Customer Reviews

Breathe My Name

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Much of the current YA fiction seems to be depressing and morbid and while this book certainly fits both those descriptions, it is also well-written and hopeful.
I enjoyed the subtlety in which Frances releases herself from her emotional prison; smothering is an underlying topic not only because of the past she shares with her mother and dead sisters, but because of her smothering adoptive family and the way she smothers her own emotions. It's very easy for the reader to feel Frances' growth as she breaks free of her past, her present and herself.
The trip she takes to confront her mother, her father, her memories, is poignant and memorable and while some of the scenes between her and her hero/savior/love-interest are a bit contrived, they are not unbelievable. The thee main teens are interesting and play well off each other. For much of the novel, Frances doesn't display much personality, nor does she seem very self-aware. Her best friend is the opposite and serves to show strength and confidence, as does the mysterious new boy who helps her save herself.
I was really taken with the book up until the end. Once Frances makes it to the safe-house where her mother is being kept, it seemed that the book becomes the screenplay for an episode of Scooby-Doo; the appearance of a nefarious villain, who wouldn't have been out of place in saying, "And it would have worked, too, had it not been for you meddling child!", bordered on the ridiculous. The book could have ended in the mental ward and that would have made sense to end on a note of hope, love and redemption, but it seems the author wanted Frances to have a little more closure. I found that closure to be not only super-quick, but also unbelievable; people just don't get to tie up deep emotional problems that neatly or with the support of the volunteer fire department. I was horribly disappointed in the end and felt that I had been let down and that Frances had been created as a real-feeling persona only to have that taken away so she could become a caricature for all abused children who have succesfully healed themselves and entered healthy adulthood.
Regardless, the book is still worth reading. Not only does it satisfy the horrified voyeur of the tragic and senseless, but it offers hope that even the worst cases can have healthy outcomes.

The premise of this book was fine: the mother whose lost touch with reality, the children who pay along with her fantasy, the teenage girl who is trying to understand what happened to her. The reality of it all was predictable; but then the story comes to a ridiculous head at the end of the book, which turned the entire thing into a disappointment.

"Breathe My Name" may just well get readers with the half creepy half intriguing cover - the name written into a sort of fog/steam. It's pretty cool, but also has a creepy vibe to it.

That's a good way to describe the book itself. "Breathe My Name" has a really intriguing setting. The chilling concept of killing one's own children through insanity is disturbing but also very real. Nelson handles this difficult topic almost easily, creating a well-written book with a series of realistic and different characters whose interactions with each other are vivid and accurate to reality.

"Breathe My Name" is the kind of book that is impossible to put down. So clear your afternoon. It's a book that makes you think, makes your brain itch, and makes your eyes hurt from straining them late in the night. It's suspenseful and at times frightening, not with gross deeds, but rather with psychological ones.

I liked Frances' emotional development. I liked that she wasn't always ready for things and didn't just deal with everything handily as it came. I liked how each character was so individual and special, all balancing the others out. France's voice is clear and believable, the love story is not overdone, and the plot is well-spaced.

The only part that I perhaps liked least of all was the ending. I felt that compared to such a strong book, it was somewhat weak. Nelson certainly could have strengthened the ending with just a bit more writing, just a bit more discussion, just a bit more emotion, but ultimately, the reader is left with very strong positive feelings.

This is an interesting book about mental illnesses and dealing with traumatic pasts. Nelson's writing is really great, the plot never stops, and the characters are all well-made. It's an excellent book, until the ending, where it becomes simply a very good book. It's not for those with weak stomachs, and expect to cry (or want to cry) several times throughout the read.

On the whole, recommended.

Words cannot express how much I loved this book. It was eerie and horrifying...and totally realistic. My heart aches for Frances. She receives a letter from her mother and takes off on a road trip to find her to see what she really means by the letter. This is easily one of the most disturbing books I've read in awhile.

The flashbacks to Frances' childhood have this surreal feel to them. It's fantastic. In the present time, it was amazing how strong of a person she had become despite her early childhood experiences. Ones that would send most people into a very, very dark and twisted place that they couldn't escape. A place she's questioning to see if whether it is inside of her or not. Just like any normal person would do. Nix, her boyfriend, is so cutely protective of her. I loved it.

By simple luck Frances was saved that day from being suffocated by her mother. She is now almost an adult, very insecure and soft-spoken. Her adoptive parents are awesome and her new boyfriend is quirky.It's obvious she's attracted to him for his ability to connect with people. She soon finds out that his brother is autistic and his home-life requires this special attention to people others just don't understand. So this makes him kind of a weirdo to others in the school. But Frances feels an instant connection. She seems to only have one best friend who is very outgoing and encourages Frances to explore life more.

I really enjoyed this story. Enough intrigue and development it kept the story rolling. Anticipation building throughout the book as she gets closer to finding out all the answers about her past, and what it really is her mother is trying to finish. Developing the story into Frances' nervous behavior, her unwilling to trust most people and slowly learning the answers to her past and how they can help her form a better future.

In looking at the reviews for this book the way Amazon listed them, I might not have read it. Most of the reviews were good but, the ones up front were not. They weren't even the most recent reviews. I think Amazon should print the newest reviews first and let the chips fall where they may, not try to influence the reader by deciding which ones will appear at the beginning.

