Split

by Swati Avasthi

A riveting portrait of life after abuse from an award-winning novelist.

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 He may have to go back. Award-winning novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after . After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Abuse, Romance, Family

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2010

About the author

Swati Avasthi has a BA from the University of Chicago and an MFA from the University of Minnesota. She has received numerous awards and grant, most recently from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her first novel, Split, has received a silver parents' choice award and a CYBILS award and was named a best books for young adults, 2011 from YALSA. Split was also nominated for a GoodReads Choice Award and a Minnesota Book Award. She is keeping her fingers crossed.

Reviews

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up into an imperfect family. There were times I had to referee for my dad vs my mom or my sister vs my mom or my sister vs my other sister usually over small things that become huge when one of the parties just wouldn’t give up. But physical violence has never become an option and we make sure that before the day ends, any conflict or misunderstanding among family members is fixed and forgotten. This is my way of saying that despite its imperfections, home has always been my refuge.

Just thinking about going home after a day’s work already makes me smile and it has always been like this for me since I was young-er (because I’m still very young^^). I’m most comfortable when I’m with my family and when I’m at home. I couldn’t imagine defining or looking at this wholesome social unit any other way but Split showed me the harsh truth that for some people, home is a hellhole. My heart broke while letting this sad fact of life sink in.

The story realistically portrayed the struggles of a teenage boy to escape his abusive father, find his older brother and save his mother. Told in the POV of Jace, the story successfully achieved its purpose in showing the readers how people like Jace and his older brother try to live a life while battling with their inner demons. It was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching but surprisingly, very hopeful too.

This is one of the more serious YA contemporaries I have read and appreciated very much for its relevance and truthfulness.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

► Buddy-read with the fantastic Light Pup' (Chelsea) (click to read her review)

► I know, I know. You probably never heard of this. Or you read the blurb and thought, oh, a typical issue book. Let's pretend I never saw this. Must be cliché as hell. But please, please, please, if you're willing to read a YA novel dealing with domestic abuse with honesty and feelings, give this book a chance.

"It’s not really all right, is it? I mean, who would miss that bastard? Shouldn’t I hate him, just simple, pure hatred? Shouldn’t I write him a thank-you note for getting me out of there, for not wanting me around anymore?"

4.5 stars. Every time I open a book labeled as realistic fiction, I brace myself, knowing that this genre covers such different kinds of stories. What will that be? A stereotypical high school cutesy? A misleading "issue book" where romance outweighs everything? A flat and boring nonsense?

Sometimes, though. Sometimes its pages contain larger than life characters whose journeys are related with such honesty and depth that we feel a little like voyeurs. Sometimes we realize how wonderful it is that an issue we read about over and over again can be pictured in a different - yet real - way. Sometimes opening this realistic fiction novel feels like being punched in the guts, our throat closing, the air thinning around us.

This is how realistic fiction should be, and Split did a splendid job at it.

Never an abusive homelife - and its consequences - has been tackled with such sincerity. I mean, perhaps it has, but I have yet to read these books. See, I often complain about twirling moustaches evils and one-dimensional characters and I can assure you that you'll find none of them here. Don't get fooled, I'm not saying that Jace and Christian's dad isn't to blame because Christ! I want him to burn to death but Swati Avasthi perfectly pictures how difficult it can be to escape an abuser - how he/she twists the reality - your reality - so much that you convince yourself that hoping for a better life is just a stupid dream. If I'm thankful enough to never have been through that, one of my best-friend did and I know how upset she would feel whenever someone implied that she was to blame for not having reacted faster. That kind of bullshit made her positively furious, and she was oh so right to be. Come on, assholes. Just try and use your brains. But I digress - In that account, Split was raw, painful at times, but - sorry, I'm repeating myself - fundamentally honest.

And you've got the brothers. Aw, Jace and Christian. I can't express how much I loved seeing their complicated relationship unfold, all guilt and desire to escape and just be. They made me care and laugh and cry. I wanted to shake and protect and hug them. None of them is perfect, and their mistakes - their anger, their denial - were sometimes hard to stomach, but their fierce love and loyalty was straight-on beautiful. Swati Avasthi doesn't shy away from the psychological effects of such abuse and Jace's struggles to escape how it changed him. Following him was heartbreaking, yet so very hopeful.

Just - read this book, okay? I can't promise you that you'll enjoy every second of it, because some parts made my heart ache - others made me furious - but in the end, even if I would have wanted for some questions to be resolved I feel like crying when I think about their mum out there *wails* WHY? I HATED the fact that she was abandonned - hated it. After talking with friends who work with people in these awful situations, they told me that it was unfortunately realistic and that it made the book more believable. I get it. Really, I do. Yet I would have wanted more hope in the final message anyway., I can't deny that Split is a powerful book, and Jace and Christian characters who will not be easily forgotten.

How comes that this novel isn't more widely read?

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Split was somewhere between 4 and 5 stars for me, so I'll go with 4.5 because I can't make my mind up. I spent most of the novel thinking I would give it 5 stars, but there was something a little unresolved for me. Okay, a lot unresolved, but DO NOT read this if you haven't read the book: I wanted their mother to find a way out, I understood that this book's message is that it's not as simple as that, I understand why she struggled to leave him, how her life had been shaped around her husband and their violent existence... but I wanted the final message to be that it was possible, even though it was difficult. I didn't like how the ending seemed to be an acceptance that some people are just doomed to stay with their violent partner for the rest of their life. But, apart from the stuff in that very spoilery spoiler, this was an unbelievably powerful novel. It does what so many other books have tried to do but the writing, the characters, the emotions running wild in this book... they all contributed to make it stand out amongst stacks of stories about domestic violence.

The story opens where Jace Witherspoon has finally left home, his mother, and his abusive father behind. He wants to start a new life with his older brother - Christian - who ran away years before and hopes his mother will eventually break away and join them. But Christian's life is very different now and he is reluctant to ever go back to the way things were before, not to mention the fact that Jace isn't being entirely honest, a lot has happened since Christian left and he isn't too eager to share a lot of it. Can Jace and Christian build a new life as brothers and put their violent upbringing behind them? Or will Jace's secrets bring the past crashing down onto the two of them?

What Swati Avasthi has here that gave her the ability to write such a stand-out novel, is years of experience dealing with just these kind of people, relationships and abusive partners/parents. It shows, it really does. A lot of authors try to answer that question: why does an abuse victim still stay with their partner? Most of them fail because it's not a simplistic answer, you need to take a deep look into these relationships, see how the victims become psychologically changed to believe that they somehow deserve it, that they cannot cope with any other way of living, that the good times are worth the bad. I don't pretend to be an expert on domestic violence, but I knew someone who was in this kind of relationship and people always say "I just don't understand why they don't leave", "it's pretty simple, if someone hurts you, they don't love you, so you walk out the door". I've seen it first-hand and what they don't know is that the victims are being damaged far more psychologically than they are physically. You cannot tell someone to snap out of a mental disorder, and it is a very similar kind of thing. The routine of violence becomes so embedded into them that they start to just accept it. It's sad but true and Swati Avasthi is one of very few authors who shows this.

But this isn't just a novel about domestic violence. It's a novel about how people can change their lives for the better, how with work you can choose to move on from your past and re-create yourself, how you do not have to let the bad stuff that has happened define you. It's about fear. Fear of another person, fear for another person, fear of yourself and who you might be turning into, fear of making the people around you just as screwed up as you are.

Moving and unforgettable.

[Limonessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT: On February 15th, 2012 make sure you stop by The Nocturnal Library for an interview with author Swati Avasthi. We're also giving away two copies of this book, one personalized from Swati (US residents only) and one from us (international)!



"Sometimes I wonder why words can't actually make us bleed."

Those (few) of you who regularly read my reviews and generally put up with me on a daily basis already know I'm kind of a logic and control freak. I'm not of the tear-shedding, heart-warming or hair-pulling kind.
However, occasionally, I do find books that really touch me on a deeper level, that really make me feel inside the story and the characters' heads, up until the point when it really becomes empathy.
I ascribe this empathy completely to the writer's writing skills, to his or her capacity to capture the essence of, say, frustration, or happiness, or grief and translate it so well into words and situations and stories that I get "contaminated" by them. If that happens, the communicative purpose is accomplished.

