Split

Author:Swati Avasthi
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0-375-86340-0
Year Published: 2010
No. Pages: 280
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Main Character Gender: Male
Read & Reviewed by: Jaedyn



Split is a fast paced novel about 16 year-old boy Jace and his family who get
abused by his father. One day, Jace comes home to find out that his mother has just been attacked and raped by his father, again. He can't stand it anymore and as soon as his father comes into sight Jace throws a punch to his face. Jace's dad is surprised at first but then regains his strength and throws his son's head into the corner of the kitchen island, knocking him out cold. He awakes to hear his mother begging his father to let him stay, but Jace splits and heads to Albuquerque hoping his estranged older brother Christian will take him in.

He gets to his brother's apartment and is just barely welcomed in. Jace doesn't want to tell his brother, Christian, that he fought back against their father right away because he's worried that he'll be thrown out. Christian sets down some rules before he lets him in and Jace agrees. He begins his new life. Jace is haunted by his last night at home and fears for his mother's life.

Soon, Christian gets Jace into school and Jace starts a new job. He doesn't want to get close to anyone, afraid that the same thing that happened with his ex-girlfriend at Starbucks the night before he left, will happen again. Jace fears he is turning into his own father.

This book is written in first person narrative which I thought was a strong choice because it expresses Jace's thoughts and feeling well and shows what is going through his mind and what he struggles with. Thoughts that run through his brain are his mother's welfare, what his father is doing to her, and if he is becoming like his father.
 
Split explores how teenagers and kids can be abused and how they deal with it. I think this book dealt with an incredibly difficult topic in a way that I could comprehend. It helped me gain deeper understanding particularly when it comes to cyclical abuse. I believe teenagers must read novels such as these so that they realize what is going on in the world and help prevent it.

I absolutely loved this book because it was exciting, fast paced and interesting. I couldn't put this book down and ended up reading it in one day. Although this book deals with abuse and the reader must be mature and ready to deal with the subject, I would recommend this book to boys and girls because both will find this subject interesting. 12-16 year olds will enjoy this book the most because it revolves around that age group.