Fracture
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Miranda, Megan. 2012. Fracture. New York: Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-8027-2309-3
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Delaney was dead. Her heart was not beating and her lips were blue when Dekker pulled her out of the icy water and breathed life back into her. After awakening from a coma her brain scans show massive damage. And yet she is fine. But now she feels death around every corner. But she is not alone. Troy also awoke from a coma with the gift. But is it a gift or a curse? Can they feel death or cause it?
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Megan Miranda's Fracture is a young adult supernatural story. The supernatural element comes from a tragic accident in which Delaney falls through the thin ice of a lake and is not pulled free for eleven minutes. Delaney languishes in a coma for six days before she awakens. The naturally resulting medical brain damaged does not cause any impairment and Delaney is able to speak, walk, and function normally with one small exception, she can feel death.
Delaney is a fairly well rounded main character. She is not perfect. In fact, she is a bit clumsy and curvy and sees herself as brainy and definitely not athletic. Her imperfections make her likable and enhance the novel. Her relationship with Dekker and her parents are established enough to make the reader interested in what happens between them, but not developed enough to create a sense of urgency about the outcome of any differences.
Dekker is only mildly developed as a character. His role is that of best friend/rescuer/love interest. The best aspect of Dekker is his uncertainty about how to handle almost losing Delaney and where they go from this point. His guilt is well written and understandable. And, Dekker is not infallible which he proves with his relationship with Tara.
Delaney's relationship with Troy feels forced. The fact that they both were in comas and have a connection to death is the only thing that truly keeps them together. Further, the relationship is not healthy and the fact that Delaney is scared of Troy one moment and attracted to him the next does not help move the storyline or lend any feelings of empathy to the situation.
The title of the novel is especially representative of the story. Delaney falls through a fracture in the ice. Her life is fractured from the experience as are her relationships with Dekker and her parents. Her ability to determine reality is slightly fractured as she discovers the nature of her gift. And unfortunately, the story feels fractured and disjointed at times.
4. AWARDS and INFORMATION
- -Starred review from Publishers Weekly
- -a 2013 IRA Young Adults’ Choices Reading List selection
- -a Best Children's Books of The Year pick from the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education
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