Split is one of those books. It got to a point, about 60% in, that I decided to go to bed, but then turned and tossed and turned and tossed until I had to get up and go finish the bloody book. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

The story is fairly simple: Jace has an abusive father. After the umpteenth beating he takes to protect his mother, he gets kicked out of the house, for good. He goes looking for his older brother, Christian, who vanished from their lives five years earlier to escape the same beatings, hoping to get their mother out of that same situation and to build a new life for himself.

Jace's voice is one of the most vibrant I have ever encountered in YA literature. He's one of those characters I seem to love so much, the ones I recognize as grey. He's not a bad guy, but he's certainly not a good guy either. In his words, he pledges to be " a bastard-no-longer". Somehow, this kind of character is the one that I find most believable and interesting, because it's a little more complex than most.

Jace has come to a very important point in his life, a crossroad which will determine his future and the person he'll be as an adult. It's up to him to decide whether he'll be like his father or if he'll become his own person and this internal struggle not to let the violence that he's witnessed all his life define him is the focal point around which the whole story revolves. In describing this, Swati Avasthi really excels, in my opinion: his ambivalence, his being split is so well portrayed, I felt it so much, that I couldn't help but feel ambivalent and split too toward a situation I would otherwise have condemned right from the beginning. She really puts you in a place where it's difficult to judge, to make a clear cut division between bad and good, because the line gets blurry in the middle.
This kind of blurriness seems to extend to all other characters too. From the selfish, loving though broken brother who might or not help Jace out, to the prying but caring girlfriend, to the helpless mother who's digging her own grave, every character lets us see different facets of the truth and lets us decide whether their choices are all condemnable or not.

I don't think that with these few, disconnected sentences I have even barely managed to do justice to such an intense and poignant story but I hope your interest will be piqued at least enough to make you want to pick it up and see for yourself. Maybe it will not touch you in the same way that it touched me, but I am fairly sure indifference will not be one the feelings you'll be left with.
A really great start to my new reading year, I will read anything this author publishes.

For this review and more follow The Nocturnal Library.

[Chelsea ✨Arielle’s Nebular Ally and Team Acrux✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder if I’m a broken kid. Was Christian ever broken? My mother would say, No, too strong, and would sneak a satisfied smile at her folded hands.
What about me, Mom? I would ask.
And the smile would leave her.
She would be right.

Once again I find myself bursting with so many emotions that I can barely contain them…yet at a loss on how I can explain how wonderful, deep, and thought-provoking this book is without tarnishing it’s beautiful simplicity. It’s not often a book speaks to you on such a fast-paced, addicting level, yet keeps a slow, steady pace that manages to portray the overall message without becoming boring. This book wasn’t explosions and romantic rendezvous’ and extreme acts of heroism-It was so much more than that.

Sometimes I wonder why words can’t actually make us bleed.

It was heartbreaking struggle and broken relationships. It was wishful dreaming and regrets of mistakes from the past. It was aching for forgiveness and finding who you are, fighting to be better than you appear to be, even when you can feel the darkness creeping in through the edges of your peripheral vision. This book fought to show what it means to walk away even when it’s hardest…the story not often told: After. What. Happens. After? This was Jace’s story.

In Chicago, I knew everything. I could look at the sky and know how warmly to dress; I knew where every street led, and where every fight would end. I could look at my father and know when to keep my mouth shut, when to piss him off so I could take the hits for my mother, and when only his wife-punching bag would do. I understood when a fight was coming, how fast It was going, where it was going, everything. Fights have a rhythm; they do. I swear it. And they don’t end up like that. Not where I’m from.

I guess I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked this story up. The blurb was clear that our dear Jace was abused, but I didn’t really know just what the story would be about. I mean, yeah-He’s abused by his father, as was his whole family. Years ago, when Jace was 10 or 11 (I forget which), his brother finally had enough of it; Enough of seeing his mother beaten to a bloody pulp; Enough of standing in the line of fire so his mother could avoid another crippling fight; Enough of almost dying. Jace, at the time, was a child-he still idolized his father even though he saw things that made him cringe and retreat to hide frequently. He didn’t understand the magnitude of what was happening and what it meant for his family…even as they were fracturing into pieces right before his eyes.

Fightology Lesson#8: Relax when hits are coming because it hurts less.

When Christian, his brother, left, he thought that Jace would be fine-After all, he was his father’s favorite. But the one thing he didn’t take into account was just how much his brother loved, adored, and looked up to him. He didn’t look past the last rib-breaking blow to see that he was his little brother’s role model….And that when he left, Jace would just step into his place.

Right hook. Let him explain away a shiner. Like I’ve had to. Soccer, I’ve said, Fight, I’ve said, Hockey, basketball, croquet.

Fast forward a few years later: At sixteen, Jace did the one thing that neither his brother nor his mother had ever thought to do: He fought back. Thus leading to the start of the story when Jace shows up on his estranged brother’s doorstep bloody, beaten, wired on Mountain Dew from a 19 hour drive, and barely able to stand on his own two feet. What?? I didn’t say he won, he just tried.

My stomach is starting to flutter because I know what I want to do, and I have stage fright. Fist into his face. Another in his gut. After all, I’ve had a day. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Hit something, hit someone. The moment our fists make contact, we feel better, right, Dad? Let it out. Punish her so she won’t do it again. Right, Dad? Isn’t that the way?

This story, you guys, was just so special to me. It didn’t need loud storytelling or colorful sex scenes to touch my heart. It seemed, from page one, I was a slave to it’s meaningful message and heartfelt words. I can’t even begin to explain the intense feels and capture of each waking thought that this story provoked. Each scene where Jace and his brother would open up a little more to one another-past the pain, the hurt, the secrets-becoming closer through simple acts and small gestures, my heart would squeeze and seize up, forcing me to choke out silent tears for how hard their lives were and how they were slowly, but surely, finding each other again.

It’s weird when someone gets you, understands what you would never say, not even to yourself. It’s so weird that it makes my throat tighten up again. When I speak, my voice comes out small.

For once…I wasn’t rooting for the romance (though there was a very small one that made my heart shine with happiness at each and every turn) to take precedent: I wanted Jace to find his inner strength and peace, his freedom of body and soul and, more than even that, I longed for his loneliness to cease as he and his brother worked to make themselves whole again-One puzzle piece at a time.

"You’re the incentive.”

The writing was so simplistic, yet poetic (at least, to me), out-of-this-world amazing, and spoke to me on so many levels. I can’t always explain why certain styles of writing speak to me, but sometimes it’s just a matter of: Because. And sometimes, that just has to be enough. Each chapter, layered with vivid, imaginative, and candid storytelling, ensnared me in ways I can’t even begin to express. It’s a story not often told, at least not correctly, and I think it’s an important book for people to read. I am on a huge realistic fiction kick, of that I am certain everyone is aware, but none have spoken to me on such a deep emotional level like this one did. Perhaps it was the story itself, or maybe the family bonds that are tested with each dwindling email from his mother, or it might just be the broken down, tortured young man that only wants to begin a new life with his brother…either way, this is my first REAL absolute favorite this year and it somehow feels, I don’t know…it makes me feel as light as air. I’m not sure why-perhaps I am just enlightened…or maybe I just read a truly exceptional story that blew my expectations out of the water.

We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us will get through this life without regret.

Jace’s story isn’t a happy one, but he is on the road to recovery. He doesn’t always do what’s right and he isn’t what you would call ‘morally sound.’ He holds a secret that not only defines him, but weighs so heavily on his heart that he’s like a walking, talking, ticking time bomb.

Fightology Lesson #5: Anger comes in all forms: a slow burn; relentless, constant flames; or a hot flash, popping here and there. It can lie in wait, and you think you’ve forgiven, you think you’ve doused it with trust, but give it a sudden burst of oxygen and-backdraft.

