[Review] Try Not to Breathe - Holly Seddon

Summary: Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson. Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past.

Soon Alex's routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter's story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived, but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from uncovering the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she's not just chasing a story—she's seeking salvation. (Pub Date: Feb 23, 2016)

Review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley.

Alex has problems with alcohol, with the premature death of her mother, with her lingering feelings to her ex-husband, with her ruined family, with her derailing journalistic career but she has finally found something to fight for. Amy had everything until she went missing and only her body could be retrieved, while her mind is still trapped somewhere inside, reliving her worst nightmares. Jacob wanted to step into his new life but he still couldn't put behind the reason for his frequent visits to Amy's hospital ward.

Amy's story got me pierced to my ereader until I knew everything would be fine. I didn't like The Girl on the Train so much so the reference to Paula Hawkins in the summary made me doubt, especially when we start the novel with a character in a similar situation to Rachel's. Fortunately, Alex still has it in her, in fact, she tries her best not to let her addiction blow any more of her life away—although she might be losing this battle. The description of all she has to go through thanks to her addiction was one of favorite points in the book, not exaggerated and yet nerve-racking.

The narration is done in multiple points of view and generally in two progressing points of time, around the time of Amy's disappearance and then what we could call present time. My favorite was Amy's, the only one done in first person. I wouldn't say it added to the plot itself but she was the one character I actually felt found of, though I came very close to equally liking Alex's ex-husband, who is nothing like the ex in Hawkins's book. On the other hand, I found that one of those POV's was unnecessary. More than that, I found it gave me a hint of: this is so unnecessary it probably means something. The nagging feeling followed me to the end, while the author tried to present us with disposable theories that wouldn't explain said character receiving chapters of their own. Really, after you did have the elements, the author made it too easy to guess the culprit, which wasn't much fun.

The other negative is one scene near the end I can't reveal in the details. But one witness is interrogated in a less conventional way. You could say it is believable, while I say it was a moment I rolled my eyes. I know crazier stuff has happened in courts but this wasn't even about trials, so I think the story could have gone without it.

Moreover, there are two many pregnant women and too many people with similar names. Why? Even the main characters, Amy and Alex. And there was one Jane and one Jenny. And there was a Matt and a Matty.

Lastly, I'm not sure I understood the title.

Still, the resolution was nice. I had this good feeling when I finished reading. The author could carry the story with a good rhythm and give it a proper ending—a somehow credible one too. This reading won't blow your mind away but it's quick and enjoyable. My actual grade is 3.5.

Rating: 3 out of 5.