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drskspawn's review
3.0
“BreathTaken” is a psychological thriller comprised of twenty-five chapters and one prologue and takes place in the town of Samhale, a close-knit community with a strong emphasis on helping others. At the forefront of this is Amy Jones, the beautiful and caring next-door neighbour of main character Richard Teft; the prologue establishes that Amy has a big heart and is smitten with Richard, despite her being married to Neil. Once the narrative focuses on Richard, we quickly learn that he’s practically obsessed to the point of distraction by Amy! His life is shattered when he finds his mother dead, and the guilt and pain drive him to alcoholism and cost him his job. The one bright spot in his life is Amy; the idea of her causes the “butterflies” to swell throughout his body; he pines for her relentlessly, fantasising about being with her, but continuously struggles to step away from the comfort offered by alcohol.
Although Richard is a tragic figure, his uncomfortable obsession with Amy paints him as a questionable figure. While Richard loses himself to anguish and alcohol, an equally infatuated and broken killer stalks the blonde-haired women of Samhale. This mysterious killer favours suffocating his victims with a pillowcase to steal their breath and them smother himself with it as a means to subdue his laboured breathing. The killer is very meticulous, easily getting close to his victims and catching them unawares, and is made creepier by his tendency to sing a little nursery rhyme. Amidst all of this is Mills, a rebellious little girl who sneaks out of her house at night and often spots the killer lurking around town, but hesitates to say anything since she’ll get in trouble for being out and no-one would believe her anyway.
“BreathTaken” is noticeably different to Amanda’s last book; the narrative is much tighter, focusing on these three characters and their different mindsets, but it can become a little repetitive given that both Richard and the killer spend many chapters constantly reinforcing their obsessions. However, it’s a pretty desolate exploration of one man’s descent into grief and hardship and the chapters following the killer were also disturbingly well done; I really enjoyed the red herrings scattered throughout the text and how unsettling the killer’s methods and thoughts were. “BreathTaken” showcases not only Amanda’s range but also her brilliant grasp of the psychology behind her killers and characters. While the repetitive aspects did let it down a little bit, I enjoyed her characterisations and the bizarre nature of their personalities, and I think fans of murder mysteries would definitely find a lot to sink their teeth into here.
Although Richard is a tragic figure, his uncomfortable obsession with Amy paints him as a questionable figure. While Richard loses himself to anguish and alcohol, an equally infatuated and broken killer stalks the blonde-haired women of Samhale. This mysterious killer favours suffocating his victims with a pillowcase to steal their breath and them smother himself with it as a means to subdue his laboured breathing. The killer is very meticulous, easily getting close to his victims and catching them unawares, and is made creepier by his tendency to sing a little nursery rhyme. Amidst all of this is Mills, a rebellious little girl who sneaks out of her house at night and often spots the killer lurking around town, but hesitates to say anything since she’ll get in trouble for being out and no-one would believe her anyway.
“BreathTaken” is noticeably different to Amanda’s last book; the narrative is much tighter, focusing on these three characters and their different mindsets, but it can become a little repetitive given that both Richard and the killer spend many chapters constantly reinforcing their obsessions. However, it’s a pretty desolate exploration of one man’s descent into grief and hardship and the chapters following the killer were also disturbingly well done; I really enjoyed the red herrings scattered throughout the text and how unsettling the killer’s methods and thoughts were. “BreathTaken” showcases not only Amanda’s range but also her brilliant grasp of the psychology behind her killers and characters. While the repetitive aspects did let it down a little bit, I enjoyed her characterisations and the bizarre nature of their personalities, and I think fans of murder mysteries would definitely find a lot to sink their teeth into here.
memull17's review
4.0
You ever just read a book and wonder what did I just read? This is that book. It will have you wanting to reread it to see if you can pick up any details you might have missed the first time around. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out “who done it” or what the big twist is fairly early on in reading a book but this one had me second guessing myself until it finally clicked. The narrators are unreliable which makes it perfect for a thriller especially a psychological thriller. Plus to watch one of the narrators slowly unravel has you feeling sorry for them but also skeptical at the same time. Solid, well paced thriller.
Thank you @KateRockBookTours and @Amanda.b.Jaeger for this eARC as part of the book tour in exchange for my honest feedback.
Thank you @KateRockBookTours and @Amanda.b.Jaeger for this eARC as part of the book tour in exchange for my honest feedback.
mandy1207's review
4.0
Thank you to Amanda Jaeger for the ARC and the opportunity to read and leave an honest review.
BreakTaken follows a man named Richard Teft who is struggling with alcoholism and obsession. He’s been dealt a crappy hand and can’t help but drink himself into a stupor at the end of the day. But when women start getting murdered in his town and they all resemble his muse, Amy, Richard is unsure if he is acting out.
I’d give this book 3.5 stars, but am rating it a 4 due to some of my reasoning being subjective and picky.
