Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

I was brave
She was reckless
We were trouble

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own. 

I loved just about everything about this: the importance of female friendships, the realistic portrayal of the teen years and the heartbreaking nature of secrets. It tells of Caddy, suddenly stuck between two best friends, Rosie who has been there since they were toddlers and knows everything about her, and Suzanne, the new girl with an enigmatic past. The complicated relationship between girls is what made this book; the story was completely engaging and the three girls were so real. 

All Caddy wanted was a significant life event, something exciting and defining. You know that saying, be careful what you wish for? Yeah, Caddy has no idea how dangerous a significant life event can be. When Suzanne comes into her life, she brings her secrets, her past, her horrible truths with her, and Caddy loves being part of it, loves being trusted with Suzanne's secrets. But, of course, it puts a strain on her best friendship with Rosie and with her parents. 

Throughout the story, there was such a great portrayal of the teen years, the close friendship, the feeling of powerlessness and of course the development as Caddy realised that Suzanne isn't her sole responsibility and the world doesn't end if they let someone else in. I loved this story, it practically broke my heart hearing about Suzanne's past but the message was clear: friendship is the best thing, as long as you don't let it rule you.

Published 11th February 2016 by Macmillan Children's Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.