Saint Anything

By: Sarah Dessen
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 417

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

                                                            First Impressions

I really like the cover of this book. Knowing it was by Sarah Dessen, I was immediately interested. She is one of the most solid young adult authors out there and I know that anything she writes will be great. I haven’t read one of her books in a really long time, so I was looking forward to checking out this one.

                                                             What I thought

Sarah Dessen has done a great job again. She has a great way with characters and making a reader really feel like they are a part of the world that she’s created.

Saint Anything starts with Sydney in court with her brother as he is getting sentenced. As you find out early on, her brother Peyton drove drunk and paralyzed a 15 year old boy. This was not a first or isolated offence, so Peyton is sentenced to time in prison. This, of course, throws Sydney’s world for a spin as well as the rest of her family. Her mom becomes very obsessed with Peyton’s life and only sees it through rose colored glasses. Her dad throws himself into his work, and Sydney kind of crawls into herself. She decides that she wants to switch high schools, so that she can start over somewhere that people didn’t know her brother. While there, she makes a new set of friends who help her learn who she is as a person, away from her brother and family.

I really enjoyed this book. It is definitely one of those books that when you finish it you feel like you’ve eaten a really good meal. It’s long and detailed but in the best way. The only issue that I had was that I kept waiting for something big to happen and when I finished it seemed a little anti-climactic and not fully finished.

Sydney, Mac, and Layla are absolutely wonderful. The brother-sister relationship with Mac and Layla was nice to see. It was also a nice contrast to the poor brother-sister relationship with Sydney and Peyton. I also liked how everyone’s relationships developed. While Layla was a little quick to include Sydney in her life, it was still believable because of Layla’s personality and because Sydney didn’t immediately open up to her. Mac and Sydney’s relationship also developed slowly and was very believable.

I didn’t like Sydney’s parents, but I don’t think that we’re supposed to. I also don’t know how I feel about the overall problem of the story. I think that considering how big of a deal it is, that Dessen glossed over it. I thought there as going to bemore focus on the fact that her brother’s accident paralyzed a 15 year old boy and that Sydney would talk about it a little more than she did. I understand that it was a lot of inner struggle, but there wasn’t much action with it. It seemed like this big even happened, and then nobody dealt with it. Again, I understand that that is part of the point, but it doesn’t make for the most emotional or life changing read.

This book also made me ridiculously hungry. Layla is obsessed with French fries and her and Mac’s family also own a pizzeria that is apparently delicious and also sells garlic knots. These are mentioned almost constantly throughout the book, so I wouldn’t recommend reading this without food nearby. I am still craving French fries and pizza as I write this review. It’s a fun little quirk of the story that I really enjoyed.
 

I feel like this is more of a 3.5/5 than a solid 3, but I’ll explain why I didn’t round up with this one. I did finish this book in a little over a day and was very invested in the characters and story. I found many moments where I didn’t want to put the book down and just wanting to know more about Sydney’s everyday life. I think it’s another solid book for Dessen, and if you are a fan of hers then you won’t be disappointed. I’d recommend this book, but I can’t see myself re-reading it. I think there are other Dessen books that I liked more, so if I did purchase one of her books for my shelves, I would probably choose another one over this. 
 

Tiny Pretty Things

By: Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 448

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

                                                               First Impressions

This book first caught my eye because it was part of the Debut Author’s Challenge. Once I saw the ballet ribbons on the cover I knew I had to find out more about it. I have been a dancer my entire life so any time there is a book about dancing, I will check it out and most likely read it. I honestly don’t even remember my impression of the summary. I think this was one of those dragged in by the cover type of books.

                                                                 What I thought

WTF? I think, in all honesty, that those three letters pretty much explain my entire mindset while reading this book and upon finishing this book. Now, I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. It is just a book that had me questioning “wtf is going on? Wtf, why is that person doing that? Wtf just happened?” throughout the entire book.

