Breathe My Name

When the book got here it was more than I ecpected. It was in VERY good condition.

Title: Breathe My Name Author: R.A. Nelson Publisher: Penguin Reading Level: Young Adult Publication Date: November 2007 Pages: 314 Rating: A Plot - 17/20 Characters - 20/20 Writing - 18/20 Originality - 18/20 Entertainment - 10/10 Recommendation - 10/10 Total: 93/100 Summary: Life should be sweet for Frances Robinson. She has a quirky best friend, lives in a McMansion with a loving, adopted family, and has just met a dreamy new guy from Louisiana, Nix, as charming and exotic as evening on the bayou. So why is she terrified of ambulances screaming by in the night? And what makes her so uneasy about the coming of spring? Frances has a secret-the most terrifying secret in the world. A secret that has haunted her for eleven years: her birth mother, Afton Jelks. Afton is the mother who laughed, sang, and made up stories for Frances and her three sisters when they lived in Fireless, a place of mystery and imagination. A place where Afton led them deeper and deeper into darkness, until one horrific morning in April when Fireless overtook the real world, and Afton committed an unspeakable act. Now Afton is back, and Frances' secret horror threatens to rip her happy world apart all over again. She sees one chance to regain her life: confront the monster in its lair and find peace-or die trying. She and Nix embark on a desperate clandestine journey that will become the most dangerous quest of her life when she discovers just what it means to finish. Review: This book caught me in the instant I realized how different this novel was going to be from what I expected. Which was early on. The first chapter was so raw with emotion, but the type and the feeling you first get from it will surprise you. This novel was really mind-blowing. I kind of part the novel into two sections. The part where she meets Nix, and the part where she goes on the road trip to see her mother. But . . . first I have to say how much I loved Nix as a character. Just his name sounds cool. It's not his looks or whatever that I love about him, it's his personality and hospitality he has. He's crazy funny, and having this book set in the way south in Alabama and Nix being from Louisiana just makes it even more interesting. You'll see why when you read this novel. The characters are definitely the most real part of the book and the most part R.A. Nelson succeeds in. Frances is the type of girl who is quiet and she's just doesn't really feel safe and complete in her new household. Even if she doesn't admit it. Her relationship with Nix is so fresh and interesting, unlike the novels out there with the happy-go-lucky and love-at-first site love, this is real and raw. The characters were very three-dimensional and honest. R.A. Nelson is a genius writer. He's just incredible with words and he really shine's through with the writing in this book. The ending was so unpredictable ***SEMI-SPOILER*** And it really, really surprised me, I'm only labeling this as a semi-spoiler because if you

Mmm, it's been a good long while since I've read a book that's made me think! Breathe My Name was full of everything any good book requires--well developed, 3-D characters (with the exception in my opinion, of Ann Mirette, who seemed highly 2D to me), beautiful writing that doesn't overdo it, and more than anything, a fully engaging (and super twisty) plot. I liked that through the entire book, all the characters kept me guessing. Was I ever sure of Nix's goodness? Clearly, they got together way too early in the book for it to amount to anything, he's got to be abusive, right? Nope. And clearly, the entire book has set us up for Ms. Jelks to be the central evil character, yes? Nope. Some twists were good, great, even. Some, such as the aforementioned one with Carruthers suddenly being the point of all evil--not so much. I felt a little let down, I expected a huge emotional showdown between Ms. Jelks and her daughter, but while we were given some of that, I really felt robbed by Carruthers. I was so sure he was the miraculous stranger, but no! Still, kept me guessing. There were moments near the end where I almost could have thought Frances was the one who made up Fireless or equally twisted, but this I did not see coming. Some of the flashbacks started being choppy as well, and I felt as if the last flashback of Fireless could have carried the weight of the entire book. The story of what happened shouldn't have been revealed through narration to Nix (nor should it have been revealed on the book jacket...) but through that one flashback that told it all. Nevertheless, this one was amazing psychological thriller. A little more resolution could have been inserted at the end, small tweaks here and there, and I still find myself highly doubtful that Nelson went into this book intending to make Carruthers evil, but I'll live. Rating: 4.5/5...can I go with a 4.9 or something, instead?

This book is great! The only thing I would have changed about it is the title. It should have been called SMOTHER. Not only because of Frances' mother, but because of her new parents. If you have ever experienced smother-love you can relate to this book. I loved the mystery, the romance and the humor too. The author knows what it's like to want to grow up only to find out you can't because people want to keep you safe. I couldn't put it down until I finished.

"Breathe My Name" may just well get readers with the half creepy half intriguing cover - the name written into a sort of fog/steam. It's pretty cool, but also has a creepy vibe to it. That's a good way to describe the book itself. "Breathe My Name" has a really intriguing setting. The chilling concept of killing one's own children through insanity is disturbing but also very real. Nelson handles this difficult topic almost easily, creating a well-written book with a series of realistic and different characters whose interactions with each other are vivid and accurate to reality. "Breathe My Name" is the kind of book that is impossible to put down. So clear your afternoon. It's a book that makes you think, makes your brain itch, and makes your eyes hurt from straining them late in the night. It's suspenseful and at times frightening, not with gross deeds, but rather with psychological ones. I liked Frances' emotional development. I liked that she wasn't always ready for things and didn't just deal with everything handily as it came. I liked how each character was so individual and special, all balancing the others out. France's voice is clear and believable, the love story is not overdone, and the plot is well-spaced. The only part that I perhaps liked least of all was the ending. I felt that compared to such a strong book, it was somewhat weak. Nelson certainly could have strengthened the ending with just a bit more writing, just a bit more discussion, just a bit more emotion, but ultimately, the reader is left with very strong positive feelings. This is an interesting book about mental illnesses and dealing with traumatic pasts. Nelson's writing is really great, the plot never stops, and the characters are all well-made. It's an excellent book, until the ending, where it becomes simply a very good book. It's not for those with weak stomachs, and expect to cry (or want to cry) several times throughout the read. On the whole, recommended.