Every Stolen Breath by Kimberly Gabriel – 336 pages
Finished Copy provided by Kaye Publicity for an honest review
Book Blurb:
Lia is the only one still pursuing her father’s killers, two years after attorney Steven Finch’s murder by the Swarm. Devastated and desperate for answers, Lia will do anything to uncover the reasons behind his death and to stop someone else from being struck down. But due to debilitating asthma and PTSD that leaves her with a tenuous hold on reality, Lia is the last person to mount a crusade on her own. After a close encounter with the Swarm puts Lia on their radar, she teams up with a teen hacker, a reporter, and a mysterious stranger who knows firsthand how the mob works. Together, they work to uncover the master puppeteer behind the group. Though if Lia and her network don’t stop the person pulling the strings—and fast—Lia may end up the next target.
My Review: 4 stars
Every Stolen Breath was a twisted and crazy ride through Chicago as a young girl fights to stop the group the killed her father. This group, called the Swarm, is an evil group of teens that “swarm” the victim as they kill. The first chapter will draw you in as you dive into Lia’s story told from her POV.
Lia has to learn who to trust as she finds herself joining an odd trio that helps with her quest. Her PTSD and lifelong battle with asthma are always looming within her. Her descriptions of an asthma attack were so realistic; sadly, I know from my daughter’s personal experience. The writing subtly mimicked her hampered breathing with shorter sentences and words. That, plus so much more, mirrors the title. I loved those quiet touches. I was thrilled to see the same POV in each chapter; there was no switching place, time or character’s POV.
The concept of the swarm is definitely relatable. There were the Mag Mile mobs in 2011 that consisted of a dark type of flash mob that would attack, rob or destruct instead of sing or dance.
For a debut novel, I think Gabriel did a fine job at crafting a well-paced and satisfying read. Chicago was represented well and often felt like its own character as it was being tarnished by the Swarm, among other things. The skyline was presented at each chapter in a blurred sketch.
I met this author at one of my book events. Although I don’t read a lot of Young Adult, I’m glad her visit prompted me to read this book. I look forward to see what’s next from her.
Quotes I liked:
Strength isn’t defined by who can hit the hardest in a fight, but by who’s still standing at the end.”
“It’s the side effect of attending a pretentious private school, where people treat Everybody’s Business like it’s a class they can ace and add to their transcripts.”
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