Review: Amazing New Adult
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 23, 2013
Originally posted on The Canon! {[...]I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.There's something about K.A. Tucker's world that makes me ridiculously excited to dive back in. I found One Tiny Lie on Netgalley a few weeks ago, and it was impossible to keep myself from skipping ahead of my schedule to it. In her first novel of the series, Ten Tiny Breaths, we meet Kacey and her sister, Livie, two girls orphaned at a early age and forced to live with a overly Christian aunt and a perverted uncle. When Kacey and Livie make their escape, Ten Tiny Breaths begins (my review here.) Livie's story, One Tiny Lie, lives up to the extraordinary standards set by the first novel.THE CHARACTERSIn Ten Tiny Breaths, Livie is the stable one, the rock, and Kacey's consistent strength. I had already admired her in the beginning, so it was easy to fall in love with her character a second time around.Livie's struggle to live up to expectations - hers and others - weighs on her, even though she doesn't discover this struggle for a while. She sees herself as the responsible one, the one who has to uphold their dad's dream of his girls attending his alma mater, Princeton, and the one who has to graduate medical school. All of her intentions are well-meant, but Livie has never considered doing exactly what she wants. She's used to people outside of her family (her sister, their friend Storm, Storm's daughter) telling her that everything will be fine instead of truly listening to her. When Ashton steals her Jell-O shot (possibly my favorite scene in the book), he changes that all for her.Ashton and Livie are magnetic. Even though neither of them want to admit it, they fit. Ashton's bad boy charm hides something that Livie wants to heal for him, fitting back into her role as the responsible one (like she does with Kacey in the first book). Ashton, in turn, is the one to listen, to take on the role of cracking Livie's expectations so she can find out who she truly is.THE PLOTTypically through college, young adults search for their identities and who they want to be in the future. Livie has always wanted to be a Princeton graduate and an oncologist. Most of us setting foot on the campuses around the globe don't have a huge idea of what we want to do. I loved that Livie had her life mapped out and Tucker took that plan and tossed it in the air. I loved the plot; I loved that once Livie achieves her first goal of attending Princeton, the rest of her goals open up for her to decide what she wants to do. Tucker forces Livie to finally live outside her box, to make a decision for herself.THE WRITINGIf I hadn't had to go to work, I would have finished this book in one sitting. Tucker's smooth delivery and dialogue make One Tiny Lie a sinking into Livie's world instead of reading her story. I loved the narration, the strong characters, the plot.FINAL THOUGHTSThis book is definitely a keeper for me. I'm hooked. Livie's story lives up to the expectations - and goes beyond - of what I expected from Ten Tiny Breaths. Definitely recommended!