The Broken Bridge

Fascinating story. Gripping, right to the end, with several unexpected twists. We see everything through the eyes of a 16-year-old girl and take on her assumptions and misconceptions as we go. The final pages offer promise of a positive future in several directions. This is a story I shall want to read more than once to appreciate more of the details and subtle nuances of character as the tale develops.

Loved the story. Don’t understand why it was produced with American spelling, when it is a British book by a British author; found this really off putting.

If you haven’t read any of his books try this one.

Pullman is a gifted storyteller and this first person narrative shows his skill in writing for teens+Whilst being gripped by the tale, i was still aware of the gaps and hiccups.

No idea what I expected of this tale but I enjoyed reading it even though I suspect that it was intended for someone considerably younger than me.

I’m a huge fan of Phillip Pullman and this story didn’t disappoint. Reading other reviews, I think it may be aimed at younger readers but as a woman in her late 40’s, I enjoyed it immensely!

Couldn't put it down. Wondering what other books of Philip Pullman I have missed . . . . .. .

Very pleased with this book.

Philip Pullman zeigt in dieser Novelle wieder alles, was ihn als Erzähler auszeichnet. Ich freue mich über jede seiner Veröffentlichungen.

Une jolie histoire pour adolescent(es), qui montre que la vie est plus complexe et aussi plus acceptable qu'il n'y parait.

Philip Pullman will probably always be best known for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. This may be appropriate, as this trilogy - The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - are superior fantasy. But there is more to Pullman than these three books. The Broken Bridge is a standalone novel that shows Pullman's skills go beyond just a single genre.The Broken Bridge is the story of Ginny, a black (actually mixed-race) sixteen year old girl living in Wales with her white father. Despite the disadvantages of having a long-deceased mother (who came from Haiti) and being one of the very few non-whites in her coastal community, Ginny is reasonably well-adjusted. This stable life comes to a close, however, when a social worker appears at her house. Shortly thereafter, her father reveals something that will completely upset her life: her father had a son by another woman; the woman is dying and soon her half-brother will be living with them.This revelation is only the first of many that will completely turn Ginny's life upside-down and make her question everything and everyone she has known. The most damaged relationship, however, is with her father who still has a number of other secrets that are beginning to leak out. But there are other truths that will be learned too, regarding her friends, her grandparents and her mother.This is classified as a "young adult" novel, as most of Pullman's books are, but like his other works, these can actually appeal to any adult readers. I would guess it gets this classification because it is tame from a sex, violence or language standpoint, but the topics - including racism, adultery and even murder - are not exactly "childish."Pullman is as a good a writer as always. The only disappointment readers are likely to experience is if they expect something like His Dark Materials. Outside of possibly one scene, this story is completely non-fantasy. But if you realize that Pullman can do more than just that one genre, you will find this is another is another good book by him.

Excellent story and coverage for young people of important social/family issues. Likeable characters.

Compliments once again to the author, who describes the world of a 16 year old girl as seen through her own eyes. Very credible, except for one unnecessary bit of exotic mystique at about 2/3 of the book. I won't write a spoiler though. Go and get it, it's definitely worth the (small) amount.