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itstaralw's review
2.0
This was a great book if Blanchard is a 15 year old middle schooler who does only okay in English class.
This felt like the author pieced together three or four different unfinished stories just to meet a deadline.
Kate, the main character, is supposed to be a highly educated psychologist, however she & her partner speak to/with each other as though they’re children. The whole “my boyfriend is _______” line is nauseating. Oh also, her rich boyfriend is a mamas boy, that’s such a new idea.
Kate lacks any of the intelligence the holder of a PhD would have— she doesn’t have much basic medical knowledge, she’s not that great at talking to people with mental health issues, she’s very very easily affected by the things her patients say, she doesn’t listen to her superiors, etc. You don’t need to be a psychiatrist yourself to know that they leave their personal baggage at the door.
Common sense is something she has even less of, compared to intelligence. A patient’s family member physically assaults her and she’s just okay with it, but when her supervisor tells her she’s overstepping her boundaries she throws a tantrum. Now, she isn’t the only dumb “professional” in the book. In fact, all of them are unbelievably bad at their jobs.
The last part of the book somehow gets worse & even less believable. It barely ties back to any of the drawn-out parts of the first half, and the killer is beyond boring with an even more boring stretch of a motive. Even in my imagination, it played out like a low budget thriller film. I am personally offended that I looked forward to this read.
My last point is what originally tipped me off to Blanchard being a middle schooler: Henry Blackwood is not innocent, whether he murdered children or not. I’m not sure how many times he is described as a potentially innocent man, even after it’s confirmed that he has a serious history of sexually abusing his own family, but it was way too much. Don’t read it, it’s a waste of time.
This felt like the author pieced together three or four different unfinished stories just to meet a deadline.
Kate, the main character, is supposed to be a highly educated psychologist, however she & her partner speak to/with each other as though they’re children. The whole “my boyfriend is _______” line is nauseating. Oh also, her rich boyfriend is a mamas boy, that’s such a new idea.
Kate lacks any of the intelligence the holder of a PhD would have— she doesn’t have much basic medical knowledge, she’s not that great at talking to people with mental health issues, she’s very very easily affected by the things her patients say, she doesn’t listen to her superiors, etc. You don’t need to be a psychiatrist yourself to know that they leave their personal baggage at the door.
Common sense is something she has even less of, compared to intelligence. A patient’s family member physically assaults her and she’s just okay with it, but when her supervisor tells her she’s overstepping her boundaries she throws a tantrum. Now, she isn’t the only dumb “professional” in the book. In fact, all of them are unbelievably bad at their jobs.
The last part of the book somehow gets worse & even less believable. It barely ties back to any of the drawn-out parts of the first half, and the killer is beyond boring with an even more boring stretch of a motive. Even in my imagination, it played out like a low budget thriller film. I am personally offended that I looked forward to this read.
My last point is what originally tipped me off to Blanchard being a middle schooler: Henry Blackwood is not innocent, whether he murdered children or not. I’m not sure how many times he is described as a potentially innocent man, even after it’s confirmed that he has a serious history of sexually abusing his own family, but it was way too much. Don’t read it, it’s a waste of time.
andi514's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
donnamunroauthor's review
5.0
This is a chilling and complex mystery to unravel. I loved Alice's writing voice and how she kept me guessing. A terrific read and highly recommended.
steph1rothwell's review
4.0
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I knew it would be one I would enjoy. It is a psychological thriller that slowly builds up to the main story and I really appreciated knowing more about Kate and her work before learning more about the tragic events from her past.
I liked her a lot, her relationship with her partner James felt real, and you also learned about the pressures in his job. Her fractured relationship with her father,which made her feel guilty for not doing more all made a fictional character real.
The insight into her work helped a lot, I found it to be a very interesting perspective and different to a crime novel that is mainly from a policing point of view. There were a couple of chilling parts in the novel, one was her work and the danger it could put her in. The other was witnessing something that we don’t do in this country. I have read similar before but it was shown here with a lot more feeling.
I enjoyed this novel as a standalone but there were characters in it that I would enjoy meeting again.
I liked her a lot, her relationship with her partner James felt real, and you also learned about the pressures in his job. Her fractured relationship with her father,which made her feel guilty for not doing more all made a fictional character real.
The insight into her work helped a lot, I found it to be a very interesting perspective and different to a crime novel that is mainly from a policing point of view. There were a couple of chilling parts in the novel, one was her work and the danger it could put her in. The other was witnessing something that we don’t do in this country. I have read similar before but it was shown here with a lot more feeling.
I enjoyed this novel as a standalone but there were characters in it that I would enjoy meeting again.
zoemig's review
2.0
I hadn't heard anything about A Breath After Drowning by Alice Blanchard prior to receiving a copy in the mail, but I love dark suspense thrillers, so I immediately knew I was going to read it. I even managed to get an audiobook copy from the library, which was great. A Breath After Drowning is the story of child psychiatrist Kate, whose sister was murdered, and who finds herself re-examining the evidence sixteen years later and wondering if the right man is on death row.
