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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Also posted on Rally the Readers.
3.5 Stars
Confession time: I’m one of the few people on the planet who’s never seen an episode of Sherlock; I’ve also never read any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels about the world’s most famous detective. I don’t even read mysteries often; I can count on one hand the number I’ve read as an adult (I did love reading the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was a kid, though). But I kept coming across Ellie Marney’s contemporary, Sherlock Holmes-inspired Every Breath, and, looking to read something outside of my usual genres for a change, I decided to give Every Breath a go.
James Mycroft and Rachel Watts are friends/neighbors/classmates in Melbourne, Australia. Watts handles the narrating duties; she’s still adjusting to city life after her family’s financial situation forced them to give up their farm. Mycroft is not without his own struggles; he lost his parents as a child and has been raised by an aunt who provides the basic necessities but with whom he has no emotional connection. If you’re beginning to think that Watts and Mycroft are two kindred souls who perfectly complement each other, you would be correct.
Many other readers have swooned over the development of Watts and Mycroft’s relationship, and I shall add my own swoons to the pile. Truly, truly, my favorite aspect of Every Breath was the irresistible Watts/Mycroft combination. Not only does the pairing work in the sense that they’re an ace investigative team, but there’s also the undeniable chemistry between them from the novel’s outset. Their banter is so easy, and there’s just always this sense, even when they’re at odds with each other, that they’re right together. This is one of the best written YA romances I’ve read in a while, and for me, was the standout here, even over the unraveling of the murder mystery.
I took to Mycroft straightaway because—what’s not to love? He’s hyper-intelligent, logical, and fastidiously attentive to details. In other words, he couldn’t be better suited to detective work. Mycroft is also on the quirky side, but he wouldn’t be Mycroft without his little eccentricities. And Mycroft is the real deal; he’s not playing at being a detective. The only thing that’s missing is the badge to make it official.
Watts may not be into studying forensics like Mycroft is, but she brings plenty of her own smarts to the partnership. She doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinions, either, and I can’t emphasize enough how she’s not merely second fiddle to Mycroft. My only quibble with Watts’s character was how much the novel seemed to dwell on her yen for the country. Granted, feeling out of place in the city and longing for her former way of life were central to her character’s conflict, but I couldn’t help feeling that Mycroft’s internal battles were integrated into the book more subtly. After the first few times Watts mentioned her difficulties adapting to Melbourne, I got the picture and thought the additional references began to belabor the point a bit.
As for the mystery that forms the heart of Every Breath, the suspense buildup is very well done. The crime itself is portrayed unflinchingly, and the fact that it’s not sugarcoated lends the book a rather impressive sense of gritty realism. What I was not so keen on was the big reveal. Although I really enjoyed following Mycroft and Watts as they looked into every possible lead to figure out who killed their homeless friend, Dave, I immediately picked out the perpetrator. When it came time for the culprit’s tell-all speech, the motives just didn’t deliver the impact that I’d been expecting in comparison to how skillfully the investigation itself was plotted.
Although Every Breath pulled up a tad short for me with its resolution, I loved Watts and Mycroft and their snappy dialogue and their wonderfully simmering romance. The latter was a most pleasant surprise, and I’d recommend this book on the strength of the romance alone. And believe me—I do not typically read books for the romance!
3.5 Stars
Confession time: I’m one of the few people on the planet who’s never seen an episode of Sherlock; I’ve also never read any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels about the world’s most famous detective. I don’t even read mysteries often; I can count on one hand the number I’ve read as an adult (I did love reading the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was a kid, though). But I kept coming across Ellie Marney’s contemporary, Sherlock Holmes-inspired Every Breath, and, looking to read something outside of my usual genres for a change, I decided to give Every Breath a go.
James Mycroft and Rachel Watts are friends/neighbors/classmates in Melbourne, Australia. Watts handles the narrating duties; she’s still adjusting to city life after her family’s financial situation forced them to give up their farm. Mycroft is not without his own struggles; he lost his parents as a child and has been raised by an aunt who provides the basic necessities but with whom he has no emotional connection. If you’re beginning to think that Watts and Mycroft are two kindred souls who perfectly complement each other, you would be correct.
