing amazing things about this book, so it managed to float its way to the top of my TBR list...

(and don't forget to check below for the giveaway!)

FRACTURE by Megan Miranda (Walker, January 17, 2012)

I managed to pick up a copy at ALA Midwinter and pretty much devoured the book in one quick night. And now I give you...

FIVE REASONS TO READ FRACTURE!

1) It's about a girl who is trapped below ice for eleven minutes and lives with no brain damage. Or does she have brain damage? First off, I'm going to give this book huge kudos for such a fantastic concept. The idea of falling below ice is etched into our minds as something totally terrifying, and FRACTURE delivers.

2) Now for the second part. Does she really have zero brain damage? Or did something go wrong? Megan Miranda keeps us guessing until the very end. We don't know if the main character, Delaney, is all there or if she is imagining things or even making things up. The mystery in the story is crafted so well and dished out one little piece after the next.

3) I did mention I couldn't put it down, right? Because I just had to know what was going to happen. It's a fast, engaging read and one you won't want to stop reading until you're done. So make sure to set aside a good four hours (or whatever your reading speed happens to be) to finish this book.

4) The romance. Yes, there is romance, and yes, it works for me. I mean, there's the whole best friend thing, and the mysterious guy thing, and both are captivating and vying for attention. And I love how Delaney doesn't know what to do and who to trust.

5) So the book's not fantasy and it's not paranormal. It's kind of this in-between realistic mystery that is so unique in the current market.

In short, FRACTURE is totally worth the read. It's creepy and mysterious and completely engaging. Recommended for boys or girls, seventh grade and up.

Source of book: From publisher at ALA Midwinter

Usually I hate taglines on book covers, but the tagline on the cover of Megan Miranda's Fracture says it all: A lot can happen in eleven minutes.

Fracture tells the story of Delaney, a teenage girl who miraculously survives eleven minutes submersed in a frozen pond and is saved by her best friend/boy next door, Decker. After waking from a coma when she wasn't supposed to live, Delaney's life is weird--to say the least. She soon meets the slightly older Troy, who claims to have had survived when he was not supposed to, just like Delaney. The two begin to spent time together, and bad things happen when Troy's around and lives and relationships are transformed permanently. There's not much else I can say about the details of the subsequent events, aside from this is at the point which how you read Fracture will likely head in one direction or another.

I read Fracture as a contemporary novel exploring the reaches of the human brain. However, I've since discovered that this is not the dominate opinion--most reviewers have read it as a contemporary with significant paranormal elements. I have no idea what the author's intent was, despite spending a lot of time reading her blog and seeking out interview she did around Fracture's release. (Megan Miranda's science background makes me suspect that I'm thinking along the right lines regarding her intent, but that's just guesswork.)

Like most things, reading is heavily influenced by your personal point of view, and since I have quite a bit of experience with traumatic brain injuries (not my own) akin to Delaney's and as a result have done a fair amount of reading about the often-strange experiences people have immediately following surviving such injuries, I read all of the novel as an exploration of that. As a result, for me Fracture reads in the unreliable narrator style--I was never quite sure if Delaney's experiences were (to quote Peeta) real or not real.

Regardless of whether her experiences were real or not, the rawness of Delaney's emotions were deftly rendered in clean, compelling prose. And the relationships in Fracture are complex, from Delaney's longtime friendship with Decker, to her uneven relationship with her parents. She doesn't suffer from YA Missing Parent Syndrome(tm), yet her parent's aren't the YA Ridiculously Perfect Parents(tm) either. They have problems and issues of their own, but they ultimately want their daughter to be okay.

I did, however, grow frustrated with the seeming unnecessary inclusion of Delaney's self-deprecating comments about her appearance. It seemed out of place with the story. Despite that it is a "normal" teen girl behavior, since nothing else that was happening in Fracture was of the "normal" variety, it seems jarring and out-of-place. The same is true of the occasional snark about other girls' appearance, which felt equally out-of-place, pulling me out of an otherwise captivating and unique story. While this lent something to my argument that this is a contemporary novel told from the point-of-view of an unreliable narrator, I could have done without it nevertheless.

Fracture is an intriguing genre-bending novel that explores the complexities of the human brain. Ultimately, that's why I enjoyed it so much. I keep looking for reasons why I shouldn't like Fracture, because I made the mistake of looking at the reviews from some of my favorite reviewers, and I see they generally were lukewarm at best on this one. Perhaps because I'm coming from a different place as a reader, but Fracture is a novel that's stuck with me. When I finished reading the final page of Fracture, my first thought was, "I want to talk to someone about this book. Right now! Even though it's 1 o'clock in the morning!"

Megan Miranda's Fracture the sort of book I'd love my book club to read, because I imagine the discussion would be quite lively and divergent--and I absolutely love it when books make that happen.

I totally loved this book. I loved that Delaney is just a typical girl and she behaves as such throughout the book, minus the weird hand/head itching thing after her accident. Oh yeah, and the people dying after her strange pulls brings her near them. She can feel when people are going to die.

Her behaviors throughout the book were so typical of a teen. She's trying to figure out her life and figure out where she belongs. She feels like she's different after her accident but she's not sure how to go back to who she was before. She's a medical miracle and she struggles to really grasp the concept of just how lucky she was to live. As I'd imagine most people would feel that way.

I LOVED Decker. Loved, loved, loved him. He and Delaney have been friends since childhood and he felt so guilty for leaving her on the lake (even though it wasn't his fault technically). I wanted him and Delaney to get together SO BAD. I wanted to hit them both when they kept skirting around each other romantically.

The only thing I wished was that the author had extended some of the scenes or explained things a little bit better near the end. Since this was a semi-short book it wouldn't have hurt to do some more explaining about Troy at the end of the book, or maybe some more Decker? The ending felt a little bit rushed for me.

