When it comes to contemporary YA, nobody does it like Katie McGarry. Katie has long been my favorite go-to YA author and the kind of YA contemporaries she writes is exactly what I like: gritty, heartfelt stories about young people dealing with situations that push them to make tough choices and decide who they are. ONLY A BREATH APART delivered an emotional punch and I highly recommend grabbing this one for yourself. Check out my thoughts below - and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?
About ONLY A BREATH APART:
The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.
A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.
Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…
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“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.”
―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series
Once childhood friends who meant everything to one
another, Jesse and Scarlett are now virtual strangers. Having no idea why Jesse
cut her out of his life, Scarlett has carried on with friends who know nothing
about her life beyond the school walls. At home her father rules with an iron
fist and she lives in fear of the next time he will strike out at her mother.
“I’m filled with a
sense of hope that maybe we can be a family again.
I wrap my arms
around myself because while that hope is uplifting,
it is possibly the
most terrifying emotion I have ever felt.”
Jesse’s mother believed the family was cursed and the
only way to survive was to never leave their land. At 17, Jesse has suffered
more than his fair share of loss and according to his grandmother’s will the
ability to keep the family land may lie in the hands of others – a tribunal who
will decide if he is responsible enough to manage it when he turns 18.
“If any guy,
including me, gets in the way of your happiness, if he stands
in the way of you
reaching your dreams, if he can’t understand that
harming someone is
wrong, then walk away, Scarlett. It’s that simple.”
I fell a little in love with Jesse, with his bad reputation
and heart of gold, and it was impossible not to ache for Scarlett as she dealt
with the hell that was her homelife. These two were the perfect example of
being stronger together than apart. As Jesse and Scarlett reconciled and friendship
developed into love, they were both forced to face difficult decisions about
their futures. Scarlett in particular had amazing growth and showed incredible
bravery while being conflicted over her feelings for her father (Could she
still love him when she hated him for his actions? Was it wrong to still love
him?). Jesse struggled to come to terms with his misplaced feelings of guilt
and responsibility for his mother’s death while also forging a new path of his
own, without the chains of the past holding him back and limiting his options.
“Why would I want
to be anyone else
when I get to be the guy who holds you?”
McGarry has an incredible gift with developing strong
characters who are complex and flawed, never cookie cutter. I felt empathy for
Scarlett’s father even as I railed at his despicable behavior. I warmed to Jessie’s
uncle Marshall who became a stalwart support for both Jesse and Scarlett. And my
heart was touched by the kindly Pastor Hughes and made me wish every victim had
someone as gentle and unwavering on their side.
Katie McGarry has delivered a powerful and emotional tale
of strength, hope, resilience and redemption. She never fails to pull me into
every story, engage my emotions, make me care – and this was no exception. Fans
of contemporary YA are sure to love Only a Breath Apart.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.
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