Sphinxie and Cadence- the fantasized ‘perfect couple’ by their mothers years before they were even conceived. Nothing but a childhood wish, a vow, made by two young girls who bonded over individuality and swings. Stealthily, the author drags you into what you think will consist of romance, cheesiness, frustrating characters infatuated with the idea of love, and a slight mystery. You’d never imagine to be putting yourself in such an isolated, obsessive mood, that causes an immense yearn for a different ending than you know is coming. I have never wanted to know a book so badly.
      Breaking Butterflies captures the dead emptiness behind the eyes of a boy who feels no emotion. It tangles with your emotions, and you ponder whether you should feel sorry for this boy or deem him unsaveable. Surprisingly, I was never confused, only intrigued. The title itself is a masterpiece as it not only symbolized the first sign of Cadence’s sociopathic behavior, but it continuously appears throughout the book, forcing the reader to relive the sickening moment when Cadence actually broke the majestic blue butterfly. He smashed it in his palms along with the trust of Sphinxie’s father, who continued to stress his worry of the two children hanging around each other throughout the book. What started as a playful moment, became cold. Cadence was always feeding off her emotions, correlating himself with the behavior of a normal child, one that wasn’t a sociopath.
      The most dramatic moments of Sphinxie’s life were thrown at her by a boy she felt connected to. Cadence’s controlling persona and flawless facade intensified every situation. What made this book even more intelligent was the similarities Cadence had to a completely sane person. He didn’t look like a monster the way the author described him. He looked like just your average teenage boy. That is, aside from his incredible knowledge, beautiful artistic ability in both painting and music, and his manipulation of people. It’s hard to dislike him, but it’s even more difficult to justify his actions as humane. Sphinxie thinks so highly of Cadence, despite the scar he etched into her cheek years before his sickness hit. He’s cruel and vicious, most especially to his mother. If he was actually capable of it, envy would be all that he felt. His mother was hopeful and energetic, she believed he’d grow out of his sociopathic ways and somewhere past the mental disorder and the cancer, he identified her happiness as a threat. As a result, she was never wanted by him, though she was his mother. Sphinxie is different. He copied her, learned how to act normal, though he wasn’t. And unlike many, instead of shying from the bold, scary outbursts, she notices his eyes. She focuses on the light that shines when his emotions spike. It doesn’t matter that he treats her bad, he wants her. She tells herself to be okay with that because in her eyes, he’s always the perfect one, the one meant to shine.
      Everything about this book is genius. After reading it, I could do nothing more than to stare at the wall for hours pondering the satisfying end. I thought it would be a fantasy, a ‘And they lived happily ever after” book, but it wasn’t. Breaking Butterflies was realistic and by far the most interesting story I have ever had the pleasure of reading. No matter how many times I open to the first page and begin the journey over again, I am hit with an avalanche of feelings. There has never been a time that I have gone through this book and didn’t stop to think about all the themes and aspects. As they say, the best book is the one that makes you think. It has definitely changed the way I see many things.