Review: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Published: September 20, 2016

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it.

Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.

As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

My Thoughts

I didn’t know exactly what to expect from this book but I really liked it. We meet Alex who is trying to deal with her sister’s death and we see what it has done to her family. From the beginning we know that she is a killer, really she is she killed her sister’s killer. We also know that she doesn’t have any remorse, she is simply a cold-hearted killer and she makes no excuses for it.

We see her open herself up to make friends and while she tries to fit in she knows that darkness she has will never go away. She becomes friends with PeeKay and she even falls for Jack but she can't suppress all that anger and she knows those feelings aren’t normal. Meanwhile, Jack is falling for Alex but feels bad because he knows something about the night her sister died and is scared to tell her knowing she may never forgive him. As they get closer Alex wants to be honest with Jack and tell him her secrets but knows if she confesses she will lose him forever. What is she to do?

I found this read dark and at times very uncomfortable to read but I get it. I get that Alex has issues and that it has more to do than just her sister's death. These issues come from deep within her and she has to deal with them. This novel was a good read even though it deals with dark issues but I liked how they were dealt with and its one read that you should take a chance on.

Review: The Party by Robyn Harding

The Party by Robyn Harding

Published: June 6, 2017

Publisher: Gallery

Format: ebook library loan

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

One invitation. A lifetime of regrets.

Sweet sixteen. It’s an exciting coming of age, a milestone, and a rite of passage. Jeff and Kim Sanders plan on throwing a party for their daughter, Hannah—a sweet girl with good grades and nice friends. Rather than an extravagant, indulgent affair, they invite four girls over for pizza, cake, movies, and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?

But things do go wrong, horrifically so. After a tragic accident occurs, Jeff and Kim’s flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb suddenly begins to come apart. In the ugly aftermath, friends become enemies, dark secrets are revealed in the Sanders’ marriage, and the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah, is exposed.

My Thoughts

Kim has everything she has always wanted in life, a husband who does what she says, two cookie cutter kids who attend the best school around and who are involved in every school activity known and a life so perfect she couldn’t ask for anything more. It's her daughter Hannah’s sixteen birthday and she wants her new popular friends to think she is cool and fun so she devises a plan to sneak in drugs and alcohol to make her party more fun and exciting. What happens next at her simple little party will have ramifications that will last a lifetime. Later in the evening, Kim is awoken by her daughter who is beyond words and needs her help since her friend is hurt. Kim half asleep goes to the girls only to find empty bottles and broken glass and Hannah’s friend covered in blood. Soon there is a trip to the hospital and the cops are called and Kim’s perfect life is in serious jeopardy.

Now when I read the premise of this read I thought it going to be somewhat of a thriller/mystery instead what I received was a tale of popular mean girls just having a party getting drunk and high with boys and someone got seriously hurt and lost an eye in the process. After I got over what I thought this was going to be and took it for what it was it wasn’t that bad. I liked the juxtaposition of Kim and her daughter, both whom just wanted to be popular and did what they had to to get there. What I really liked was the backstory, when secrets come out about Kim and her husband’s life that shows us why Kim is the way she is.

The Party isn’t a new tale but one that is entertaining. It shows us how teen life is and how no one is perfect by any means. While this is a cautionary tale in a sense, most importantly how we must talk to our kids and be involved in their lives because the times are different and kids nowadays deal with way bigger issues than we can ever imagine.

Review: Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook

Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook

Published: April 21, 2015

Format: via Edelweiss

Publisher: HarperTeen

Challenges: 2015 NG/EW

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Every Last Promise is a provocative and emotional novel about a girl who must decide between keeping quiet and speaking up after witnessing a classmate's sexual assault.

Kayla saw something at the party that she wasn't supposed to. But she hasn't told anyone. No one knows the real story about what happened that night—about why Kayla was driving the car that ran into a ditch after the party, about what she saw in the hours leading up to the accident, and about the promise she made to her friend Bean before she left for the summer.

Now Kayla's coming home for her senior year. If Kayla keeps quiet, she might be able to get her old life back. If she tells the truth, she risks losing everything—and everyone—she ever cared about.