Overall, a great read and a book I'd definitely recommend!

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

FRACTURE is a book that grabs the reader and doesn't let go. You're hooked from the first line, sunk by the end of the first chapter. Megan Miranda`s prose is tight, exciting, and elegant. But most of all, it's the characters that made FRACTURE come to life for me.

FRACTURE is the story of one girl's death -- and her waking from the coma that should have been the end. Delaney Maxwell is that girl -- the town miracle, the girl who came home from the hospital not only emotionally different, but physically different. Her brain healed when it shouldn't have, and even though she can't put her finger on it, there's something wrong with her. The doctors and her parents think she's sufferimng from hallucinations. She doesn't dare talk to her best friend Decker about what's really going -- Decker who pulled her out of the freezing lake -- let alone her neurologist. Then she meets Troy -- a weird, older guy who knows a little too much about her, but who is also the only one who knows how she feels. He's been in a coma, too.

Of course, as Delaney suspected from the start, Troy isn't all that he seems. And her relationship with Decker is evolving in a way that makes her wonder if they can every go back to where they were before the accident, let alone move forward.

FRACTURE is an intense, thrilling read, packed tight with emotive characters, tough drama, and just a touch of paranormal suspense. Definitely one to watch out for.

I ordered this book from The Book Depository because I loved the blurb and the cover, and I am so glad that I did. Here lately I haven't been as "into" reading as I usually am. When I read this book that changed.

I had the pleasure of meeting Megan Miranda, and she signed my book, YAY! I hadn't read it yet when I met her, so after I got home I sat down and I couldn't flip the pages "fast" enough.

Fracture is about a girl named Delaney who falls in a lake and drowns after being under water for 11 minutes, and she ends up coming back to life. This really stuns everyone, including her because she was dead. Decker her best friend is the one who pulled her out of the lake, and gave her CPR trying to save her life.

When Delaney wakes up from her coma, she feels very strange. Not long after strange things start happening to her, like waking up and walking to a patient's room with her hands twitching, to find the patient dead. Delaney's parents are very worried about her (along with everyone else), and think that if the give her the medicine than she will act "normal". Everything that used to be is now gone for Delaney, it's different. Her and Decker's friendship is different, how her parents look at her is different, everything is different.

While in the Library studying with Janna, a guy named Troy introduces himself and says that he knows Delany from her story in the newspaper. Only, there wasn't a story in the newspaper about her accident.

In this story you will find out who Troy really is and how he really knows Delany. You will cry in this book because it is heart breaking in some parts. I really loved this story, and I related to each and every character. I cried during this book, I got angry during this book, and at the end I was overwhelmed with happiness.

This is a beautiful debut, and I hope when you read this review you will go pick up a copy of Fracture and read it. The ending is great, it ended just how I wanted it to! I can't wait to read Megan Miranda's next stand alone.

Wow! Intense, Emotional, Wonderful are the first words that come to my mind after reading this book. Megan Miranda has written a book that will stay with the reader a long, long time after reading it. She has created a setting that was so well written you could feel the cold. If you have never fallen through ice, even up to your knees you can only imagine how it feels. The main character Delaney falls through the ice and her description of it is spot on. I know, I have fallen through ice. It is not fun. I loved Delaney for several reasons. When she miraculously wakes up in the hospital and realizes she has been in a coma for six days and she is going to live, her first thoughts were of school and how much she had missed. I was that nerdy girl in school. Decker, her neighbor and best friend is one of those guys you want to slap upside the head and scream, "open your eyes". It seemed to take him forever to acknowledge they had feelings for each other. When he dated her friend, I remembered my boyfriend and I breaking up, and we dated each other's best friends. As you can see this book is relatable to teens on so many levels.
When it comes to evil and creepiness, Megan has done a wonderful balancing job. We are introduced to Troy who has some of the same "gifts" or "curses" depending on how you look at it, as Delaney. She thinks he can help her and others. She quickly realizes he is not who she thought he was. This book kept me reading from page one to the end. You just didn't want to put it down. It is amazing that this is a debut novel because this author writes like a seasoned pro. This is a must read by everyone who loves a little bit of romance, a little bit of paranormal wrapped up with in a mysterious tragedy. I don't re-read books very often but this one I definitely will re-read.

With a plot woven in death and life, characters that are strong and memorable, and a setting that is easy to imagine, there is nothing broken about the story Megan Miranda wove together to create her hard-to-put-down debut YA novel, Fracture. The book begins with Delaney waking up after six days in a coma, which was caused by her falling through ice and being submerged in frigid water for eleven minutes. She has brain damage, but somehow her brain rewired itself. And even though she shouldn't be able to talk or walk or remember, she's appears to be in great shape - normal. Everything is functioning the way it should. But one thing is different - she can now sense death. Delaney has a lot to cope with, including the confusing relationship she has with her best friend Decker. There are many interesting twists and turns as the mystery of Delaney and her unusual ability becomes a heavy burden. Then she discovers that she's not the only one who has the ability to sense death. Troy appears on the scene and creates some interesting turmoil for Delaney. His way of coping with his ability will definitely make readers think.
Fracture leaves the reader asking many questions, including one of the most important, which is what would you do if you only had one day left to live?
Megan Miranda wrote a real winner. Put FRACTURE on your must-read list.
I received an ARC at the BEA.

Some things i love (like Decker). Some things i hate (like Delaney). I could not decide whether my love for Fracture can overcome the hate. Still, the plot is okay and the suspense is there, but it wasn't enough for me. And there's a lot of things that were predictable too.

When Delaney came back from the dead, she wasn't sure who she was anymore. or her parents. or Decker. That's where i was skeptical. If Decker's devotion for her was not enough to make her feel blessed to be alive, then what will? Sigh. The push-and-pull between her and Decker was such a headache. I mean, just say what you feel, for goodness sake! But i love Decker. First pages in, I adored him already. Too bad his character was underdeveloped along side Delaney.

