Amazing; Realistic for sure

Date Published: May, 10, 2011

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First Thoughts:

This was one hell of a ride; I had an emotional high and an emotional low all in one story. I’m still comprehending the ending…I don’t know whether to scream in my pillow or just pretend that last scene never happened (Yeah right…*sigh*). But the more and more this book and story settles within me the more and more I love the clever way the author chose to end this book. She chose to end it in a way that makes the audience hover over an edge and whether the reader chooses to go over completely and accept the character’s decision and fate is up to them.

Plot:

The plot was filled with plenty of action and “meat”. I loved the fact that the action wasn’t all about seeking a thrill but about making choices and whether people saw behind the many masks placed before them. I really enjoyed that the author chose to include scenes that were slow but were filled with so much beauty and information but in a more subtle way. She really knew where to place the vital information so that the reader wouldn’t be too far under the influence of emotion. She set the pace right so that it gave the reader plenty of time to recover before being slammed again.

Characters:

The characters were created with care and precision; they were so full of their own personality and very much realistic. Each of the characters was there for a reason; each one contributed to the story as a whole. I enjoyed that there was a mixture of personalities; I was able to take from it a more surreal feeling and believe it to more possible. There were times where the characters were so real I forgot they were only fictional but the more I thought about it these characters were real; they’re around us every day it’s up to us to spot them out.

Transformation of the Character:

I wouldn’t say Emma the main character did a complete transformation, on the contrary I think she’s just begun but she has taken that first step on becoming that beautiful butterfly that we all know blooms inside her. As for the other characters they didn’t do a whole lot of transforming themselves, Sara still seemed to be about the same girl she was in the beginning except for a few minor changes and Evan though we did see him change I believe he still has a journey of his own before he’s done and through. But in all I was satisfied in this department, I think if the characters changed any more than they did it wouldn’t be as real; so believable.

Description:

To say the description was beautiful is clearly not enough. The author created a very detailed world that helped connect the reader to the character. I believe without the authors precise yet beautiful description this book would have fell flat. I loved that I connected instantly with the characters; I liked that I didn’t have to work hard to picture the scenes; it was just so amazing throughout. The amount of description was just right and there are some scenes in this book that I will never forget; they have definitely impacted me both spiritually and emotionally.

Style:

I loved that the author chose to write this story in Emma’s point of view, we were able to see first-hand all the horror and pain she had to expeience. Without her point of view we would have never been able to connect with her as good as in this story; we wouldn’t have FELT as much as we did. I also liked the way the author chose to set up all the different scenes, especially the last scene (a scene I’ll never forget). I know there have been mixed views on the ending but I loved it, I loved that the author chose to end it that way it wouldn’t have impacted me as much if she hadn’t.

Quote of the book:

“We were engaged in a very intricate dance of touching without touching, knowing without saying, and feeling without expressing. We were friends walking along a ledge, a very thin ledge and I was too caught up in my heightened awareness of his existence to realize how close the ledge was to crumbling beneath my feet.”

Goodreads Summary:

"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"

He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers…

Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret.

Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.

Last thoughts:

I would recommend this book to any heart felt reader, if you love reading about realistic situations this is definitely a book you need to pick up. I would also recommend this to any young adult; it’s something we all need to be aware of. I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like book that deal with the emotions; this definitely is filled with tons of them. I loved just about everything about this book; the romance was amazing; it wasn’t at any point too much. The realism was there and the mere fact this story had such a fast read quality to it definitely added to the overall quality of the book. This is definitely a book you won’t want to put down and I am glad to say the author is currently working on a sequel to which I am eternally grateful.

My Rating: