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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This took me a little while to get into. I think I had to adjust to the writing style or get a bit attached to the characters before I was really enjoying it.
This is exactly the sort of book I would have loved as a teenager. Young Adult crime thriller set in Melbourne. Romantic tension between the two main characters. One of the leads is passionate about forensics and crime statistics etc. If I'd attempted to write a novel at 16 that was everything I wanted in a book, plotwise this is what I would have been aiming for (though obviously I wouldn't have been anywhere near as good at it).
There were a couple of niggling things. There's a bit early where the teenagers are figuring stuff out about the murder and I was a bit skeptical of them knowing better from high school biology/forensics classes and phone photos than professionals with lots of training and access to the body. But it was a bit vague to me if they were figuring stuff out for the professionals or just impressing them with what they already knew.
But overall, I really enjoyed it. I'll be picking up the next one as soon as possible. And I really got a kick out knowing the geography of where things were taking place.
This is exactly the sort of book I would have loved as a teenager. Young Adult crime thriller set in Melbourne. Romantic tension between the two main characters. One of the leads is passionate about forensics and crime statistics etc. If I'd attempted to write a novel at 16 that was everything I wanted in a book, plotwise this is what I would have been aiming for (though obviously I wouldn't have been anywhere near as good at it).
There were a couple of niggling things. There's a bit early where the teenagers are figuring stuff out about the murder and I was a bit skeptical of them knowing better from high school biology/forensics classes and phone photos than professionals with lots of training and access to the body. But it was a bit vague to me if they were figuring stuff out for the professionals or just impressing them with what they already knew.
But overall, I really enjoyed it. I'll be picking up the next one as soon as possible. And I really got a kick out knowing the geography of where things were taking place.
I had been eyeing this book from a distance for quite some time until I finally had the courage to splurge and purchase it. It promised a murder mystery and sleuthing fuss with the added splash of teen romance that I never seemed to find in a good mystery book. Which put frankly, is a book made for the likes of me. The blurb on the cover said it all: what if Sherlock Holmes was the boy next door?
James Mycroft and Rachel Watts, our Holmes-Watson pair, are fabulous characters. They are teenagers, with just the right amount of snark and banter in them (i.e. a tad too much to be healthy), and were a delight to read about. For some reason, I have a fondness for boys who call girls by their last names, and vice-versa, which this book gave to me in both manners, a fact that I fondly took note of.
But before I get sidetracked with these two charmers, let's get into what this book is. It's part murder mystery and part romance, a combination that worked beautifully in this case, with just the right amount of swoony chemistry but didn't skimp on the gory details. Because if you've seen enough crime shows the way I have, the details that pack a punch give you that grimy taste of a crime scene.
Rachel, or Watts, is the responsible girl. She has a solid head on her shoulders, and she's caring and loyal as well. She's a country girl forced to live in the city, where she met Mycroft, her next door neighbor and a crime solver in the making. She feels real and has palpable worries, ones that I could relate to, from the family dynamic to the financial straits she was in. It is all too easy for fictional characters to lose their heads when involved in something like crime and an attractive boy, but Watts thankfully did not lose herself and for that I was thankful.
Mycroft is great, a genuinely interesting guy to read about. He's curious, and methodical, having that inquisitive and sharp nature that we all associate with the illustrious Holmes, but with the added warmth of a teenage boy who has that oblivious side to him that I found quite endearing. But alas, not everything is crystal clear with him, and his backstory is one that piqued my heart. Needless to say, it involves his family, a juvenile record, and a drive to figure stuff out. Hopefully, the sequels will reveal more about him, but for now, I quite like who he is as is.
Does being an eccentric genius excuse any kind of behavior, no matter how antisocial or self-destructive?
What surprised me in a good way was that when the book starts, you're in the midst of Watts and Mycroft's friendship. They have a camaraderie and bond that's close enough to warrant friendship, maybe something more. It sets the stage for the dynamic they have together. Moving on to their relationship, or lack thereof, I was very pleased with. You can feel the unspoken tension and chemistry between Watts and Mycroft in brief flickers since the very beginning. It's one of those slow burn ones, where you keep rooting the characters on until that inevitable moment occurs. And when it does, it was well worth the wait of two characters tiptoeing around the attraction they share.
Everything inside me is suddenly reduced to feeling. That's all there is, just pure sensation.