Pinned down and held back by his secretive past, he feels he can’t truly move on with his life, date the girl he’s falling for, and altogether become who he wants and strives to be. Grasping on and desperately holding to the abysmal hope that his mother will finally break away and join he and Christian (And Mirriam, Christian’s girlfriend whom I ADORED but ran out of time to talk about-their relationship (she and Jace’s) tore me to shreds…I can’t even) in their new private life, miles and miles away from the abusive man they know as their father.

Isn’t it too convenient just to forgive yourself, let yourself off the hook?

Not everyone’s story is a HEA, and I think that’s the harshest reality this book brings to light. We don’t all get to live in a fairy tale and wake up with the perfect man in the perfect life with the perfect family. Everyone has flaws; Some minute, others destructive and abusive and depraved. But that’s the point: Don’t let who you used to be define who you are. Pave your own path and make your own way. Never look back. Never blame others for your mistakes. But most importantly: Family is everything. Don’t let past hurts and mistakes obliterate what could be the most valuable and endearing moments in your life. Jace’s story, whether a happy ending or not (I can’t say, you have to read it to find out), is over: Yet, there are so many untold stories being written as we speak-Decisions being made, excuses spewing left and right, and women (even some men) and children fighting for their lives…Take the time to hear them.

Second chances. Who deserves one of those, anyway?

Another gift from my lovely Jen!!


For more of my reviews, please visit:



****************************

Without a doubt one of my favorite realistic fictions...ever. A strong, poignant, and dark voice, this book tells the story of a boy left behind to fend for himself and his mother as they were beaten to within an inch of their life by his father. This is the story of when he finally says enough is enough. It's not sugar-coated or contrived, but beautifully written and told in a way that makes it impossible to put this masterpiece down....I still am having trouble NOT thinking about it.



I am beyond excited to try and express how much I adored Jace's journey of finding himself and reconnecting with the brother that left it all behind. Jesus, I am tearing up just sitting here typing this.

SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS FUCKING STORY. AMAZING-from beginning to end.

Review to come-Most definitely. ♥

[Nomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had a thing for books which feature redemption. They emotionally grip and resonate strongly with me. Many of my personal favourite books usually have a sliver of redemption running through them:

Think The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta, Carly in Kirsty Eagar's Raw Blue, Francine River's Redeeming Love, Sherryl Jordan's (amazing) Winter of Fire which all had me weeping and aching and so drawn in with the protagonists story/search/ache for redemption.

And, boy, does Jace from SPLIT join their ranks.

Jace is someone who is so conflicted. He has the weight of guilt on him, a shroud of claustrophobic fear, doubt, self-loathing and then through it all he harbours a tiny spark of hope that flares and gets stamped down. Again and again.

He is someone who has been abandoned by those who should love him the most.

And yet his capacity for love is huge. And painful to bear witness too.

Sorry for starting my review out so intensely, but this book causes an intense response.

I have read stories of abuse before (fiction and non-fiction) and this one is truly exceptional. The whole scenario is beautifully, achingly portrayed from all sides of the story: the abused, the abuser, the mum, the two brothers and how it impacts them in different ways.

Not only does the story seem true and impeccably well researched and presented, but Avasthi is a gifted writer: her prose is stunning, her ability to create atmosphere, to bring light into darkness, to add levity to intensity, and to draw a reader in and build a story towards a gripping rising climax.

Despite the hard punch this book packs I do want you to know it is not just one big tension-filled, heart-aching angst. Jace is a captivating character. His male POV is one of the finest examples I have come across in YA literature. It is as genuine as Tom in The Piper's Son and Adam in Where She Went.

I adored Jace: his love of books and soccer/running, his sweet attempts at cooking, his sarcasm and intelligence and his bruised but enormous capacity for love. He's utterly endearing despite his rough edges. He often made me grin and also swoon. His POV is easy to slip into, compelling and addictive.

Also, while the romance was not the main plot thread ~ it is just wonderfully done. It's as if Avasthi has pared it down to the finest, most choice tender and conflicted moments so that the scenes that are portrayed are like a picture that paints a thousand words. I was so rooting for him and his new interest (be on the look-out for some tender and swoon-y scenes that will make you ache ~ and keep your fingers crossed).

Avasthi has a character who is so conflicted in himself, having secretly endured a nightmare and also having done some despicable acts himself. Yet he is not beneath redemption. And I teared up as the story was coming to a close ~ touched and moved and just blown-away by what he endured and who he had become and what he was becoming.

I want to shred my own skin, yank every thread of DNA out, and give it to her as an offering. But would that be enough? Is there any way I can fix this? I shouldn't even apologize since that will shove the burden of forgiveness onto her. Who the hell am I to ask for her forgiveness? Who the hell am I to twist her into someone who could forgive the unforgivable? I know exactly who I can turn her into. (jace. page 109)

Recommended: An exceptional story that will stand the test of time. I think you should read this.


SPLIT was chosen as the YA book of 2010 by the Cybils Awards. (read what the judges have to say)

Also: the seven 2010 finalists for the Cybils which include some other outstanding books for teens such as Summers SOME GIRLS ARE, Christopher's STOLEN, and Kelly's HARMONIC FEEDBACK


Also: can you see the two faces in profile on the cover?

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gripping!! Appalling!! Packs a powerful punch!!

Warning: I’m kind of upset right now, so my language might not be pretty. You’ve been warned.

How do I give a book 5 stars when it did nothing but make me feel anger, angst and a world of hurt? Well for that reason alone, the emotions that this book made me experience were bar-none high alert and extremely intense!

Split by Swati Avasthi is a story about physical, emotional and psychological abuse. It’s the type of book I don’t often frequent because I tend to experience emotional investment in characters that I come to like. And, to see the Witherspoon family including a mother and two sons take beating after beating is absolutely heart breaking. So, bear with me while I get a few things off my chest and address these characters because I know no other way to review this book.

I’ll start with you Jennifer. You are by far the poorest excuse for a mother that I’ve ever come across. To call you a weak coward is not enough. How could you stand by your abusive husband as he nails your hand to a wall and beats your boys to an inch of their life…. over and over again?!?! I have no words. Wait! I do!! How could you?!? If anyone ever attempted to hurt a child of mine, I would go ape shit on them, and after I went King Kong on their ass, I’d take my kids and do everything within my power to keep them safe. I’d clear out my bank account, walk away from my house, never contact my friends again if it meant my kids would be safe from a monster. You disappointed me.

Judge Witherspoon you’re next. You have taken top rank on my list of worst fictional parents. I’ve seen animals treat their young better than you. ANIMALS! I could only hope that one day you hit the wrong person in a fit of anger and you finally get out matched. I’ve never yelled at a book so passionately has I have when reading your atrocious scenes.

Christain W.T.F! You disappointed me for about 98% of this book. That makes you only 2% redeemable in my eyes. How in the hell could you abandon your little brother Jace?!? TWICE!! He would risk his life for you, lie for you, live according to your messed up rules just to be with you and the best you had to offer was a shallow excuse for walking away? If it wasn’t for your final act of minimal compassion towards Jace, I would have wished a batch of bad mushrooms on your ass. Eat that!

Now Jace. I wish you a lifetime of rainbows and an endless amount of happiness after you heal from your bruises and beatings. What you went through and how you were treated makes me nearly cry in anger and frustration. Everyone in your life… EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON that was suppose to care for you and love you was a huge let down and you still tripped through life trying to be a better person. The beatings you took to divert the attention from your mother and the abandonment you experienced from your older brother, as well as the attacks from your father were beyond my level of comprehension. Man alive! If I could save any fictional character, you’d be at the top of my list. Seeing how you begged Lauren to press charges against you when you hit her and refusing to take her back because you knew you were in danger of hurting her again, and refusing to start a relationship with Dakota time and time again until you knew you could control your emotions… I’m speechless. My heart always tends to break for the hot messes I read about, so yes you broke my heart with a gentle hand. I’ve achieved a new level of compassion I didn’t know existed.

Swati Avasthi your experience in having coordinated a domestic-violence legal clinic made you the perfect candidate for writing this novel. The way you described the scenes, the cringe worthy apologies on the part of the abuser, the endless back and forth of the victim and the healing process of the boys was truly flawless. I applaud your efforts and this powerful piece of literature.