My Thoughts

Every Last Promise was a great story dealing with growing up and dealing with issues no one should at a young age. Kayla was your avenge teen who spent her weekends with her best friends having slumber parties, hanging out and going to football games. All of this came to a halt when one night at a party Kayla was a witness to something that not only affects her but also someone she loves not to mention the whole town. After the tragedy that took a life, which changed another and one that could have ruined their future. Not really remembering what happened Kayla was sent away to recover and deal with what happened that night, once home she realized that everything has changed. She comes home to no friends and even worse that everyone blames her for what happened. Life is hard but Kayla is determined to move on and not let the town and her ex friends ruin her life. She knows what happened was wrong and wants those to pay for what they did even if that means having literally the whole town hate her. But first she must find out what exactly happened and most importantly talk to her friend Bean and honor what she wants.

This book deals with some serious issues and I felt that it dealt with it in a good way. It shows us that we should stand up for what is right and that people should pay for the wrong they do. Though it is hard to stand up for yourself sometimes it will only make you stronger. You might feel that your power has been taken from you but it takes a real strong person to make those responsible for what they’ve done. While this read has some serious issues there is a little romance but what I love most is the friendships and although there are bumps in the road when it comes to that, you always find out who your real friends are when the chips are down. Anyone can be around when it’s all fun and games but those who stick by you otherwise are the REAL friends.  

WoW [88]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Expected Publication: January 6, 2015

Publisher: Knopf

Synopsis...

A beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself-a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

Why I Can’t Wait…

Sounds like a great and interesting story. I sense a tear fest...but in a good way.

Feel free to link me to yours.

Review: Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

Publication: September 9, 2014

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect?

My Thoughts

Where do I start exactly? First off this book is phenomenal! It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before. It’s the story of Liz and how she decides to kill herself, but this book is so much more than that. It’s about cause and effect how one tiny thing can change the course of your life. Liz wasn’t the best person and she now knows this and at some point it just becomes too much. She is lonely and knows that she has done things to people and knows that they are that way because of her.

This book gripped my soul and kept me intrigued until the very end. I like how it’s told through different characters and also by the timeline. I loved the tug of war I had with myself in deciding how I felt about Liz. At times I thought she was an utter bitch, while at other times I truly felt sorry for her. She is a teen who is so alone, physically and emotionally. She feels as if she doesn’t have anyone to turn to. She feels guilt over events that have happened in her life and feels responsible for what happened. And while I was never good at science or physics I thought this was used very uniquely in this read. Definitely something different and I thought it was brilliantly used here. This book puts you through so many emotions I was utterly drained when I was done, but in a GOOD way of course.

I highly recommend Falling into Place, Amy Zhang is an amazing writer who gives us a book that is different and addicting. Once you start you won’t want to stop until you're done. It takes you on a ride that you soon won’t forget. It’s simply beautiful yet heartbreaking at the same time, two things that don’t usually go together but here it works out seamlessly.

Virtual Tour + Giveaway: The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi

The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi 

Published: April 1, 2014

Format: via NetGalley

Challenge: 2014 NetGalley/Edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Lexi has a secret.

She never meant for her mom to find out. And now she's afraid that what's left of her family is going to fall apart for good.

Lexi knows she can fix everything. She can change. She can learn to like boys. New Horizons summer camp has promised to transform her life, and there's nothing she wants more than to start over.

But sometimes love has its own path...

My Thoughts

I was really torn while reading The Summer I Wasn’t Me. Seriously there was times when I couldn’t continue reading. This is a story of trying to deal with who you are and at the same time trying to make others happy. Lexi is sent to a “de-gaying” camp by her mother and church after it is revealed she is gay. Lexi is still trying to come to terms with it herself and at the same time dealing with her father’s death and trying to help her mom from falling into a dark hole. She agrees to go thinking maybe this will make her mother snap out of her funk but at the same time she knows it’s a waste of time and money they don't have. I mean seriously $9000?! That’s crazy! Lexi is recovering from her first heartbreak as well after falling for someone who didn’t feel the same way. While at the camp she meets a cast of characters who are all there for different reasons. Some want to be “cured” while others are just going along with it since they have no choice. My favorite character was Matthew. He is funny, witty, so self-assure and proud of whom he is. He butts heads with authority which plays out in a way you must read. Lexi soon finds the strength to be honest with whom she really is. She learns that who she is isn’t wrong and soon finds love again. She confronts her mom and they learn to find a way to understand and accept how things are.

This is a story of love, understanding, and accepting. It’s hard to think that in this day and age we can’t or won’t accept people for who they are. Underneath all the bull we are all the same. We all hurt, love and want to be wanted and accepted. We all have our own opinions of the subject but this is how I feel. I could never turn my back on anyone who simply wants to be themselves. Love’s a wonderful thing, to find someone who loves and accepts you flaws and all is the best thing in the world. We can’t help whom we love and it’s hard enough to find the one so regardless of who it is, shouldn’t we celebrate the fact we’ve found it? 

**GIVEAWAY**

The awesome folks at Sourcebooks are offering a copy of The Summer I Wasn't Me. Simply enter for your chance to win!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Review: Great by Sara Benincasa

Great by Sara Benincasa

Expected Publication: April 8, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: via Edelweiss

Challenges: 2014 NetGalley/Edelweiss

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Everyone loves a good scandal.

Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta's carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape.

My Thoughts

Great is a retelling of sorts of the Great Gatsby. While I’m not one for retellings or remakes, what can I say I love originals, I went into this with an open mind and heart. I’m so glad I took a chance on this cause it’s so worth it! I read this in like a day and a half that's how invested I was, and I hadn't done that in awhile.

Great is the story of Naomi, who in  a sense lives two lives, during the school year she lives with her dad who's a high school coach and summers with her mother who is a megastar in the food world and Hampton socialite. Naomi hates everything about her summers but this summer she decides to live a little and try to have a bit of fun. She soon makes friends with the ever popular Delilah and also has a bit of a summer romance with Delilah’s boyfriends friend. She is wrapped up in lavish parties and soon finds herself friends with her new mysterious next door neighbor Jacinta. Jacinta is a fashion blogger who no one has seen but has come to East Hampton for reasons no one knows…yet.

Delilah, Naomi and Jacinta are best friends but Naomi soon feels like the third wheel in this friendship. There is much speculation that Jacinta isn’t who she claims she is. Is Jacinta lying and if so why? Naomi finds herself caught up in a world she may have wished she never entered. One of lies and secrets that only the rich and famous can cover up so elegantly.

Sara Benincasa's tale is beautifully written and paints the perfect picture of lavish parties and Hampton summers. What I loved and enjoyed most was her humor. She injected quite a few laughs that I thought were excellent. I love characters who talk back and who can be a bit of a smartass. I liked that it didn’t end all perfect and wrapped up in a little bow. Some novels just need to have you feeling and thinking after the face… it’s up to you decide what happens after. Great is the perfect summer read, if you like your reads with secrets, laughs and sassy characters. Well played Sara well played! 

Review: Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell

Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell

Published: February 4, 2014

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis

On the surface, sixteen-year-old Lesley Holloway is just another bright new student at Hawthorn Hill, a posh all-girls prep school north of London. Little do her classmates know that she recently ran away from home, where her father had spent years sexually abusing her. Nor does anyone know that she secretly cutting herself as a coping mechanism...until the day she goes too far and ends up in the hospital.

Lesley spends the next two years in and out of psychiatric facilities, where she overcomes her traumatic memories and finds the support of a surrogate family. Eventually completing university and earning her degree, she is a social services success story;until she becomes unexpectedly pregnant in her early twenties. Despite the overwhelming odds she has overcome, the same team that saved her as an adolescent will now question whether Lesley is fit to be a mother. And so she embarks upon her biggest battle yet: the fight for her unborn daughter.

My Thoughts

Etched on Me is a well written tale of Lesley who it seems life it’s taken its toll on. It’s at times a hard to read tale of rape and mental illness and it’s effect on her life. I definitely feel for Lesley and all the hardships she suffered growing up. She fought for her voice to be heard and believed when she said her father raped her. She had to deal with the after effects of that coming out and how her mother knew what was going on yet didn’t do anything to stop it. Then having to deal with mental illness and fighting for her daughter. 

Throughout the book all I kept thinking about was can't this girl catch a break? There is only so much a person can handle before they break into pieces. Mental illness is still something people don’t want to talk about, even in this day and age its taboo. People think “mental illness” equals plain crazy and it’s way more than that, it’s a disease, just like any other.

