Broken City

Review by: Jamie Fredrickson on Dec. 23, 2014 :
Broken City is the first Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian book that I've read, and I just loved it! The world that D. D. created was so original. I can actually picture the compounds, even the empty buildings in The City. Though I don't believe it is ever specified WHICH city it is. I kinda like that though, it lets the reader can imagine it as a city local to them, wherever in the world they may be. At least until they have to look up a word and they realize that the author is from England. There were a few times that I had to look words up, because they were English terms that I had never even heard before. Does definitely explain why they drink so much tea in this book. By the way...I LOVE some of the song choices in the playlist and soundtrack listed on my blog post! Also on that post is an excerpt with one of my favorite parts of this book, as well as an excerpt from the second book! http://youhadmeatfreebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-of-broken-city-and-broken-truce.html

Review by: Heather Boustead on June 1, 2013 :
This is book number one in a story about a post-apocalyptic world where families live in tribes in one of the many abandoned buildings left over after something known as, “the crash” happened. The main characters of this story are Deeta Richards and Tom. Deeta longs to see what is outside of her building because the only ones allowed outside of the compound are soldiers who go out and fight whatever is still out there and Tom is one of those soldiers. Tom is her dearest friend in this new world and although he keeps secret about his life before he was brought to Clark Tribe , Deeta never expected him to have kept the secret he shares with everyone after a kidnapping occurs from her. It is after this kidnapping that her entire life is turned upside down, and changes in a way she never expected it to.
The first half of this story is describing the longing Deeta feels to see the world outside of the tribe, her friendship with Tom, and describing the rules and traditions of the tribe. Although Deeta has her own family she spends a great deal of her time taking after the Jepsjon family that consists of three children, Tom, and the father figure being Professor Jep. Everything in the compound is routine until one night that men in camouflage break into the compound and kidnap Dec Jepsjon while the soldiers who fight outside the compound are gone. When the soldiers return and find that Dec , one of the Jepsjon children, has been taken it is then that Tom shares a family secret with the entire compound, and the tribe is in uproar over it. Soon after the tribe votes to decide if Tom and the remaining Jepsjon family should be allowed to stay in the tribe, the tribe must go out into the city and move to the Marshall tribe for protection against Tom’s secret. Once the Clark tribe has safely moved into the Marshall compound, the remaining Jepsjon family leaves without saying a word and that same night there is an attack on the Marshalls. Deeta and her sister, Jan, is then taken by the same camouflaged men that took Dec. From this point forward I will keep a secret from you because I do not like to spoil a good story but just know that there is a war, conspiracy, and a new found love within all of it. Although I was extremely skeptical reading this book, picturing it being similar to a Hunger Games type plot, but changed my mind when I read the first few pages of the book I cannot wait to read the second book and hope that D.D. Chant releases it soon considering Broken City came out in 2010. D.D. Chant had a few errors that should have been caught in the editing process, but overall is an excellent author and I love how through her descriptions, such as on page 273 when Chant writes the following “The children are listening to one of Uncle Jep’s stories as we enter the flat, it is an idyllic picture: Tarri has again wrapped herself around Uncle Jep and with her head on his shoulder is staring sleepily into the fire. The rest of the children are huddled on the floor, the fire’s warm glow playing over their excited faces.” With such beautiful imagery I am truly able to visualize everything as if I am Deeta herself.

Review by: Lauryn Kelly on May 10, 2013 :
Broken City had an interesting world concept, but for the mystery fell flat. I did like Tom, though he was hot/cold at times or absent; as well as Deeta's sister, Jan. She acted more mature & in control than her "older sister" most of the time.
I wasn't fond of Deeta's conversational manner with the reader. It's like she's telling us everything while it's happening. For example, at one point, to the reader: "Did I tell you? No, I don't think I did..." To me, it's jarring and detracts from the story.

There were grammatical and spelling errors throughout, comma misuse, run-on sentences, as well as it's/its and possessive/plural mistakes - like Marshall's when it should just be Marshalls; even a few odd ones like take's instead of takes. Family positions were unnecessarily capitalized, like my Mother, or their Uncles.

Later on, when Ryder is introduced, certain things he says come off as odd to me. Him using modern slang like "heck" or "what's up?," and his initial interactions with Deeta feel forced to me. He blows up in her face for no real reason and doesn't trust her at first, but is completely fine with her sister, just because he's attracted to her. It makes no sense.

To me, it feels like a bulk of the plot is wasted on dressing up, and having family members pointed out to them. I think this point was when my opinion of the novel turned a tad sour. If I were in their situation, I'd be more worried about my family and friends, and the fact that a lot of people were killed, than playing along and accompanying a stranger. What action there is, we never really get to experience it because Deeta either isn't present or passes out conveniently...

