Broken cover art

Broken

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Broken

By: Daniel Clay
Narrated by: Colin Moody
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £13.16

Buy Now for £13.16

Skunk Cunningham is an 11-year-old girl in a coma. She has a loving dad, an absent mother and a brother who plays more X-Box than is good for him. She also has the neighbours from hell: the five Oswald girls and their thuggish father Bob, vicious bullies all of them, whose reign of terror extends unchallenged over their otherwise quiet suburban street. And yet terrifying though they undoubtedly are, the stiletto-wearing, cider-swilling Oswald girls are also sexy – so when Saskia asks shy, virginal Rick Buckley for a ride in his new car, he can't believe his luck. Too bad that Saskia can't keep her big mouth shut. When, after a quick fumble, she broadcasts Rick's deficiencies to anyone who will listen, it puts ideas into her younger sister's silly head – ideas that will see Rick dragged off to prison, humiliated, and ultimately, in his father's words, 'broken' by the experience.

Content warning: Contains some violence and/or strong language.

©2008 Daniel Clay (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Feel-Good Heartfelt Tear-jerking

Editor reviews

In this harrowing debut, 11-year-old Skunk Cunningham lies in a coma recounting the recent events of her neighborhood. The psychopathic Oswald sisters and their even-more-psychopathic father, Bob, have subjected the street to a cyclone of violence. The storm ultimately pulls in Skunk’s teenaged neighbor Rick Buckley, after one of the sisters accuses him of rape, and Rick becomes the "Broken" Buckley for which the book is named. While some listeners might find the grim procession of events dispiriting, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Performer Colin Moody does an excellent job conveying the emotion of the events and finding the right voice for each character.
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
All stars
Most relevant
Be prepeared for twists of human minds. Love and sorrow, parents-children relationships will grip your attention and your emotions in one tight bound. One to read. One not to forget for a long time.

Broken. can break your heart

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to Broken again? Why?

No.

What did you like best about this story?

It was very tense throughout. It is a tough listen, but a real insight into how people behave when there are no boundaries, and when deprived of a loving and caring environment.

Have you listened to any of Colin Moody’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No, but he was superb in portraying so many different characters and personalities.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think shocked more than moved. The whole production kept me on the edge of my seat.

Any additional comments?

This book is not an easy listen, with bad language all the time, and troubled characters. I would recommend it though as the writing is gripping and narration second to none.

Dysfunctional Families, I should say so!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Where does Broken rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It could have ranked much higher if only the accents and pronounciation of local places was right

Who was your favorite character and why?

Skunk for her braveness

How could the performance have been better?

Get the local pronounciation of things right remove the fake West Country accent. This is not what local people in Hedge End or Southampton sound like unless the are over 70!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

I loved the perspective the story was told from

Great story dodgy accents

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Did it meet my expectations ... Well I don't know what my expectations were, the book looked like an interesting mystery, and they talked about comedic elements. Well, there were a few dark comedy, cringe bits, but to be my mind it was not humorous.

Eleven year old Skunk tells the story of life in the square where she lives, how from a single minor event things start to spiral. I won't say too much about what happens, because I don't want to spoil it for future readers, but I am still up at two am because I have finish the book before I can sleep.

Narrator is very good, draws you in.

You quickly recognise the Oswald family, with youngest daughters sunrise and sunset, and know they are a month of Jeremy Kyle episodes in waiting. Every estate has an Oswald family.

I will certainly look for more be this author in future!

Wow

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A very strange and interwoven story, modern life with a hint of exaggeration. I loved the narrating, the story amused and interested me, some real life characters and scenarios.

Definitely worth a listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews