Review: One Breath Away

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

Format: ebook (ARC)
Pages: 400
Published: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin (MIRA)
Genre: Fiction, Thriller

My Rating: 4.5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

On a bitter March day, as a sudden snowstorm envelops the small town of Broken Branch, Iowa, an unknown man with a gun enters the town’s only school and takes a classroom of children hostage. As awareness of the situation spreads, the panicked community is ready to do anything to protect their children, but can only watch and wait.

As a teacher with a long career behind her, Evelyn Oliver is ready to enjoy retirement with her loving husband. But now, faced with a crazy man armed with a gun, terrorizing her classroom, she’d rather die than fail to protect any of her students. But why is he doing this? Evelyn’s been scouring her mind but doesn’t recognize the intruder. Maybe one of the students is the key?

Holly Thwaite left Broken Branch and her family behind without a word eighteen years ago, vowing never to return. But after a debilitating accident leaves her recovering in a hospital in Arizona, she’s forced to send her children to her hometown to be looked after by their grandfather, the man she never wanted them to meet. Will Thwaite never understood why his estranged daughter, Holly, ran away all those years ago. But now that her children are in his care, he refuses to fail his daughter again. One way or another, Will is going to get his grandkids, P.J. and Augie, out of that school safely even if he has to go in and get them himself. What Will doesn’t know is that thirteen-year-old Augie is just as determined to rescue her little brother from the killer and help her classmates, even if it means putting herself in the crosshairs of the gunman.

Police officer Meg Barrett wants to know who the intruder is and why he’s doing this. Whoever it is, there’s no excuse for this. Meg should know. She’s had plenty of hardships herself. But with innocent lives at stake, Meg is prepared to risk her own life to save these hostages, although it means disobeying orders and taking on the gunman face-to-face.

As the standoff progresses and the snowstorm rages outside, anxiety and frustration start to build to dangerous levels. But everyone knows how precarious the situation is. One wrong move, even a breath, could have the most devastating of consequences.

Review:

**NOTE:  This book was provided by the publisher (via NetGalley).  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

The tagline on this book pretty much says it all...

One School.
One Gunman.
Your Child.

One Breath Away is the second book I have read by Heather Gudenkauf and I can honestly tell you that it will stick with me for years to come.  Sending your child to school should feel like the best choice you can make.  A safe haven away from the home in which they will learn the lessons necessary for life.  But what happens when the school suddenly becomes the most dangerous place and their very lives may depend on making it home at the end of the day.

When I requested this book for review I had no idea that I was about to go on a roller-coaster of emotions.  Writen from the perspective of many different characters, One Breath Away brings you right into the nightmare of a school taken hostage by a gunman.  I have stated many times before that this is one of my favourite formats to read.  Being able to relate to so many different characters really allows the reader to fully understand the story and come to your own conclusions as to what is really going on.  Heather Gudenkauf absolutely chose well on this as I couldn't imagine the story flowing as well if it were writen from the perspective of one character only.

Another big plus for One Breath Away is that it is a story that can relate to anyone and everyone.  Students, teachers, parents, grandparents... they are all well represented within the pages and each has their own voice.  I spent a decent portion of this novel wondering what I would do if I received the call that my son was in danger.  I yelled, I cried and I rejoiced.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.  An absolute gem of a thriller!

In My Mailbox #50

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The general idea is to share the books that you have purchased, that you have borrowed, or that you have found.

It was a crazy book week after the birthday bonanza of last week so I thought taking it easy would be a good idea this week.

Now, before you think I was overly tame, please note that I did purchase 11 books, online, with my birthday gift cards but they aren't scheduled to arrive for another week or so, but until then, I will sleep soundly knowing that my bookshelves are not lonely!

Without further adieu, here is this weeks' edition of 'In My Mailbox':
(click on the covers to be taken to Goodreads)

Review copies from St. Martin's Press, Sourcebooks and Random House Canada:

Birthday Hoopla:

Special thank you to my fabulous family for the awesome gift cards!  They have been well spend... already! :)

What was in your mailbox this week?

