Book Review – Try Not To Breathe

The real world had to take a back seat while I followed this engrossing story about a girl in a “locked-in” coma, and the woman who discovers she can communicate.

Alex Dale is a journalist struggling with an addiction to alcohol. Meeting the girl in the coma ward, forces her to face her demons while she figures out the truth about what happened to Amy. Chasing down the details brings her back to a past connection – they grew up in the same place, listened to the same music and flirted with the same boys. Everything about the attack on Amy leads Alex to question the conclusions that were made.

Will she be able to prove it? Episodic movie-style cutting between scenes reveals the world through Alex’s thoughts, the inside of Amy’s locked-in confusion, and the actions and thoughts of the elusive Jacob, a visitor who sits with the people in the coma ward every day.

This fast-paced story is well written, taut and bitingly sharp. It’s also a reflection on addiction, the journey it takes to fight it, and the hope that exists in the darkest of circumstances. A really, really good read.