While this novel is very informative it is very raw. It pulls no punches and at times it was a tad to gritty for me. I do like that it does deal with topics that need to address and can potentially help many people who may need it. So if you want a read a story that tells it like it is and touches on social topics this maybe the one for you.

THE BOTTOM LINE...IT'S...

Review: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

Released: January 28, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Format: via NetGalley
Challenges: 2014 NetGalley/Edelweiss

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.

This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.

My Thoughts

I must admit I feel very torn by this book. One part of me really enjoyed it while the other part felt like it fell short. I was so excited to read this for the last few months simply based by the synopsis. However while I read it I just felt this consist feeling that there was more to the story than what I was reading.

It felt like I was reading two different books. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the storyline[s] I just felt like I wanted to read one more than the other. I was more interested and invested in reading about Emily and Paul’s background than her whole connection to Emily Dickinson. While we got the jest of what lead up to Paul’s suicide I felt like more could've be told. I wanted to learn more about their relationship and even her relationships with the girls at the school. I did enjoy the poems “Emily” wrote I thought they were great. I could see how her life mirrored that of Emily Dickinson but at times I felt like it was more about her than the modern day Emily.

The whole storyline on Emily and Paul’s relationship was one I knew had so much more to offer and I wished that could’ve shined more. I wanted to know more of what was on Paul’s mind and why he felt and reacted the way he did.

Despite what I wanted more of, this is a book with more pluses than minuses. Not to mention if you’re a fan of poetry and/or Emily Dickerson I know you will not be disappointed.

Review: Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend

Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend
Expected Publication: December 18, 2013
Format: via NetGalley
Publisher: Merit Press
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Perfect people aren't just born. They're made.

The first time she is blindfolded and kidnapped, star-athlete and posh boarding school newbie Sadie is terrified. She wakes up in a dark room surrounded by hushed whispers, hooded strangers, and a mysterious voice whispering not-so-sweet nothings in her ear. But once the robes come off, she realizes it’s just an elaborate prank designed to induct her into the group that’s been pulling the strings at Keating Hall for generations. The circle has it all--incredible connections; fabulous parties; and, of course, an in with the brother society’s gorgeous pledges.

The instant popularity is enough to make Sadie forget about the unexplained marks on her body, the creepy ceremonial rituals, and the incident that befell one of her teammates the year before. So the next time Sadie is kidnapped, she isn’t scared, but she should be. The worst of Keating Hall is yet to come.

My Thoughts

Sadie goes off to a fancy boarding school in hopes to getting a scholarship to a prestigious university, which she couldn’t afford otherwise. In her first days there she makes friends and at the same time enemies or so it seems. Little does she realize she is being recruited to join a secret society. While getting mixed up with these fancy and spoiled rich kids she finds out a lot about her life that she never knew.

She learns she’s a legacy, which her mom, who is dead, was once a member also. She also comes to realize that maybe her mom’s death wasn’t a suicide as she once thought but actually a murder by the hands of someone in the group. This circle of people are the who’s who of high society. They control and have more power than imaginable. As she goes deeper in researching this people she will learn she is way over her head, putting her own life in danger while discovering secrets she never knew were possible.

This is a great read with so many twists and turns that it will definitely keep you glued until you’ve turned the last page. Lizzie Friend sets up a setting that rings very true, with its amazing writing and the ability to keep the reader intrigued this is a must read!

Review: Watch Me Disappear by Diane V. Mulligan

Watch Me Disappear by Diane V. Mulligan
Published: September 1, 2012
Format: Free Kindle read
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Lizzie Richards isn’t excited to be starting over at a new school for her senior year, but she’s trying to take her mother’s advice and make the most of it—the only way she can: By disobeying her strict parents’ rules. Lizzie’s father has moved the family around every few years to advance his career, so she has never had a chance to develop the kind of “BFF” relationships she thinks most kids have. She’s bracing herself for another lonely year at her third high school when her neighbor Maura gets sick of watching her little brother when she could be partying. Thanks to Maura’s plotting, Lizzie becomes everyone’s new favorite babysitter. Seeing her opportunity, Lizzie decides to break her mother’s rules by using Maura’s computer to create a secret Email address and Facebook account. She is quickly friended by Missy, a fellow transfer student as eager for a friend as she is. Things are looking up for Lizzie until Maura’s ex-boyfriend Paul sets his eye on Missy. Caught between her new best friend and the neighbor whose friendship promises instant popularity, Lizzie doesn’t know what to do—because she’s fallen for Paul, too.

