[DHW]⋙ Download One Breath Away Heather Gudenkauf Susan Ericksen Books

One Breath Away Heather Gudenkauf Susan Ericksen Books

Download As PDF : One Breath Away Heather Gudenkauf Susan Ericksen Books

One Breath Away Heather Gudenkauf Susan Ericksen Books

This book was my companion on a long day of travel flying from Phoenix to FL. I have always enjoyed Ms. Gudenkauf's books, so I knew I would be captivated and would be able to forget all about uncomfortable airplane seats, dragging suitcases, and changing gates! The mystery hooked me from the get-go. The story is told from differing viewpoints, that of police officer Meg Barrett, grandfather Will Thwait, his grandchildren Augie and PJ, their mother Holly, and elementary school teacher Mrs. Oliver. The small town of Broken Branch, Iowa is the scene of a school hostage situation by an armed man, and the whole book unravels over the course of one day of terror for this small town. I literally found myself leaning forward in my airplane seat, almost like I was trying to "listen" in more carefully to the story as it unfolded.


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One Breath Away Heather Gudenkauf Susan Ericksen Books Reviews

so once again everyone is giving this book 4+ stars and here's me ....did we read the same book?

One Breath Away is set in a small Iowa town called Broken Branch. It has what felt like a million narrators but actually turns out to be five

Holly - Mother of Augie and PJ, living in Arizona at this time, hospitalized for severe burns after an oil fire.

Augie - Holly's 12 year old daughter

Mrs. Oliver - PJ's 3rd grade teacher

Meg - The worlds least proactive police officer

Will - Holly's father/Augie & PJ's grandfather

Holly is a throwaway character, simply necessary to link everyone together and the story wouldn't have been changed if she wasn't in it. Augie is frustrating and careless and absolutely stupid with a sympathetic longing to protect her little brother and meant to help Will redeem himself by having another go with rearing an annoying teenage girl. Mrs. Oliver is a stereotypical elementary school teacher. Actually she starts off interesting and even a little sexy, recalling the way that Mr. Oliver kissed the inside of her neck but it's as if she ages as the novel goes and by the end she's an elderly, retiring teacher. And Meg is one of the worst police officers ever. She spends 80% of the novel putting around, feeling glad her daughter wasn't in school that day and ignoring her phone.

None of these people make good decisions at any time in the course of this novel, except maybe Holly, who doesn't do much besides lay in a hospital bed, though everything we're told about her proves that she too is unable to make smart decisions. Pretty much every step of the way I felt extremely exasperated with all of them.

It's also worth noting that this book is 370 pages, divided into 116 chapters. Each chapter jumps into a different characters head so the reader spend so little time with each person, that it's impossible to really feel part of the experience. Its used to create suspense, keeping us in the dark at moments of action or realization. But it's so obvious in it's execution that the suspense doesn't grip you but just rolls over you, keeping you passively turning the pages in mild disinterest.

The clutch of this novel is Who Dun It -- who is the crazy person with a gun? They have all sorts of ideas. None of which make any sense and each of which is tied up with a big bow by the end of the novel, making it the neatest bloody school invasion book ever.
GRADE A

A gunman has entered a school in the sleepy Iowa town of Broken Branch. A thousand miles away, Holly lies helplessly in a hospital bed in Arizona, recovering from severe burns while her two children are trapped in that school. Her daughter Augie is determined to save younger brother PJ. Third grade teacher Mrs. Oliver will risk her life to save her students. Grandfather Will waits helplessly outside. Police officer Meg must find a way to prevent a tragedy in the making. Not everyone will survive.

ONE BREATH AWAY will grab you from the first page and won't let go of you until long after you've finished the last page. The characters are so clearly written they jumped from the pages into my mind as I accompanied them on their journey's throughout the book. Told through several narrators, each POV was clear and distinct and written with a unique and compelling voice in a way that few other writers can do as well as Gudenkauf.

The author's previous works, THESE THINGS HIDDEN and THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, are both masterpieces as well. I always feel a big of sadness reading one of Gudenkauf's books, because she writes such compelling books and because I know I'll have to wait a while for her next one...yet I know the wait will be worth it.

I often reread books that I love, and I've reread ONE BREATH AWAY several times.
This is one of those books that will keep you on edge up until the very end. There is nothing more terrifying than a classroom of children being held hostage by a gunman. A gunman who has nothing ot live for and seems to blame everyone else for what is wrong in his life.

There are several hero’s in this story. Augie, who will not let anything stop her from saving her little brother. Meg, who has a child that goes to this school and is in the class where the gunman is. Mrs Oliver, who loves these children more than life. It’s her last year as a teacher. She’s retiring, but does not want to go with her class thinking she did nothing to save them.

This book held me hostage until the very end. I have to admit that right before it was revealed I guessed who the gunman was. It was a lucky guess but one that I thought about for a bit and his reasons. I was right. How about that. The jerk....

This is the first book I have read by this author but definitely will not be the last. I look forward to more. I had to give this story a big 5 stars. It’s well written and you will love all of the characters. They are all so likable. Well, not one, but he’s the exception. The rest are great.

I loved this book and it kept me on edge. It is one good story that had me holding my breath a few times.
This book was my companion on a long day of travel flying from Phoenix to FL. I have always enjoyed Ms. Gudenkauf's books, so I knew I would be captivated and would be able to forget all about uncomfortable airplane seats, dragging suitcases, and changing gates! The mystery hooked me from the get-go. The story is told from differing viewpoints, that of police officer Meg Barrett, grandfather Will Thwait, his grandchildren Augie and PJ, their mother Holly, and elementary school teacher Mrs. Oliver. The small town of Broken Branch, Iowa is the scene of a school hostage situation by an armed man, and the whole book unravels over the course of one day of terror for this small town. I literally found myself leaning forward in my airplane seat, almost like I was trying to "listen" in more carefully to the story as it unfolded.