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sashapasha's review against another edition
1.0
Okay, so considering all the positive ratings, this is going to piss off a whole bunch of people.
My thoughts halfway through:
Warning: this book seriously irked me, so prepare yourself for some harsh, poorly written ranting. Unlike the first book, which was a touching story about what it's like to live with abusive relatives, this book was a goddamn soap opera, replete with melodrama and idiotic and self-destructive characters. I didn't think the problems were nearly as serious or profound as the ones in the first installment. It was so predictable you could see the drama approaching miles away. And Emma really got on my nerves, thanks to all of the stupid decisions she made. Here's a partial list:
-she started lying to Evan (for no good reason, i might add. Infuriating)
-she enabled her mother's behavior (which made it really difficult to sympathize)
-she flirted with her mother's boyfriend (a lot) and started hanging out with him in the middle of the night, but got really jealous over a girl Evan wasn't even flirting with, (hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite!!!!)
-she spent a lot of time moping and being depressed when she really should have been enjoying being free of her aunt (you're FREE!!!! Be happy already!)
-she kept on begging her mother's boyfriend to stay with her mother, (SO not her call, and annoying because she had a perfect boyfriend (Evan) and you could tell she was on the verge of screwing up her relationship with him)
-her 37 year old mother distributed alcohol to her high school-age friends at one of her basketball games, but she said NOTHING! No "WTF are you doing?! You can't give alcohol to minors, pull yourself together!!!!"
And that's just the stuff off the top of my mind. There's plenty more that I just can't think of at the moment. Her mother was so immature. Maybe I'm being harsh about this, but the woman was so pathetic and needy! I mean, I'm alone all the freaking time, but do I need to drink myself into a coma? No. I read books or watch movies or surf the web or play the piano or do SOMETHING to keep myself entertained. And if I absolutely MUST get out of the house and do something with people, I take a dance class or go to a museum or join a knitting society. Take up rock climbing or help facilitate a film festival. Do volunteer work. I think you either have to be dumber than a brick or mentally ill to be unable to keep yourself entertained for short periods of time. I just wanted to tell the mother "get over your grief already, it's been years. Stop being such a drama queen and clean up your act. And if you can't do that, then go get some counseling and antidepressants. Jesus." I have zero patience for that sort behavior or wallowing in self-pity when clearly, it's time to move on. (P.S. Totally reminiscent of New Moon from the twilight saga. You just should NOT let yourself get that depressed over some guy, no matter how amazing he is. It goes against nature. As cliched as this is, life goes on, and Bella and these other characters need to learn to move with the flow. Find something bright to be happy about. Honestly, I think a person must not have a life at all, if their entire happiness hinges on their boyfriend.)
I'll edit the review once I've read the entire book. Hopefully, it will redeem itself in some fashion.
Update: 12/12/12
So I finished Barely Breathing over a week ago, and now that I've spent some time away from it most of my animosity has faded. I would like to say, though, that for the second half of the book my annoyance with Emma reached never before seen levels. I was surprised at the strength of my own reaction. I can honestly say that I do not often get particularly passionate about my dislike for a protagonist, but it seems that this book is the exception. I truly hated Emma at times. In the end, though, she finally made a decision that mollified me a bit. To conclude, I think this book is too long, too angsty, and just in general, painful to read.
My thoughts halfway through:
Warning: this book seriously irked me, so prepare yourself for some harsh, poorly written ranting. Unlike the first book, which was a touching story about what it's like to live with abusive relatives, this book was a goddamn soap opera, replete with melodrama and idiotic and self-destructive characters. I didn't think the problems were nearly as serious or profound as the ones in the first installment. It was so predictable you could see the drama approaching miles away. And Emma really got on my nerves, thanks to all of the stupid decisions she made. Here's a partial list:
-she started lying to Evan (for no good reason, i might add. Infuriating)
-she enabled her mother's behavior (which made it really difficult to sympathize)
-she flirted with her mother's boyfriend (a lot) and started hanging out with him in the middle of the night, but got really jealous over a girl Evan wasn't even flirting with, (hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite!!!!)
-she spent a lot of time moping and being depressed when she really should have been enjoying being free of her aunt (you're FREE!!!! Be happy already!)
-she kept on begging her mother's boyfriend to stay with her mother, (SO not her call, and annoying because she had a perfect boyfriend (Evan) and you could tell she was on the verge of screwing up her relationship with him)
-her 37 year old mother distributed alcohol to her high school-age friends at one of her basketball games, but she said NOTHING! No "WTF are you doing?! You can't give alcohol to minors, pull yourself together!!!!"
And that's just the stuff off the top of my mind. There's plenty more that I just can't think of at the moment. Her mother was so immature. Maybe I'm being harsh about this, but the woman was so pathetic and needy! I mean, I'm alone all the freaking time, but do I need to drink myself into a coma? No. I read books or watch movies or surf the web or play the piano or do SOMETHING to keep myself entertained. And if I absolutely MUST get out of the house and do something with people, I take a dance class or go to a museum or join a knitting society. Take up rock climbing or help facilitate a film festival. Do volunteer work. I think you either have to be dumber than a brick or mentally ill to be unable to keep yourself entertained for short periods of time. I just wanted to tell the mother "get over your grief already, it's been years. Stop being such a drama queen and clean up your act. And if you can't do that, then go get some counseling and antidepressants. Jesus." I have zero patience for that sort behavior or wallowing in self-pity when clearly, it's time to move on. (P.S. Totally reminiscent of New Moon from the twilight saga. You just should NOT let yourself get that depressed over some guy, no matter how amazing he is. It goes against nature. As cliched as this is, life goes on, and Bella and these other characters need to learn to move with the flow. Find something bright to be happy about. Honestly, I think a person must not have a life at all, if their entire happiness hinges on their boyfriend.)
