(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)
There are quite a few novels that chronicle the struggle of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to civilian life, but none that I have read that are as good as The Broken by JJ Hernandez .
The novel puts you on parallel paths with several disparate characters: the former inmate, Julian, his parole officer, Diana, and several others on each side of the law, each with their own separate agendas. Each character wants something and throughout the book they independently conspire to get things their own way. In the process, they continually trip up Julian as he attempts to get his life back on track, and to reconnect with the son he left behind.
As someone who is well acquainted with inmates after teaching writing in a maximum-security prison, I can tell you that Mr. Hernandez got it right when it came to the machinations and mind set of criminal types. The dialogue is spot on, and the story doesn’t collapse under the strain of cliché characters as they try to seem realistic. Likewise, the pacing is excellent, and I found it hard to put this novel down.
Because of his excellent story telling skills, I will be following Mr. Hernandez, and eagerly await his next novel.
