Word Nerd Review: The Breaking Light (Split City book 1)
by Trisha Quezada
I’m a sucker for the occasional romance novel (Hey, no judging! They’re my version of reality TV), so when this came up in my Amazon suggestions I thought “why not?” A sci-fi romance novel? Let’s give it a shot. Plus, it didn’t hurt that it was free through Kindle Unlimited. It’s a quick, easy, and simple read. Think Romeo and Juliet, the Westside Story version, set in the future on another planet where the class divisions are mirrored in the physical setup of the city – the rich people live up top in skyscrapers, the poor underground. The world and tech is all very conventional and familiar feeling to anyone who has read even a small amount of science fiction in the past. And I know I mentioned Romeo and Juliet earlier, but this really feels like a retelling of that story – complete with instant love and fake death scenes. I think that’s the biggest reason that I’m only giving this a mediocre review. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s mindless and quick and good for a distraction. The writing itself is good and that’s my true deal breaker for any book. But it isn’t amazing and the story line isn’t all that original or compelling. The characters have interesting and complicated reasons for their actions though, and that saves the story. So, I’ll read the next one when it comes out if I want to rest my brain or need something to read at the beach. If that’s what you’re looking for this is a pretty good choice.