Also, from Chapter 26 is where things get a bit strange. Up until this point, we've only ever been in Deeta's first person present tense POV. From there on, it switches from the villain's 3rd person pov, to Tom's 3rd person pov, and then back to Deeta's 1st person pov, sometimes without a transition. The reader just flows back into her mind from his, which is weird.

In my opinion, if this book was solely from Tom's POV, I would have enjoyed it more. Still, I must give the author credit for having a unique imagination and creativity. Practice makes perfect.

Review by: LAWonder10 on May 9, 2013 :
I give this a strong four star rating. Why?
The story was told in the first person present
tense, which I am not o big fan of but D.D. does it very well.
Toward the end a second voice in the first person
was added but it was still very good when it was tied into
the action. There were a few minor grammar mistakes.
The story slightly dragged in a few places but was still
very well-written.
I am ecstatic that is is only a beginning of a series. I
feel it will be exciting following the character's lives ad the
tribes development.
This is a story of a futuristic time and the separation of
tree distinct class situations. It has drama, romance, intrigue,
mystery and action.

Review by: FaraHanani on Feb. 24, 2013 :
Review: http://tumblinginbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/broken-city-by-dd-chant-review.html

After a global financial break down, the cities turned into ruins. People hide in ruined buildings and made their own tribe. When Dex was kidnapped, turns out, there’s more to the city than what it seemed.

Deeta Richards wants to see and feel what it’s like out there, just once, only once in her life. But she isn’t a Guard and she didn’t come from the streets. So Deeta’s escapism was the rooftop of the building that she lives in. Tom was the one who understands her, the one who accompanied her on the rooftop, Tom’s her best friend. Deeta thought she got Tom all figured out but what Deeta knew about Tom was only the tip of an iceberg.

It was hard at first to get into the story, maybe it was me because I was having a reading slump and had an exam coming. But after 50 pages or so, the story picked up pace and finally got me interested. I was also having a hard time keeping myself interested in the story. The pace kept going up and down, it just wasn’t consistent.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like this book. A lot. But it took me around half of the book to finally get my eyes glued on my phone to finish Broken City. I feel that it needs a little more editing. Either way, I still have The Promise to read and Broken City didn’t bring my spirit down to read one more D.D Chant’s book J

Review by: Martha Campos on Jan. 23, 2013 :
New societies, new governments, and lies.

Deeta got on my nerves at the beginning of the book because she was just damsel in distress, can't seem to do anything other then housework and taking care of kids but towards then end I really liked her. She changed so much from the frail woman to a string woman who could get things done. Tom, yes he lied, but I think he did it for a good reason. Doesn't excuse his lying but I can understand why he did it.*shakes finger* No more lying Tom! if you've read any other post you'll probably know that I can't stand insta-love/love at first sight thing just because I don't think it's actually possible. With Tom and Deeta this does not happen. They've known each other fo such a looooooong time I wondered how they hadn't known about the others feelings. I mean she is practically his kids mum. He takes care of him and everyone in his family. It was natural and I loved that it was.

I thought it was amazing that they lived in old buildings. They weren't living out in the country as some Dystopian novels I've read. They stayed in the city and worked with what was left. The settings were great! I could picture everything.

The plot was amazing! Had me wondering what was going to happen. The lies created mystery which had me coming back for more and more. The beginning was a bit too slow for mt tastes but it quickly picked up. The end was not something I was expecting! I had amy list of suspects as I usually do but nope, this one I did not suspect even a bit!

Overall, I would pick up a copy and read it if I were you. Great read especially if you like like Dystopian novels.

Review by: Sheila Deeth on Jan. 10, 2013 :
D.D. Chant’s post-apocalyptic world is one that remembers six-packs, appreciates the beauty of which poets speak, plays chess, and keeps its Tribe in a tower-block while warriors fight for survival on the streets. Warriors protect, and the weak and helpless, the untouched, are treasured—kept safe or kept prisoner, depending on your point of view. The narrator of D. D. Chant’s Broken City surely wishes she could go outside and see it all. But Tom and her father forbid it.

The novel opens with a nicely lyrical remembrance of a long-gone time, setting the scene for what’s to come. Future history is swiftly and unobtrusively described through the eyes of Deeta, a young adult, unattached, whose voice is pleasingly normal—restless, unsure of the future, feeling the steady ache of wanting something more. The author’s use of present tense first-person narration provides a convincing sense of innocent detachment, though it does tend to accentuate the lack of action at the start. Still, when Deeta ends up imprisoned in a different world of post-apocalyptic contrasts, and death and murder loom, then the present tense narration lends a convincing immediacy.

