Review: 4.5 Freeing Stars!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 6, 2014
I absolutely loved Ten Tiny Breaths! And ever since Livie stepped onto the pages of it, I've wanted to know her story. I've wanted to get inside her head. She's seemingly perfect; warm and kind and always looking out for others. She seems to have it all together, but as much as people try to be, they aren't perfect. And Livie had to let go of her preconceived notions of who she is and what she wants out of life to find out exactly where she belongs.I've already said how much I can connect with Kacey, but I can also connect with Livie. I loved her POV and how she told the story. It was fresh, innocent, and fun. But it was also heartbreaking, heavy, and confusing. On the outside, Olivia Cleary is perfect. She's not afraid to talk about her parents, seemingly has overcome that grief, and is on her way to becoming a doctor in pediatrics (specifically, oncology). But it's Kacey, and Dr. Stayner, who notice that maybe she's holding onto her parents in a dangerous way. Not like Kacey's self-destructive nature, but in a way that is much more subtle and hard to detect. It's dangerous because Livie has spent so much time being perfect, that anything less sends her spiraling. And she's been hiding so much of herself away for fear of straying from this path she's on that it makes her question everything about her life.Ashton makes her question everything about her life. I fell so hard for Ashton, maybe even harder than I fell for Trent. He's a womanizing, arrogant male with no regard for how he hurts people and who doesn't care what anybody thinks of him. But there is more to this guy than anyone knows. Ashton's story broke my heart, made me cry, and gave his character so much depth that I found myself absolutely loving his development. It was beautiful and heartbreaking; it was just so damn good. He was such a complex character. He was arrogant, cocky, and a cheater. But he was also caring, protective, and even sweet. It took a long time for the real Ashton to come through, but it was so believable. What he went through, what he's still going through is not something that a person can get over completely in a few days. And Livie never gave up on him, giving him whatever he needed, because she understood. He was flawed, and she got that.The relationship between these two was so wonderfully written; their chemistry so strong and so passionate. It was amazing to see how it unfolded. From their drunken first kiss to the on-and-off romance, I loved watching it develop (even if I disliked it at times). But their bond was so deep.The way these two interacted, from their teasing to their passionate exchanges, I was captivated. That scene in the bathroom after Livie hurt her ankle was one of the best scenes I've ever read, in any book. It was simply exquisite. It showed that they are flawed individuals who feel with their entire beings. It showed the depth of their relationship. It was subtly romantic. They gave each other what they needed. They understood each other in way that no one else could. God, I loved it.BUT. It was hard to like sometimes, because of certain circumstances. I'm not a fan of cheating, in any sense of the word. I really wish Livie had done things differently, but I found myself not caring that much. This wasn't about cheating or just wanting to give into the passion you feel for someone else. This was about Livie and Ashton. This was about a girl who never explored who she really was and who never let herself feel or think or do anything that would challenge that perfection. This was about her making mistakes and trying new things and letting herself just... live. This was about a guy who shut everyone out to make his life easier and who was going to accept that he'd never be free. But Livie became his freedom, his Irish girl. She became the catalyst that would help him decide to break free of his father and just be himself.These two characters were so complex, and I loved their development. The emotions were intense, the level of depth shown brilliant. One Tiny Lie was a truly wonderful and beautiful read.