As for the murder mystery, I give props to Marney for crafting a believable and well-crafted case. It was intriguing, and had everything I could hope for, including dysfunctional tragedies and a touch of madness. The sleuthing, of course, is the best part of any mystery, and while I enjoy my fair share of confounding twists and turns, it was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the characters and their chemistry as much as the actual mystery, without having my head hurt trying to figure out the case.
With such a promising start, I am very much looking forward to the rest of this series and cannot wait to catch up with Watts and Mycroft soon.
You can read this and other review on my blog. :)
James Mycroft and Rachel Watts, our Holmes-Watson pair, are fabulous characters. They are teenagers, with just the right amount of snark and banter in them (i.e. a tad too much to be healthy), and were a delight to read about. For some reason, I have a fondness for boys who call girls by their last names, and vice-versa, which this book gave to me in both manners, a fact that I fondly took note of.
But before I get sidetracked with these two charmers, let's get into what this book is. It's part murder mystery and part romance, a combination that worked beautifully in this case, with just the right amount of swoony chemistry but didn't skimp on the gory details. Because if you've seen enough crime shows the way I have, the details that pack a punch give you that grimy taste of a crime scene.
Rachel, or Watts, is the responsible girl. She has a solid head on her shoulders, and she's caring and loyal as well. She's a country girl forced to live in the city, where she met Mycroft, her next door neighbor and a crime solver in the making. She feels real and has palpable worries, ones that I could relate to, from the family dynamic to the financial straits she was in. It is all too easy for fictional characters to lose their heads when involved in something like crime and an attractive boy, but Watts thankfully did not lose herself and for that I was thankful.
Mycroft is great, a genuinely interesting guy to read about. He's curious, and methodical, having that inquisitive and sharp nature that we all associate with the illustrious Holmes, but with the added warmth of a teenage boy who has that oblivious side to him that I found quite endearing. But alas, not everything is crystal clear with him, and his backstory is one that piqued my heart. Needless to say, it involves his family, a juvenile record, and a drive to figure stuff out. Hopefully, the sequels will reveal more about him, but for now, I quite like who he is as is.
Does being an eccentric genius excuse any kind of behavior, no matter how antisocial or self-destructive?
What surprised me in a good way was that when the book starts, you're in the midst of Watts and Mycroft's friendship. They have a camaraderie and bond that's close enough to warrant friendship, maybe something more. It sets the stage for the dynamic they have together. Moving on to their relationship, or lack thereof, I was very pleased with. You can feel the unspoken tension and chemistry between Watts and Mycroft in brief flickers since the very beginning. It's one of those slow burn ones, where you keep rooting the characters on until that inevitable moment occurs. And when it does, it was well worth the wait of two characters tiptoeing around the attraction they share.
Everything inside me is suddenly reduced to feeling. That's all there is, just pure sensation.
As for the murder mystery, I give props to Marney for crafting a believable and well-crafted case. It was intriguing, and had everything I could hope for, including dysfunctional tragedies and a touch of madness. The sleuthing, of course, is the best part of any mystery, and while I enjoy my fair share of confounding twists and turns, it was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the characters and their chemistry as much as the actual mystery, without having my head hurt trying to figure out the case.
With such a promising start, I am very much looking forward to the rest of this series and cannot wait to catch up with Watts and Mycroft soon.
You can read this and other review on my blog. :)
oh my goooood, I loved this so effing much. THIS SHIP IS EVERYTHING. I loved it all; Mai, Gus, the Sherlock Holmes-esque story, the way that Rachel and James called each other by their last names, the eccentric boy genius who isn't always self-aware but who has this uncanny ability to make people feel seen and heard, the girl who takes on too much responsibility when she shouldn't have to but who is doggedly brave and curious and who cares about injustice. These characters were THE BEST. I called whodunit early on, but it was fun to read about these amateur but intelligent sleuths tracing the steps of a killer. I'M SO HERE FOR MORE BOOKS ABOUT MYCROFT AND WATTS LIVING UP TO THE INFAMOUS DETECTIVE AND HIS SIDEKICK. (Except Rachel is deeeefinitely not treated as a sidekick but an equal, and I so, so appreciated that). "Don't let him change you. Stay you. Stay open." asdfjkl; my heart.
4 stars
Upon reread, I might even bump it up to 4.5 stars because I just had so much fun reading it again, even though I knew who the killer was.
Upon reread, I might even bump it up to 4.5 stars because I just had so much fun reading it again, even though I knew who the killer was.
This was wonderful! Vibrant characters, wonderful humor and crackling chemistry. The climax was a tad convoluted but the sheer charm of the rest of the story made this a joy to read. I loved it.
I think of this book in two streams...
The mystery stream, where I figured out whodunit (though not how it was done) as soon as the character was introduced. The mystery was lackluster.
&
The romance stream, where the descriptions of a crush are just so spot-on. 5 stars to the romantic angle.
The mystery stream, where I figured out whodunit (though not how it was done) as soon as the character was introduced. The mystery was lackluster.
&
The romance stream, where the descriptions of a crush are just so spot-on. 5 stars to the romantic angle.
What can I say? Every Breath has an absolutely ridiculous premise, a whiny protagonist with little care about the impact of her words and actions, terrible parents, an obvious mystery that I managed to solve in a fraction of the time Rachel and Mycroft do (even though I was skimming!), incompetent cops, a useless romance, . . .I could go on and on, but perhaps I should instead end with saying don't waste your time reading this book.
Okay, let me start off by telling you that the cover of the edition I read is a LIAR. The blurb reads "What if Sherlock were the boy next door?" NO! No! I am creating a character image in my mind and you're ruining it! It should read, "What if Mycroft, Sherlock's equally smart older brother, were the boy two doors down (by the way forget we even used the name Sherlock, he's not in this book)"
Have the proper image in your mind now? Good. Mycroft is a smart, bored, and rebellious teen. He is friends with Watson ("Watts"), a country girl, recently forced to move into the crowded, smelly, city. They come across the murder of a homeless man they knew and decide they owe it to Homeless Dave to solve his murder. What ensues is a great, teen, murder mystery, characters with actual depth and back-story, believable behaviors, and tolerable, dare I say it, likable romance. Yes. No dreaded love triangles, but the budding romance between Watts and Mycroft is adorable and well done. I won't say that very often, so take heed! This was an all-around great book!
Have the proper image in your mind now? Good. Mycroft is a smart, bored, and rebellious teen. He is friends with Watson ("Watts"), a country girl, recently forced to move into the crowded, smelly, city. They come across the murder of a homeless man they knew and decide they owe it to Homeless Dave to solve his murder. What ensues is a great, teen, murder mystery, characters with actual depth and back-story, believable behaviors, and tolerable, dare I say it, likable romance. Yes. No dreaded love triangles, but the budding romance between Watts and Mycroft is adorable and well done. I won't say that very often, so take heed! This was an all-around great book!
This review was originally posted on Read.Sleep.Repeat.
When I saw everyone freaking out on Twitter over Every Breath, I knew I had to read it. And I am so glad that other bloggers haven’t failed me, Every Breath was exactly what I thought it would be.
Okay, that was kinda a lie. I expected to like it more, but still, I immensely enjoyed it. It took me a while to get into it though, as the first chapter is a little confusing with abrupt character introductions and Australian slang that I both appreciated and found a little confusing at first.
I loved the character of Mycroft, and I loved the chemistry between him and Watts (Rachel). I loved how fleshed-out these characters were, and how I could clearly picture them in my head.
The mystery itself was a little obvious, and felt very stretched out but I’m glad the way the book ended. The mystery aspect was clearly well-written and well-researched, but a little too stretched out for my taste.
In terms of the romance, believe everything people tell you! Every Breath was definitely very swoony and you’ll find yourself shipping Mycroft/Watts from page one.
Overall, Every Breath was an interesting mystery with a great romance. I recommend it for people looking for a character-driven mystery!
When I saw everyone freaking out on Twitter over Every Breath, I knew I had to read it. And I am so glad that other bloggers haven’t failed me, Every Breath was exactly what I thought it would be.
Okay, that was kinda a lie. I expected to like it more, but still, I immensely enjoyed it. It took me a while to get into it though, as the first chapter is a little confusing with abrupt character introductions and Australian slang that I both appreciated and found a little confusing at first.
I loved the character of Mycroft, and I loved the chemistry between him and Watts (Rachel). I loved how fleshed-out these characters were, and how I could clearly picture them in my head.
The mystery itself was a little obvious, and felt very stretched out but I’m glad the way the book ended. The mystery aspect was clearly well-written and well-researched, but a little too stretched out for my taste.
In terms of the romance, believe everything people tell you! Every Breath was definitely very swoony and you’ll find yourself shipping Mycroft/Watts from page one.
Overall, Every Breath was an interesting mystery with a great romance. I recommend it for people looking for a character-driven mystery!
sobbing because i want to marry this book and have its book babies