I'll edit the review once I've read the entire book. Hopefully, it will redeem itself in some fashion.
Update: 12/12/12
So I finished Barely Breathing over a week ago, and now that I've spent some time away from it most of my animosity has faded. I would like to say, though, that for the second half of the book my annoyance with Emma reached never before seen levels. I was surprised at the strength of my own reaction. I can honestly say that I do not often get particularly passionate about my dislike for a protagonist, but it seems that this book is the exception. I truly hated Emma at times. In the end, though, she finally made a decision that mollified me a bit. To conclude, I think this book is too long, too angsty, and just in general, painful to read.
nightcourt4eva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cbgreen's review against another edition
5.0
And Rebecca Donovan has done it again! She has left me speechless and heart broken right to the end. The happy moments make me want to cry and the heart wrenching moments make me want to cry even harder. This book was fantastic. Had to order the 3rd one in to my local bookstore and I am waiting on the edge of my seat until it comes it.
Donovan does an amazing job of ending a story where you want to scream. If you are thinking of reading this series, do it!
Donovan does an amazing job of ending a story where you want to scream. If you are thinking of reading this series, do it!
vikart's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the second book of the series. In the second book Emma moves in with her mother, Rachel, but her life doesn't reach sunshine and roses.
While I recognised what other people were saying within the first and second book about them not being perfect, I saw both books as extremely touching. They both made me go through many different stages of sadness and annoyance. The ending in itself I found extremely heart shattering and a part of me wishes to pretend they reached a happy conclusion. I sincerely hope that the final book brings me closure.
If you've read the first book and you enjoyed it or want to know what happens in the next chapter of Emma's life, then this is the place for you. Once more, just like the first book, be sure to check for the content warnings as this is a very heavy read.
While I recognised what other people were saying within the first and second book about them not being perfect, I saw both books as extremely touching. They both made me go through many different stages of sadness and annoyance. The ending in itself I found extremely heart shattering and a part of me wishes to pretend they reached a happy conclusion. I sincerely hope that the final book brings me closure.
If you've read the first book and you enjoyed it or want to know what happens in the next chapter of Emma's life, then this is the place for you. Once more, just like the first book, be sure to check for the content warnings as this is a very heavy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Alcoholism
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Murder
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Blood, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Addiction
adelle_bookworm's review against another edition
1.0
Knížku jsem četla v rámci knižní štafety a nebýt možnosti se do toho vyzuřit, asi bych to ani nedočetla. Jak jsem ostatně napsala i holkám v hodnocení; můj názor jde asi dost poznat z ubývajících poznámek, zato přibývajících vulgarismů. Chcete vědět, jak vypadá 500 stran absolutně o ničem? Takhle. (Ale nechcete, věřte mi.)
Ta kniha nemá děj. ABSOLUTNĚ ŽÁDNÝ. Tam prostě není zápletka - ale není to příklad díla, kde by to teda fungovalo. Směsice nefunkčních dialogů, směšných postav, deus-ex-machina situací a extrémních kravin, které si autorka cucala z prstu, jak se jí zrovna zachtělo. Koncem to zabila už totálně, nechápu, co se touhle knihou snaží předat za poselství.
Upřímně, dlouho jsem nad knihou nebyla takhle rozčilená :'D
Ta kniha nemá děj. ABSOLUTNĚ ŽÁDNÝ. Tam prostě není zápletka - ale není to příklad díla, kde by to teda fungovalo. Směsice nefunkčních dialogů, směšných postav, deus-ex-machina situací a extrémních kravin, které si autorka cucala z prstu, jak se jí zrovna zachtělo. Koncem to zabila už totálně, nechápu, co se touhle knihou snaží předat za poselství.
Upřímně, dlouho jsem nad knihou nebyla takhle rozčilená :'D
smiilefry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Alcoholism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Drug abuse
devansbooklife's review against another edition
5.0
What is with the cliffhangers lately? Every book I have read has had them.
I'm so conflicted here. What happened in the end was Emma's fault in a way. Had she never opened up to Jonathan like she had and been open to Evan the misunderstanding wouldn't have happened. While I get why she did, I just don't see why she couldn't trust Evan after everything they had been through.
Let me veer off here and talk about Evan's relationship with Analise. Completely inappropriate! I almost threw my kindle across the room while my chest felt suffocated with jealousy. And I was the reader. It's crazy how books can affect me. I wouldn't even let my boyfriend touch me because I was so ticked at the male race. But how on earth did Evan even justify his actions? He loves Emma but doesn't mind carting a tag-a-long everywhere?
I can understand why Emma leaves in the end. But I don't get it. She throws away the most amazing man, her one true love because of her inability to not harm him? I'm fuming! I am now going to be up the rest of the night devouring book three, praying she gets knocked in the head in soccer so she will come to her senses.
I'm so conflicted here. What happened in the end was Emma's fault in a way. Had she never opened up to Jonathan like she had and been open to Evan the misunderstanding wouldn't have happened. While I get why she did, I just don't see why she couldn't trust Evan after everything they had been through.
Let me veer off here and talk about Evan's relationship with Analise. Completely inappropriate! I almost threw my kindle across the room while my chest felt suffocated with jealousy. And I was the reader. It's crazy how books can affect me. I wouldn't even let my boyfriend touch me because I was so ticked at the male race. But how on earth did Evan even justify his actions? He loves Emma but doesn't mind carting a tag-a-long everywhere?
I can understand why Emma leaves in the end. But I don't get it. She throws away the most amazing man, her one true love because of her inability to not harm him? I'm fuming! I am now going to be up the rest of the night devouring book three, praying she gets knocked in the head in soccer so she will come to her senses.
dharma130's review against another edition
4.0
OMG...I can't put this series down. So entertaining. Love the main characters.