Review: These Girls

These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 322
Published: April 10, 2012
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance.

Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It's a professional coup, but her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated.

Cate's roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee's weight send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills-despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she''s heading for real danger.

Then there's Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in the D.C. suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby-or why she left everything she once loved behind.

Trailer:

Review:

You would think that living in a city as big as New York, your only problem would be finding your way to the nearest coffee shop but when you have a secret as big the Empire State Building, sometimes baring your soul is the only way to succeed.

These Girls is a wonderful story about three women who have very different backgrounds and yet through Sarah Pekkanen's wonderful ability to tell a story, they come together in an attempt to make eachother a better person. 

The characters were wonderful and I found that I was able to relate to each one for a different reason.  My favourite would have to be Renee because even though we watch as she struggles through her weight issues, she is a strong and loyal person who is accepting of everyone, even with secrets and mistakes.  I enjoyed that Sarah Pekkanen didn't dance around the issues of a 'bigger' girl and made it very relateable.  Being overweight myself, I enjoyed the way Sarah portrayed Renee is such a positive light and even added in how her friends found her better looking before losing weight.  It added such a wonderful feel to something so many people, espeically women, struggle with.  Thank you, Sarah!

I really enjoyed the format of the story as well.  Jumping from character to character was something that I hadn't enjoyed in the past but being able to see the background stories of each of the characters made it the perfect choice.  Also choosing to start at the beginning of the story, rather than the end and working back, was a welcome change and it left me wanting to keep reading as I needed to know each of the characters secrets.

Overall, my debut novel of Sarak Pekkanen's was bang-on what I was hoping it would be and I cannot wait for the next one!

Review: Summer Friends

Summer Friends by Holly Chamberlin

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 352
Published: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Over the course of one eventful summer, nine-year-old native Mainer Delphine Crandall and Maggie Weldon, a privileged girl "from away," become best friends. Despite the social gulf between them, their bond is strengthened during vacations spent rambling around Ogunquit's beaches and quiet country lanes, and lasts throughout their college years in Boston. It seems nothing can separate them, yet after graduation, Delphine and Maggie slowly drift in different directions. . .

With her MBA, Maggie acquires a lucrative career, and eventually marries. Delphine is drawn back home, her life steeped in family and the Maine community she loves. Twenty years pass, until one summer, Maggie announces she's returning to Ogunquit to pay an extended visit. And for the first time, the friends are drawn to reflect on their choices and compromises, the girls they were and the women they've become, the promises kept and broken--and the deep, lasting ties that even time can never quite wash away.

Review:

As children, we don't notice the difference in social standing the way adults do.  There is a certain innocence about being care-free and accepting everyone at face value. 

When Delphine and Maggie are children, the differences between their lives outside of Ogunquit aren't even a thought that crosses their minds and yet, as they grow older, it seems that it becomes more and more apparent to at least one of them. 

I was surprised at how 'deep' this novel was.  In all honesty, I thought it would be a light, beachy read but as I read, it became clear that there was a deeper message within it.  One that I was more than happy to read about because it really did open my eyes to the way things are in 'real life'.  This is the first novel by Holly Chamberlin that I have read and I was really happy with her ability to set up a storyline and allow for two very different characters to shine through evenly.  It would have been so easy for her to add such a large amount of sparkle to Maggie as she was someone who seems to have it all but I felt that she evened out her and Delphine so well that you really didn't notice that one was more privilaged than the other.

My favourite person of all the characters in Summer Friends was Maggie.  Her heart is so big and so full that she literally shone off the pages.  Never once did I feel that she had an alterior motive for trying to rekindle a friendship.  In fact, she reminded me of my best friend, Haley, and I couldn't help but smile everytime I read her views on life.

Overall, the feelings that came from this novel have made me an instant fan of Holly Chamberlin and I am ready for the next book.  She made me want to reconnect to all those closest to me and for that, I say 'Thank you'.