So that’s it. All I have left to say is I don’t recommend this book to those that are looking for a happy escape, nor those who fall apart at the seams when life throws blow after blow. This book is powerful and at the same time emotionally destructive. My heart and mind would be in a better place if I never experienced it to begin with. *sigh*

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

16-year old Jace unexpectedly shows up on his brother Christian's doorsteps with bruised up face. He has nothing with him but his car, his camera case and a couple of dollars. So, what's the deal? How did he find Christian who had disappeared years ago? Did he finally manage to escape from his monster father? Did their mother come along with Jace? Is she even alive? And why did Jace break up with his girlfriend and can't date any more?

So starts Split. As you can very well guess, this is that type of YA literature, a book about "issues." And the issue here is domestic abuse. How it affects families, the family members who are victims of abuse and those who just witness abuse from a distance. How people escape it or don't. How people become victims or abusers. And how they overcome the aftermath of living in such dysfunctional environment.

I admit, never have been abused, I often get frustrated with such stories, with women who accept beating days after day and do nothing to protect themselves and their children. But this story does what many other similar stories fail to do. It makes you understand and witness how many women are conditioned to get used to domestic violence and why some are easier targets than others. Swati Avasthi, having worked with thousands of abused women, knows how such things work very well and, luckily, has strong writing skills to relay this knowledge to the readers. There are some poignant passages of "apologies" and "forgiveness" in Split that literally made my skin crawl. And some passages that made me realize I shouldn't be too quick to judge participants on both sides.

I also want to applaud Avasthi for her ability to write from a male POV. It is very convincing and not often properly done in YA fiction.

The only reason I am giving this novel 4 stars instead of 5 is that I feel the ending missed some opportunities. I am surprised Avasthi chose not to have a big confrontation with the abuser. Everything in the book was leading to it and it never happened. I think with such scene the novel could have had a bigger impact than what the author offered.

[Jln · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

"We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us will get through this life without regret."

The main character of this novel is a 16 yr. old boy named Jace, who has just shown up on his estranged older brother's doorstep after escaping their violent father. His mom gave him directions to his brother's house, and enough money to get there, that's it. This is a story about what happens next. Re-building a relationship with his brother, and learning to heal and move forward.

I wasn't surprised at all to read on Swati Avasthi's website, that prior to writing this novel, she had years of experience working as a coordinator of a domestic violence legal clinic. The firsthand experience she has working with those victims, and hopefully survivors, very much showed in her writing. She wrote that her inspiration to write the character of Jace, came from a family she met while working at the clinic. A mother described a horribly violent incident that her young son witnessed, and she was left wondering what would happen to this sweet little boy in the future if his mother wasn't able to get help.

First of all, I think it's very impressive to write the pov of a teen-age boy this convincingly. I mean, I really believe this is a real kid. Which is what made it so heart wrenching to read at times. I think what stands out the most to me though, was the complexity of the characters. I really felt Jace's internal struggles. He didn't want to end up like his dad, but honestly didn't know what steps he needed to take to learn to control his temper. I also thought the compexity of the relationship between the brothers was very realistic. This kind of abuse would have to damage your psyche in some way, but not necessarily in the exact same ways. Christian learned to block it out, and just not talk about it. Jace had to actively work on controlling his anger. I wanted to feel for their mom, I really did, but it's hard not to just be mad at her. I can't imagine standing by while this happened to my kids. why didn't the shelter send a cop with that taxi? ugh..

Besides Jace, my favorite character in the book was Mirriam, Christian's girlfriend. She was exactly what both of them needed. Even though this was a sad book, it was also very hopeful. Jace really needed someone like Mirriam in his life, who didn't see him as a lost cause. With love, support, and counceling , a bad childhood can be overcome. I could go on, but trust me and read it!


Thanks for doing the impossible and finding me a five star book, Chelsea!! :)

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite Quote: It's weird when someone gets you understands what you would never say not even to yourself.

WOW! Split was such a hard read but I mean that in a good way. It broke my heart and made me cry (big fat tears) within the first 15 pages but I absolutely loved it!

Avasthi has written a remarkable and powerful story. This book definitely took me on an emotional rollcoaster ride. One minute I am crying, then I am grinning, then I am getting angry. I was completely and utterly invested in this story and the characters within the first chapter. And that because Avasthi is a talented writer.

It would have to be the most realistic book that I have read about abuse and more so what happens after. I could really could with connect with Jace and what happened too him as I had a similar experience when growing up. Avasthi really explore this dark area with sensitivity and honesty. I am still amazed at how true to life this book is especially when it came to the questions Jace asked.

I try to think of something to say. Over the years I've collected questions after question, but I can't seem to find them now. We're not ready for them, anyway, so I go for the easy ones.

The characters just blew me away. Jace is everything I look for in a character multi-layered and believable. He is an intense, flawed yet charming soul that really captured my heart. And then there is his brother Christian my heart went out too him too. His story and struggles were just a strong as Jace's journey.

And despite the hard subject of the story it isn't all sadness and tears. It still has moments that make you grin especially when it come to the new friendship Jace was forming with Mirriam, Christian girlfriend and Dakota, his co-worker.

Overall Split is INCREDIBLE. It really is a standout read. It is story that is going to linger in my thoughts for a long time and will happily find a home on my favourite's shelf.

Thanks to Nomes for the rec and lending me her copy. You never let me down with recommendations and I have decided to read every book you love from now on. LOL!

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I've never been one of those last-minute people. I do my homework the day I receive it, I finish projects a week in advance, and I am a responsible American Citizen. Yet, when it came to writing a review for Split, I avoided it like the plague. I would see Split on my list of "Books To Be Reviewed" and I'd write reviews for novels I'd read far after I finished Split. In fact, I kept pushing it further and further behind in my reviewing schedule that I was simply forced to admit to myself that I needed to write this review, not for my readers, but for myself. I know I can't do justice to this beautiful novel with words alone, but I at least owe it to Swati Avasthi for writing such a compelling story to try.

Split is, to put it bluntly, a novel about domestic violence. When sixteen-year-old Jace shows up on the doorstep of his older brother's apartment with nothing but a bruise on his face, a car, a camera, and a few dollars, he hopes his life is about to change. It's been years since he last saw Christian, his older brother who managed to run away from their abusive father and start a new life for himself, and now with Jace having escaped the clutches of their father too, the two brothers can only hope that Jace's mother will join them in an abusive-free life as well. Yet, Christian is reluctant to even think about his past and the dynamics between the two brothers are awkward at best. Furthermore, Jace must battle with his own inner-demons as he fears he may follow in the deadly footsteps of his father himself, all while dealing with a new school, new home, new life, and new relationships. Split is a shockingly realistic look, not only at the effect domestic violence can have on ones life, but the struggle to move on from a horrible past and look forward in life.

In all honesty, I avoid novels like Split at all costs. Or at least, I used to. I'm not one of those people who enjoys reading about stories based on true events and I simply hate being forced to accept some of the more brutal realities of this world, but something about Split drew me in. I think what makes it such an astounding novel is not only the evocative writing and prose, but the manner in which Avasthi manages to convey the true horror of this situation. We all know about domestic violence and its impact on people's lives, but do we feel it? Well, no, we don't. We all live in our warm homes, sitting on plush chairs and tapping away on brand-new computers while we have the occasional family tiff or disagreement, but Split truly takes you into the mindset of an abuse victim and makes us experience, for the first time, just how lucky we truly are.

Jace, the narrator and protagonist of this tale, is written with so much depth and character that you really just want to do nothing but envelop him in a giant teddy bear hug. I can't imagine what it's like to suffer what he has, but Avasthi paints a striking picture of his life and his struggles to move on from his past. We, as the reader, truly feel Jace's pain and we are able to understand how that hurt is so much more than physical torture - it is mental torture as well. Furthermore, Jace is pained by the thought that he is like his father, or at least has the potential to become someone like him. Jace's journey and his struggles to become a better person are heart-warming and simply touching beyond anything else.