Tiny Pretty Things takes place at a dance academy and (mostly) follows three of the dance students. It is told in multiple perspectives of the three main characters. First we have Gigi. Gigi is a black dancer from California who just came to New York to dance at this academy. Unlike the other girls, she has not been at this school for her entire life, so everything that she is experiencing is for the first time. Next, we have June, Gigi’s roommate. June is Korean and has been at the academy for her entire life. Her mother was a member of the company, but does not want June to be there. Finally, we have Bette; the skinny, blonde hair, blue eyed, fair skinned Queen Bee of the academy. Bette is the “it” girl at the academy because her sister is a star of the company and her parents have a lot of money. She has also been at the academy for her entire life.

It’s interesting because while we have the three perspectives of the three main characters, there are so many other characters that I wish we could’ve heard from. There’s Henri, the French male ballerina and ex-boyfriend of Cassie (ballerina who left after becoming injured), Alec, Bette’s boyfriend and picture perfect ballerina, Will, the gay ballerina who is Alec’s best friend and Bette’s ex-friend, and Eleanor, Bette’s roommate and partner in crime. This is definitely the kind of book where you never get the full story. You only know what the three main characters know and you only hear the truth of their perspective. This makes it difficult to figure out who the honest narrator is.  

This book has a lot of drama and a lot of backstabbing. I would say that it feels a little more Black Swan-esque than Center Stage. Granted, I haven’t watched Black Swan, but this book highlights the dark side of ballet like Black Swan did.

I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved that just as much occurred in the dance studios as out of them and that there was ballet written into it. This wasn’t just a book that used ballet as a background. It is front and center and it is wonderful. I also loved that they split the book into seasons since that is how companies work. I think the only thing I didn’t like about this book is that sometimes the drama became a bit much. There are moments where it became almost unbelievable and I had to give it a side eye. And the ending! Oh my goodness I can’t even go into the ending. Let’s just say that I need a next book. I’m not 100% sure whether or not there is a sequel, but I know that I need one.

This was a really fun and unique book to read. I really enjoyed it and could see myself re-reading it. Especially if they come out with more books. I don’t think it’s a new favorite, but I think it could’ve been if I read it when I was a little younger. I think being older, some of the drama was a bit much for me but I still absolutely loved it. I did receive a copy of this book through a giveaway, so I am glad to own it for my shelves. I don’t know if I would’ve purchased it, but I am glad that I have it! I recommend this to fans of Pretty Little Liars and all dancers out there! Check this book out!
 

August 2015 Favorites

It's that time again! August is over and it is now time for my August 2015 Favorites.

                                                                     Books

Finding Audrey By: Sophie Kinsella

Wuthering Heights By: Emily Bronte

Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3) By: Jennifer Echols

Dream a Little Dream By: Giovanna Fletcher

Tangled By: Emma Chase

Tiny Pretty Things By: Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

The Boy Most Likely To By: Huntley Fitzpatrick

Twisted By: Emma Chase

Favorite Book This Month: This has been such a weird month for reading for me. Looking back, I enjoyed all of the books that I read, but there isn’t one that stands out as an absolute favorite. I was pretty busy this month, so I didn’t find myself reading as much as usually, even though I somehow managed to stil finish 8 books this month.

                                                                      Beauty

When on my yearly girl’s trip, my friend Logan from Sage and Serendipity and I brought all of our makeup so that we could do makeovers and check out each other’s products. I discovered the Laura Mercier Eye Artist’s Palette ($55) and fell in love. I just ordered it, so I don’t own it yet but I’ve been in a bit of a beauty rut and this brought me out of it. I can’t wait until I get it and do a review for you guys! I'm sure this will end up in my favorites again next month when I actually own it

Ocean Salt Scrub from LUSH

I recently went into LUSH and was introduced to this scrub by one of their associates. Over the past year I have really gotten into body scrubs and love exfoliating in the shower. I loved the smell of this one (I’d describe it as a citrusy vodka) and it was also a really pretty blue color so I was sold. Shortly after using this, I noticed that the red bumps that I have on the backs of my arms (a fun dermatologic condition called keratosis pilaris) started looked less red and even disappeared a little. I can’t wait to keep using this and see if it gets even better!

Beauty Protector Beauty Protect Oil

I received a sample of this in my August Birchbox and fell in love with it. This is a hair oil that is mean to provide protection against things like UV rays and heat damage. While I don’t heat style my hair, it is dry and loves hair oils. First of all, the smell is amazing, but second of all it makes my hair so soft! I love mixing this with some of the hair creams that I have and putting it in my hair.

                                                                    Buys

Canon Rebel T5i

Steve ad I finally bought a real camera! I have been wanting to buy a DSLR camera for a very long time, but even more so over the last year. Since we are getting married soon and then going on our honeymoon, we finally bit the bullet and bought one. I can’t wait to learn how to use it and play with it even more!

Guys, this is a very boring favorites month. I know I did a lot during the month of August, but when I look back on it I honestly couldn’t tell you much of what I did. I think I’ve just been a little overwhelmed with wedding stuff and work starting up again, so I haven’t been doing much else. I apologize for the lack of blog posts too. I can’t promise it’ll get better in the next month, but it’ll definitely improve after the wedding!
 

A Whole New World

By: Liz Braswell
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Disney Press
Pages: 384

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version ofAladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie? 

When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again. 

This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way shape or form influenced my feelings towards this book.

                                                            First Impressions

I love Disney and I love Aladdin. When I saw that there was a book coming out, from Disney, about a re-telling/re-imagining of Aladdin I was super excited. I love when stories are told with a major plot point twist to see how life would have been if that one thing was different.  I really enjoy alternate universes and this sounded like that. I actually preferred the first cover they had to the final cover that they chose. I would not pick this book up based off of the current cover.

                                                           What I thought

My childhood has been ruined. This book is hands down the worst book I have read this year. If you don’t want to read a negative review, just stop now because this review will pretty much be all ranting about how terrible this book is.

The concept of this book is wonderful. What would happen if Jafar got the lamp before Aladdin? There was so much potential to enrich a classic story from my childhood and this book did exactly the opposite. I almost felt like the author sat there and thought “How can I make this as obnoxiously different from the movie as possible and also ruin childhood memories?”

The first 25% of the book is the movie in written form. The dialogue is almost exactly the same, and while boring, it was at least comforting. I was singing the songs in my head during the scenes that were written. Once Jafar gets the lamp it all starts to go wrong.

Issue number one that I had is the character development. There is none. There are new characters that are introduced, but I can’t tell you anything about them. I could barely tell you their gender until one of the characters referred to them as he or she. Because of this it made it really difficult to connect to the story and the characters. Even though I love Aladdin and Jasmine, I couldn’t connect to them in this context and became annoyed with them as the book went on.

Issue number two is that this book is one giant kick to the childhood. SPOILER ALERT- In this book, the author murders the sultan, Iygao, and the flying carpet! Jafar actually cuts up the carpet into tiny pieces to sew into his guards’ uniforms! This is so unnecessary. I felt like everything in this book went one step too far. There’s a scene in which Jafar kills a citizen by turning his head completely around on his neck. In this scene, the author actually describes the bones and muscles snapping. I didn’t need that.

SPOILER OVER. I think that this is supposed to be a YA novel, but I don’t know that it is. I wouldn’t want a small child to read this book because it takes away all of the magic of the original Aladdin story. It’s also grotesque at a lot of points. Another irritating factor with this book is the writing. I can’t stand when an author foreshadows an event without any subtlety. For example, there is a character in this book whose family gets kidnaped. When discussing a plan to save them it pretty much reads like “Bob listened to the plans with his eyes glazed over as if he was thinking of something else, planning something. Sarah turned towards Aladdin and asks “I think Bob is acting oddly. He might be hiding a secret.” Aladdin turns towards Bob and sees in his eyes that he’s hiding something.” And then, as if it’s not obvious, “Bob” is not planning on sticking to the plan that’s been discussed of how to save his family. Also, there are pages upon pages of characters running down a hall, stopping when they think a guard is coming, holding their breath, and then breathing a sigh of relief when they aren’t caught.