Since Kate is a psychiatrist, a lot of the book revolves around her latest patient with a connection to her sister, and the fallout from a previous patient that committed suicide. The story had an interesting premise and seemed well-researched, but it just moves so so slowly that wasn't until over halfway into the book that I really felt like there was any intensity building. Kate also, despite seeming like a smart person, makes a lot of frustrating and not-smart choices. I did enjoy the slow-burning the intensity of the last couple hundred pages, but there were no actual surprises despite having many twists. Listening to the audiobook it became very very obvious how terrible the dialogue was. This is definitely a case of a book I enjoyed more when I was reading my paper copy, but even that couldn't save the horrible, ridiculous fight scene that occurs near the end of the book. Overall, I feel like Blanchard is an author with a lot of potential, but unless a book came highly recommended by someone whose opinion I respect I'm unlikely to read anything else by her in the future.
Since Kate is a psychiatrist, a lot of the book revolves around her latest patient with a connection to her sister, and the fallout from a previous patient that committed suicide. The story had an interesting premise and seemed well-researched, but it just moves so so slowly that wasn't until over halfway into the book that I really felt like there was any intensity building. Kate also, despite seeming like a smart person, makes a lot of frustrating and not-smart choices. I did enjoy the slow-burning the intensity of the last couple hundred pages, but there were no actual surprises despite having many twists. Listening to the audiobook it became very very obvious how terrible the dialogue was. This is definitely a case of a book I enjoyed more when I was reading my paper copy, but even that couldn't save the horrible, ridiculous fight scene that occurs near the end of the book. Overall, I feel like Blanchard is an author with a lot of potential, but unless a book came highly recommended by someone whose opinion I respect I'm unlikely to read anything else by her in the future.
snazzybooks's review against another edition
4.0
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Tense, engaging and intriguing, A Breath After Drowning captured my interest from the very first page. It starts out very focused on the characters, who I really liked (allowing me to become more invested in Kate and her life). Though it jumps backwards in time a little, the storyline is mostly focused on the here and now, which makes a nice change from many other books in this genre which tend to constantly flit between timeframes.
I enjoyed reading about Kate's childhood, looking out for clues of what might have happened to her sister, but I preferred reading about Kate today, with her mental battles and her quest to find out what really happened all those years ago.
The mystery side of the story develops as the narrative continues, and I found myself completely absorbed - I really wanted to know what had happened; there's something about 'cold' cases which, although they took place so long ago, really grab my attention.
Some parts are more dramatic than others, but overall I felt Alice Blanchard did a great job of not straying into the 'too-ridiculous' category. Though the story starts out a lot slower, the pace and tension ramps up as the story continues, ending in a conclusion which left me feeling satisfied and wanting to read more by this author!
* Many thanks to Philippa at Titan Books for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review, and for inviting me onto the blog tour! *
Tense, engaging and intriguing, A Breath After Drowning captured my interest from the very first page. It starts out very focused on the characters, who I really liked (allowing me to become more invested in Kate and her life). Though it jumps backwards in time a little, the storyline is mostly focused on the here and now, which makes a nice change from many other books in this genre which tend to constantly flit between timeframes.
I enjoyed reading about Kate's childhood, looking out for clues of what might have happened to her sister, but I preferred reading about Kate today, with her mental battles and her quest to find out what really happened all those years ago.
The mystery side of the story develops as the narrative continues, and I found myself completely absorbed - I really wanted to know what had happened; there's something about 'cold' cases which, although they took place so long ago, really grab my attention.
Some parts are more dramatic than others, but overall I felt Alice Blanchard did a great job of not straying into the 'too-ridiculous' category. Though the story starts out a lot slower, the pace and tension ramps up as the story continues, ending in a conclusion which left me feeling satisfied and wanting to read more by this author!
* Many thanks to Philippa at Titan Books for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review, and for inviting me onto the blog tour! *
wondernikel's review against another edition
1.0
Boring, and slow....But had all the makings for a good novel...Unfortunately, I felt like there wasn't enough mystery and how does EVERYONE in this small town have mental health issues OR a sob story...Yeesh!
booksnpenguins's review
4.0
Once in a while, the earth tipped over, and the truth got really ugly. But it could also set you free. The world revealed its colors. And it was shining brightly on the other side.
Loved this one! It kept me wondering and on the edge until the end, and I absolutely adored Blanchard's writing & Kate Wolfe as a MC.
I'm definitely going to read more of this author.
sarahsbookstack's review
5.0
A dark story in the world of a serial killer and a pychiatrist trying to cope with the murder of her sister 16 years ago. Delt a lot with mental illness. it's sad what some illnesses can make a person think and do. I was back and forth in my thinking of who the killer was and it surprised me when you find out who it was. I didn't see that coming at all!
Great book and let me find a new author to read
Great book and let me find a new author to read