Yet, even beyond just Jace, his growing relationship with his brother is what made me love this book so much. It is a slow and awkward relationship with each sibling balancing on a fine line, but somehow, despite all odds, it begins to grow and blossom into something breath-taking. With Christian, Jace can finally find the family he wants and with Jace, Christian can finally begin to accept his brutal past. Christian's journey is just as big a part of this story as Jace's and I was equally invested in it, if not even more touched by it, simply because Christian has been hurting for so many more years than Jace has. Yet, although both brothers have undergone some of the same experiences, their pain stems from different roots and Avasthi makes us recognize this change in a wonderfully subtle manner as well.

Split, while being a novel about domestic violence on the surface, really goes so much deeper to explore the psychological effects of this abuse and detail a wonderful journey towards change. While her characters truly drive this story, with their changing relationships and inner growth, I found that the manner in which Avasthi simply tackled on this situation as a whole, examining what made people resort to domestic violence and the horror it could cause, was so realistic. If I had to find fault with this story, it would be in Avasthi's portrayal of Jace and Christian's mother. In many ways, I understand that domestic violence is a situation you cannot get out of sometimes, no matter how much you want to, and more than physical abuse, it is a psychological type of mind-rape, forcing the victim to believe that they cannot live without their abuser or must stay with them at all costs. Yet, I still wished for a slightly happier ending than what I got, but overall, I can't complain too much. Split went above and beyond anything I ever expected for this novel and for that, I am more than a little awed.

Overall, this novel is simply brilliant. It is a powerful, thought-provoking, and beautifully-written novel about two brothers coming to terms with their past and learning how to move on - together. While it does contain a romance, it is subtle and only adds to the plot, making it a wonderful additional factor. I doubt I'll ever read a novel like Split again and while I know the subject-matter may scare off potential readers, more than anything else, this is a character-driven novel about hope. I cannot say it enough, but Split is one of those books that will just sit with you for hours afterwards and despite the horror of its concept, it is one of the most gut-wrenching, yet heart-warming, tales I've ever read. It is a must-read for absolutely everyone and I cannot recommend it enough. I know my review barely touches up so many aspects of this novel and it pales in comparison to the actual novel itself, but it's the best I can do. I am still speechless over the utter beauty of this tale, so all I can really say is that you should read this. It will change your life and if that isn't enough motivation to pick up a novel, I don't quite know what is.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading this book a while back but I didn't really know what to say about it.
It feels a bit unfair to sit in my comfortable chair, living my ordinary peaceful life, and give my opinions about such an important subject as family violence.
You read in the book about all those horrible scenes and you know that somewhere, someone is living that particular hell, that somewhere out there a monster treats his family like that, that somewhere there are kids suffering and you can't do anything to help them..
So tell me, do you fell comfortable talking about so much pain? Because I definitely don't.

The story is told from Jace's point of view - he is just a teenager, he was suppose to have the time of his life, he was suppose to have a girlfriend to love, a pack of friends to have fun with and a family to take care of him.
But life was never so easy for him.
From the moment he found out that there was a way to protect his mother from his father's rage he spent his days provoking his dad to punch him such that he wouldn't touch his mother. Until one day the he couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't see his mother's pain, he wanted his father to feel every bit of that suffering, and deep down he wanted him dead. Does this make him a monster too?

His act of courage only got him out of his house and trying to find refugee with his brother Christian.
Now Christian has another story - when he couldn't take it anymore he decided to run away, to have a better life, to pretend that all he's been through never happened - now Christian has a lovely girlfriend, a life of his own away from misery, from pain, from his family.
It's easy to condemn him for not being there for his mother and little brother, but should we?
Don't we all deserve a better life?
Didn't he deserve a better one?



Back to Jace, I really felt his pain. You hear about kids in his situation but you never know how deep the aggressions can affect them. He's been told his all life that he resembles his father perfectly, and as a kid that felt right, but in time he noticed that he also had his temper, that he was starting to lose control when he was angry, and God, did I feel his struggle because he knew exactly what he didn't want to become, he knew exactly why he didn't want to be like his dad.

Seeing him try to make better choices, trying to change his life, trying to save his mother was heartbreaking. There were so many marks left on his skin and his soul and it felt so real that it hurt. There weren't many times I felt a character so close to my heart, but with Jace I just wanted to be able to help him, to bring him some joy, to make him smile..

There are many thing that I could say about Jace and his brother, about their secrets, their fears, but I think it's better for you to discover it all by yourself.
Just keep in mind that in every situations there is white, there is black, and there are plenty shades of grey.

There is a before, and there is an after, but you can't really split your life in half, there will always be some things in between - there will always be memories hunting you, there will always be someone left behind, there will always be choices that you have to make.
Split is a story that will make you fall love and hate in the same time - it's the perfect title, in so many ways... One word hiding a whole story: beautiful, heartbreaking, breathtaking.


This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight - Split
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[Janina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read this book (okay, about a month and a half, but I tend to be very forgetful), but I really don't want it to go un-reviewed.

Yes, this is a book about domestic abuse, a topic I normally shy away from. I can't even tell you why, as I do "enjoy" reading so called issue-books, but (together with teenage pregnancy) domestic abuse is not something I am drawn towards in books. It is hard for me to not be frustrated by victims accepting their situation, not reporting their abuser to the police, partly blaming themselves. I know I am in no position to judge as I have never been in a similar position myself, have never suffered under anything comparable, but it is hard to shut out my brain. And I think here lays the most significant strength of Avasthi's storytelling: It made me understand. There are as many different reactions to abuse as there are personalities. Everyone reacts in the way that helps him cope, by running away, by shutting it out, by accepting one’s fate, sometimes even by violence. While I did wish for the ending to go further, I still think Split is a fantastic portrayal of domestic abuse and how it affects not only a family but also friends and partners.

On a whole, I especially loved the two brothers Jace and Christian, and the dynamic in both their relationships to Mirriam, but did not care so much for the romantic aspect focusing on Dakota and Lauren.
Jace is a difficult character, but one I simply had to love. He is torn between wanting to be free of his father’s dominance, wanting to rescue his mother and fighting hard to contain the rage and violence that he himself possesses. I could really relate to his struggles; how awful it was for him to be so much like his father – especially in physical appearance but sometimes also in behaviour – and that he had to work hard to become his own person, to not be labelled by his past and to eventually move on.

For me, this was a book that really made me re-think my viewpoint, with a message that still lingers weeks after reading it. Definitely recommended!

[Swati · Rating 5 out of 5]

hee hee hee... I hope you like it, too!

[Milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Audible Review*

5 stars

This came highly recommended and it more than delivered!

What makes Split so remarkable and memorable is how raw and real it is. The realism of this book is so unnerving and so mesmerizing! And I can tell from first hand experiences how Jace's story is so close to the real thing. Swati Avasthi is either a great writer and researcher or a magnificent storyteller who shares her own life experiences as if writing her biography in this book. But, either way, she has touched me and captivated me with Jace's story and I've never felt such a connection with a literary character as I do now.

Jace is a teenage boy who leaves home after being kicked out by his father after finally standing up to his abuse and beatings. He leaves beaten up and battered with only $3.00 and some change in his pocket and drives to New Mexico to find his older brother, Christian, who ran away from home years ago to avoid the physical, verbal, and emotional abuse that he took for him and his mother that left him hospitalized with a punctured lung. Jace hasn't heard from Christian in years since he left. He only had with him the address on an envelope that his mother gave him and a promise from his mother that Christian will help him out once he arrives there.

Jace gets to New Mexico and finds Christian. Christian helps him and lets him stay in his one-bedroom apartment upon the insistence of Miriam, Christian's girlfriend. Jace attempts to start a new life in New Mexico and waits patiently for the arrival of his mother who promised him that she will leave their father and move to NM with him and Christian, and the three of them will start a new life together, like a family, void of the abuse that they all suffered in the hands of the Judge.

In reading this masterpiece, most readers find themselves angry at best. The emotions that filled me while reading Split were feelings of sorrow and despair instead when I read about the abuses. Even the horrific scene in the garage left me feeling aghast and broken but not so much of anger towards the abuser, the father/husband! What pervaded me most was the feeling of helplessness and brokenness for Christian, for their mom, and for Jace. Being angry with their father just didn't change anything for me because he is a Judge and knows how to work the system and will never be indicted or be found guilty for his crimes against his family. Wasting any emotion though only anger just felt indulgent for me.

