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thephdivabooks's review
4.0
Kimberly Gabriel’s heart-racing YA thriller Every Stolen Breath was such a delight to read and truly hard to put down! Filled with tension and inspired by the real life flash mob violence that occurred in Chicago nearly a decade ago, this is a must-read thriller this year.
Lia is such an interesting and unique character. She suffers from debilitating asthma and she also is still working through PTSD since the murder of her father two years ago. I really grew to love Lia from the very beginning of this book. She’s an unlikely heroine—emotionally fragile and physically she’s a bit of an underdog. But her heart is what motivates her, and it is an unstoppable force.
I live in Chicago, and I remember the chaos of the Magnificent Mile flash mob attacks. Groups of people, often coordinated via social media or other difficult to track ways, would assemble and when they got the notification to activate, they would stage horrific attacks on businesses and people in the area. It was a really scary time and one that was disturbing for so many residents.
In the book, Lia’s father was a prosecutor investigating a string of similar attacks when he becomes the victim of one himself. Lia knows that these attacks are not as random as they appear, and for two years she follows any thread she can find. And finally, it pays off. She deciphers a tweet that indicates where the next attack will be and she shows up after forwarding it to the police.
The events of the book are so suspenseful, I was truly on the edge of my seat at times. Along the way, Lia partners with a group of others who are interested in uncovering what is happening behind the attacks. I was particularly intrigued by the characters of Adam and Ryan (in very different ways), who offer hacking and reporting expertise to her investigation. These skills are needed for Lia to make progress, but her drive, tenacity, and intelligence are key as well. There’s a lot to learn about both Adam and Ryan, but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll leave my thoughts at “intriguing”!
The attacks themselves are appalling and involve quite a bit of violence, though I thought the author did a fantastic job of leaving out any graphic content. The darkness of the individuals behind the attacks was prominent and shocking. I felt the terror these attacks would spark, and I appreciated the way Lia refused to back-down from finding answers.
Fast-paced and filled with tautly-wound tension, this is a fantastic thriller that will appeal to fans of both YA and adult fiction.
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
Lia is such an interesting and unique character. She suffers from debilitating asthma and she also is still working through PTSD since the murder of her father two years ago. I really grew to love Lia from the very beginning of this book. She’s an unlikely heroine—emotionally fragile and physically she’s a bit of an underdog. But her heart is what motivates her, and it is an unstoppable force.
I live in Chicago, and I remember the chaos of the Magnificent Mile flash mob attacks. Groups of people, often coordinated via social media or other difficult to track ways, would assemble and when they got the notification to activate, they would stage horrific attacks on businesses and people in the area. It was a really scary time and one that was disturbing for so many residents.
In the book, Lia’s father was a prosecutor investigating a string of similar attacks when he becomes the victim of one himself. Lia knows that these attacks are not as random as they appear, and for two years she follows any thread she can find. And finally, it pays off. She deciphers a tweet that indicates where the next attack will be and she shows up after forwarding it to the police.
The events of the book are so suspenseful, I was truly on the edge of my seat at times. Along the way, Lia partners with a group of others who are interested in uncovering what is happening behind the attacks. I was particularly intrigued by the characters of Adam and Ryan (in very different ways), who offer hacking and reporting expertise to her investigation. These skills are needed for Lia to make progress, but her drive, tenacity, and intelligence are key as well. There’s a lot to learn about both Adam and Ryan, but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll leave my thoughts at “intriguing”!
The attacks themselves are appalling and involve quite a bit of violence, though I thought the author did a fantastic job of leaving out any graphic content. The darkness of the individuals behind the attacks was prominent and shocking. I felt the terror these attacks would spark, and I appreciated the way Lia refused to back-down from finding answers.
Fast-paced and filled with tautly-wound tension, this is a fantastic thriller that will appeal to fans of both YA and adult fiction.
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
smartinez9's review
1.0
This was one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in a long time. While the premise was interesting, and the mystery relatively complex, Lia was so completely useless it was all I could do not to throw the book at the wall. Veronica Mars, Buffy, even Nancy goddamn Drew are compelling heroines because they’re capable. They can be scared, they can be vulnerable, but they’re never inept. Lia’s characterization makes zero sense—she’s supposed to be paranoid, suffering from PTSD along with her asthma, but she routinely trusts the most suspicious characters and distrusts the few she actually should confide in. She’s supposed to be stubborn, be she caves to everyone around her. Simple solutions seem to evade her—recording her interactions with the mayor and Cullen, live-streaming early on, avoiding dark alleys. Despite knowing that she’s being targeted by a murderous mob, and suffering constant anxiety attacks as a result, she takes zero precautions, neglecting to think twice or even carry a weapon. She’s supposed to have taken—and excelled at—self-defense classes, but in every encounter she freezes up and has to be saved. I’m not saying this makes her a bad or even unrealistic person, but by why on earth is she our protagonist? It’s one thing for her to be saved by Ryan at the beginning, but she never grows. If left to her own devices, she would be dead three times over. Even her eventual incrimination of the perpetrator happens by accident, at someone else’s design—notably, the only other woman of color or queer person in the novel, Emi, who Lia despises for...her ambition? Doing her job? Saving Lia’s life? The woman literally pretty much single-handedly took down a criminal organization and kept Lia from being murdered, and Lia’s immediate response is to accuse her of doing it for attention. Wtf.