This was a compelling young adult novel. I was attracted to this book because of the title and when I read the cover blurb I was intrigued. We first meet a girl called Shine and her sisters Tan and Ninny. They live in a place called Fireless with their mother, the queen. While on the surface this seems like a sweet recollection of a childhood memory there is an unsettling feeling to it when she recalls that her mother is good at scaring things. The focus shifts forward eleven years to the same girl only now her name is Frances and she isn't quite sure why she is scared. The author does a wonderful job of evoking the sensation of fear. As the story unfolds we find out that Frances is adopted and her parents are very protective. She is eighteen but is only a junior in high school. She feels out of place and has only one close friend, Ann Mirette. Then she meets Nix, a new student at her school and a senior. As Nix and Frances grow closer she knows she must tell him about her past before someone else does. Interspersed with the here and now are the memories of her time in Fireless. The tension builds as you see the mother lose her grip on reality even though you know what eventually happens. The story really starts to move when Frances is approached by a lawyer with a letter from her mother. The journey that follows takes us through the past on her way to confront her mother for the first time.

I was truly impressed with this book. You immediately connect with Frances. My heart soared when Nix asked her out. I don't want to give too much away but the ending completely surprised me. I don't often get caught unaware but it came out of nowhere. The prose is simplistic but powerful. It was so easy to step into the story and get lost. I read this book while my daughter was hospitalized and it kept my attention and gave me an escape when I needed it most. I will be looking forward to more from this author. I haven't been so caught up in a new author's work like this since I read The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. If you like Ms. Dessen, I urge you to go out and get Breathe My Name.
Originally reviewed at Night Owl Romance

When the book got here it was more than I ecpected. It was in VERY good condition.

Title: Breathe My Name
Author: R.A. Nelson
Publisher: Penguin
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: November 2007
Pages: 314

Rating: A
Plot - 17/20
Characters - 20/20
Writing - 18/20
Originality - 18/20
Entertainment - 10/10
Recommendation - 10/10
Total: 93/100

Summary: Life should be sweet for Frances Robinson. She has a quirky best friend, lives in a McMansion with a loving, adopted family, and has just met a dreamy new guy from Louisiana, Nix, as charming and exotic as evening on the bayou.

So why is she terrified of ambulances screaming by in the night? And what makes her so uneasy about the coming of spring?

Frances has a secret-the most terrifying secret in the world. A secret that has haunted her for eleven years: her birth mother, Afton Jelks.

Afton is the mother who laughed, sang, and made up stories for Frances and her three sisters when they lived in Fireless, a place of mystery and imagination. A place where Afton led them deeper and deeper into darkness, until one horrific morning in April when Fireless overtook the real world, and Afton committed an unspeakable act.

Now Afton is back, and Frances' secret horror threatens to rip her happy world apart all over again. She sees one chance to regain her life: confront the monster in its lair and find peace-or die trying. She and Nix embark on a desperate clandestine journey that will become the most dangerous quest of her life when she discovers just what it means to finish.
Review:
This book caught me in the instant I realized how different this novel was going to be from what I expected. Which was early on. The first chapter was so raw with emotion, but the type and the feeling you first get from it will surprise you. This novel was really mind-blowing. I kind of part the novel into two sections. The part where she meets Nix, and the part where she goes on the road trip to see her mother.

But . . . first I have to say how much I loved Nix as a character. Just his name sounds cool. It's not his looks or whatever that I love about him, it's his personality and hospitality he has. He's crazy funny, and having this book set in the way south in Alabama and Nix being from Louisiana just makes it even more interesting. You'll see why when you read this novel.

The characters are definitely the most real part of the book and the most part R.A. Nelson succeeds in. Frances is the type of girl who is quiet and she's just doesn't really feel safe and complete in her new household. Even if she doesn't admit it. Her relationship with Nix is so fresh and interesting, unlike the novels out there with the happy-go-lucky and love-at-first site love, this is real and raw. The characters were very three-dimensional and honest.

R.A. Nelson is a genius writer. He's just incredible with words and he really shine's through with the writing in this book. The ending was so unpredictable ***SEMI-SPOILER*** And it really, really surprised me, I'm only labeling this as a semi-spoiler because if you haven't read this book I really want you to be surprised about what happens instead of expecting it. ***END-OF-SPOILER***So the ending is great and very good and unique.

This novel is a five-star one. Very, highlyhighlyhighly recommended. Nelson's other novel, Teach Me, is one I've heard of, but never really looked into but now that I've read this, I looked at it and it looks extremely good, like this novel, so I'll probably look for that one soon. Just, you know, look out for this author, he's one to look out for, trust me.

Mmm, it's been a good long while since I've read a book that's made me think! Breathe My Name was full of everything any good book requires--well developed, 3-D characters (with the exception in my opinion, of Ann Mirette, who seemed highly 2D to me), beautiful writing that doesn't overdo it, and more than anything, a fully engaging (and super twisty) plot. I liked that through the entire book, all the characters kept me guessing. Was I ever sure of Nix's goodness? Clearly, they got together way too early in the book for it to amount to anything, he's got to be abusive, right? Nope. And clearly, the entire book has set us up for Ms. Jelks to be the central evil character, yes? Nope. Some twists were good, great, even. Some, such as the aforementioned one with Carruthers suddenly being the point of all evil--not so much. I felt a little let down, I expected a huge emotional showdown between Ms. Jelks and her daughter, but while we were given some of that, I really felt robbed by Carruthers. I was so sure he was the miraculous stranger, but no! Still, kept me guessing. There were moments near the end where I almost could have thought Frances was the one who made up Fireless or equally twisted, but this I did not see coming. Some of the flashbacks started being choppy as well, and I felt as if the last flashback of Fireless could have carried the weight of the entire book. The story of what happened shouldn't have been revealed through narration to Nix (nor should it have been revealed on the book jacket...) but through that one flashback that told it all. Nevertheless, this one was amazing psychological thriller. A little more resolution could have been inserted at the end, small tweaks here and there, and I still find myself highly doubtful that Nelson went into this book intending to make Carruthers evil, but I'll live.

Rating: 4.5/5...can I go with a 4.9 or something, instead?