Many other readers have swooned over the development of Watts and Mycroft’s relationship, and I shall add my own swoons to the pile. Truly, truly, my favorite aspect of Every Breath was the irresistible Watts/Mycroft combination. Not only does the pairing work in the sense that they’re an ace investigative team, but there’s also the undeniable chemistry between them from the novel’s outset. Their banter is so easy, and there’s just always this sense, even when they’re at odds with each other, that they’re right together. This is one of the best written YA romances I’ve read in a while, and for me, was the standout here, even over the unraveling of the murder mystery.
I took to Mycroft straightaway because—what’s not to love? He’s hyper-intelligent, logical, and fastidiously attentive to details. In other words, he couldn’t be better suited to detective work. Mycroft is also on the quirky side, but he wouldn’t be Mycroft without his little eccentricities. And Mycroft is the real deal; he’s not playing at being a detective. The only thing that’s missing is the badge to make it official.
Watts may not be into studying forensics like Mycroft is, but she brings plenty of her own smarts to the partnership. She doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinions, either, and I can’t emphasize enough how she’s not merely second fiddle to Mycroft. My only quibble with Watts’s character was how much the novel seemed to dwell on her yen for the country. Granted, feeling out of place in the city and longing for her former way of life were central to her character’s conflict, but I couldn’t help feeling that Mycroft’s internal battles were integrated into the book more subtly. After the first few times Watts mentioned her difficulties adapting to Melbourne, I got the picture and thought the additional references began to belabor the point a bit.
As for the mystery that forms the heart of Every Breath, the suspense buildup is very well done. The crime itself is portrayed unflinchingly, and the fact that it’s not sugarcoated lends the book a rather impressive sense of gritty realism. What I was not so keen on was the big reveal. Although I really enjoyed following Mycroft and Watts as they looked into every possible lead to figure out who killed their homeless friend, Dave, I immediately picked out the perpetrator. When it came time for the culprit’s tell-all speech, the motives just didn’t deliver the impact that I’d been expecting in comparison to how skillfully the investigation itself was plotted.
Although Every Breath pulled up a tad short for me with its resolution, I loved Watts and Mycroft and their snappy dialogue and their wonderfully simmering romance. The latter was a most pleasant surprise, and I’d recommend this book on the strength of the romance alone. And believe me—I do not typically read books for the romance!
I was a bit skeptical of the premise, but it's perfectly executed, with a lovely balance of self-aware without being too obvious. I hugely enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next installment in Mycroft and Watts's partnership.
To start off, I loved Every Breath (5 stars) and read the sequel in a day. So yes. Read this immensely clever Aussie series with complex characters, an excellent mystery, tension, great friends, and a ship the size of the Titanic. WATTSCROFT. Seriously, their chemistry is electric.
One of the best books I've read this year. It's perfect for those of you who love Sherlock Holmes, friends to lovers, and lots of banter.
I feel like I may have read this at the wrong time, because I was bored throughout the whole story. Like, I was engaged and I was following along, but I was not committed and if I had anything better lined up to read (because at the moment, I'm not sure what I want to read), I probably would have abandoned it.
I guess one of the things that bothered me was the fact that this is a modern Sherlock adaptation, but the characters are named Mycroft and Watts. The latter is easier to get used to, since it's not much different than Watson. But Mycroft? In the book, they joke "Sherlock's much smarter brother", but since Mycroft in Every Breath behaves more like Sherlock, it kept throwing me out of the story. And his first name is James. It's like a sick joke.
Although, I actually liked the characterization of both Mycroft and Watts. Mycroft (it's hurting my brain) is a very destructive teenager who smokes and drinks, with a tragic backstory (of course), but who's brilliant in school, but doesn't behave well otherwise. Watts' family lost their farm and now they live in the city and she hates all of it. But Mycroft, with his eccentricities, makes it a little better.
The mystery was sub-par. Although I think I was simply distracted from it by other loud plot elements, like Mai and her t-shirts, Watt's family spats, and their budding romance. Though I think the romance developed at a nice, even pace.
I don't know... I just... I didn't connect with the story the way I wanted to and I think it was simply a wrong time to read it.
I think I'm gonna have to give it a go again sometime in the future.
