Broken ground cover

Broken ground

by Jack Hodgins

Things aren't going well in Arlo's life, but they get a whole lot worse when a strange, heavily tattooed girl keeps appearing everywhere he goes. Turns out she's even more sinister than he thought. Local rumour has it she's been seen in the village before, many times, over many lifetimes. She only comes when something terrible is happening to the land - like the current plans for gas exploration on a local farm. Trouble is, villagers say, she won't leave until a forfeit is paid in blood. And right now, the blood she seems to have in mind is Arlo's. Arlo is sure it's all just stupid superstition. But is it? When he starts losing everything and everyone he cares about, is he prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends and family? Broken Ground draws on the ancient folklore surrounding the harvest, giving it a contemporary and timely context.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?