[Review] A Breath Too Late - Rocky Callen

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death.

But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There's her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists. Told in epistolary-like style, this tour de force of a novel sensitively examines the beautiful and terrible moments that make up a life and the possibilities that live in even the darkest of places. (Pub Date: Apr 28, 2020)


This was sweet but also intense and mellow too. A book that brought me many feelings, to be honest.

We have Ellie, who committed suicide but she's still around to figure things out.

3.5.

You could compare it to 13 reasons why or even with If I Stay, but for me it felt different. It felt rawer somehow. I was sad at many of the passages but it felt more real, Ellie's story felt closer to my reality.

The book uses a nice style of each chapter addressing a person or a thing, as we learn more about Ellie and what happened to those close to her after she took her own life. You should note we're not in the same situation as If I Stay, the book gives you no hope she could suddenly relive.

I feel this was an exercise in dealing with suicide, which could be good for some, but it is still the main theme, so be warned those who'd feel triggered. I'm no expert, but I feel it was a respectful approach.

It's a simple book, without pretenses, without any attempt at being grand like the two I've compared, and I think that's what I liked the most. It's what made this story so beautiful. At the same time, it's also probably forgettable. Aside from the feelings it evoked, not much from the plot called my attention. It was an enjoyable read (considering the theme), but that was it.

I recommend to those into angst but not the kind that will break and stomp all over your heart. There is something of a heartwarming story beyond the theme, it's like a coming-of-age story, but for the soul of the main character. This was pretty.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Rating: 3 out of 5.