After reading the blurb I was really expecting more of this book but I was left feeling bored and deflated. It was really slow going and not the thriller I was expecting. I got to around 15% and skipped to the end. It was a good ending.

A fresh new voice in the world of fiction ... and definitely one to watch!

Willa has never forgotten the sister who vanished on her way to school during their childhood; how could she? Laika figures in her dreams and her daily life and she sees her everywhere ... only, it's never actually her. Then, at a dinner party of all places, something happens which makes her rethink everything she knows . . .

Well, isn't this full of surprises? The scene is set beautifully, the characters are well-drawn and I was very surprised by the turn of events. This is a well-crafted novel which pulls the reader in from the beginning and keeps them there until the very last word. Both exciting and surprising, I really enjoyed this one and will definitely recommend it. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

EXCERPT: Over dessert, Liv tells us about her research into memory and now I really start to listen. We all do. It's riveting stuff - everything depends on it. To my amazement she tells us how fallible our memories can be, how our minds rework things, how key things we remember from our childhoods may not even be true. Wow, I think, that's a strange thought. No, worse, it's a horrifying thought. I think back to all the things I remember happening as a child, things about which I've always felt so sure. Now I think, 'but what if those memories are wrong?' What if there's another story. buried somehow, underneath the one I think I know?

ABOUT 'THINGS DON'T BREAK ON THEIR OWN': Twenty-five years ago, a young girl left home to walk to school. Her younger sister soon followed. But one of them arrived, and one of them didn’t. Her sister’s disappearance has defined Willa’s life. Everyone thinks her sister is dead, but Willa knows she isn’t. Because there are some things only sisters know about each other—and some bonds only sisters can break.

MY THOUGHTS: Simply stunning!

Things Don't Break on Their Own is a beautifully written character-based story featuring the mystery of a child belonging to an extremely dysfunctional family who simply disappears from the face of the earth.

I quickly became caught up in the lives of the main characters - Willa, sister of the disappeared Laika; Robyn, Willa's schoolfriend and lover; and later Claudette, Robyn's wife's brother's girlfriend. Don't worry - that's as complicated as it gets. The timeline switches between the past and the present as the story of Laika's disappearance is slowly unraveled.

The truth, when revealed, is both brutal and stunning, yet quite exquisite.

Things Don't Break on Their Own begins quite slowly and it is not until the character of Claudette is introduced that the tension is ramped up. A quietly written story of grief, family violence, friendship, sexual awakening, and the bonds between sisters, this debut novel is best gone into with no more information than is given here.

I can't wait to read whatever Sarah Easter Collins writes next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#ThingsDontBreakOnTheirOwn #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Sarah Easter Collins grew up in Kent and studied at Exeter University before moving to Botswana and later Thailand and Malawi. A mother to a wonderful son, she now lives on Exmoor with her husband and two dogs. When not writing, she works as an artist.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Penguin General UK for providing a digital ARC of Things Don't Break On Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

When a young teenage girl goes missing one day on her way to school, the family are left wondering for over 2 decades what actually happened on that fateful day that lead to her disappearance. The media speculation and the pressures we regularly see can be relentless and scarily judgemental, fuelling the media fire, but rarely helpfully so.

Indeed, things do not break on their own, there is normally a cause and honesty surrounding that is based on how a family or friends ‘operate’.

I found many areas of this fictional novel very metaphorical, how desperation and fear prophesizes repetition of cycles and mistakes in life and how preconceived perceptions are problematic and seldom accurate. But sometimes there are things we need to do to survive.

This thriller was incredibly gripping, right from the off.

Laika Martenwood was 15 when she disappeared on her way to school. No-one knew where she was?
Her sister Willa never gave up hope that she was still alive and saw her everywhere.
Then one night at a dinner party she sees her. And it is her, really her but what happens now

I cannot believe that this is a debut novel, the writing is so mature, rounded and compelling.
An amazing read that defies putting into a type or genre.
Covering some very serious issues this character lead read tells the story of two sisters, Laika and Willa and Robyn, Willa’s childhood friend. Laika goes missing at 13 and told from their individual perspectives the book covers the devastating effects that has on the characters.
A truly unique and engrossing read that will stay with me long after I've finished it.

Twenty five years ago Willa's younger sister Laika vanished on her way to school and Willa has never got over it, convinced she's not dead but still out there somewhere she sees her everywhere she goes and she won't rest until she finds out what happened to her.