Troy`s character is really good. Well i don't really like him but i see the idea of what his character is implying. He is the other side of the equation - the other alternative to make the curse that was his and Delaney's to carry seemingly bearable. That worked for me. Ultimately, it was Delaney's decision if she will embrace her second life as a gift or as a burden.

Would i recommend Fracture? Hmm. Not really. But perhaps if you're looking for a different take on the unexplained, then maybe this book will interests you.

<Thank you NetGalley and Alona Fryman for granting my galley request.>

In Fracture, a girl drowns and dies after falling through the ice of a lake. Her best friend makes it in time to save her and she makes a miraculous recovery. But when she wakes up she discovers that she now has the ability to sense when someone is going to die. In eleven minutes, Delaney Maxwell's life was changed.

As Delaney tries to live the life that was fractured by her accident and her new ability, she learns the truths of life, death, and love.

If you had one day left to live, what would you do?

This is the question Delaney comes to when she realizes that she can't save people from death, but she can do something. She realizes that life will end for everyone, and that doing nothing in the meantime can be the most terrifying thing someone can do. So while you've still got time--because none of us know when our time to die truly is--do something.

Though there are supernatural elements to this story, it feels more psychological than supernatural. There's also some existential and philosophical moments as Delaney struggles to step back into her life. I loved Delaney and Decker as a duo--when they manage to take one step forward something happens to send them ten steps back. I was extremely happy with how this book ended and I really wanted to read more. I can't wait to see what Megan Miranda comes up with next!

Megan Miranda has managed to create a breathtaking and riveting debut! I don't know if there is anything I didn't like about Fracture. It has everything that makes a great story--mystery, suspense, romance, likable characters, and amazing writing. This book grabs you and doesn't let go.

This book contains some powerful, solid writing that is really gripping. I love the way it combines a sense of realism with that of the other-worldly. Delaney's perspective is exceptionally well-done as she comes to terms with her near-death experience and has to reorient herself in the world after her unexpected full recovery. The fact that she is alive puzzles her and everyone around her. Her family struggles to understand, her friend Decker struggles with his feelings for her, and she struggles to find out this strange pull within her that guides her toward the dying.

Delaney's relationship to Decker is already complicated because of her making out with their friend Carson shortly before the accident, but it gets even more confusing as she has to keep secrets from him. She can't let him know about the strange things that have happened to her, and she can't explain why she's spending extra time with the attractive and mysterious Troy. Even as Delaney is drawn to both boys, her heart is in shambles.

I love the questions this raises about redemption and free will - kind of the Final Destination issue. What happens if you're supposed to die and you don't? What happens when you are in the process of dying - should that be helped along? Delaney has to answer these questions for herself and ultimately follow her heart.

A lot can happen in 11 minutes....I personally can put on my makeup and brush my teeth and hair in 11 minutes. I can make coffee and breakfast in 11 minutes. And I can pump gas in 11 minutes. But in Delaney Maxwell's world she was stuck under a frozen lake for 11 minutes. She should have been dead. But her is she alive and well....well somewhat well.

Delaney and her neighbor Decker were playing on the lake in their town one day and Delaney fell on the ice and made it break. Once you are underwater and you can't get out after 4 minutes you lose oxygen to the brain and you start to become brain dead. She should be dead, but here she is alive and going to school, going to parties, and going to plays. So after they pull her out of the freezing she is in a coma for quite sometime. But then out of nowhere she wakes up. And she is alive and appears to have nothing wrong. But not everything is what it seems to be. She gets these feelings but she really doesn't know what they are or what they mean. But then she meets Troy and Troy helps her figure out what is going on her life and how to deal with it. But maybe it is not everything that she hopes for.

This book was a great page turner. The whole book kept you at the edge of your seat. It was suspenseful with some swoon. And for me that is perfect! Just a little swoon, not much. I would have to say the books that are coming out in 2012 are pretty amazing. I love it! :)

I didn't really have any expectations for Fracture but if I did, this book would have exceeded them. Megan Miranda's debut novel is suspenseful, sweet, and just an all-around page turner.

Fracture is a very messed up book and I mean that in the best possible way. It was very hard to predict what was going to happen next because the story was so unlike anything I have read in the past. I loved that about Fracture. It surprised me many times.

Delaney was a great character. It was so easy to sympathize with her. She was confused, lost, and torn about many things. She didn't think she should have liked, she didn't know what was wrong with her brain, she didn't know if her best friend Decker would understand, and she spent a lot of time looking for help in the wrong places. Decker was the perfectly imperfect guy and it was very hard not to fall for him. He was always there for Delaney and it was easy to see how much he cared for her. Troy, on the other hand, was very hard to figure out. I won't tell you more than that he was a very messed up kid.

Overall, Fracture is an amazing book that I highly recommend. It is a quick, fun read and I can't wait for Megan Miranda's next book. (Oh and I'm pretty sure this one is a standalone!)

Fracture grabs hold of your heart right from the beginning, and I enjoyed it. This book was so emotional, and it shows how one event can have a ripple effect on others lives. Delaney comes out the coma, different broken, fractured pieces of herself, no longer the Delaney that they once knew but the Delaney that is yet known. She is alive but wrong at least to her family, and even to herself she is changed from her life and death situation. She has these tremors that she realizes is death drawing her near, which sounds like some sort of seizure. Troy,was a scary character, he was so lost in his own grief and believed what he was doing was justified. Delaney's mother made me angry at times in how she dealt with the Delaney. However, my favorite part of the book was the friendship between Decker and Delaney, it was true, heartwarming and very believable. Overall, this was an great read that will make you feel many emotions about love, loss, hope, friendship, death and life.