The mother. I don’t know what I feel about her. It wasn’t anger. It was more of a disappointment and sadness. She was too paralyzed by fear, fear that if she left and was found by the husband that he would finally kill her. And after what he did to her in the garage, I wouldn’t doubt it. Can I blame her, no. But I wished she had more faith than fear; Faith that her sons could finally free her; Strength that she could start a new life and welcome the unknown.

Christian. I didn’t feel angry with Christian either. Perhaps only in the beginning when he didn’t welcome Jace with open arms upon seeing him after so many years. But once I understood him, once I knew how damaged he is inside from all the abuse he’s suffered from his father, then I accepted him as he is now. Broken. Scared to death that his father might find him again and beat him to a pulp. He’s tried so hard to forget his past so he could bury all the pain and the guilt of leaving his little brother Jace and his mom behind. And even now, because of what he’s gone through, he couldn’t let people in his life, even his little brother. He is the ice king and he needs his heart melted and his armour taken away. His unfolding is a heart-wrenching but worthwhile subplot in this book.

Miriam.She's an inspiration to women. She's the example of a strong woman that the mother nor Lauren wasn't. And unlike Christian, she didn't give up on Jace. And unlike Christian, she was willing to give Jace a chance and an opportunity to change. She was there for Jace when everyone else gave up on him. I admired her relentlessness and her objectivity.

I am not my Dad.

Jace. His courage is a bright beacon in this book. It is what makes this book a feel-good read in the end. It is him who brings the balance, the light amidst all the darkness filling this book. His character is charming and so smart and his retorts and comebacks are so witty and snarky that they leave me grinning. However, when he lets his temper get the best of him and he starts feeling the backdraft, it frightens me of what he might do. I find myself yelling at the CD and saying, “Don’t do it Jace!”. “Hold that temper in!” It’s not worth it!” But, could you blame him? Growing up with his abusive father and getting beat up for anything didn’t really teach him healthy coping strategies. I was a little disappointed but not surprised when it was eventually revealed what all happened the night he left Chicago. Yes, we knew about his boxing match with his father but we didn’t know about the other thing that happened before that. I was so heart-broken when I found out. But that’s the thing with abused kids: 1) they turn into abusers too because it’s the only way they know how and live a life feeling guilty and make excuses for their actions, 2) they accept their fate and accept the abuse and find themselves having relationships with abusers, or 3) they fight to not turn into abusers themselves no matter what the cost. Jace accepts what he’s turning into but fights to become his father. Unlike his father, he doesn’t make excuses for his behavior and asks for forgiveness for his transgressions, no matter how hard it was. His courage is his redemption. And it’s Jace’s story that makes this story so real for me. He is a success story and is a story that is no fairy tale. I’ve seen it happen first hand. Just because your father is an abuser doesn’t mean you’ll turn out just like him. There’s this thing called a clean slate. Tabula rasa. Jace somehow knew this and believed he could change and could live his life differently. His maturity was also refreshing and admirable especially when his character had more a maturity than his brother.

Narrator: Joshua Swanson: Joshua's voice was perfect for Jace. He brought Jace's character come to life and made him even more interesting and appealing. His voice was young and fresh and so believable. I just found out that he's narrating Shipbreaker and I can't wait to listen to that as well!

I hope that in reading Jace’s story that people out there bound by chains of abuse will find courage as well. This is such a powerful book and I highly recommend it to anyone.

[Mike Mullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate very few people, but Ms. Avasthi is one of them:

I hate her for writing a book so good that I know I'll never be able to write anything to match it.

I hate her for making me cry all the way down Massachusetts 3 on my way to Lawrence School in Falmouth.

I hate her for the funny look the librarian gave me as I wiped the tears out of my eyes and tried to prepare to talk to a room full of hyperactive teenagers.

I hate her because I want to live with Jace and Dakota, to cheer them on as they build a life free of his father, but this world ends after only seven brief CDs.

Go now and read this book. When you're done, you can join my We Hate Swati Avasthi Club.

[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Jace is like waiting for volcano to explode. I keep holding my breath. I have to say the writing is very good. it can bring out cruelty without feeling sorry. The words evoking something more than heart wrenching. It evoking the domestic abuse at it truest form.

I like the relationship between Christian and Jace. Both of them suffers but dealt with it in different ways.

[fia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes I wonder why words can't actually make us bleed.”

Before reviewing this book I want to talk about something. There's a really common question floating around us.Do you believe in true love? I've always been saying that yes I do believe in true love. You must be wondering why I'm talking about true love and shit while reviewing this book. Because the whole point of abusive relationship starts with what we know as "unending love".

Sounds bad, doesn't it? I don't know much about marriage vows but there is something like "No matter what happens I'll always be with you". But what if your partner whom you love the most comes home at night and beats you? What if he/she rapes you? What if he/she takes a blow on your child? Will you still stick up to your marriage vow? I know that most of them will leave their partner because it's normal and this is what that should happen.

But some people never leave. No matter what, they choose to live with their abusive partner. It's nothing but psychology because the abused one thinks that he/she deserves it. Whatever his/her parter is doing it's for his/her own good. They think they're doing this because they care about them. Because they think it is "love" . This kind of mentality is known as "Reverse psychology" . They will send their child away but still won't leave. This is actually the whole story of Jace's mom.

This book not only talks about abusive relationship but also domestic violence. The story starts with Jace at the door of his brother's house after his father kicks him out of their house. This book is more about Jace's recovery from his father's abuse than the actual abuse. But still we get some glance at his past. He also has a secret which he shares with his ex. Tbh I liked Christian more than Jace. I adored Miriam though she was quite annoying at first. There's a little budding romance which is done well. There are some disturbing contents of abuse throughout the book which some people might found quite umm.. disturbing?? Even though this book is written in a simple language it talks about a heavy subject. Everyone should read this book at least to understand people who go through abuse. At last I just want to say that this book is really powerful and surprisingly underrated and everyone should give this book a try.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're 16 and you just punched your father. Only he deserves worse. You see, the good judge (by day) punches your mom frequently, and once you witnessed him doing something even MORE gruesome. Your older brother has already fled your Chicago home for New Mexico. You know where he's hiding. Your mom knows where he's hiding. And Dad wants to know where he's hiding (you think so he can kill him). Just another day on the set of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER? Not quite. Cover Ward and June’s eyes as you begin reading Swati Avasthi’s compelling new YA book, SPLIT, because a few of the scenes are hard to take.

Not that this is a sensationalist book. It won’t compete with the National Enquirer for headlines. Instead it’s a damned good characterization book. The narrator (1st person POV) is 16-year-old Jace Witherspoon. When he’s forced to flee for his life, he heads to New Mexico where his brother Christian is already hiding under a new last name. Jace adopts that last name, too, and starts attending a new school. Only there’s one thing Jace can’t get away from – his own temper and one particularly raw memory of the night he himself clutched his girlfriend Lauren by the throat when he was in a fit of anger.

This book is instructive in many ways, not least of which is the residual damage of family abuse. Jace carries raw anger and the sins of the father within. Christian resorts to stony-faced silence and long runs as therapy. Their mother? They secretly e-mail and try to set up her escape, but, as we soon figure out, nothing is simple in relationships like this, even if it looks clear-cut to a normal person who would never think that marriage vows include the words “to have and to punch til death do us part.”

The book features two strong women, too. Christian’s girlfriend teaches high school and patiently tries to coax him out of his shell. If her hands were full already, you can appreciate what she is up against when little brother knocks on the door. Then there’s Jace’s romantic interest that isn’t his romantic interest (because he fears what he might do to her, you see). Dakota is a bookstore clerk who catches Jace stealing a chess piece. Eventually he charms his way into a part-time job after school there, but Dakota is equal to his plays and firm in her response to his demons when they surface. Every messed up guy should be so lucky.

Let’s do the math. Characterization plus appeal to boy AND girl AND adult readers equals page turner. Not bad. YA authors are addicted to plot like addicts are to meth, as a rule. Avasthi proves it can still be done the old-fashioned way – by creating real people that you will not want to part with at the end of the book.

[Hristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been in a really odd reading slump lately. I read, but I either barely connected to what I was reading, or I hated every bit of it.



I needed a change.
So this morning I came here to Goodreads, I opened my 'to-read' shelf and started scrolling, scanning through titles I had forgotten I added back when every book seemed exciting. I stumbled onto Split, then I remembered I had it. It was an impulse to start reading, I didn't even look at the summary before I started the book.

"Fightology Lesson #10: It hurts worse the next day."

Split tells the story of a broken family and new beginnings.
The story is told from Jace's perspective, a sixteen-year-old who is kicked out of his house by his abusive father. Now Jace has traveled nineteen hours from Chicago to Albuquerque, looking for his brother, the only place where he could go. The problem is, he hasn't seen his brother Christian in years, since the day Christian ran away, leaving Jace and their mother in the hands of their abusive father.

This book... reading this book was an emotional roller-coaster. The first sentence "Now I have to start lying." caught my attention and it didn't let go. I couldn't put it down. Avasthi writes in a manner that makes the story relatable and the characters vivid. The emotion presented, the problems, they seem just so realistic. The relationships presented, the one between the brothers and the relationships they had with their love interests, those were incredibly realistic too.

Everything about this book is executed in a beautiful fashion. It deserves more attention that what it's got.

Also, I tend not to comment on this but look at the amazing book cover. Look at those stunning keys. Now look again. ;)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to have to rely on familial affection. There's got to be some of that, right? Christian taught me how to ride my bike when I was four, how to read when I was six, how to throw a punch when I was seven. It can't just vanish. It hasn't for me. I'm still hoping for that reception where he's as happy to see me as I was to see him.

The theme I've seen most reviewers tackling for this book is empathy. They say it let them see into the lives and motivations of people they normally couldn't understand, especially concerning women who stand by their abusive husbands. I don't think I will go this route in my review, mostly because I already had a basic level of empathy on that count.

What I do want to talk about is the relationship between Jace and Christian. Brothers raised in a horribly abusive home, their lives went in very different directions five years ago when Christian escaped from the Witherspoon household and presumably never looked back. Now Jace has tracked Christian down and wants to stay with him, but these brothers have become almost strangers. Nothing in common. And Christian, as a result of the abuse he suffered years ago, is extremely closed-off to Jace, not offering any real companionship or healing. Of course, companionship and healing are the two things Jace needs most, and watching their relationship develop was the most consuming aspect of Split for me. I was hoping, hoping, hoping that Christian would look at Jace and finally see the baby brother he used to love so much. I think the quote I chose to open with says it all.

This is an excellent book, and Jace was a truly fantastic narrator. His voice is so honest, intelligent, and yearning. He's stuck in the middle of wanting to be told he's worth something and wanting to indulge in the self-loathing that's been his companion for awhile. He wants to be a new creation, someone altogether different from his father, but he's afraid and sometimes certain that his fate is already sealed.

Looking back, I think Jace's voice made the book for me.

What else? Well, it should go without saying that there are some awful moments, presented in flashbacks, throughout the novel. I come from a healthy and wonderful family, but Swati Avasthi was able to draw me into the Witherspoon's abusive home to the extent that I could see how the violence and terror the family experienced just became part of their daily ritual. I could handle the abuse parts pretty well, but if you're worried that you can't, proceed with caution.

Other thoughts, in a quick list:
1. Christian's girlfriend, Mirriam, was a fully-realized character that I really came to appreciate as the story progressed. Maybe I was just in a good mood, but I swear she's one of strongest, most realistic female characters I've read in a while.
2. I took off one star for two reasons. First, I didn't get an incredibly emotionally affecting experience, which was my expectation. Don't get me wrong, I was affected, but I think the ending could have done more. Second, sometimes the writing seemed a little too simplistic and repetitive. For the most part the writing was very good, as a lot of reviewers have noted, but I didn't think it was consistent. (Also, there were some rather pathetic typos... mixing up "principal" and "principle", really?)
3. Actual spoiler... When Jace revealed his big secret to Christian, I was so taken aback by Christian's response. I just could not believe that Christian could kick his brother out. By the end of the story I was able to come to a better understanding of why Christian couldn't handle that particular sin, but at the moment that Christian said "I want you out of the house", there was so much rage and heartbreak rushing through me that I can't even describe it. I simultaneously wanted to cry and punch Christian in the face. This is one thing I was alluding to when I mentioned the lack of emotional catharsis by the end... Christian and Jace's relationship was by far the most involving aspect of the novel for me, and when Christian turned his back on Jace like that it felt like he was taking back all the growth and love they had experienced. It felt awful. And even though they were buddies again by the end, it just never felt right after he said those seven little words.

Overall, this was a powerful and sad book. If that's your thing, then I doubt Split will disappoint.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Split begins with sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon arriving at his older brother's house - his older brother Christian Marshall, who moved away from their once shared home and got a new last name to escape their father's abuse. Jace is almost embarrassed to ask Christian if he could stay with him for the time being, but after all they are brothers. Now Jace must confront his past and face the music: how his father never ceases to hurt their family, how his mother is too weak to escape such a terrible monster, and how his brother abandoned him - even when Jace needed him the most.

Swati Avasthi's debut novel Split was remarkably well-written. It's a coming of age story, but not entirely; it deals with several different aspects of family, with each of Jace's relatives being damaged in their own way. Jace's character was fleshed out perfectly, but I wished their was just a little bit more development in some of the side characters - most of them remained murky and static.

Split is a very emotional novel, which is given because it concerns the topic of child abuse. Still, Avasthi narrated the story in a way that I didn't feel manipulated, just sympathetic for what happens to Jace and his brother. I was constantly drawn into the plot and Jace's emotions with what was going on around him. There was one very gruesome scene towards the end of the novel that had me clutching my chair for support until my knuckles turned white. That's a good thing, I suppose.

Although the book wasn't flawless, Swati Avasthi did a great job with Split and I'm looking forward to her next book.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Street Corner TBR Challenge
June pick #3 per Nomes

Spoilers............
Jace's story is one about child abuse/domestic violence. Overcoming it. Escaping it. His older brother ran away from it, bottled it up, never looked back. Jace's father found a new punching bag. He continually beat their mother, but Jace stood up to him. This resulted in an A$$ beating from his Father and a boot out of his home. With nowhere to go, Jace sets out with a little bit of money and an old letter his mother gave him from his brother. He drives out on faith. His brother lets him in, hesitantly, to his life. They don't talk much about it, they don't ask questions. The both feel driven to save their Mother, but learn she will have to save herself.

I want to be so mad at the MOther for not leaving, for keeping her children in an enviorment like that. It's just sick. It's really easy to judge someone in that situation, but one never really knows uless you've been there. It's just so helpless, so scary. Violence just makes me squeamish. Heck, someone yelling makes me cower. I am just non-confrontational. So stories like this just tear my heart. They makes me so very thankful for a pleasant home life. I just can't imagine being afraid of your own dad.....

I would have loved to have gotten the answer of why the dad was abusive to begin with.

4.5 stars

HIGHLY RECCOMMEND!!!!!!!!!!

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an emotional read.... I just finished a few moments ago and I'm having the hardest time composing myself and writing this review. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. What a fantastic debut novel. Did I mention that I was blown away... and heart-broken.

This novel is raw, it's honest, it's unbelievable. I've read stories about domestic violence, not many but a few, but I've never had a novel tackle the aftermath, the part of the story that the character has to deal with once they are out of the situation. It's much more heart-wrenching then I ever imagined.

To watch Jace struggle, it was so unfair.

The middle of the story did lag a little for me, but I think the exceptional characterization and writing more than made up for it.

And despite the subject matter... there is still an underlying notion of hope.

One of those books that you won't be able to put down... and one that will have a special place in your heart... as will Jace.

Awesome.

P.S. Did you notice the faces in the cover..... I didn't initially and now it's all I see!

