Cover Image: Heartbreak Homes

Heartbreak Homes

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Member Reviews

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

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Right from the start, this book captured my attention, keeping me engrossed and intrigued throughout, ultimately leading me to finish it within a few hours.

The use of brief chapters, each narrated from different perspectives, facilitated seamless reading.

While the presence of typical character archetypes found in YA thrillers (such as the jock, the cheerleader, the outcast) is evident in this novel as well,

I was pleasantly surprised by the nuanced development of both Frankie and Martin's characters. Martin, in particular, stood out with his recurrent references to his investigative mindset, which I found quite endearing.

Although I had been expecting a more intricate twist in terms of the mastermind behind the events, I still felt a sense of satisfaction upon reaching the conclusion.

Treggiari deserves credit for crafting an engaging, well-constructed thriller, and I eagerly anticipate the release of her future works!

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I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

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A back to school party gone wrong. Frankie and Jessa best friends are at the party, it is not Frankie's scene but she knows her friend wants to win over Malcolm the popular senior hosting the party and her friend will do anything for her.

Over the course of the night Jessa disappears, to her horror Frankie finds her in the middle of a crime scene. Is Jessa to blame or an innocent bystander?

A great murder mystery that I devoured in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I’m not exactly sure what high blood pressure is, but I’m pretty sure I have it after concluding Heartbreak Homes.

This book right here put me on a ride of a lifetime . There was no slowing down, I was thrown right into the chaos. Every time I caught my breath, I was gut punched by another twist and left speechless.

This book right here is THE book of the year and I want to be the first to let you know all that this book is a must read for all my blood, guts, gory and suspense lovers! You know my, blood sucking soul sisters (and brothers)

Once again i received the highest honor imaginable by being allowed to read and review this sure to be best seller before its release date.

Teaser :

A gripping locked-door YA murder mystery told from multiple perspectives from Governor General's Award – and Crime Writers of Canada Award – nominated author of The Grey Sisters and Blood Will Out.

The back-to-school blowout filled with drinks and drugs isn't Frankie's scene, but she would do anything for her childhood best friend, Jessa, whose recent ugly duckling transformation has her hanging with a new crowd and vying for pretty boy Malcolm – the popular senior throwing the all-out rager on his father's deserted development property.

Martin hasn't heard from his old friends since his father lost everything and moved them across town. Until the party invitation. Between working double-shifts and avoiding his father's sad-guilty routine, Martin decides to blow off some steam. But the party house is a monument to the bad real estate deal that left half the town in financial ruin – and the heart of all that has gone wrong for him and his family.

Cara and her crew of lost girls have been squatting in a model home on the property, stealing for their survival. The party is the perfect mark – privileged kids, abundant alcohol, and dark corners. The girls score big with their haul, but the celebration is short-lived when they learn their temporary home is at risk of discovery. They could be split up and forced back onto the unsafe streets.

In the wake of a brutal brawl, the guests find a lifeless body―and this murder is only the first. Escalating violence drives Frankie, Martin, and Cara to forge new bonds, and together unmask a killer. Narrated from multiple perspectives, Heartbreak Homes is about what compels us to kill – and the true face of justice.

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Thank you NetGalley and Nimbus publishing for an advanced copy of this ebook.

Frankie and Jessa are long time best friends but recently Jessa stepped out of the awkward phase and had an ugly-duckling transformation. She now has friends in more popular circles so her interests are shifting. Frankie is not into partying and alcohol but goes to the back-to-school party with Jessa because that’s what friends do. Over the course of the night Jessa disappears and when Frankie finds her again she’s smack dab in the middle of a crime scene. What happened? Is Jessa responsible or merely a witness?

Treggiari did a great job setting the scene and giving readers a realistic view into a society in economic decline setting the stage for some pretty powerful backstories and motives.

I found the pacing a bit slow and Treggiari focused more on getting to know each character than providing hints and red herrings for readers.

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This book was written so differently and it worked. Love the dual perspectives, love the characters and how their lives interact with one another. It gave the feel of many classic stories but with modern twists.

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Told from varying perspectives this is a murder mystery that had an intriguing premise.
We begin at a party that’s been organised in a remote woodland location. Set in a town where lots of people have been affected by the collapse of a building scheme, Mal Bradley is not wholly unaware of the statement he’s making by allowing people to trash his father’s building.
Unfortunately, Mal is found dead during the course of the party. His girlfriend is found in a coma, and nobody is certain who could be responsible.
We shift perspective, focusing on three different characters caught up in events. Our primary narrator, Frankie, is probably the most personable of the characters. As she tries to uncover what could have happened to her best friend Jesse she realises that a number of people are hiding things…and wonders who’s determined enough to kill to keep them hidden.
The actual uncovering of the story seemed to go tortuously slowly. I also felt that once things started to unravel it all fell into place a little too easily. That aside, this was an entertaining read. Thanks to NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read and review it.

