Search This Blog

2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

2024 Challenge Sign-Up Post

January Reviews Link-Up

February Reviews Link-Up

March Reviews Link-Up

April Reviews Link-Up

May Reviews Link-Up

June Reviews Link-Up

July Reviews Link-Up

August Reviews Link-Up

September Reviews Link-Up

October Reviews Link-Up

November Reviews Link-Up

December Reviews Link-Up

My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Thursday, July 26, 2012

One Breath Away: Intense Premise, So-So Delivery

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

As a sudden Spring snowstorm swirls down on Broken Branch, Iowa, an armed man walks into the town's only school.  While the police scramble to figure out what's going on, parents huddle together outside the building, anxious for news.  No one knows who the gunman is, what he wants, or how far he's willing to go to make his point.  Hazardous road conditions make it impossible to bring in outside help.  Without the aid of trained SWAT teams or experienced hostage negotiators, it's up to local law enforcement to end the standoff.  They only hope it can be done quickly, peacefully, with no casualties.  As precious minutes tick by and the snow continues to fall, all the people of Broken Branch can do is wait.  And pray.  

Meg Barrett, a 33-year-old police officer, can't stop thinking about the kids trapped inside the school.  She's got to find a way to get them out, even if it means ignoring orders from her superior and going against police protocol.  Anything.  She'll do anything to save the children.  Eighth grader Augie Baker already hates Broken Branch, hates that she has to live in the middle of nowhere with the grandparents she hardly knows while her mother recovers from severe burns in Arizona.  It's just her luck that she's now locked inside the school with a madman.  But when she discovers a way to save herself, she can't do it.  Her little brother's inside the school, too, and she refuses to leave without him.  On the outside, Augie's grandfather waits helplessly, not knowing the fates of the grandchildren he's only just getting to know.  After 40 some years of teaching in Broken Branch, Mrs. Oliver's ready to retire.  She plans to end her career quietly, without a fuss, something that changes the minute a man with a gun steps into her classroom.  Now, the 65-year-old educator may be the only thing standing between a desperate, armed man and a school full of innocent children.  

Tension mounts with each passing moment.  While the police fumble around looking for answers, the townspeople grow increasingly antsy.  And angry.  When Meg discovers a personal connection to the gunman, she knows it will be up to her—and only her—to put an end to the madness.

Violence at school is every parent's worst nightmare.  Which is why it makes such excellent fodder for intense, edge-of-your-seat reading.  Add in an inexperienced police team and a snowstorm that cuts them off from any outside assistance and you've got the makings of an A-grade thriller.  That's what I expected from One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf after reading its very promising premise.  Did the book deliver?  Not exactly.  While the potential was definitely there, the story started too soon, forcing Gudenkauf to spend too much time filling in back story and not enough on pushing the plot forward.  A little restructuring along with some overall tightening would have resulted in a much more streamlined, pulse-pounding novel.  I still enjoyed One Breath Away, which is, overall, a fast, engrossing novel, I just wanted something more polished and, ultimately, more satisfying.  


Grade:  C

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language and violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf from the generous folks at Harlequin/MIRA and Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.  Thank you!         

4 comments:

  1. We loved Nineteen Minutes and will add this one to our TBR.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Whoa.... You did that well. You're right, in light of what happened in Colorado this is even more intense and in the spotlight. You wrote such a fair review even though it wasn't your favorite. Talk about timing being everything. This book may soar off the shelves even a little unfairly OR it may be pushed to the back before its due simply because it feels too soon. Thanks for real words, worries and concerns for your readers and those who are suffering right now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think this book is very timely. In that light, I would be very interested in reading it.
    Jan

    janet_kerr(at)msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I got this one from netgalley, and although I enjoyed it I, too, felt it didn't really reach its potential. It also annoys me how Gundenkauf is always compared to Picoult because it makes me expect more from her

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
End of Story by A.J. Finn

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 200 books.
hide

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction