This is a great read, I really did enjoy every word of it.
It's narrated in a way that completely drew me in - told through the voices of the two main characters, Julie and John. It isn't linear in its narration, but rather than confusing this just adds to the mystery of Pine Street and its events and characters.
We know from the start that a terrible accident/crime has occurred, but then we're left in the dark as to who the victim was until the end of the novel. But, in some way who he/she was is rendered almost irrelevant because of the intricate unravelling of the neighbourhood and its inhabitants. And what a collection of characters they are.
Firstly, Julie - the author of bestselling book The Murder Game, who has moved to Pine Street to escape her stalker. I was a little unsure at first how this was going to play out - writing essentially about writing. It could have turned into a bit of a lecture on the trials and tribulations of putting pen to paper, and the demands of following up a successful book, but luckily I think it managed to avoid this. I did actually feel quite sorry for Julie and what she goes through with the other residents; once again marvelling at how horrid and destructive people can be.
The relationship that develops between Julie and John, does so in a natural and organic way. Though at times I did feel a little uncomfortable at how John was steering these accidental 'meetings', safe in the knowledge that even if he wasn't admitting it to himself, he was interested in Julie being more than a running partner.
The other characters play an equally interesting and important part in the story. I'm not sure how I would have reacted to the character of Cindy, but I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been so accommodating. Maybe it's a cultural difference, and I'm just not "in the know" about Neighbourhood Associations, but quite how she manages to enforce these regulations of hers perhaps wouldn't have been so successful in England!
Fractured really is multi-layered, it gave me lots to think about, and like Good Me Bad Me (Ali Land), would make a great choice for a reading group I think. The characters and plot are crafted intricately, I was hooked pretty much from the start. It's a good, easy read - please add it to your 'To Read' list, you won't be disappointed.
