Review: Beautiful story of self-discovery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 21, 2013
4.5/5 starsThere are certain books where, once I've finished reading them, I think: I will never be able to communicate the magnitude of how much this book affected me. I can count on my hand how many reviews I've written like that. K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths is one of them. And now I can add her One Tiny Lie to the ranks as well.I was completely floored when Kelly from InkSlingerPR asked me if I wanted to be a part of this blog tour. It's no secret that I adored Ten Tiny Breaths, so when I saw K.A. was writing a book with Livie being the main character, I freaked out. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year so naturally I jumped at the chance to read, review, and do a feature on my blog. (Thanks again KP! <3 )After reading Ten Tiny Breaths I was an emotional wreck. K.A. has that ability to make you feel every single thing her characters feel. Their joy, their pain, their despair, their relief.... everything. I was so emotionally invested in Kacey, Trent, and Livie and I remember being afraid to turn the pages because I was afraid my heart couldn't take anymore. Here we have a character who is so completely and utterly broken by her past, yet has to forge ahead to take care of her younger sister. Livie is such a sweet character in Ten Tiny Breaths. She serves as an anchor for her sister, but also needs her just as much.Now, Livie is older and about to start her first year at Princeton and we see that sweet, young girl now as a young adult. I love that the book starts with Kacey and Livie together. I love the dynamic between these two. We see such a different side to Kacey in this book and it's really heartwarming because you know after everything she's gone through, she's finally in a good place. She's still wild, crazy, impulsive Kacey and it's hilarious to watch her and the shy and reserved Livie out together at Princeton.Watching Livie come out of her shell is probably what I loved most in this book. We see a girl who is very reserved and prefers structure and order in her life. She doesn't take chances and does not have that liberating wildness that Kacey has. Livie has a set plan for her life and she intends to follow it through no matter what.This book teaches her that life is messy. It's complicated. It's not always predictable. And you can either ride the current or get dragged under. The first time we see Livie come out of her shell is under the influence of alcohol. She does some pretty crazy things while drunk. Things she'd never consider doing sober. She gains a confidence she never would have thought she had. Plain and simple: she experiences life without restraints. Livie is so obsessed with making her father proud, that she never once stops and questions if her plan is really the right one for her.Ashton is the one who really helps Livie see all of this. Oh, Ashton. What can I say about him? I absolutely loved him. He drove me crazy with his constant back and forth. He's known for being a player and yet from the first night he met Livie, she made an impression on him. He is certainly a complex character. He's flirty and fun, and we find out he has a girlfriend. Livie is disgusted with his behavior, and ends up showing an interest with his roommate, Connor. Yet as good and sweet and caring as Connor is, she can't help but get Ashton out of her head. Which is funny, because Ashton loves to get a rise out of Livie and embarrass her. She realizes that she has to step up her game and not let him get to her. Yet, it's all a mask that he wears. Once you learn about Ashton's past, your heart will break. You can't help but feel shattered for this man who has hid his true self from the world and replaced it with a faade to hide the pain.I think Livie is a fixer. She learns that Ashton doesn't talk about his family and that he never truly lets his guard down. In very small increments, Livie learns more and more about Ashton. She says she wants to help him forget his past, but she also wants to forget everything going on with her. Both of them long for their freedom and find it in a rather unlikely place: in each other.We meet a lot of new characters in this book. Reagan is Livie's roommate and serves as a good girlfriend Livie. Grant and Ty are Ashton and Connor's friends and they are hilarious. They offer the perfect comedic relief to help offset the seriousness of the book. Besides Kacey, we also have some returning characters, such as Dr. Stayner. This time, he is helping Livie. I like Dr. Stayner because it's his job to ask the hard questions- to push Livie to go beyond her limits. He challenges her to see her life from a different perspective.I was not as big of an emotional wreck in this book, but there were plenty of instances where my heart absolutely broke and ached for Livie and Ashton. Their circumstances and situation are very different from Trent and Kacey's. However, I was not disappointed.I've been where Livie was, not taking chances and stepping out on the ledge to take a leap of faith. I think that's why this book affected me like it did. Livie was relatable to me and I saw a lot of myself in her.I love that this book is about self-discovery. This is Livie's journey to find out who she truly is and what she really wants out of life. She has to experience heartbreak and despair in order to truly appreciate the good when it comes. She has to realize that not everything and everyone can be fixed.She has to put aside the expectations and really dig down deep to find out what SHE wants. Because only after all of that, can she really start living and be free.