Favorite Quote: "Death is finite. Unless it's not. In which case it wasn't death in the first place. Just an absence of life."

Cover Review: Absolutely love it! I love reflections in photography.

**Originally published on Examiner.com**

ARC copy received courtesy of Bloomsbury Children's Books

If you had one day left to live, what would you do?

That is the question many readers will ponder upon finishing Fracture, Megan Miranda's superb debut novel and a mark of a terrific start for 2012 Young Adult novels.

Delaney Maxwell died for eleven minutes, and she was in a coma for six days. No one expected her survive, much less wake from her coma--only, she does both. Recovering faster than her doctor thought humanly possible-despite significant brain damage- Delaney's family and friends desperately want her to return to normal.

Only, something strange is happening. Delaney now feels inexplicably drawn to the dying, leaving her to wonder if she is causing their demise, or just predicting it. This causes her to feel separated from everyone around her-including her best friend Decker Phillips. Then, she meets Troy, a young man who seems to share her abilities. However, as Troy's intentions become clearer, Delaney discovers just how frightening her ability can be.

Fracture is a quick read that deftly handles heavy material. Readers will think about Fracture hours, perhaps days, after they complete it. The writing is excellent--Delaney and Decker are written so well that readers will feel as though they know the characters. Their relationship is endearing as well as heart-breaking at times. All of the characters, even Troy, have an authentic quality to them that is refreshing to read. Despite a few minor (very minor) plot holes, the ending is satisfying, but will leave readers saddened to finish Delaney's story.

Megan Miranda has truly outdone herself with Fracture. Readers will laugh at Delaney and Decker's conversations; their heart will break as death threatens to engulf Delaney; and readers will walk away from Fracture wanting to live each day as if it were their last.

Delaney drowns and dies, but is later brought back to life after eleven minutes. That eleven minutes dead changes everything and everyone. Can Delaney get back some semblance of normal? This book hooked me in; I really liked the story and the characters. Delaney is complicated and caring. She has a unique relationship with her bff - hottie neighbor Decker. Yet the aren't a couple and seem to drift further apart. Will Troy, mysterious stranger she meets whenever anyone dies, push them permanently apart?

Delaney is an amazing character. She has dealt with a lot and still remains an awesome and truly unique character. I liked that it included Delaney's struggle to accept what happened and recovering. Decker was another awesome character. He really cared about Delaney and was a very caring and genuine character. Troy enchanted me at first and I found his complex character to be very interesting.
The plot of this book was awesome. There were a few parts in the book that were a bit slow, but were made up by the exploration of death and what it can do to the people that it touches. I loved the concept of this book. It was mostly contemporary, but the mix of paranormal elements. Both parts blended well together. Fracture had sparks of originality and I found it to be a captivating story. Miranda's writing created a great voice for Delaney, that told a spectacular and original story. I recommend this book to someone that wants a unique and amazing book. It would appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen and Sarah Ockler.

*I won this book from the author website. She sent me a signed paperback copy. This has not influenced in any way my thoughts of the book.

A lot can happen in eleven minutes..
Yes it can!
This books is terrific. A heart-raced read with every page. Delaney Maxwell it's a girl who survives after a terrible accident. She was dead. But now she's alive. Or not? She's know different. She even thinks she's not human anymore.. But, what's happening to her? The only person to seems to have an answer for that it's Troy Vargas. A boy who can be an angel, but on which side? And while she struggles with the consequences of her accident, she has to find who she really is. She has to find out who the real and new Delaney is. Grown up, comprehen things, and most of all accept them.
It's a great read, really quick, I read it in about 6 or 7 hours. And I'm not a fast reader at all. You have to see beyond the trama of the story, the real significance of life, of living, of love, of friendship, of family and of hope
I didn't gave this book 5 starst because there was something that annoyed me.. Decker. Sometimes a foolish boy, sometimes so sweet. And then again, a jackass.. Ok, what the..?? It got me confused if he was real with his feelings or not.
There are some things that are left without answer, but I'm guessing that this have to continue. If it is, I'm really glad because we have to know what comes after that ending. :)
Overall, I'd recommend this book if you like real books. Contemporary ya read, with a message that will fill you over the edge for good!

** spoiler alert ** Based on ARC.
This is a short psychological thriller if you didn't catch that from the premise. A quick read that I read it in one sitting. I was hooked by the writing in the beginning. It was really written beautifully. I wanted so much more Decker. He was my knight in shining armor in this novel.

I had a harder time identifying with Delaney. But I never felt it distracted from the story. In fact, I think she grows as a character really well. I just wanted her to hurry up so I could get more of Decker. He was just wonderful.

An achingly, beautiful novel that will make you grateful for what you have. The time you have. The past and future aren't always what's important. Life is now.

"If you had one day left to live, what would you do?" Fracture - Megan Miranda

After being in a reading slump for a couple months, this pulled me right out of it! Really quick and easy read! The only downer was the ending. I feel like it ended very abruptly and it never really explained why she was able to do what she does and if she decided to try to help these people. The ending was just really rushed but it was a great read over all!