Guest Post: Nancy Scrofano

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed Nancy's debut novel, True Love Way, (read the review here) and was so happy when Nancy agreed to guest post on Turning the Pages.  Her topic, Chick Lit Heroines is so awesome because we don't generally see Hero's in chick lit books because, well, they are all mushy and romantic and whatnot!  So, after you read Nancy's choice of heroines, leave me a comment letting me know who YOUR number one Chick Lit Heroine would be... I would really LOVE to know!

My Top 5 Chick Lit Heroines

Aside from Marlo Spencer, the heroine in my debut novel True Love Way who I absolutely adore, the following leading ladies are my favorite main characters in chick lit.

1) Evie Nicholson from Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne

Evie is an antiques appraiser in London who loves the past. Evie loves old items that tell a story and keep the memory of the owners alive, regardless of how much the items are worth. She feels like a fish out of water when it comes to her love for antiques, especially with her family. Her mother and her sister, Alice, are professional organizers who pride themselves on being neat, orderly, and practical, which is the opposite of Evie who follows her heart. Evie accepts the chance to visit Scottish castle Kettlesheer for a week to appraise the items in the home. She meets heir, Robert McAndrew, and they don't exactly hit it off, but he might be just the right person to cause her to reevaluate what she truly wants in life. Evie is a character who is not afraid to speak her mind, even if she is a bit different from everyone else. Her passion for antiques and stories from the past is contagious. Evie enthusiastically discovers a world she never knew before in this modern day fairytale.

2) Melissa Romney-Jones from The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

Melissa has fantastic social skills, but no job. So, she decides to open an agency to help single men who need a woman’s perspective and companionship when shopping and entertaining guests. She doesn’t want to embarrass her family with her new business venture so she calls herself Honey, a more confident version of herself who wears a blonde wig as a disguise. Melissa is a wonderful character because while she’s busy helping everyone else, she’s really helping find herself and figure out who she really is, even if she is convinced at first that Honey is not her at all. She learns important life lessons along the way that can be useful even to people who don’t dress up and pretend to be someone else for a living. Melissa/Honey is witty, charming, and very genuine.

3) Poppy Wyatt from I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Poppy is engaged to marry Magnus, who is all wrong for her but, of course, she can’t see that. When she loses her engagement ring, she goes into a frenzy trying to find it. Then, her cell phone is stolen. Things couldn’t be worse, but Poppy makes the best of it, especially when she finds a cell phone that someone threw away. It belonged to the assistant to business executive, Sam, and he promptly wants it back. But Poppy refuses to give it back in case someone calls about her ring. What ensues is a comical, unique way of throwing two people together. Poppy is always determined to see the bright side of any situation, which is what makes her so endearing. She isn’t overly optimistic, though, to the point where she would seem unrealistic. She’s upbeat and hilarious yet down-to-earth too, which makes you love her even more.

4) Abigail Wood from A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess

Abigail finds herself single again after breaking up with her boyfriend of seven and a half years when she finally realized that he was not right for her. She quickly discovers that she doesn’t quite know how to be single. Meeting and dating new men is incredibly stressful for her, which only adds to her fears of ending up alone. She moves in with Robert, a friend of her sister’s fiancé. Abigail and Robert become friends, and he becomes somewhat of a dating coach to her. When Abigail falls hard for one of Robert’s best friends, a lot of unexpected feelings come to the surface as Abigail tries to figure out who is really the right man for her. Abigail’s world really jumps off the pages and she and her friends seem like friends anyone could have in real life. She is an honest, realistic, believable character who will make readers root for her. Her vulnerability is endearing, and her ability to pick herself back up again is inspiring. Plus, Abigail’s journey is hilarious yet heartfelt.

5) Lara Lington from Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Lara Lington is visited by the spirit of her great aunt, Sadie, and her life is turned upside down in the best way possible. Even though Lara and Sadie don't agree on everything, they encourage each other and form such a strong friendship through a series of wild adventures. Lara learns a lot from Sadie, but most importantly she allowsherself to learn from Sadie. Lara is open to the possibility of Sadie, even though she doesn’t quite understand how or why Sadie is appearing. Lara is a quirky heroine who isn’t afraid to be unique. She will definitely make you laugh and cry as you follow along on her journey.

