Trapped in a Lion's Den | Every Breath


Every Breath by Ellie Marney
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Release date: September 1st, 2013
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, YA
Pages:  335
Source: Bought it
Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be.

James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who's also a genius with a passion for forensics.

Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. He's even harder to resist when he's up close and personal - and on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer.

When Rachel and Mycroft follows the murderer's trail, they find themselves in the lion's den - literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again...

Sizzling chemisty and urban intrigue combine in this thriller from a fresh, exciting new talent.

'I loved this book. It's quirky and real, fast-paced and full of great characters. Mycroft and Watts are smart, sexy, flawed detectives. The tension between them is electric. I was hooked from the first page.' - Cath Crowley, author of Graffiti Moon
Review:
 
How do I even start? I love this book so damn much I'm literally in lost for words. I'm just gonna make a list of what I LOVE about this book and what I dislike after that.

-IT'S SO FAST-PACED AND INTENSE AND ERMEGERD WOW. The book is a bit confusing at the beginning because it starts with an after-fight scene and I still have no idea what was going on. But, that aside, the story is so intense and I found myself sitting on the edge of my chair most of the time. I pretty much became deaf and blind to the rest of the world and I didn't even care that I was starving at that time. The story is so intense and action packed it will literally keep you on the edge of your seat. 

-IT'S SO SHERLOCK-Y WHILE NOT BEING THE TEENAGE VERSION OF THE BOOK. Do you get what I mean? There are many references to Sherlock Holmes here and there and the fact that the guy main character is in love with forensics just adds up to it. Okay, I haven't read the authentic Sherlock Holmes, but at least I have watched the BBC series. Sorry, not sorry. When I first read the book I was expecting two teenagers hungry for crime-solving and curious to the max. But, no. Mycroft and Watts are just two teenagers who just happen to care for someone who's nothing to anyone else and unfortunately, he's murdered. They feel dejected and sad when it happened, but they don't dwell on it, in fact, they do the opposite. They fuckin hunt the murderer down. HELL YEAH!

-THE CHARACTERS ARE UNIQUE OH GOD. THEY'RE JUST SO. DAMN. COOL. I mean, seriously, even though they're kind of poor (not that it has anything to do with their personalities) and not perfect in any possible way. They're so refreshing and fun to read. Even their dialogs, the simplest ones, entertain me. It's not just that, they both may have their own imperfections and rueful moments, but that just makes everything about them even more interesting because they're the reflection normal teenagers that are full of flaws and imperfections. Mycroft is a bit narcissistic, but I guess he's better than the real Sherlock because he LITERALLY be friends with everyone. He's also so hard to resist because he has this vibe around him that just makes you want to get into his soft spot and know him better than anyone else. Rachel is an open book, but you just tend to see it as one of her qualities and that's one of the reasons why I liked her.

-I SHIP RACHEL/WATTS AND MYCROFT LIKE FEDEX. Yup. Another ship is coming your way. Seriously. At first, they're just friends and they are okay and fine with it and I found it funny how they both react when someone refers them as a couple when they're not. Yet. They're the kind of couple that starts off slowly but has already developed chemistry for a long time because they both understand the other more than anyone else does. 

-THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS ARE AWESOME TOO. They all are unique and funny and each of them has one specific thing that literally describes themselves. Like, when you think of a character whom at first seems ordinary but turns out to be a master of law talk, then, you have Mai. And MIKE! Oh god. He's Rachel's brother and he cares so much for her while not wanting to admit at the same time. He's just so cute! Seriously, all the side characters are also hard to forget. They're all have their essential parts to the story and that just adds up to it. They're not like those secondary characters that seconds after reading the book you even forgot their names. No. That's not like that at all. Even though, well, they're just secondary characters, but you know what? They're great. Oh I said that, didn't I?

-It's written in a light and captivating way, but not too light. I mean, I've never really been a 17-year-old girl, but reading Rachel's narration made me seem as though I am. Her narration is so captivating and how she made funny remarks on death-and-life situation is also quite an entertainment.

Aaanndd, here are the things that kinda annoyed me (but still, totally not worth taking any stars for):

-The book starts with a confusing after fight scene and I still don't know what happens and why that happens.

-I need more introduction about the first time Mycroft and Rachel meet! I mean, they have known each other for four months and I want to know how they have known each other so damn well in just that length of time! 

-THE FUCKING HIDEOUS COVER. SERIOUSLY! THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL AND GREAT MASTERPIECE BUT WHY DOES THE COVER HAVE TO LOOK LIKE A TROLL?! I found myself getting embarrassed every time someone asked me what I was reading and I had to lift the cover and they were like  ew and then I had to go on about how you literally can't judge a book by its cover and how awesome this book actually is.

All in all, no words can describe how much I enjoyed this book. You will get hooked simultaneously on the first few pages. Then, after that, you just can't stop because it's one of the forces of nature. I'd bet money on it. It's so intense, action-packed, and fast-paced, so there's just no way you'll be able to start reading and then stop in the middle. I highly recommend this for EVERYONE on earth. Especially the ones in love with Sherlock Holmes, whether it's just the movie, novels, or tv series (like me!).

And bonus one gif to sum everything up:




Oh, wait, there's more:



My rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Reviewed by Inas

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