** spoiler alert ** Title: Fracture
Author: Megan Miranda
Expected Publication Date: Jan. 17th 2012
Pages: 272
Publisher: Walker & Company
My Rating: 5 out of 5 golden apples.
Goodreads Synopsis:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine
-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

My Thoughts:
Let me start of by saying that I recieved this book via netgalley thanks to Walker & Company. The first time I saw this book on goodreads I hadn't heard much about it so I didn't add to my to-read list. Then I decided to come back and look closer, I read the synopsis which didn't hook me what-so-ever neither did the cover. So once again I decided this book wasn't for me. Then I saw it on goodreads and decided what the heck. Why miss out on an oppurtunity to read a book? So I requested it, added it to my to-read list, and read it. And I soon realized I was very, very wrong about Fracture.
Delaney Maxwell is definitely the most complex character I've ever read about so far, but in a good way. I really loved diving into this book! I haven't read something like this since the Hunger Games! I mean a book that just grabbed me and wouldn't let me go until the very last word! This book was so intense that some parts I just couldn't continue without stopping and processing what I'd just read! Fracture really plays with your emotions! And it's characters are amazing! I loved it from start to finish and caught myself tearing up at some parts.
Decker Phillips is the most amazing guy! He was there for Delaney, after the accident, in every way possible! He was so brave, and I'm just so glad he didn't give up on her when it seemed like everyone in her life had given up on her! I hate to say it but Delaney's Mom was a flake, and is well deserving of the position of most annoying character. Well, actually the Mom and Tara Spano tied for the position of most annoying character who I couldn't stand at times, and wished would just go away! Now Delaney's Dad was better, he seemed to be able to sympathize more with his daughter.
I really hated it when Carson died. That was just sad, too sad. And Carson's sister was wrong for how she treated Delaney after his death. Yeah, I know she was grieving but there was nothing Delaney could've done for him!
Before I end this review I of course, have to mention Troy Varga. He was a Freak with a capital F. Poor kid was so confused, I really did feel bad for him. I don't think he was a bad person, just a confused person trying to do what he thought was right. Either way, It's sad when anyone loses their life but it was Troy's time to go and he needed to go.
So basically I rated Fracture five stars for it's ability to keep me on the edge of my seat and being such an overall amazing story! I highly reccommened this to everyone! READ FRACTURE BY MEGAN MIRANDA!

"Fracture" is as intense and compelling as it is quiet and introspective. Considering the topic and individual views on death, there's a lot that readers will bring to the book, making it a unique experience.

I like that author Megan Miranda doesn't give all the answers, and she's not out to give readers THE best answer, just the solution that Delaney formulates. Paring down the scope has a personalizing effect lost in other books of this nature.

Delaney is believable as a character, even if her naivety is sometimes overwhelming. And her relationships with her family and with Becker and Troy have all the elements -- including flaws -- that make them work.

"Fracture" is a fine debut. It's sophistication and readability make it a good choice for your "to read" pile.

***Received an ARC by the publisher for review***

Have you ever seen that show I Shouldn't Be Alive? You hear these stories of these people who were SO close to death but somehow survived and you get chills throughout the show. Well this book was like that. I had chills throughout the whole but, right from the beginning to the very end.

Delaney Maxwell and her best friend Decker Phillips go out with a couple of their friends to a lake that should have been frozen over. Delaney and Decker are having an argument and he takes a shortcut right through the frozen lake and doesn't wait for her to cross. As she is making her way across, the ice breaks and Delaney falls into the freezing waters. Decker and her friends somehow manage to pull her out, but after Delaney has been submerged in the icy water for 11 minutes. When they take her out she is brain dead and put on life support. All the doctors say there is no way she will wake up, only somehow she does.

To the surprise of her stunned family, friends and doctors; Delaney makes a miraculous recovery. After several test prove there is nothing wrong with her she is allowed to go home. Only there is something very wrong with Delaney. She is drawn to death and she struggles to find out if life is better having survived the accident or if she should be dead.

Fracture is a very dark, very real story about what happens after the miracle. Nobody understands Delaney after the accident. Her mother is overprotective, her parents think she is crazy and her friendship with Decker suffers. The only person who understands her is Troy Varga who was in a coma and can also sense death. But he is hiding something from Delaney.

I am a sucker for the guy best friend, one the reasons why I loved Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder so much. I immediately was rooting for Decker in the beginning of the book, but his hot and cold attitude towards Delaney bothered me and I found myself rooting for Troy halfway through the book. But Decker redeems himself and once again I was a Delaney/Decker fan.

The writing was beautiful, very moving and heart breaking at times and the ending was very sudden and left a LOT of loose ends. Hopefully that means there will be a sequel, I need to read more! What happens to Delaney and Decker's friendship? What happens to the relationship between Delaney and her parents and how will her new "gift" affect her life. Great book, loved it!

5 out of 5 sparkly stars!

Some of my favorites quotes from Fracture:
-He picked up his pencil and ripped off a triangle from the bottom of the textbook's title page. He handed it to me and I took it, but I didn't plan on having anything to do with someone who would knowingly deface library property.

-I was a girl who had died and miraculously came back, but I was also a girl who didn't believe in miracles anymore. A Catch-22.

-Death was everywhere. It was creeping around the outskirts of my world, like it was searching for me. Like it knew I had escaped and was trying to reclaim me.
***
I was VERY happy to find out that there is a Fracture short story called Eleven Minutes. The short story is told from Deckers POV.

See more of my reviews at [...]

In the snowy woods of Maine, our protagonist - Delaney Maxwell - is crossing a frozen lake in hopes of catching up with her best friend Decker (along with some other friends) to begin their usual game of `manhunt'. It's technically too early in the season to be crossing the lake, but no one else was worried and Delaney can't stop now... While in the middle of the lake, the worst possible thing happens: Delaney falls through the ice. She can't get back to the surface and ends up under the water for 11 minutes.

Delaney wakes up in the hospital. She's told she should be dead or in a permanent coma, that she is a miracle. Her best friend Decker pulled her out of the lake and saved her life.

Almost immediately, Delaney feels that something is off. Described as an itch, a pull - Delaney is drawn to people who are about to die. Surely this can't be right? Who can she trust? Who would believe her? Well, she eventually meets this person. Troy - a guy who has endured an accident with a similar outcome. With no one else to turn to, he soon becomes Delaney's confidant.

- - -

Let's see... complaints first.

I really just have a couple - one being that Delaney was not a very likable character. She was cold and completely closed off. I know this could be blamed on her near-death experience, but it seemed like this was just how she was all the time, just HER. An icy-cold, monotonous protagonist is not a good thing in my opinion.