The story begins with a dinner party, Robyn and her wife Cat have invited family and friends; Robyn's brother Michael and his girlfriend Liv, Cat's brother Nate and his girlfriend Claudette and Robyn's old friend Willa and her fiance Jamie. The author then alternates between this and the sisters' childhood and how Willa and Robyn met. It's a tale of a dysfunctional family, which touched on delicate subjects such as abuse, relationships, self discovery and grief. It's a well written, compelling read which is described as a thriller but, even though there is a mystery element to it with Laika's disappearance, I would say it's more a domestic\family drama. This is a story that kept me intrigued throughout and finishes with a very satisfactory ending. A great debut novel.

I'd like to thank Penguin General UK for inviting me to read this debut, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Wow. What a brilliant, beautiful and emotional mystery debut. I absolutely loved this book.
A twisty story about loss and longing, of the ache of the unknown and the drowning.weight of past trauma.
When thirteen year of Laika Martenwood vanishes on her way to school, her sister Willa’s life is shattered. Willa sees Laika everywhere. She believes her sister is alive. Somewhere. Twenty years later, at a dinner party the conversation turns to childhood memories which goes on to reveal the truth of what really happened. Piece by piece.
The story is told in different timelines, past and present through the perspectives of Robyn, Willa and Claudette. It’s so well written. A intriguing character driven story that just draws you right in and is very descriptive. Laika’s story was heartbreaking.
It’s easy to follow, a real page turner I couldn’t put it down. Definitely one of my favourite books to read in 2024. Highly recommend.
I look forward to reading more from @saraheastercollins
With thanks to #NetGallery #PenguinGeneralUK @penguinfigtree for an arc of #ThingsDontBreakOnTheirOwn in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 20 June 2024.

I liked the premise of this novel. However, I found the narrative pace too slow and there was too much over writing in places. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I went into this one totally blind as I hadn’t heard anything about it but I think that worked in my favour. Certainly not a book that is easy to slot neatly into a genre!

I thought the premise of this story was really cleverly done. A group of siblings and friends meet for a dinner party and slowly they look back at the disappearance of a sister 22 years before. What do they remember and is what they remember accurate?

This was slow to start for me but once I got into it and wrapped my head around the characters, it was an engrossing read. It’s a slow burn but that works so well for this story and gave me time to engage with the characters and their perspectives.

There’s a couple of twists along the way and it built to a really satisfying ending

Thanks to Penguiin and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy

This was a slow burner for me, which I grew to love and in which I became thoroughly invested.
When 10 year old Laika goes missing one day on her way to school, big sister Willa does everything she can to find her over the next 20 years. Willa is sent away to boarding school, to escape the interest from the press, where she is given Robyn as a room mate, becoming best friends until the day of their final exam.
Some time later, they get back in touch, which is how we arrive at the dinner party at the start of the book.
The book is cleverly written. It starts with a dinner party and keeps returning to it as we gain more knowledge about the main characters.
This book would make an amazing film. An easy 5 stars.

I loved this book, it was so well written with characters I really felt invested in.
There are scenes of abuse in the book which were difficult to read at times; Laika’s story was heartbreaking.
I particularly loved Laika, Robyn and her family, and Frieda.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

I was intrigued by this book’s premise – a thirteen-year-old girl, Laika Martenwood, going missing, casting a permanent shadow over the life of her older sister, Willa, who still believes she sees her everywhere, even though more than two decades have passed.

The story opens in the present day with a dinner party, hosted by Willa’s childhood friend, Robyn, and her wife, Cat. As the drink flows and the conversation turns to how the human brain processes (and often distorts) memories, things take an interesting twist.

I would hesitate to call the book a thriller – it is certainly extremely dark in places and some of the details are harrowing, but it is moreover a character-driven story, which for me is the most important consideration for any novel. It was such an immersive read, and I found it difficult to put down, always anxious to know what was round the next corner. I found myself constantly thinking about the story in between reading - always a positive sign! The protagonists are well crafted and jump from the page, and I had a vivid picture of each of them in my mind’s eye.

The narrative flits between past and present, told from the perspectives of Willa, Robyn and latterly, Laika herself, and gradually the reader gains a fuller picture of what was actually going on in the Martenwood household in the build-up to Laika’s disappearance. Parts of the book made me flinch, and there are certainly elements which could be potentially triggering (domestic violence and animal abuse).
Ultimately it is a life-affirming story and the ending felt satisfying, if slightly bittersweet. The description of how Robyn’s mother dealt with her father’s illness was incredibly poignant and brought tears to my eyes. The prose throughout is exquisite and the attention to detail meticulous. I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who enjoys character-led, descriptive fiction.