There were multiple times when I wanted to put this book down. The only reason I kept reading was because I received it for review. I also held out a small amount of hope that it would get better, but didn’t think it would. I didn’t think it could get worse but the ending made me want to throw the book across the room.
 

This book needs to be banished to the Cave of Wonders and never found. There are no redeeming qualities about this book. It hurts me that I disliked this book so much considering how much I love the story of Aladdin. I would not recommend this book to anyone. In fact, I am warning you now to not bother picking this book up. If you see someone with this book, tell them not to waste their time and stop now.
 

Rant or Rave- Flower Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara

Flower is a make-up brand created by Drew Barrymore that is sold exclusively at Walmart. I don’t head to Walmart often, but while I was there I decided to look at the line and see what was available. I saw this mascara and got super excited! I really like the Calvin Klein mascara with the changing brush, but it costs $19. Seeing a similar product for under $8 was like hitting the jackpot! I snatched this up in hopes of finding a dupe.

As excited as I was to try this out, it got thrown into a drawer and forgotten for a series of months. Recently, while looking for something, I spotted it and decided to try it out.

I love the gold packaging! I think it makes it look at feel like a higher end mascara and it’s just the right size. I tend to have issues with Covergirl mascaras because they are so large. 

The brush also turns and stays in place really easily. I like that it has 3 different positions for three different needs; volumizing, curling, and lengthening. While I don’t necessarily need the curling, it’s always fun to play with different brushes. 
 

Brush Lengthening Size

Brush Volumizing Size

Brush Curling Size

I went to try this mascara on my lashed and… nothing. Literally, nothing happened. The mascara was completely dried out. I have never had this happen to me before. I know that I let this sit for a few months, but it was still in the package unopened. I checked the packaging to see if there was an expiration date on it, but couldn’t find anything anywhere. I’m so disappointed.

I bought this mascara in hopes of finding a dupe for a high end mascara that I like. Unfortunately, I found a mascara that does absolutely nothing. I don’t know if I just got a dud or if this mascara is just crap, but I won’t be buying another one to test it out. I also don’t have any desire to try any additional products from this make-up line after this experience. Definite fail leading to a definite rant.

Have you tried anything from the Flower line? Have you tried this mascara? Did I get a dud?

Something Real

By: Heather Demetrios
Published Year: 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt BYR
Pages: 413

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): There’s nothing real about reality TV.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

                                                            First Impressions

The bright yellow cover is definitely an eye catcher and the title intrigued me. The summary definitely sounded interesting, especially as I am from a reality TV generation. I definitely watched John and Kate Plus 8, so this sounded like an interesting insight into what it could be like to live in this world.

                                                             What I thought

This story follows Chloe/Bonnie Baker through her senior year of high school. Bonnie was born on camera and is one of the eldest of 13 children. Her entire life has been filmed up until she was 13 and had a breakdown. For the past 4 years, she has been enjoying living life as Chloe instead of Bonnie with no cameras around. That is, until her mom and stepdad decide to put the family back on camera during Bonnie’s senior year.

The interesting part of the story is seeing how the cameras have affected the three eldest children differently. I wish that there had been a little bit more involving the family to see how it was affecting everyone. However, one of my issues with the story was that it was a bit long so I don’t know if there would’ve been a good way to accomplish that. For the most part, I liked Chloe/Bonnie. I felt like she kept doing the same things over and over again, so I did start to get irritated with her. I think if the story had been a little shorter, that wouldn’t have happened. I really loved Benton and thought he was the best character hands down. I would have loved to read this book from his perspective.

I think my biggest issue with this book (and it tends to be an issue for me whenever this occurs) is that both Benton and Chloe find the love of their lives in high school. Like, to the point where marriages are discussed. I get that the author wanted to show that Benton and Chloe had found love, but it just all seemed to perfect. Chloe just happens to find an 18 year old boy who is 100% ok with being thrown in the tabloids and is super mature about it. I just couldn’t really believe Patrick as a character because he was too wonderful.

