Split by Swati Avasthi

Publication Date: March 9, 2010

Source: Audiobook

Narrator: Joshua Swanson

POC  #4

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. 

My Two Cents:


The best word to describe this novel is unforgiving. It takes a knife and slices you where your heart is and doesn't even apologize for it. This is one of the most emotional, and raw novels I've read in a long time. 


Main character Jace is definitely one of a kind. He's a collector of Queen pieces from Chess boards but he doesn't play Chess. He's blunt and has a hard time keeping his mouth shut but I love him for it. Because of his past he's not very good at letting people in. He's one of those guys that can come off as an asshole but he really has good intentions. I get him!


Jace has grown up seeing his father hit his mom and then the abuse began to include his older brother Christian. Christian moves out and Jace is left to fill his spot. One night it gets really bad and Jace leaves with hardly any money and his brother's address in hand.

Flashbacks of the way things were before he left give the reader piece by piece of the whole picture. These boys went through so much physically and mentally. Their story happens everyday. This is the story of what happens AFTER the abuse and the affects it has. Jace tries to make a new life for himself in Albuquerque with his brother. But everyone knows that the past has a way of catching up with us.

Listening to this book literally made me laugh out loud at how sarcastically funny Jace was. Though sometimes it made my heart ache. Living in an abusive home can be the hardest thing to go through and getting out can be even harder. If you or someone you know is in an abusive home and wants to get out this site can help you.


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