I guess one of the things that bothered me was the fact that this is a modern Sherlock adaptation, but the characters are named Mycroft and Watts. The latter is easier to get used to, since it's not much different than Watson. But Mycroft? In the book, they joke "Sherlock's much smarter brother", but since Mycroft in Every Breath behaves more like Sherlock, it kept throwing me out of the story. And his first name is James. It's like a sick joke.
Although, I actually liked the characterization of both Mycroft and Watts. Mycroft (it's hurting my brain) is a very destructive teenager who smokes and drinks, with a tragic backstory (of course), but who's brilliant in school, but doesn't behave well otherwise. Watts' family lost their farm and now they live in the city and she hates all of it. But Mycroft, with his eccentricities, makes it a little better.
The mystery was sub-par. Although I think I was simply distracted from it by other loud plot elements, like Mai and her t-shirts, Watt's family spats, and their budding romance. Though I think the romance developed at a nice, even pace.
I don't know... I just... I didn't connect with the story the way I wanted to and I think it was simply a wrong time to read it.
I think I'm gonna have to give it a go again sometime in the future.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it might have been a more dark kind of novel, but it was surprisingly well balanced. It somehow managed to take scenes of murder and violence and balance it with comedy and humour. I really enjoyed the characters who seem to have a multi-dimensional personality. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
4.5 stars!
Immediate reaction: I love a good mystery and sherlock Holmes as the boy next door?? so good.
Originally posted on: Book Scents
I really enjoyed this one! It's really unique, it's set in Melbourne, Australia so for me, it was interesting to be put in a different location. There were definitely some terms I wasn't used to at first so that took a bit to be acclimated to but then it was like second nature!
So, Rachel Watts and her next door neighbor James Mycroft start investigating the murder of a homeless man that they had previously befriended. Sometimes teen investigations can come off sounding incredulous but honestly, everything in Every Breath was smart and well put together and I loved how genius Mycroft was.
Mycroft is this brooding guy that is himself a bit of a mystery, at least where his past is involved. We get brushes of it which only intrigues me more (which is why I need the next book like now) and it's interesting how that works into his friendship with Watts. Watts hates being in the city, after living her whole life in the country, but the only good thing is Mycroft and her other friends from school. I adored their friendship and then the beginning of their relationship. This is the stuff OTPs are made of, you guys!
The character development is really amazing. It's the kind of story telling that pulls you into the minds of the characters and make them seem so tangible and real. The mystery aspect actually was very much a mystery to me. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I totally didn't figure it out until near the end.
In Short...
Do you love to root for OTPs with all your heart and soul? Read this. Do you like mystery stories where it's actually sort of genius and it does not at all come off as implausible with teen investigators? Read this! Do you like the idea of Sherlock as the boy next door?? (The answer to this should always be yes) Read this!
Immediate reaction: I love a good mystery and sherlock Holmes as the boy next door?? so good.
Originally posted on: Book Scents
I really enjoyed this one! It's really unique, it's set in Melbourne, Australia so for me, it was interesting to be put in a different location. There were definitely some terms I wasn't used to at first so that took a bit to be acclimated to but then it was like second nature!
So, Rachel Watts and her next door neighbor James Mycroft start investigating the murder of a homeless man that they had previously befriended. Sometimes teen investigations can come off sounding incredulous but honestly, everything in Every Breath was smart and well put together and I loved how genius Mycroft was.
Mycroft is this brooding guy that is himself a bit of a mystery, at least where his past is involved. We get brushes of it which only intrigues me more (which is why I need the next book like now) and it's interesting how that works into his friendship with Watts. Watts hates being in the city, after living her whole life in the country, but the only good thing is Mycroft and her other friends from school. I adored their friendship and then the beginning of their relationship. This is the stuff OTPs are made of, you guys!
The character development is really amazing. It's the kind of story telling that pulls you into the minds of the characters and make them seem so tangible and real. The mystery aspect actually was very much a mystery to me. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I totally didn't figure it out until near the end.
In Short...
Do you love to root for OTPs with all your heart and soul? Read this. Do you like mystery stories where it's actually sort of genius and it does not at all come off as implausible with teen investigators? Read this! Do you like the idea of Sherlock as the boy next door?? (The answer to this should always be yes) Read this!