Review of Break my Heart 1,000 Times by Daniel Waters

Hyperion

Break My Heart 1,000 Times
By Daniel Waters
5 Scribbles!
To be released October 16, 2012

Since “The Event” years before, where millions of people were killed in an instant, ghosts have become a constant part of the world. Veronica cannot walk to school without seeing a ghost, sit through a class or have breakfast without a ghost being present—in fact so many ghosts exist, that ghosts are quite normal. People are accustomed to seeing them and have stopped trying to figure out why they appear—with the exception of Mr. Pescatelli, who is writing a book on the subject, and employs Kirk and Veronica to do field work observing and taping ghost appearances. But when Kirk and Veronica begin to uncover grisly clues to the murder of several local girls, they realize that they are putting their own lives in very serious danger.

First let me say that this is my first Daniel Waters book, despite the fact that he has written many successful YA novels before. How did I miss this talented author? The first noticeable strength of this work is the style, the prose is so rich that at times it borders on the literary, the tone macabre and sinister without being egregiously violent. Veronica and Kirk are typical, relatable teens who want a simple, uncomplicated relationship but face roadblocks at every turn, while the villain and murderer of the story is complex and more than adequately creepy. The reader will loathe the killer as they listen to his thoughts, but they will also sympathize with him, and this story element speaks for the sophistication of the writing and the author’s insight into human nature. And then there are the ghosts! It becomes clear as the novel progresses that ghosts are not simple creatures. Ghosts may differ in nature, some merely images, others harbingers of doom, and others bent on helping, facts that Veronica and Kirk discover through their chilling investigations.  Readers will be spellbound by the discoveries the protagonists make, and they will anxiously await the constant and seamless appearances of new ghosts at every turn.  In addition to the riveting story line, the reader is also led to ponder philosophical questions that make the mind bend; is time really linear? Is there life after death? Are there ghosts all around us? Why do ghosts appear?  A phenomenal work that successfully combines mystery with the paranormal and is impossible to put down, I encourage anyone with an interest in the paranormal, in mysteries, or anyone who just wants a fantastic, creepy read to buy this book the instant it hits bookstores!