Friday 12 April 2013

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker

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Title: Ten Tiny Breaths

Author: K. A. Tucker

Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1

Publisher: Atria

Publication date: February 2013

Format: ebook | Netgalley

Genre: NA | Contemporary

Goodreads



Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

 

Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty-year-old Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

 

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and he perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.



My thoughts:


This book was definitely not what I was expecting.


The first thing I noticed (and loved) about this read is that it was so emotional from the first page. It wasn't in the sense that I was crying all the way through, but that the emotions of the characters and the raw pain came through really well and I felt an extreme level of empathy straight away. 


I thought that the fact I felt that way was testament to how well the characters were written. Given that the book talks a lot about the consequences of drunk driving, I was a little wary of how it would come across. I did guess what would happen about half way through the book as well so I was a little apprehensive about how I would feel about some of the characters who did wrong. Am I meant to hate them or forgive them? But in the end I kind of just pitied all of them and I realised I just had the same thoughts as the main character...


This book really does tug at your heartstrings. You read about the main character basically taking a downward spiral in her mental health even if she's doing nothing that will have an effect physically. Kacey is one of those characters with a cold, icy barrier around her personality that she uses as a defense mechanism. She constantly pushes people away and denies that the wall hiding her lovely personality is ultimately destructive. There are a lot of those characters out there but this book takes it to a whole new, realistic level. I loved how none of Kacey's actions were out of place because the writer made sure to explain everything going on inside Kacey's head. It really did make you root for her before anything got any worse.


The plot was great. Like I said, I did guess the basics of it about half way through the book but it didn't make me enjoy reading the book any less. It was all about the journey the characters take with this book - at the risk of sounding cheesy! 


Overall I really loved this read and will definitely be getting it on paperback when it comes out in October.


My rating: 10/10


K. A. Tucker:

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