Book Review: "Things Don't Break On Their Own" by Sarah Easter Collins

“I think about all the small things that build and destroy us, all those little things we choose to hide and reveal, forget and forgive. How we all carry hidden histories that we continually circle back to, the things that make us soar, or slowly unwind.”

Twenty-five years ago, Willa’s sister Laika disappeared without a trace. Willa left for school without Laika, and Laika left shortly thereafter, but she never made it to school. There were never any clues as to what could have happened to her.

Willa’s life has been defined by Laika’s disappearance. For years she has thought she saw Laika everywhere—in school, on a street in Paris—but it never has been her. But she feels like if her sister died, she’d know it, feel it.

One night Willa attends a dinner party at the home of her best friend Robyn and Robyn’s wife Cat. Robyn’s brother attends with his girlfriend, Cat’s brother does the same. During dinner they talk about how memories can be real or derived from things we were told, pictures, or a series of occurrences. But the dinner party also lays bare a secret.

While this is being marketed as a thriller, it is not. There are elements of mystery here, but at the same time this is a character-driven story, told from several different perspectives, shifting between past and present. The pacing is a little slow at first, but that’s okay, because it gives you time to get drawn into the exquisite way Sarah Easter Collins writes.

This made me think, about memory, love, loss, the things we do out of love and fear, and the things we regret not doing. While it’s a different book than I expected, I thought it was fantastic.