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A back to school blowout party gone wrong. Frankie and Jessa are at the party so Jessa can try to win over Malcolm, the popular senior throwing the party. Martin is there to blow off steam after his dad lost everything and they had to move. The party house is the symbol of a bad real estate deal that left half of the town in financial ruin. Cara and her group of girls have been squatting in the house and steal things from the party guests. After a brutal fight, a dead body is discovered. Frankie, Martin, and Cara team up to find out who the killer is.
I like the book plays out from various perspectives of different characters. It makes the story more interesting to view it from different people's perspectives. It was a little predictable as far as twists and the ending, but still a good book overall. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

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This was a really great murder mystery. It had the fast pacing and twists of a Karen M Mcmanus bulk who I love.

Cara, Frankie and Martin all share the narration. Each giving a fresh view on the situation and allowing the reader to learn more and more as the storyline progresses. On top of this they allow the reader to become emotionally invested in not only solving the mystery but in the characters themselves.

I am looking forward to more books by this author.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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Loved the idea of this plot and the three different narrators were distinct enough to justify them; I found the discussion of the poverty and decline of !Martin's family and his subsequent "fall from grace" to be the most interesting backdrop for a character - he was my favorite narrator. The mystery aspect of the book was just okay. Things moved too slowly for my taste, and the twist was a bit predictable and simple for my tastes. However, it is a good read for fans of character-driven mysteries looking for a quick read.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Great book. Kept me interested and was very well written. I would definitely read more from this author!

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Narrated from multiple perspectives, Heartbreak Homes is about what compels us to kill—and the true face of justice.
The ending will blow your mind! Simply WOW…

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I absolutely loved this book!

Overall seeing how everything went down that night from the different perspectives, helped put everything into focus. All of the aftermath as well as how the town itself and the parents and what they were doing was affecting all the kids was realistic. This book dealt with the changes in friendship due to school changes, and life-changing due to a financial crisis in different forms. We also got to see how the foster care system is broken and how teens would rather live on their own in the woods than be in a foster home that was bad again. This book dealt with not only the mystery of what happened that night that caused Malcolm to die, but the mystery as well of who set the fire, and what else was happening in the town that was the rich man's secret.

Cannot recommend this book enough for anyone wanting a multi-pov mystery that deals with real-life situations in a realistic way.

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Heartbreak Homes
By: Jo Treggiari
⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

"A gripping locked-door YA murder mystery told from multiple perspectives."

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover and I was hoping for more of a thriller than was offered. The story starts out at a party-one last hurrah before school is back in session. This party is being held at an abandoned home that is part of a development deal that went bad.

This story is told from three perspectives but with multiple characters involved. It was really difficult to keep everyone straight especially when nicknames were used as well. Basically, Frankie goes to this party with her best friend, Jessa. Jessa has started hanging out with the "cool" kids and Frankie goes because she doesn't want Jessa to start drifting away. Jessa is trying to get together with Malcom who is a popular senior that winds up dead by the end of the night.

Could the killer be Jessa? Someone at the party? One of the crew of homeless girls that are squatting on the property? This story just seemed to flow to slow at times and I found myself distracted.

Thank you @netgalley and @nimbuspublishinglimited for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Published on October 11, 2022

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A wonderfully written Mystery novel for YA. I love the way that the narrative was told from multiple points of view. Really added to the whole atmosphere f the book.
Easy to follow and totally engaging it was an absolute pleasure to read.
I’ve not read this author before but I will be looking out for them in the future.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.
Highly recommend.

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For a YA book this captured my attention from the very beginning and hooked me in the the end. The multiple pov added an intensity to the pages and i needed to keep reading well into the night. A fast paced page turner for sure.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

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This is a solid YA murder mystery. It is a a quick and easy read and the characters are well written. I read a lot of thrillers and, as a result, found this one to be a little slow paced and lacking some of that edge of your seat feeling. But please keep in mind that this is because the book is written for a YA audience. I did enjoy the story overall.
If you have a teen who wants to read mystery/thriller, this book would be perfect!

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I tried multiple times but have been unable to finish. This in no way means this is not a great book, we all have different likes and this just wasn't one for me.

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Being a book blogger and having read a ton of books on netgalley, I’ve come to realize that many deliver either an innovative and unique story OR beautifully crafted prose. Very rarely can they do both. BUT THIS ONE IS THE UNICORN.

The way Treggiari wove multiple character viewpoints was flawlessly magical, without it ever relaxing into the overused, procedural mold that we have seen before. It would make an absolutely fantastic teen television mini series. And I would be invested as an adult.

My only issue is with the cover... it doesn’t do this amazing book justice! I highly recommend that the editors change it to something more eye-catching that will get readers to pick it up because I truly believe this one deserves a wide audience.

I will read anything this author writes!

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