mariereadsamystery 's review for:

Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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 In the latest book by Brian McAuley, Breathe in Bleed Out, Hannah has let her friends talk her into attending a New Age retreat. She's grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Ben, after a mysterious trip in the mountains. Hannah has never revealed what happened on the mountain to the detriment of her sanity.  Her mental health and her career are suffering because she's drowning in grief. She's ready for a fresh start, but the relaxing retreat doesn't go as expected when attendees start dying. 

 

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't understand some of the references.  When I understood one, I immediately thought of the Captain America meme. That's not on the author, of course. Maybe I'm old. I thought it was a great read, and the book had a thrilling plot. I've always liked Christopher Pike-style slasher/horror books, and Brian McAuley wrote a book that reminded me of them.  

 

I'm not a fan of most movie adaptations, as the film versions are often a pale comparison. However, I could see this in film form. The author presented Hannah's friends as typical horror movie character tropes. But the character chapters interspersed throughout the book added depth to the story and revealed more about the characters. That's the benefit of a book. The author can tell us so much more than a film. 

 

Hannah's grief and guilt were very much at the center of the story despite the slasher storyline. She had pushed away her friends and busied herself with work and abuse of prescription drugs, and had to learn to move on and live her life. She desperately wants to be okay again, but it's hard to heal with a killer on your tail! Is Ben punishing her? Or is she punishing herself? 

 

The ending felt rushed, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I had so many theories, but I was wrong on every one; the author certainly kept me guessing throughout the book! 

 

Even if the character decisions are stupid, that's what happens in slasher flicks. I'd recommend this book to horror fans or even fans of the old Christopher Pike books. 

 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own