Review: Reason to Breath – Rebecca Donovan

“No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?”
He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers…
Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret.

Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.

Series:  Breathing Series #1
Release Date:  May 10, 2011
Publisher:  Rebecca Donovan
Source:  Amazon, via my own wallet
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

My friend, Michelle, send me a list of books that I need to read. This book was in the list. I read the blurb for it and though it looked like tough subject matter, but how bad could it be? It’s a YA book. Holy hell, Batman! This book ripped me apart!

Emma Thomas is a girl who is used to keeping her head down and blending in so she can’t be seen. She may be a soccer, basketball and track star at her high school, but she does all she can to make sure she doesn’t draw an unnecessary attention to herself at home. But the arrival of Evan Mathews throws her into a tailspin, in a good and a horrible way. Emma learns that no matter how hard you try, eventually the secret you’re trying to hide will come out.

This was a HARD book to read. I flip flopped between wanting Emma to fight for herself, for someone else to fight for her in her place and wanting her to just run away. Her secret is ugly and devastating. But in all the ugliness that Emma had to deal with, she did find the value of true friendship and love. Emma knew that best friend Sara (and subsequently her parents) would be there for her if/when she decided she needed them. With Evan, she learned how to develop a friendship and allowing herself to have something special for the first time ever. With Evan, she learned to have hope and faith that maybe things will be ok.

The ending of the book is a total cliffhanger and it’s devastating. But please don’t let that stop you from reading this book, since book 2 is already available. This was an amazing story and one that I’m so glad I picked up.