There also seemed to be too many unnecessary pieces to this story. I don't want to pinpoint specifics for fear of too many spoilers, but there were just somethings that didn't really need to be there and only confused things.

I really enjoyed this novel overall!

I think the storyline was unique and played out very well. I loved the twists in the plot and the fact that the author had me on my toes the entire time. I never quite knew what was going to happen. Just when my mind began to wrap around the story as a whole, she'd throw me for a loop. It was very pleasing!

I very much enjoyed that, although this book is a paranormal, it's also very real. Even the paranormal aspect feels like something that could really happen. It's almost feasible (for the likes of me, that is). The real life issues going on were a big part of why I enjoyed this book. The whole situation with Delaney and Decker had my heart in knots. I can't tell you how much I loved the ending.

I think Megan Miranda has a beautiful writing style. I got chills multiple times just from the way she would word something. It was eerie and I could feel this story physically as well as emotionally.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants a fresh, new Young Adult read - packed with teen romance and chilling paranormal elements.

- - -

Review copy provided by Bloomsbury Children's Books in exchange for an honest review.

THE FAERYS VIEW

Fracture by Megan Miranda is a great story but I found it lacking in some areas and confusing in others. Now, don't let this dissuade you from my enjoyment factor of the book! Ms. Miranda wrote a fantastic book that gave me a lot to think about my own beliefs when I was done with it.

When best buds and next door neighbors Delaney and Decker are out with some friends having some fun on an iced over lake, Delaney falls in and as you've read in the synopsis she's under for 11 minutes which is far to long not to have severe brain damage let alone death. What Decker does by Delaney's bedside is to `bargain' with God. His guilt over Delaney falling through the ice is immense because he didn't get to her for 11 minutes though it isn't his fault, friends held him back until a rope is found so that they don't lose two friends to the frigid waters. Delaney is in a coma for 6 days and when she wakes up she is considered a miracle by all. There is no brain damage, loss of memory or senses but she didn't come out of the accident completely unscathed and as Delaney will soon find out, she is carrying a terrifying new ability.

When it comes to the characters, I had a hard time relating to Delaney; in the beginning she doesn't always come off as a very caring or compassionate main character, in fact, there are times when she is downright rude to her friends especially the ones that come to visit her and Decker has to remind her to `be nice'. That sort of set the tone for me early on but as the book went on, I `warmed' up to her and learned to accept that she is pretty witty and has a snarky sense of humor. The other characters are realistic and likeable, especially Decker.

Delaney struggles to regain her formal life but her mother is making that difficult and dealing with her new ability or curse isn't easy. When newcomer Troy appears who also suffered a near death experience and has the same ability as Delaney a sort of love triangle starts but what are Troy's real intentions? There are plot twists that surprised me, thrilling adventures and suspense along with a realization that all is not always what it seems to be.
Fracture really gave me a lot to think about especially in the areas of Spiritual vs. Science vs. Something Darker. What would I do if I absolutely knew I had only one day to live? I also realized that 11 minutes can often seem like an eternity.

THE FAERY SAYS THIS DEBUT AUTHORS BOOK IS A WORTHY READ!

Delaney falls through the ice of the lake and spends eleven minutes underwater. Decker pulls her out and miraculously she survives. But something is off when she wakes in the hospital, she isn't the same Delaney. Maybe it's the brain damage, maybe it's the medicines she was on, or maybe it can't be explained that easily. There's something strange going on and she feels completely different but is she in danger or is she the dangerous one?

Delaney captured me from the first page on. The eerie tone of the book kept me engaged and wondering what would happen next and whether Delaney would survive. The strained repertoire between Delaney and her best friend Decker was full of tense moments and doubt about where their relationship stands after her accident. It's obvious they are in love with each other but that's one step that they aren't yet prepared to take with one another. Maybe they never will be. Best friend romances are my favorite right after star-crossed lovers and Miranda has done an excellent job portraying that dynamic.
This is a similar read to Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Lisa McMann's Wake series, fans of either author are sure to enjoy Fracture.

Let's start by saying that I absolutely love this cover. It's not just a pretty picture or generic cover, it's prophetic. It says everything about Fracture. I would recommend getting this one in print, the cover alone is worth it...not to mention how amazing the story is.

So now that I've covered the cover, let's talk about the writing. This is another one of those hauntingly beautiful love stories that weave their way into your heart and head, refusing to let go. Megan is a master at description, bringing the settings to life in a way very few authors have the can. Fracture is told in first person from Delaney's terrifying point of view, captivating you on her shocking adventure through life and death, then the return to life. You feel every bit of her fear, heart-ache, loss, pain, hurt, and betrayal as if it were your own.

Delaney spends eleven minutes submerged below ice only to awaken in a hospital room surrounded by doctor's who say she has no chance. She spends several days trapped inside her body, listening and feeling things around her, unable to let people know her brain is working. Finally breaking free, she finds that her best friend, Decker, has been by her side the entire time. Unsure of what this means, all she wants is to leave the hospital and prove to everyone that she is the same Delaney she was before the accident. This will be difficult to prove since she can literally feel the dead pulling her to and fro.

Let's count the reasons I love this book

#1 - Delaney faces repetitive loss...from her own, to her mother's withdrawal, to the friend she couldn't save. It's not always a deathly loss but so many things go tragically wrong that people around her disappear from her life, leaving her alone and unable to cope. She must continue to fight for her life even after she's survived a horrific drowning. Evil lurks all around her, always attempting to sway her but Delaney is a fighter and she is most definitely a survivor.

#2 - Decker and Delaney have been friends for what must seem like an eternity but now their friendship is strained. Delaney's accident has attracted the attention of Troy...someone who knows what it feels like to survive an unsurvivable accident. Decker walks a fine line...always wanting more than friendship and always afraid more will send Delaney straight into the arms of someone else.

