Broken by Don Winslow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my fifth Don Winslow book, so his ability to delve into painful-to-read brutality isn't a surprise. Sometimes I feel like it's a bit overdone, going for shock value as he ruthlessly kills off good people, but for the most part he writes excellent books.

Broken is a collection of novellas. Not all of them are completely distinct from the others, as there is some limited overlap of characters, but the storylines are distinct. While some of these novellas went in directions one might find uncomfortable, part of that is driven by Winslow's ability to write characters you will care about. The characters are flawed and relatable. Some are repulsive and others downright charming.

Overall, Broken is a good book, one that made me anxious to keep reading, even when it was late at night and I really needed to get my sleep. I didn't find it to be quite on the level of The Border or The Force, but it still was quite good!


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