What I enjoyed:
I love that Richard is an unreliable narrator. The way Jaeger writes his POV is reminiscent of Caroline Kepnes’s Joe Goldberg of You. It’s this rolling, circular prose that gets inside your head. At times, it can be difficult to read, but it’s something that makes the writing gripping and causes you to not want to look away. I think this makes Jaeger’s work stand out from other thrillers and what makes it a true psychological thriller. I applaud her for this.
I loved Mills. She’s sassy and lends a lot to the story. I think she was very well-done and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.
What I struggled with:
I had a difficult time connecting with Richard until 3/4th of the way through (but was I really supposed to?). At times I felt the scenes were too repetitive or too on-the-nose and brought me out of the story, but then there would be a gorgeously written scene that would reel me right back in.
I love-hate the intricacies. I think some of them could have been narrowed down, but at the same time it’s always fun when something clicks. I did feel at times maybe there were too many, although they all tied in at the end and for that I applaud the author. I think it also fit Richard's internal dialogue as well, which is why this may be a subjective opinion.
The thing that really brings my rating down is the climax. This is where I feel I’m being completely subjective, but honest, so take it with a grain of salt. There’s something that pulled me out of the story the entire climax and it left me wanting just a bit more (I don’t want to say what exactly because I want people to give the book a true chance!). There was also a slight lack of clarity in the ending that felt a bit unbelievable to me.
I would still recommend the book if you like true psychological thrillers, because this has it all: the mind racing, the eeriness, the shock factor. I will be reading more of Jaeger’s work. It takes a lot to write something psychological like this. It’s not an easy feat and she did a great job!
BreakTaken follows a man named Richard Teft who is struggling with alcoholism and obsession. He’s been dealt a crappy hand and can’t help but drink himself into a stupor at the end of the day. But when women start getting murdered in his town and they all resemble his muse, Amy, Richard is unsure if he is acting out.
I’d give this book 3.5 stars, but am rating it a 4 due to some of my reasoning being subjective and picky.
What I enjoyed:
I love that Richard is an unreliable narrator. The way Jaeger writes his POV is reminiscent of Caroline Kepnes’s Joe Goldberg of You. It’s this rolling, circular prose that gets inside your head. At times, it can be difficult to read, but it’s something that makes the writing gripping and causes you to not want to look away. I think this makes Jaeger’s work stand out from other thrillers and what makes it a true psychological thriller. I applaud her for this.
I loved Mills. She’s sassy and lends a lot to the story. I think she was very well-done and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.
What I struggled with:
I had a difficult time connecting with Richard until 3/4th of the way through (but was I really supposed to?). At times I felt the scenes were too repetitive or too on-the-nose and brought me out of the story, but then there would be a gorgeously written scene that would reel me right back in.
I love-hate the intricacies. I think some of them could have been narrowed down, but at the same time it’s always fun when something clicks. I did feel at times maybe there were too many, although they all tied in at the end and for that I applaud the author. I think it also fit Richard's internal dialogue as well, which is why this may be a subjective opinion.
The thing that really brings my rating down is the climax. This is where I feel I’m being completely subjective, but honest, so take it with a grain of salt. There’s something that pulled me out of the story the entire climax and it left me wanting just a bit more (I don’t want to say what exactly because I want people to give the book a true chance!). There was also a slight lack of clarity in the ending that felt a bit unbelievable to me.
I would still recommend the book if you like true psychological thrillers, because this has it all: the mind racing, the eeriness, the shock factor. I will be reading more of Jaeger’s work. It takes a lot to write something psychological like this. It’s not an easy feat and she did a great job!
amberherbert's review
4.0
I enjoyed BreathTaken. Though it differed a great deal from Jaeger's debut, the characters were fleshed out and interesting, and I appreciated the small scope of the novel.
I felt, however, that the book would have been more succinct and gripping if it had been cut down to a novella. There was a lot of repetition that I felt grew tiring in sections, even if I understand why Jaeger chose to emphasize certain aspects of Richard's character.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick suspense read and doesn't mind an obsession plotline.
I felt, however, that the book would have been more succinct and gripping if it had been cut down to a novella. There was a lot of repetition that I felt grew tiring in sections, even if I understand why Jaeger chose to emphasize certain aspects of Richard's character.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick suspense read and doesn't mind an obsession plotline.
thepolishedbibliophile's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
"BreathTaken" is a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing until the end. Along with learning about someone taking the breath of women k town, readers are taken through Richard's journey of overcoming his demons but what really happens during his blackouts? This book has a small town community where neighbors know each other and look out for each other. Gladys was a hoot and is the ideal neighbor to have always watching your back. I was on edge trying to figure out what was going to happen and who was harming those in town. I couldn't get the pages flipped fast enough! Thank you Amanda Jaeger and Kate Rock Book Tours for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
inkdrinkerjen's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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