Breaking definitely delivered the venomous thriller it promised. It was short, sharp and shiny. I managed to whizz through it in one evening, the very night that it appeared on my front door. It helped that the beginning was edgy and drew me in but I will say that it didn’t quite manage to perfectly pace the intensity throughout the story. Maybe because of the character’s mild reactions to the twists and revelations? I understand why they acted like they did but their passivity really dampened my own enthusiasm. There were definitely elements of the story that could have - and should have - been expanded on, especially in the second half. The ending was also a little rushed. Cliffhangers normally make or break a book for me but I don’t quite know how I feel about this one. I definitely need more from this world now but I would have liked to see the story wrapped up with a solid conclusion. With all that being said, there was definitely something about Breaking that kept me on the edge of my seat, eager for answers.

Everything else about the story hit all the marks but failed to do anything above and beyond that would make this a standout read. I did enjoy Rollins’ writing style. She managed to create a dark, suspenseful atmosphere but some of the dialogue felt a little stiff. The characters were decent enough. I liked that they played into the stereotypical boarding school student/rich kids moulds but had a little more life breathed into them. Charlotte was an interesting protagonist and I liked exploring her relationships with the other characters. I wished Jack had been a little more nuanced but I did like Zoe. The romance - while it did nothing for me personally - was a solid addition to the overall story. It actually had a role to play! I am so sick of unnecessary romances. If the drama had been a little more downplayed (although I know that it is realistic in this setting), I would have been very much on board.

Overall? A solid thriller and a decent read, just nothing particularly original.

Also, for everyone that is curious about whether this can be read as a standalone, I would say that it definitely could. I know that the storyline was meant to tie in with Burning but I honestly remember next to nothing about that book and found it easy to follow this storyline regardless.

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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Original Thoughts: I love the cover but I'm a little confused how this is going to tie in with [b:Burning|21525975|Burning|Danielle Rollins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458743204s/21525975.jpg|40851897]? I still have so many questions!