This is a triumph of a debut and I look forward to reading whatever Sarah Easter Collins delivers next. An easy five stars from me! My thanks to the author, Viking/Penguin General and Netgalley for the chance to read.

I loved this novel. Superbly written modern story set in the Uk with current and previous timelines regarding a family, friends and a missing daughter. Rich characters. I hope this author is planning to write more. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Things Don't Break On Their Own is a deliciously twisty debut from Sarah Easter Collins with an assured style and a well crafted plot. The set up is deceptively simple - a group of friends at a dinner party find themselves talking about memory and its fallibility, but through the use of several timelines and varying point of view characters the narrative expands into a complicated and character driven story that will have the reader questioning who to believe. Among the core characters are Robyn and Willa, who were friends in school before becoming something more. Willa's teenage years were marred by the disappearance of her younger sister Laika, who has never been found and the trauma of that resonates to this day as she still thinks she sees Laika in random places , train station platforms etc. When she is introduced to another guest at the dinner party she is taken aback by her resemblance to her sister, but tries to convince herself that it could not possibly be Laika after all these years.
I tore through this book in a day, completely captivated by the characters and the story as it unfolded and twisted back on itself, several times including revelations that I genuinely did not see coming. The pacing of these revelations is exceptional and I found myself turning pages compulsively in a desperate attempt to figure out the truth. There is definitely a darker side to this tale, with several descriptions of physical abuse of Willa, Laika and their mother by their father, so readers who find domestic violence triggering may want to take note. On a side note I was particularly moved by the side story of Laika and an elderly neighbour, the depiction of elder financial abuse by family members was unexpected but impactful.
This is one of the most impressive debuts I have read in quite a while and I eagerly await more from the author.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and haven't read anything that's really urged me to keep turning the pages, therefore haven't really been reading a lot at all. Until I picked up Things Don't Break on Their Own that is!

I'll be honest and say I thought this was a thriller before I read it. Sometimes it can be disappointing when a book I think is a thriller turns out not to be, but in this case I actually think the story and characters were a lot stronger than in a lot of missing person stories I've read.

The book follows Robyn and Willa throughout a period of their lives. Starting as students and working their way through adulthood, they were both so interesting to read about. Willa's sister Laika went missing when she was a teenager and the book shows how this has impacted her life. Robyn is a student in the boarding school Willa moves to after Laika's disappearance and ends up becoming close to her.

I adored both Willa and Robyn and could have read so much more about them. The writing was also brilliant and I never wanted to put this book down, it was so engrossing. I loved how bits and pieces were slowly revealed to you that showed reasons behind the decisions and behaviours of the characters.

There is a lot of domestic abuse in this book and at times it was difficult to read. I like my books dark so I did enjoy this aspect of it but it was hard going in places.

This review is becoming very long so I'll wrap it up by encouraging you to read this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did! You do need to suspend belief slightly but I think in this case it's worth it!

Things Don’t Break On Their Own, by Sarah Easter Collins
Rating: 4/5
Published: 20 Jun 2024
Robyn and Cat are holding a dinner party, and close friends and relatives are invited. All is pleasant until conversations turn to the intricacies of memory and the past. Willa can’t help but think about her sister who disappeared during childhood. She has never been able to accept that Laika is likely dead, and suddenly old ghosts begin to rear their heads. Laika’s fate is slowly revealed, through a series of twists and turns. Each one is beautifully constructed by Collins, and I loved the slow unravelling of the truth. I cannot believe that this is her debut novel either. Such a brilliantly composed story, which captures the emotions of grief, hope, loss and resurrection perfectly.

A good read, and a very well written story, but I went into it expecting a thriller and that's definitely not what I got. Touches on themes of abuse and fractured and dysfunctional families.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed reading this book which is a real page turner. The book is about a young girl, Laika who goes missing. Her mother and sister never give up on her and their lives are coloured by her disappearance. It becomes clear fairly early on in the book that her father is abusive. Her sister Willa is sent to boarding school to avoid the intrusive media. Here she meets Robyn who comes from a warm and loving family in contrast to Willa’s wealthy but cold household. They have a wonderful friendship which becomes a relationship. However, the missing sister is always in the background. Twenty years later, there is a dinner party given by Robyn and her partner Cat. Willa and her unpleasant partner Jamie are invited but who is Claudette? The rest of the book reveals Claudette’s story. A bit far fetched at times but a great read! Thank you Netgalley!

This is definitely not what I was expecting from this book. I was expecting a thriller about a missing teenager, but this is so much more than that. This is a hauntingly beautiful tale of family , friendship and love with some heartbreaking twists. Well written characters that you come to care about.