One Last Breath totally enthralled me. It was unlike any other YA thriller I’ve read, with a beating heart, brilliant characterisation and a speculative twist that truly shocked me.
Ginny Myers Sain has a particular place in my heart with her writing. It is just so captivating and deeply tied to a sense of place. It transports you there until you can practically feel the dirt under your fingernails and feet. They’re bogged down in this gloriously rich atmosphere creating a space in which nature and mystery collide. This allows for some magical realism to slip in, particularly when it’s tied into local myth and legend. They just play with that belief and superstition so well. For me, this adds a speculative edge to her mysteries that makes them stand out amongst the crowd. One Last Breath continues this trend in splendid fashion. All of the previous elements I mentioned are elevated even more, particularly the superb plotting. As always, I really enjoyed the unique blend of Sain’s writing and the way it incorporates elements of thrillers and something a bit beyond. I was not expecting to love the more speculative elements here but I did and they enhanced the story so much.
This mystery is so well-executed. It explores a cold case that seems like it might be re-emerging when signs of two murdered teenagers start appearing once again. I loved how much this book played with the ideas of fate, destiny and the roles we are fated to play over and over again. It asks if we are capable of breaking cycles of violence and bloodshed. For me, it has this special blend of being a pacy and captivating read, but also slowing down to allow time to really become invested in these characters. At times, it feels like moving through thick mud, obscuring your vision in smoke too. This is just to illustrate how devastatingly long these investigations are and how the pang of grief still resonates over the years.
Sain particularly picks this thread up with the character of Tru. She is a brilliant protagonist, mired in her own grief and resolved to set things right with this cold case. It defines her and her town – with some fascinating commentary on true crime tourism and the way crimes are exploited in these narratives. You can feel the devastation on both the physical setting and the people within. That bloodshed has stained everything and everyone around it. In a similar vein, Tru is battling her grief from her sister’s death and her mother’s issues. There is a lot for Sain to sift through here and she does so with a delicate touch. It feels authentic and layered, allowing for people to recognise their own experiences through this.
On top of this, I have to recognise that the twists in this book are excellent. I had moments that just made me close the book and stare into the middle distance in shock. They were so cleverly done and are built to in a really believable way. Sain leads you down so many different paths and makes you question everyone around Tru. You always feel uneasy while reading because you are never entirely sure that the truth is fully being told. That shifting nature feeds into the wider exploration of the thin line between fantasy and reality as well, which is exactly the space that allows these tragic murdered girls to become true crime stereotypes. It erases their hopes, their flaws and their happiness – leaving just the brutal ending behind.
One Last Breath lives up to its title and leaves you breathless with wonder at its craft atmosphere, pacing, plotting and characterisation are all top notch yet again.
One Last Breath is available from Amazon and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Mount Orange, Florida, is famous for two things.
The spectre of Bailey and Celeste’s murders cast a permanent darkness over sunny Mount Orange. Tru has always lived in that shadow. Sometimes, it seems like she knows the long-dead Bailey, feels the dead girl in her bones. Now she’s supposed to head to FSU in the fall with her boyfriend, but those unsolved murders – and the death of her own sister invade her every thought. It’s only in the shadowy deep, 100 feet below the surface of Hidden Glen Springs, that she can breathe.
When a strange girl named Rio rolls into town, hell-bent on figuring out who killed Bailey and Celeste, Tru can’t resist entangling herself in the thrill of solving the decades old mystery any more than she can resist her familiar, aching attraction to Rio.
As the summer heat ignites, so does the spark between Tru and Rio…along with their other-worldy connection to Bailey and Celeste. But when someone begins stalking them, the girls become convinced the killer is back in town. And if they keep digging into the past, Tru and Rio know this time, it could be their blood that makes the springs run red.