In early scenes Deeta reflects “that I must be pathetic to be so self-indulgent,” but everything changes and, as war approaches, “my startled eyes collide with my Mother’s,” writes Deeta as she learns to make her own decisions. For myself, I was surprised to learn how old Deeta was, but perhaps that just reflects my lazy reading. Parts of her world seemed so well-preserved I wanted to know how, but the author does a good job of not revealing or reveling in background, keeping the need for logical questioning at bay. I was interested in, but not entirely convinced by the remnants of civilization, and I enjoyed the interplay of a large number of characters, the various separate worlds of a broken city, and the intriguing mystery of the hidden murderer. A fun story with action, innocent romance, mystery, concern for neighbors, and children spared from danger, Broken City offers entertaining reading and intriguing food for thought.

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy of this novel by the author.

Review by: CubicleBlindness on Aug. 10, 2012 :
The story starts off with an air of mystery to it. The introduction to very close knit families living in tight quarters with several members in a small space. When the security of the compound is breached. The turmoil, revealing of secrets, moving of the family and eventual war is what drives us through the rest of the story.
An overlying story of romance carries throughout the book. We are introduced to a society that is so close that you would think that secrets could not be hidden from each other. But when they do arise, it only takes one secret to shatter their small world.
There were parts of the story that I felt slowed down the pacing a little too much, but I am very glad that I stuck with it. I liked seeing the story come full circle at the ending and thought that it was a good ending.
It was a clean read, a story that made you think and imagine what it would be like. That even in times of war it's the things that are around us every day that keep us going. Family, friends, and companionship. I think overall my favorite character was Tom. That even though your born and raised with a focus to be one thing, doesn't mean that's what your future holds. Tom is a strong character for choosing his own path and determined and brave enough to fight for it.

Review by: valca85 on July 27, 2012 :
This is a wonderfully original view of a post-apocalyptic world, which is sure to be a big hit with all lovers of that style of books.
The world building the author has done really makes all the difference. She’s written a carefully structured story in a type of military city that is fascinating to read about. There are just enough details to keep the reader interested but not overwhelming explanations of how this particular “world” works, so we don’t feel like we are bombarded with information. We are not distracted from the main story.
The characters are quite fun. Tom, in particular, was one of the ones I liked best. He is quiet and mysterious, complete opposite to Deeta, the protagonist. Their interactions were written well.
The book did start off a bit slow, but as the story continued, the pace really picked up. There are many wonderful moments in the book that. The writer uses a bit of one of my favorite literary techniques, the unreliable narrator, which is very hard to use convincingly and she succeeded, so she deserved definite credit for that.
All in all, this one is a fun addition to the dystopian genre and I do recommend it.

Review by: Kristin on July 19, 2012 :
I'm just going to cut right to the chase and say I Loved this book!! I honestly did not find one flaw within its pages. The world that D.D. Chant built was so plausible especially considering the current economic climate. One thing I really enjoyed was how the Author set up the "bad guys". I won't give it away but it reminded me of a classic boogeyman scenario and even I had trouble identifying the twist when it came.

This book has no monsters or mutants just real people struggling to survive in a Broken post modern world. I found the journey the characters each go through compelling, beautiful and haunting. Deeta the main female protagonist was such an openly honest character that I can see why the other characters wanted to protect her. My favorite character though was her sister Jan. She was bold, brave and not as naive as Deeta therefore I could relate to her a bit easier. I also loved the slowly evolving relationship she has with Ryder, it was sweet but like a snakes mating dance it was fun to watch.

Overall this was a great book with a well developed world, strong character driven plot and fantastic blending of Dystopian and Futuristic elements while remaining grounded in the real world. If your a fan of the genre and looking for something new and unique, I highly suggest picking this book up. I will be rating Broken City by D.D. Chant ★★★★★.

Review by: Jutzie on July 14, 2012 :
Broken City by D.D. Chant
Deeta Richards is twenty years old. She was born, raised and will die in this building she calls home. She has no future but within these walls. For it’s not safe for them outside the building. Only the trained guards go out for supplies, and even they don’t always return.
Her comfort is caring for the Jepjon's family on the floor above. One day when a secret has been revealed everything Deeta knows and believes is turned upside down.

D.D. has created a wide range of characters. From the humorous to the vain to Tom who is just mysterious and hard to read. The Tribes who all live their separate lives in the buildings around a city that is mostly destroyed. Never mixing with each other. Rumors that get worse each time they are told about certain Tribes. Fear of the unknown. This story is told mainly through Deeta Richards view but does add the views of other characters where needed.

I am impressed with the two books this author has written. I read The Promise which takes place in Saxon England and then the author takes us to a post-apocalyptic almost futuristic time in Broken City. Such extreme opposites and yet both are well written stories.
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2012/07/dd-chant-book-list.html

Review by: Jeanette Hornby on Nov. 8, 2011 :
An interesting tale of a new world order. Believable characters that enhance the story.