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anna_weis 's review for:
Breathe In, Bleed Out
by Brian McAuley
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a slasher set at a spiritual retreat. Say less. This is my first Brian McAuley and it won't be my last.
I adored this book, but I knew that would be true as soon as I saw the cover ("Don't judge a book by its cover" be damned)! Every time I started to feel like I knew what was going on, there was a twist that had me reworking previous events and conversations and saying, "Why didn't I pick up on that before?" I ate this book up. The investment is high, the stakes are higher, and the twists and turns captivate the reader the entire way through. There are a lot of threads to follow but they're interwoven well enough that the reader can reasonably keep track of them all at once. Truthfully, it added to the experience when I lost track of one and was surprised later.
The pacing is perfect - medium, with a good balance of action and conversation. The slasher scenes were brutal (love) and our attachment to the complex, fleshed-out characters made the violence all the more gruesome. The drive to know what's happening and how everything ties together is powerful here, and the ending is deeply satisfying.
Loyal observers of Summerween and those craving the nostalgia of slasher novels from the 80s and 90s will loveee this book. Quite literally, slay. Bonus points for releasing on my birthday!!
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a slasher set at a spiritual retreat. Say less. This is my first Brian McAuley and it won't be my last.
I adored this book, but I knew that would be true as soon as I saw the cover ("Don't judge a book by its cover" be damned)! Every time I started to feel like I knew what was going on, there was a twist that had me reworking previous events and conversations and saying, "Why didn't I pick up on that before?" I ate this book up. The investment is high, the stakes are higher, and the twists and turns captivate the reader the entire way through. There are a lot of threads to follow but they're interwoven well enough that the reader can reasonably keep track of them all at once. Truthfully, it added to the experience when I lost track of one and was surprised later.
The pacing is perfect - medium, with a good balance of action and conversation. The slasher scenes were brutal (love) and our attachment to the complex, fleshed-out characters made the violence all the more gruesome. The drive to know what's happening and how everything ties together is powerful here, and the ending is deeply satisfying.
Loyal observers of Summerween and those craving the nostalgia of slasher novels from the 80s and 90s will loveee this book. Quite literally, slay. Bonus points for releasing on my birthday!!