A Thousand Broken Pieces

A Thousand Broken Pieces is a 2024 romance novel by Tillie Cole and the sequel to her prior novel, A Thousand Boy Kisses. A Thousand Broken Pieces is a romance novel, but it also treads into self-help and psychology, focusing on the trauma and grief of the characters. The novel is considered young adult fiction, reflecting the ages of both the characters and the recommended age of readers, which, for this novel, is 16 or older. Upon its release, A Thousand Broken Pieces topped Amazon’s list of Teen & Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction. A Thousand Boy Kisses was nominated for an award through Goodreads.

The novel follows Savannah Litchfield, the younger sister of the protagonist of A Thousand Boy Kisses, Poppy, after Poppy’s death, as well as Cael Woods, a hockey player from Massachusetts who recently lost his brother, Cillian, to suicide. Cael, Savannah, and four other teens embark on a grief therapy trip around the world under the guidance of two therapists, Leo and Mia. Their journey explores themes of The Necessity of Emotional Vulnerability, The Power of Human Connection in Recovery, and Learning to Love After Loss, focusing on Cael’s and Savannah’s individual struggles and their budding romance.

This guide refers to the 2024 Kindle e-book edition of the text, edited by Sourcebooks and formatted by Stephan Jones.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, mental illness, death, death by suicide, and anti-gay bias.

Plot Summary

The Prologue details Poppy’s death from Savannah’s perspective. After Rune, Poppy’s boyfriend, leaves, Savannah sees the devastation that Poppy’s death has wrought on her family, and she wonders if she will ever move past this trauma. 

Four years later, Savannah is 17 years old and participating in extensive therapy to cope with Poppy’s death. However, she has severe anxiety and is unable to participate in group therapy. Her therapist recommends that she go on a grief therapy trip to five countries with a group of teens who are similarly struggling with loss. Savannah is not sure if she can handle the trip, but her sister, Ida, convinces her by talking about how Savannah has changed since Poppy’s death. 

Cael Woods is a hockey player in Massachusetts whose parents tell him about the same trip. A year has passed since Cael’s brother, Cillian, died, and Cael is consumed by anger. He yells at his parents, drives recklessly, and avoids his best friend, Stephan. His parents give him no choice but to go on the trip. 

At the airport, Savannah meets the other teens on the trip: Dylan, Jade, Lili, Travis, and Cael, whose appearance impresses her. He is tall and covered in tattoos, and Savannah senses that he is closed off in the same way she is. Cael feels the same instant connection with Savannah, but he keeps to himself. Savannah tries to talk to Cael after he gets angry about his headphones, but he pushes her away. On the plane, Cael apologizes for his outburst.

The first region on the trip is the Lake District in England, where the group hikes mountains. Mia and Leo, the therapists organizing the trip, explain that hiking is a way to exhaust the teens, leaving little energy for grief. Everyone struggles with the hiking, but they find it rewarding. Mia explains that the trip involves a lot of therapy, alone and in groups, but the only requirement is that everyone keeps a journal. She recommends using the journal to write what they would like to say to their lost loved ones, which upsets Cael. 

In addition to the prescribed journal, Savannah has brought with her a journal in which Poppy wrote her final messages to Savannah. Savannah finally works up the courage to read the journal, and she finds that it is filled with affirmations and support from Poppy. After reading the first entry, Savannah cries and finds Cael watching her. She lashes out at him, but they end up reading more of the journal together. Cael tries to talk to Savannah about Cillian, but he cannot say much without breaking down. Savannah gets closer to Dylan as well, but only as friends. The group begins to form pairs: Savannah and Cael, Travis and Dylan, and Jade and Lili. 

The group next goes to Norway to watch whales and see the northern lights. Savannah and Cael agree to set aside their grief and enjoy their time together. This method appears to work, as Savannah enjoys the idea of Poppy as a pink ribbon in the northern lights, and Cael skates again without breaking down while thinking of Cillian, who taught him to skate. Leo and Mia address the issue of Cael and Savannah’s relationship, and the teens promise to abide by Leo and Mia’s rules. Leo’s main concern is that Savannah and Cael are distracting themselves with romance, which could prevent them from overcoming their grief.

In India, the group addresses the issue of mortality through therapies and rituals. The sight of dead bodies and families mourning and celebrating challenges Savannah, but she pulls through. However, as the group paints their memories of their loved ones, Cael creates a disturbing mix of black and red. The painting shocks Cael back to his anger and grief, and Leo suspects that Cael will need additional help after the trip. Meanwhile, Cael and Savannah continue to grow closer, have sex, and no longer try to hide their affection in front of the other group members.

In the Philippines, the group undertakes exposure therapy. Savannah visits children with cancer and speaks with Tala, a 14-year-old dying of the same cancer that killed Poppy. Savannah shares her theory about deceased loved ones becoming stars, and Tala feels better about her impending death. Savannah reaffirms her desire to become a pediatric oncologist and to attend Harvard in the fall. Cael’s therapy involves listening to a group session of suicide survivors, who explain how depression led them to try to die by suicide. Cael breaks down, realizing that Cillian did not want to leave Cael and their family. Without Cillian to blame for his grief, Cael’s anger fades, but he is overcome by intense sadness.

The last stop on the trip is Japan, where the group practices kintsugi, the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer. Cael worries that he is like a plate that is too broken to repair, but the guide, Aika, assures him and the group that every plate can be repaired. Their last stop is the Wind Phone, a disconnected telephone designed to allow people to “call” their deceased loved ones. Everyone takes turns “calling,” and Savannah gets closure, having just finished Poppy’s journal. She feels better about Poppy’s death, and she is excited to resume her life. Cael, though, fails to speak into the phone, breaking into sobs. Leo urges Cael to leave Japan without saying goodbye to Savannah so that he can join a residential therapy program in Massachusetts. Cael reluctantly agrees, leaving a note for Savannah.

Savannah is angry with Cael, but he explains the need for more treatment. They plan to meet at Harvard in the fall. In the meantime, Savannah confronts her memories of Poppy, looking through her room, seeing Rune’s brother, Alton, and talking about Cael with her family. Ida is thrilled that Savannah is “back,” both from the trip and from her grief. Meanwhile, Cael undergoes intense therapy, during which he can only have periodic contact with Savannah. He confronts his memories by going through Cillian’s room, and he reminisces with his parents, providing closure for the family. In the fall, Cael joins Harvard’s hockey team, and Savannah goes to school for medicine. They date, go to Cael’s games, and meet each other’s families. 

Eight years later, Rune has died, and Savannah and Cael, now professionals, return to the Lake District in England. Cael asks Savannah to marry him, and she agrees. They look at the stars, seeing their lost loved ones.