#3 - The taboo subject of euthanasia. Troy believes that people who are dying should be put out of their misery. Of course, he doesn't ask their opinions...he takes matters into his own hands. Delaney is out to prove him wrong and stop him from his current course of action.

#4 - The serious twist of fate and Delaney's epiphany. I cannot go into this without spoiling the book so...

#5 - Fracture brings so many feelings bubbling to the surface that leaves you thinking for days. I can't imagine a more heart-felt and life-altering story.

When Delaney Maxwell falls into a newly-frozen lake and is trapped under the ice, Decker Phillips is held back by his friends and unable to save her immediately. Being under for eleven minutes, she should be 100% dead. She's alive. Her doctors say she's brain dead and will remain in her coma. She wakes up. The cat scans of her extremely damaged brain show that she should have memory loss, a speech impediment and so much more. She's fine. Fracture follows the mystery of the strange pull the dead have on Delaney, as she battles to understand her ability and save those she's drawn to. Troy Varga believes they can't save anyone and shockingly takes things into his own hands, becoming desperate with his own agenda. While I did enjoy the book and love the concept, Fracture didn't suck me in and earn itself a "favourite" label.

I enjoy mystery books. I love the suspense and adventure that comes with them, which is what Fracture lacks, in my opinion. I felt as if the mysteries, secrets and twists were very obvious and couldn't believe Delaney wasn't figuring things out immediately! She is in a fragile mental state, however, so we'll give her a pass... The novel deals very much with Delaney's tough recovery, filled with parents who think she's hallucinating, friends who become angry at her unusual survival, boys who twist the wires in her brain and strangers who die soon after she predicts. Many decisions contribute to the one outcome and I liked how they were all connected!

Decker is Delaney's best friend and has been her neighbour for even longer. From the very beginning, it's apparent he has feelings for her, although Delaney's completely oblivious. I drove myself insane with the romance in this book! There are misunderstandings all around and other love interests come to stir the pot too. When Decker busies himself with a gorgeous girl, Delaney gets involved with Troy and doesn't correct Decker on her relationship with Carson, his best friend. There are fickle love triangles and squares everywhere, and you can't help but feel sympathetic for Delaney since she's just very confused. These relationships are a very large part of the novel because they impact on Delaney's decisions, mental state and so much more. I think Miranda developed them well, but I didn't hugely like or become invested in any of the characters.

Fracture is a novel that will make you thoughtful, but isn't filled with any fast-paced action or gripping mystery. The plot and characters are developed slowly and will feed your curiosity little by little as you progress! Although I did like the ending, I didn't feel completely satisfied or as if it affected me as much as it should've, but nevertheless, you may fall in love with this book much more than I did so give it a go! I think it had great potential but just didn't quite work out for me as planned!

The description compares FRACTURE to BEFORE I FALL and IF I STAY. I'd say it was closer to a mix of THE BODY FINDER and the Soul Screamers series. Delaney is a teen girl who, after surviving a tragic accident, discovers she has a morbid ability to predict deaths, and relies on Decker, a childhood best friend who has evolved into something more than a friend, to help keep her sane and safe. FRACTURE is much more than that simple description though.

First off, it's very well written. The storyline is not complex, but the way it is told makes it feel rich and satisfying for the most part. It's on the shorter side (my ARC was 262 pages), and I think the story could have benefited from a few extra chapters. The semi side plot involving Delany and her mother didn't come off quite as poignantly as I think the author intended. Likewise, while I loved the fragile romantic relationship that slowly emerged between Delaney and Decker, I wanted more of it. The author did a good job of weaving little stories throughout FRACTURE that showed how their relationship changed over the years, but I still felt like I was missing the part of it that would have completely pushed me over the edge with them.

I did love the many surprise twists that came about in FRACTURE. I was kept on my toes and caught up in the story from beginning to end, but I don't know what to make of the ending. I didn't expect it, and I'm not sure if I ultimately liked it or not. The character of Delaney was very interesting as she struggled to adjust to her ability, and I found her struggle immanently believable, but given the questions she raised and the answers she had to accept, I think the ending for her was perhaps too simplistic. I have my own idea of what happens after the last page and it is coloring my impression of the ending. I can't see there being a real happy ending for her, not ever. So it's sad and a bit depressing, but a thoughtful read that I do recommend for fans of bittersweet stories.

Sexual Content:
Kissing

Delaney was supposed to be dead. After falling through the thin ice of a lake, she was under water and without oxygen for exactly 11 minutes. Even though she is being kept alive by machines, the doctors and everyone else has dismissed Delaney as already dead or basically just a vegetable. After 6 days, Delaney miraculously wakes up from her coma and surprises even her doctors when she is coherent and seemingly completely normal. A catscan reveals that Delaney's brain is mostly damaged and that scientifically there is no explanation for her looking and acting like she was never brain dead.

As Delaney physically recovers from her accident she discovers that she now has a physical reaction to when someone around her is going to die. Her fingers start shaking and she feels a strong pull toward the dying. Following this pull brings her face to face with Troy, another accident victim that died and miraculously came back. Troy lost his entire family in the accident that almost took his life, so in turn he is very disturbed and has taken it upon himself to show Delaney what they are meant to do with this ability of being able to know when someone is about to die. Problem is, that Delaney doesn't agree with Troy's methods and philosophy and wants to believe that there is another way.

We are introduced to a love triangle as well. Delaney's friend since they were kids, Decker, was the one who pulled her out of the lake and performed CPR on her until the ambulance got there. He is possibly the reason she is still alive and her best friend in the whole world. He is also the first boy that ever ever kissed her (although it was on a dare) and the only person who understands her. There is a lot of awkwardness and tension between Decker and Delaney as they both discover that they cannot live without each other.