[Aly (Fantasy4eva) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Let me just put this out there. Jace is the real gem in this book. He's mature, a bit of a player, or was anyway. He's tough - a fighter to be exact, and he's very observant. But he's a boy who's suffered abuse from his father ever since his big brother, Christian, left him dry. He's been taking beats for his mother like his older brother once did. Running away has never been an option until he finally looses it. With a single envelope given by his frantic mother he goes in search of the very brother who left him and his mother at the mercy of their father. Because he's so mature, you tend to forget that he's just 16. And it's why I would become slightly anonoyed when he would mention hanging out with the popular kids to stay on top. Because I would instantly think, wow, that's so high school-ish, and with all that was going on with his life I thought it would be the last thing on his mind. But then I would have to remind myself, duh, he's in high school! But he knows what he wants, and that includes a better life for himself and the absolute want to never turn out like his father. He's a little on the complicated side. Totally confused about what to do with himself.

What really intrigued me was his day to day struggle. How he handles the knowledge that he might be more like his father than he would ever want. How the brother he has set out to find may not necessarily want him in his life - that was another tough thing to witness. His big brother being so freaking cold towards him. Meanwhile, it's Mariam and Dakota that I really grew to respect throughout the novel. I love how homely, caring and strong Mariam is, whilst Dakota is so determines and tough.

The thing is, it's not so easy to judge every character. Jace, Christian and their mother have flaws but there is so much want in them to be good that you want to forgive them, you want them to have that happy ending and have a shot for the very best. And the father? Well, I want to say that I want to understand him, but I don't freaking think so. I think I'll stick with just hating that man, thank you very much.

It's hugely compelling and a fabulously written book. There's no doubt about that. And Jace is just such a 'guy'. He does not take shit, knows what he wants and is so charming. But there's another side to him. A side, that, when wrong, puts his hands up and admits that he's royally fucked up. A part of him which has such capacity to love that it scares him at times, because up until now, all the people he has loved have only ever let him down and walked out of his life. I think most importantly what I liked about him was his genuine want to change. To never lose his way. And that's a start, right? Of course I'd be lying if I didn't say he wasn't hot stuff, because, you know, he totally is. Hot I mean :D

It's so heart-breaking. But apart from being a book that handles its topic so well, it's also worth reading because apart from the abuse Jace and his family faces, it's more about how each member, especially Jace, try move on in life, forgive themselves and others involved and grow. And that transition, folks, is worth seeing.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This was everything I wanted Colleen Hoover's book, It Ends with Us, to be but she didn't quite deliver on to my satisfaction. Both books tackles the issue of domestic violence, but this one was done in a way that I feel is much more believable. It manages to successfully straddle the fine line of avoiding victim blaming, not overly sympathizing or demonizing the abuser, showing how the cycle of abuse can reveal itself in different ways, and also not giving an unrealistic "100% happily ever after" because in real life not all situations end with a success story of a rehabilitated abuser or a with a victim successfully removing themselves from their abuser.

I also think that in some ways it's more fitting that this was done in a YA novel, because being more graphic/adult in the romance or violence portions of the book, like Hoover's was, feels too much like trying to sensationalize a serious topic simply for more entertainment value. This is a very well done YA novel, aimed at mature highschoolers and older. Some YA books make me feel like I am reading something only a teenager would read and could relate to, but the prominence of the characters of the older brother and his girlfriend pushes this book more towards being NA oriented instead of just a YA novel, for those of us who are no longer young adults. However, it still does fall in the YA category overall considering some minor teenage friendship/relationship drama thrown into the plot (the only thing that keeps me from giving this a solid five star rating).

On an unrelated note - I love the cover of this book. I didn't catch the hidden faces immediately, very clever!

[Isamlq · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Note: If you are considering reading this novel, it will make you angry.. It will get you upset… it will have you putting it down every so often just to calm down... at least these are what Split had me feeling and doing...

The title is perfect.It best describes what I am now left feeling. While I was angry and deeply disturbed by what led to what; I was also satisfied by how things turned out. As to his mother? I was definitely divided: on one hand, I understood later Christian’s need to keep in touch. Yet, I also understood why Jace felt as he did toward her. And Christian? Oh.My.Golly! I’m split there as well… that he left, that he made something of himself, had me cheering for him, but it was the very fact that he did leave, that had me drawing back a little as well. So, yeah, “Split” is a very apt title.

Yet, I am quite clear in what I feel for certain characters. I am most definitely as to what I feel for his father. What else could I do but HATE him? And Jace: if he were real, I’d wish him the best. But if I were really honest, I wouldn’t… not really because there is one aspect of the story that is still niggling at me, keeping me awake: I wish Lauren had stuck to her guns. I would have liked him more, respected him a bit more had he been made to deal with the consequence of what he did.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Re-read 2/28/25**

I’m in a bit of a book slump right now, which usually leads to me clicking here, there, and everywhere trying to find a good book. Which is how I stumbled across Split. The cover jumped out at me. I thought maybe it looked familiar because it was on my “always wanted to read” list. Nope. According to goodreads, I had already read it! What? I was shocked! Granted it was 13 years ago, but still. So...I decided to read it again.

Split is about domestic abuse. Readers see the violence and its effects through the eyes of Jace and his older brother, Christian. These two characters are so complicated—both so layered with pain and love; faults and strength. I’m in awe of this little book. In awe of what was discussed and how. All in just 288 pages too! This book needs to be on shelves for readers of all ages to read and talk about.

A POWERFUL READ. I’m very happy I re-discovered it.

[Jenn G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I ever read a book about brothers before this one! It was amazing to see them reunited and learn from their past. I wasn't a fan of the romance tho it wasn't necessary at all even thought I loved Dakota!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

FNL Character Rating: The tumultuous but poignant relationship between Tim and Billy Riggins.

So...domestic violence.

We are all peripherally aware of its unfortunate existence..

Especially when we read truly horrifying news reports like this.

Then we smile and celebrate the triumphs of stories like this.

But when it comes to repeated, cyclical abuse, we tend to:

A.) Educate ourselves for two hours via the latest Lifetime Original Movie or

B.) Be cynical and blame the victim with thoughts such as, “Sure, the abuser is wrong for abusing and all, but the victim should have just left after the first time it happened, right? At least after the second time, for goodness sakes! Just follow the directions here!”

The realities of this ongoing societal plague are oh-so-much-more complex than either of the above sheltered attitudes, which author Swati Avasthi demonstrates in her absorbing debut novel Split.

Thankfully, she avoids the stereotypical portrayal of an abused family as being poor with an alcoholic father. [From personal experience that I will not detail here, I can guarantee you that manipulative, controlling, abusive people know no socio-economic boundaries.] Avasthi also brilliantly manages the task of not making Split sound like a drawn-out PSA for the majority of the novel.

Avasthi accomplishes this by making the protagonist and narrator, sixteen year old Jace Witherspoon, a typical smart-assed teenager. While he’s spent his life suffering under his sadistic father, a powerful Chicago judge, he still has school, soccer, an ex-girlfriend, a potential new girlfriend, his older brother with whom he has been recently been reunited, AND an unforgivable secret. So instead of being a “generic YA [character] with a Problem That’s Not Really a Problem in Real Life” (TM Sarah), Jace is a complex YA character with Problems (multiple) that are Really Problems in Real Life.

Of course, his father’s abuse is at the forefront of Jace’s problems. The “Honorable” Judge Witherspoon’s fearsome temper and emotional machinations make Jace’s mother believe that the fear she knows as a battered wife is better than the fear she would know as a woman alone, always looking over her shoulder for the man who has threatened to kill her time and time again. Jace’s older brother Christian is the opposite, having made his escape 6 years prior to the start of the novel.

Then there’s Jace himself, with emotional torments galore. Torn between wanting to save his mom or staying in relative safety with Christian, to whom he flees at the beginning of the novel. Torn between embracing a renewed relationship with his brother, and his bitterness at Christian for abandoning him to their father all those years ago. And torn between his unforgivable actions prior to leaving Chicago, and the better person he works towards becoming in New Mexico.

Ultimately, Split is a story of potential redemption. Can what has been split ever be pieced back together again?

After reading Split, I believe the answer is, thankfully, sometimes. But heartbreakingly, not always.

This review originally appeared on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves