Genre: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon
I immediately got this off Netgalley in June because I had read another novella Elemental and was excited to see what Brigid would write next. Sad to say Breathless was no Elemental. It didn't give me the same drive to read right to the end and an immediate connection to the characters like Elemental did. But what it did give was a different story despite the repeated romance and special abilities element. The main character Nick seems to have a very good life. Despite the loss of his parents he has his brothers, his girlfriend and a really good head on his shoulders with a focus on higher education instead of girls and wild parties. But he has a secret, one he fears would tear his family apart faster than the air he has the ability to control. His girlfriend Quinn on the other hand is a mess. Look up disaster in the dictionary and you'll see her life as an example when explaining the definition. She thinks she's fat, unworthy and the only way to keep a boy around is to sleep with him. Nick is different but she is yet to learn just how different. Then her friend Adam comes into the picture and what was once a slow boil quickly explodes into disaster of epic proportions. Secrets are revealed, hearts are broken and friendship is tested to the limits.
What Breathless loses in maintaining my interest with a great attention grabbing story it re-energizes with a deep realistic story of a boy wanting to belong and be his true self. Nick can only see disaster if his secret is revealed but with the help of Quinn and maybe even Adam, he can learn to accept that living in truth is better than hiding behind a lie. This novella still tells a really good story and the underlying factor of sexuality is one of the big things that saves it from being a so-so story and one you'll want to read. Even if you have to do it in small doses to keep from getting bored with medium energetic storytelling. I am actually more excited for when this novella gets turned into a full length book. I can only hope Brigid will take what made Elemental great and use it to make Breathless full length novel fantastic. I recommend you read a sample first before deciding if this novella is for you but definitely recommend you get into this series. You'll be in for a terrific ride.
Rating: 3.5
See you guys on Tuesday.