"What would you do if you only had one day to live?" is what Delaney wants to know of the people around her as she watches her loved ones fall apart under the pressure of Delaney's almost-death and her behavior ever since she came back. Although Delaney is back from the dead, she is not the same Delaney everyone knew. Death had changed her. I quite enjoyed this book, although I was lost at times with Delaney's inner monologue and her train of though felt disjointed at times. I would recommend it though for the paranormal element and give it 3 stars.

MY REVIEW
I honestly sat down, and read this whole book in one sitting, it was so good I didn't want to put it down. I in no way wish to give "spoilers" so will only discuss what I consider "spoilers" that are mentioned in the blurb. When Dekker and Delaney decide to walk across the lake your literally start to cringe as you know what is going to happen. Then, when Delaney falls, cracks the ice and falls through you literally hold your breath for her. This book has suspense, chilling thrilling parts, intrigue, and a little romance thrown in too. Bloomsbury Publishing compare this novel to If I Stay, Elsewhere and Before I Fall. I found this book well written, realistic and captivating. I loved the relationship between Dekker and Delaney. After Delaney falls through the ice Dekker feels responsible for her accident, as he was the one that persuaded Delaney to take the short cut across the lake with him that fateful day. Dekker and Delaney have been neighbours for years, ad literally brought up together, but does their relationship run deeper than just platonic friendship, as Dekker was the one to risk his life to rescue Delaney from the icy waters of the Lake.
Delaney then meets Troy, a nineteen year old boy who had been in a coma similar to Delaney, but is he what he seems? He tells Delaney that he understands what she is feeling, and tries to talk her into dealing with the sensations the same way that he does. Is Troy's way of coping with the aftermath of the coma the right or the wrong way?.You need to read this great book to find out more, definitely one for the January Wishlists!

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

****some spoilers****

Delaney has a near death experience when she and her best friend Decker are out on thin ice and she falls under. In all reality, she should be dead, but except for some brain damage that is only apparent on MRIs, she is fine. Now, she can sense when others around her are going to die. Decker, in a weird way, has survivor's guilt and even though her rescued Delaney, he knows she should be dead after 11 minutes under the ice. When a college student, Troy, approaches her in the library claiming to have read about her in the paper, Decker knows something is not right with him since there was never anything written about her accident anywhere.

Troy is a strange character and as Delaney starts to find out about him and his background, she discovers that he, too, has survived a coma and really should be dead as well. I truly got the creeps from Troy. He would show up in Delaney's life just when she was having a crisis and it seems that there is something sinister linking the two of them together. I was furiously reading this one just to find out what was going on between them. I also kept waiting for something truly paranormal to happen and explain why Delaney always seemed to show up just at the time of someone's death. The big twist is something you have to figure out on your own by reading this one. You won't regret those few hours it takes.

I really enjoyed the breakneck pacing in this psychological thriller, it was a quick and easy read. The characters were all well thought out and believable. I really wish there was more to go on about Delaney's life before her accident. We just know little things like she was a geek, somewhat of a social outcast and possible valedictorian. The only thing I can pin on Troy is that he was a psychopath and has some strange pull over Delaney, maybe just the fact they shared a similar near death experience. You also are kept wondering if the sparks of romance between Decker and Delaney will survive to see another day. Overall, those who enjoy creepy, possibly paranormal mysteries will love this one.

After first reading the synopsis for this book I knew I wanted to read it. It sounded so unusual and interesting and just...different that I knew I had to check it out and see what it was all about.
Plus, come on, we all know I am a cover snob, yes I judge a book by its cover, and lets face it, this has a pretty great cover so that caught my interest as well.

I am so glad I did pick up this book because it was everything the synopsis promised it to be. It was different and interesting and kept you turning the pages.

I didn't really think this book was going to have such a feel of mystery to it but it did and I loved that about it.

I loved that I didn't know what to expect with each new chapter. That each page held something new and different for me to take in and ponder. I love that I didn't see what was coming and I could just read and enjoy the adventure.

I really enjoyed the storyline and Miranda's writing style. Everything just flowed together nicely and the story never felt rushed or made me wonder what in the world was going on. I think anyone that enjoys YA and a little mystery will really enjoy this read.

I am pretty sure we can except some great things to come from this new, very talented author.

I cried within the first 10 pages. Apparently authors love when they make their readers cry. (At least Maggie Stiefvater loves it) But by page 50 she had me laughing so hard I ended up in a 5 minute long coughing fit. By the end of the book, she had me crying or tearing up at least two or three more times. It was an emotional ride, for sure.

These characters are strong, they're every day teenagers who have something bizarre and incredible thrown at them. Delaney should be dead but she isn't and she's struggling with the after effects of practically being dead for 11 minutes. It seems Decker never really lets go of the guilt he has for being the reason he almost lost Delaney, a person whose been his best friend since he can remember. These two bumps heads more often than not and its frustrating but totally realistic. Then you add Tara and Troy to the mix and things just go completely out of whack. I really liked Troy and the fact that he really connected with Delaney on a different level and that really drew me in. I can't really say any more without giving parts of the story line away so I'll stop with that.

The Publishers note in the front of the book says to make sure you have time to read this book because once you start, you won't be able to stop. They weren't lying. I'm reading it for the second time and I'm still struggling to put it down and I know what's going to happen! That's when you know its a good book. This is definitely an author I'm going to be keeping an eye on because this novel was just absolutely brilliant. There have been three books I've read that I've texted all of my friends who read, telling them they have to read. Fracture was the first, as well as Fateful & Shatter Me. (As you can see, I've read a lot of books too, so that's saying something!) I recommend this to everyone, anyone - if you like reading, you should pick up this book come the new year. You won't regret it.

I leave you with this question, which is seen throughout the book: "If you have one day left to live, what would you do?"