I could have maybe left this at a 2.5, but one thing really killed this for me. Namely, Adam. Apparently, it’s obligatory for the gay teen sidekick to be offed so our mediocre protagonist can gain some sympathy points. Adam’s death was not only unnecessary—it was completely avoidable. They both knew the death mob was stalking her, and yet chose to go out at night alone, unarmed and unprotected, and park in a deserted side alley? I’d believe it of Lia, but Adam actually has a few brain cells. Moreover, their attack occurs not by a whole mob, but a few teenagers who somehow coordinate beating another teen to death and leave no physical evidence behind on the body? Meanwhile, Lia is being held back by one dude, who’s main threat is his greasiness, and doesn’t do anything but wriggle around despite having been allegedly trained in self-defense. She has to, once again, be saved while her arguably more useful friend is beaten to death.
Lastly, Katie. What on earth was the point? The other POC in the novel, it seems Katie existed to say about ten words all together and establish that Lia is An Ally because she’s stood by her in the face of anti-Asian hate. But we get none of her personality or backstory beyond knowing that she’s more principled and thoughtful than Lia, who I’ve now just remembered hates her mom for worrying about her and her therapist for thinking she needs help when she’s having full-on flash-backs in which she hallucinates and sometimes blacks out. Sure.
I could have maybe left this at a 2.5, but one thing really killed this for me. Namely, Adam. Apparently, it’s obligatory for the gay teen sidekick to be offed so our mediocre protagonist can gain some sympathy points. Adam’s death was not only unnecessary—it was completely avoidable. They both knew the death mob was stalking her, and yet chose to go out at night alone, unarmed and unprotected, and park in a deserted side alley? I’d believe it of Lia, but Adam actually has a few brain cells. Moreover, their attack occurs not by a whole mob, but a few teenagers who somehow coordinate beating another teen to death and leave no physical evidence behind on the body? Meanwhile, Lia is being held back by one dude, who’s main threat is his greasiness, and doesn’t do anything but wriggle around despite having been allegedly trained in self-defense. She has to, once again, be saved while her arguably more useful friend is beaten to death.
Lastly, Katie. What on earth was the point? The other POC in the novel, it seems Katie existed to say about ten words all together and establish that Lia is An Ally because she’s stood by her in the face of anti-Asian hate. But we get none of her personality or backstory beyond knowing that she’s more principled and thoughtful than Lia, who I’ve now just remembered hates her mom for worrying about her and her therapist for thinking she needs help when she’s having full-on flash-backs in which she hallucinates and sometimes blacks out. Sure.
savandstories's review
4.0
I just finished this one today! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I so quickly got attached to the characters! For sure not for a younger audience, but a great read!
readerlatte's review
5.0
When I started this book I thought I was getting your every day average contemporary story. But, what I found in these pages was one story I will not forget anytime soon. This story follows the main character Lia after her father was murdered by a mob of people called the swarm. I have to say that is my first story about a mob of people killing someone but man this could be a series that I would totally devour!
I loved Lia and her determination to find out who killed her dad and why. She was strong and empowering and she is who I would love to be when I grow up. She didn't stop and she went head first into the situation to get justice for those who couldn't get it for themselves.
The pacing in this one done very well. The story was smooth sailing in its showing/telling and I wouldn't have changed anything!! It ended on a great note and although I would have loved to see an Epilogue set maybe a year in the future but other than that I loved the ending. The romance in this one worked very well and I would love another story set in the past before this one to learn more about Ryan and those who were forced into the Swarm.
I also just realized that this was a debut title which I have to say that this doesn't feel like a debut at all!! It felt like it was from a seasoned author that knew what they were doing and now that I know that I will be auto buying stories from Gabriel from now on because WOW!!
Go Into This One Knowing: Light Romance, Murder by Mob group of people, Death of a Parent
I loved Lia and her determination to find out who killed her dad and why. She was strong and empowering and she is who I would love to be when I grow up. She didn't stop and she went head first into the situation to get justice for those who couldn't get it for themselves.