Author Bio

Nancy Scrofano is the author of True Love Way and writes book reviews for a prestigious book review magazine. Additionally, she is the founder and managing editor of The Chick Lit Bee, a book blog that promotes and celebrates women’s fiction, and Good Humor Girl, a women’s entertainment blog. Nancy is at work on her next novel. For more information, please visit http://www.nancyscrofano.com.

Cover Crazy #46

Cover Crazy was created by The Bookworms but is now hosted here at Turning the Pages. It's a great way to share a book cover that took your breath away!

To me, there is NOTHING better than a cover of a book. One of my favourite places, in the world, is a book store. I can walk around them for hours just looking at covers of books. I am well aware of the saying "You can't judge a book by its cover", I just don't believe it!

When I find a book cover that I love, I will always read the back and then make my purchasing decision, but... WOW... there is just something amazing about a gorgeous cover! So, moving forward, I am going to share those covers that just made me want to escape and read a book instantly!

Without further adieu, here is the cover I am crazy about this week:

The Perfect Hope (Boonsboro #3) by Nora Roberts

What I love about this cover:

I love how bright and cheerful the covers of Nora Roberts books can be and The Perfect Hope seems to fit the mold to a 'T'.  Not only do the colours evoke such emotions that make you feel like curling up on the sofa to read all day, but they also have such a warm and romantic feel to them that you want to set the table for a special dinner for two.

This is the final book in the Boonsboro trilogy and I am so excited to have this book on my shelf as the look of all three books together will be simply stunning. 

My favourite part of this cover is the blue that is used for the authors name... a perfect Tiffany blue.

What cover took YOUR breath away this week?

Book to Movie Review: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (2012)

By now, you have all seen or at least heard of The Hunger Games as it took the world by storm in late March.  Being a huge fan of the book, I knew that I would be making my way to the theatre at some point to watch it.  Little did I know that it would be this much later...

On Saturday, my husband and I were treated to a childless night and opted to take advantage of it.  Dinner and a Movie!!  It was only fitting that we see The Hunger Games together after I made him read the books! ;)  (okay, I made him read the first book... he read Catching Fire and Mockingjay all on his own)

Here is MY take on the movie:

1) It is rare for me to say that I enjoy a movie more than the book because, to me, a story is all about the details and movies can never be as detailed as the book was/is.  While I will stick to that in saying that the movie was not as good as the book, I will admit that it was pretty true to the overall storyline.  Sure there were parts that I missed, Haymitch's attitude was dulled down and a lot of the background of the districts was missing but overall, I thought it was well done... but that is from someone having read the book.  I would be interested to hear the take of someone who hadn't. 

2) The casting was BANG ON!  Other than a few of the background characters (President Snow, Haymitch) most of the cast of The Hunger Games were either newbies or lesser know actors and I thought that they were very well suited to their roles.  When I initially saw the casting for Peeta and Gale, I wished they had been reversed because Peeta looked like a wimp but after watching the movie, I am a changed woman.  Still firmly on Team Gale, I have to say that I have a new respect for Peeta.

3) The gory nature of the story was true to the book, as stated earlier, but I didn't feel that it was taken advantage of in the movie.  We all know that going into the movie there would be blood and killing and a lot of disturbing imagry but in all honesty, I was expecting worse and was pleaseantly surprised with the way it was shown.

4) The opening for Catching Fire was awesome... I wasn't sure how they would show that intense feeling on the big screen but anyone who hadn't read the book would have felt it.  President Snow's character, while still mainly hidden, did allow the viewers a sneak peek into what was to come.  I, for one, CAN'T WAIT!

Overall, I was a little disappointed with the movie but I always seem to feel that way when a book becomes a movie.  I remember feeling this was about Twilight as well and I absolutely LOVE those movies now so we'll see how I feel after Catching Fire!