My Thoughts

This story had promise and potential yet it just never made it. Lizzie and her family moved at the start of her senior year of high school. She was forced to become friends the girl next door, Missy. One night by babysitting she became serious and ended up going through Missy’s computer. Needless to say Missy figured it out and it became her mission to make Lizzie’s life miserable.

I took that as a sign that something was bound to happen. You know the turning point where you know good or bad, this is the where the action starts. Well, boy was I wrong! Nothing ever happened! It was just a basic story of a year in the life of a high school student. You know parties, going to the mall, hanging with friends. This wouldn’t be wrong, it’s just that I always had a feeling like something was coming ahead but just never did.

I wanted more of a story; I wanted the author to experiment more with the characters.  I felt the author was taking us into one direction, yet the storyline ended up going totally another way. It wasn’t all bad, I just hate when I feel like it’s going a certain way yet it never did. I just felt underwhelmed that’s all.

Review: OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
Expected Publication: July 23, 2013
Format: E-Arc via Edelweiss
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 3/5

Summary via Goodreads

When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he's her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again.

But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can't stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a ton about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she's obsessed.

Bea tells herself she's got it all under control, but this isn't a choice, it's a compulsion. The truth is, she's breaking down... and she might end up breaking her own heart.

My Thoughts

This is a wonderfully written story about a topic that today is still very much not truly talked about. OCD Love Story is the story of Bea and her life dealing with her OCD. However Bea doesn’t think of herself as having OCD. While in counseling with other teens she thinks everyone else is way worse than she is and wonders why she is even though to begin with.

I initially thought this was going to be a LOVE story between Bea and Beck, but as a read it I didn’t come out seeing that at all. I mean they did date somewhat but I saw it more as a love story solely about Bea. I saw it that way seeing how by the end she comes full circle about her OCD. How she totally denies it because once she accepts it and becomes truthful with herself about it, it’s only then that she finally receive help and deal with all her issues.

I was completely happy with how the topic of OCD was dealt with. It wasn’t portrayed as something bad or something that “crazy” people deal with. It was dealt with honesty and recognized as a real disease and a mental disorder. Towards the end your heart couldn’t help but break a little for Bea when she is forced to face the truth about herself and her disease. It’s all about accepting and loving who you are.

WoW [8]

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill @

Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

 OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Expected publication: July 23, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

 [Goodreads] When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he's her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again. But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can't stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a ton about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she's obsessed. Bea tells herself she's got it all under control, but this isn't a choice, it's a compulsion. The truth is, she's breaking down... and she might end up breaking her own heart. 

I always up for a good love story. This one seems to have a twist so Im all for seeing how this interesting book turns out.

What's your WoW of the week? Please share.

Review: The Air We Breathe by Christa Parrish

The Air We Breathe by Christa Parrish
Expected Publication: November 1, 2012
Format: Netgalley
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Molly Fisk does not go outside. She's ruled by anxiety and only feels safe in the tiny tourist-town museum she and her mother run and call home. Yearning to live free but unable to overcome deep wounds from her past, she stays hidden away. Then the chance arrival of a woman Molly knew six years ago changes everything.
Six years ago, newly single Claire Rodriguez was an empty shell. Only in the unique friendship she strikes up with a young girl--a silent girl who'll only talk to Claire--does she see the possibility of healing. But one day the girl and her mother vanish, their house abandoned. What happened that drove them away? And how can Claire now offer Molly the same chance at finding a life anew?
　

My Thoughts

The Air We Breathe is a story about Molly, her family, secrets and a woman named Claire. While I will admit in the beginning I was confused because the story is cut into chapters, different characters and goes back and forth in time. However once I realized what was going on it was easier to follow.
Molly is paralyzed by anxiety after a childhood tragedy that she never got over. When she a little girl she witnessed her father gunned down in a bank robbery and was kidnapped. She escaped but was so traumatized by the ordeal she shut down and refused to talk anyone. Then on a chance meeting with a random women named Claire on a playground both will help each other through recent tragedies. Both question was it fate or faith that brought them together or something more? After years of losing touch once again something has drawn them back together to help each one last time. I thought it was well written and touching story of fate and faith...two things I personally believe in.