The main conflict was that Chloe did not want the show to start up again, but it seemed like that conflict would be forgotten for periods of time while other conflicts came up. It just felt like the author had a little too much that she wanted to get into, therefore nothing was as meaty as I would want it to be. The concept was cute, but I think it could’ve been executed a little better.

It’s a cute book. If you were a fan of John and Kate plus 8 I would check it out. I wouldn’t re-read it and I wouldn’t purchase it for my collection. If you enjoy these types of stories, I’d recommend this book. If you’re on the fence about it, I’d say you could pass. I also kind of wish the title was Something Reel instead of Something Real. I think it’s a missed opportunity for a cute pun, especially since the TV company that is taping Baker’s Dozen is called Meta Reel. Oh well.
 

Birchbox August 2015

In case you are unaware, Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription box. It costs $10 a month and you receive multiple sample size item. These boxes allow you to try tons of new products that you may have never even heard of before. The other fun thing about Birchbox is that every time you purchase an item from their site, or review a product from your box, you receive rewards points! Once you collect 100 points, you get $10 off of your next purchase. These points definitely add up quickly between buying your box, and reviewing the products.

Each month, Birchbox allows subscribers to pick one of their samples. If you prefer surprises, you don’t have to pick one. You can choose to be surprised instead. They also offer full boxes that have been made by a guest. This month’s guest editor box was by Nicole Richie. This month’s sample choices were R + Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo, Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer, Rusk Volumizing Mousse, and  Coola Makeup Setting Spray with SPF 30. I went back and forth between the Mousse and the Spray but ultimately went with the spray. I’ve been looking at a few moisturizers that don’t have SPF, so a setting spray with SPF would be a great solution.

The Products I received this month were as follows:

Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer (Full-Size $20)- This is a moisturizer that has antioxidants and is meant to hydrate and protect the skin. I haven’t used this product yet but I’m really excited about it! I’m also excited that this was the first of 3 sample choices I got in my box! I’m planning on saving this for Iceland. I think that this will be a great one to put in my carry on and put on my face during the long flight. It’s also nice that you can use it as a hydrating mask.

COOLA SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray (Full-size $36)- This was my sample choice and the product I was most looking forward to getting! This setting spray is meant to provide a matte-finish that not only sets your makeup, but hydrates skin and blocks UV rays. I’ve only used this one and I did not like it at all. Not only did it reek of chemicals (not appealing at all), but it burned my eyes. I closed my eyes when I sprayed it, like I do with my other sprays, but when I opened them up I immediately regretted it. I will try this again, but I am super disappointed. This product seemed so smart!

LAQA & Co Charm School Kit (Set of 3- $20)- This is a crayon that is meant to be a lip and cheek product. I’m always a little wary of these kinds of products. I feel like they tend to only work well as one or the other and just kind of get you by as the second use. I’ve only tried this one as a lip product and I really liked it. It’s matte but not drying and is a very pretty pink color. I haven’t tried it on my cheeks yet, but I have high hopes as long as it blends easily!

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil (Full-size $25.95)- This is a hair oil meant to defend against heat, breakage, and UV rays. I love the smell of this! I think I’ve had a few other Beauty Protector products and didn’t enjoy the smell, so I wonder if this is different or if I just don’t mind it in oil form. This oil makes my hair feel very soft. It doesn’t do much else that I can see, but I do like how soft my hair feels afterward. I might buy this in the future, but so far it’s not a must have.

RUSK Volumizing Mousse (Full-size $18)- I was so excited to see this in my box! How lucky am I to get both of the samples that I wanted? This is a mousse that is meant to give hair a hold and provide volume. I’ve used it once and I think I need to play around with it. I have curly hair, but the top sometimes gets a little flat. It says to blow dry your hair after putting this in, but I don’t even own a hair dryer. I put it at my roots and fluffed it, but it didn’t do much. It was a little crunchier than I thought it was going to be. I definitely need to try this again. 

Overall this box is a total win! I opened this and immediately wanted to try every single product in this box. I would happily purchase almost every product in this box as well! I think that this is a great box and it makes me really excited for my other boxes to come.

July Birchbox Update

Jouer Daily Repair Treatment Oil- I have used this face oil a few times. It does hydrate my skin, but I don’t know if it smooths and rejuvenates my skin. I don’t use it consistently, but it has been nice to have.

Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray- I actually completely forgot that I got this product ad haven’t tried it the first time. I wasn’t super impressed (obviously) the first time after using it. I might try it once more and if I don’t like it, I’ll pass it on.

COOLA Classic SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer- I’ve used this twice and it’s ok. I love the smell, but it doesn’t greatly hydrate my skin. There also was barely anything in the sample which was disappointing. I’m hoping I can get one more use out if it as I really had to squeeze the first two times. It’s nice as a sunscreen but I don’t think I’d use it as an everyday moisturizer.

Juice Beauty GREEN APPLE Peel Sensitive- This peel is weird! It is totally liquid which makes it difficult to put on. I didn’t notice a big smell, so that’s a good thing. It also made my skin itch while it was on my face. The sample says that tingling is normal, but I don’t find a mask that makes me itchy very relaxing. I will not be purchasing this.

Stila Look at Me Liquid Lipstick- This product is fun. It’s a great product that I can put on and not have to worry about reapplying it throughout the day. It isn’t the best in terms of transfer, as it does transfer to people and products and gets worse the longer you wear it. I also had more issues the second time with the fading of it than I did the first, but I don’t think I was as careful with my application. I don’t know if I would purchase this product at full price, but I wouldn’t turn it down on sale or as another sample!

Hold Me Like a Breath

By: Tiffany Schmidt
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 400

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

                                                             First Impressions

This cover immediately caught my eye. I then remember reading that it was a crime novel based off of fairy tales and I was sold. 

                                                               What I thought

I swear that I read that this book was based off of fairy tales, especially since the series is Once Upon a Crime, but that is definitely not true. However, I did still enjoy the book and think it is a fun read.

Hold Me Like a Breath follows Penny, her family, and her Family. Penny’s family is a part of the illegal organ donation business. Her family runs six spas at which people can get paid to donate organs (or get paid to donate the organs of a deceased family member) to people who can’t afford to wait on the donor list. Penny has a blood disorder that causes her family to treat her as though she was very fragile. Her platelets attack themselves, causing her to have very low platelet counts and to therefore bruise very easily. There is, of course, drama and danger in the illegal world of underground organ donations that Penny and her family have to face.

Penny teeters on the edge of being annoyingly innocent and endearingly sheltered. There were definite moments where the illness became a little irritating, but it was a unique twist on making a character vulnerable. I think the only thing about the illness that irritated me was that she has been dealing with this for 10 years and still seemed to be in denial.

I liked that there wasn’t a clear good or bad with a lot of the story line. It wasn’t as though the Families were harvesting organs from unwilling donors and selling them for money. It brought up a really important point that an organ donor list doesn’t always work. It was and interesting perspective and I liked that even though they were “bad” guys for running an underground business, they weren’t bad guys.

I did find that the story was a bit predictable. There were a few moments that I didn’t 100% expect but wasn’t surprised when they happened, and then there were moments that I felt like I was waiting to happen and then eventually did. It took me out of the book a little bit because I felt like I wanted to tell the main characters what was happening or going to happen, but obviously I couldn’t.

The book also seemed to be very divided into two parts. The first half of the book was very different from the second half. While it made sense for the story, it still threw me off a little by how much Penny changed in such a short amount of time. In regards to the fairy tale side, there is nothing fairy-tale esque about this story. The main character mentions fairy tales and that she loves them and even makes one reference to feeling like Rapunzel, but I can’t see this book as being based off of a fairy tale. That part disappointed me a little, but not so much that it made me dislike the book.
 

It was enjoyable to read a book that’s different from what I normally read. If you like crime novels, this is a nice easy choice. It’s not a mystery and is a bit predictable at times, but it has some unique elements that make it worth reading. This is the beginning of a series, so I could see myself possibly re-reading it before the second book comes out. However, it didn’t have a lot of intricate details that make me feel as though I will HAVE to reread it to know what’s going on.