The pacing in this one done very well. The story was smooth sailing in its showing/telling and I wouldn't have changed anything!! It ended on a great note and although I would have loved to see an Epilogue set maybe a year in the future but other than that I loved the ending. The romance in this one worked very well and I would love another story set in the past before this one to learn more about Ryan and those who were forced into the Swarm.
I also just realized that this was a debut title which I have to say that this doesn't feel like a debut at all!! It felt like it was from a seasoned author that knew what they were doing and now that I know that I will be auto buying stories from Gabriel from now on because WOW!!
Go Into This One Knowing: Light Romance, Murder by Mob group of people, Death of a Parent
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
nicolemhewitt's review
5.0
This heart-thumping thriller will keep you guessing! Who is behind Lia's father's death---and will she be the next victim?
I hadn't heard of the flash mob violence in Chicago, even though I live in the suburbs (now that I've looked it up, I know it's scary stuff!), but I was incredibly intrigued at the idea of a book based on the concept. The idea of teenagers organizing violent mobs via social media is pretty scary. And then Gabriel took the concept and made it even scarier: What if the attacks were targeted, a cover-up for some larger scheme, and the victims were actually dying? The result is a YA thriller with incredibly high stakes. Lia hasn't given up on finding the "Swarm" who killed her father, but when she tries to capture another attack on video, she finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game---one she doesn't know the rules for. The suspense is constant as Lia sees danger in every teenager she encounters. Is she imagining things or could almost any kid at school actually be out to get her?
The book also weaves in a romance, but I don't want to talk much about it because I feel like it would be hard to stay out of spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, Lia's never quite sure who she can trust---and that includes her love interest. I'll confess that I did feel a slight disconnect with the MC---a few events in this book had the potential to be devastating, but while I appreciated them for their effect on the story and the mystery, I never really felt for Lia as she experienced incredible loss. Still, this was a tightly woven mystery with plenty of surprises!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
I hadn't heard of the flash mob violence in Chicago, even though I live in the suburbs (now that I've looked it up, I know it's scary stuff!), but I was incredibly intrigued at the idea of a book based on the concept. The idea of teenagers organizing violent mobs via social media is pretty scary. And then Gabriel took the concept and made it even scarier: What if the attacks were targeted, a cover-up for some larger scheme, and the victims were actually dying? The result is a YA thriller with incredibly high stakes. Lia hasn't given up on finding the "Swarm" who killed her father, but when she tries to capture another attack on video, she finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game---one she doesn't know the rules for. The suspense is constant as Lia sees danger in every teenager she encounters. Is she imagining things or could almost any kid at school actually be out to get her?
The book also weaves in a romance, but I don't want to talk much about it because I feel like it would be hard to stay out of spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, Lia's never quite sure who she can trust---and that includes her love interest. I'll confess that I did feel a slight disconnect with the MC---a few events in this book had the potential to be devastating, but while I appreciated them for their effect on the story and the mystery, I never really felt for Lia as she experienced incredible loss. Still, this was a tightly woven mystery with plenty of surprises!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
totallytae_23's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When I picked this up at the library I did not think I would like this book so much. When I heard of a “swarm.” I’m not sure what I envisioned… It sounded interesting, but it’s 10X better than the description even makes it out to be. (Not saying the description is bad, but the vibe of the book is a little different.) The concept is so interesting and Lia is a very strong female lead! Also, This was chilling. So, so emotional, and one of my new favorite YA thrillers. I mostly just read suspense books, (although I do love a side of romance.) and this checked all the boxes. This is the type of book that is extraordinarily hard to put down, and it did a good job at turning the tables on you. The plot line was easy enough to follow but not too plain. The writing style is enjoyable and very immersive. The reason I gave this 4.5 instead of a 5 was simply the ending. I kind of want to know what happened to a few of the characters afterwards, but that’s something that could be done in a novella or just in my imagination. This review is kind of all over the place, since I finished this late at night. I apologize. 😅 Anyway definitely read this book! It’s amazing! It sucks you in from the start and won’t let you go! Okay bye!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Cursing
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Suicide
notinjersey's review
4.0
If you’re looking for a book with a strong, smart, female main character, you will find it here. I don’t think I’ve ever read a Young Adult novel with such little emphasis on the love story! Lia wants to find out who was controlling the group that killed her father, while she also must keep herself safe and figure out who she can trust. This book has an exciting and well-written plot. The characters are believable and the story is full of action. There is a group of young people who are swarming and attacking their victims. They use technology to plan their attacks and Lia works to uncover where the next attacks will take place – and who are the targets. There is violence in the book, and the deaths are sad. I really liked that the book takes place in Chicago, and reading about the friendships that Lia developed on her quest to solve the mystery of the Swarm.