Reasons to Read: Every Breath by Ellie Marney

Review: Every Breath by Ellie Marney
Goodreads
Release date: October 14th, 2014
Publisher: Tundra
Series: Yes, THANK THE BOOKISH GODS
Length: 352 pages
Source: Purchased and ever so worth it
Rating: Sobbing because I want to marry this book and have its book babies



When James Mycroft drags Rachel Watts off on a night mission to the Melbourne Zoo, the last thing she expects to find is the mutilated body of Homeless Dave, one of Mycroft's numerous eccentric friends. But Mycroft's passion for forensics leads him to realize that something about the scene isn't right--and he wants Watts to help him investigate the murder.
 
While Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den--literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again...


Ten Important Reasons Why You--Yes, You, Right There--Should Read Every Breath by Ellie Marney:

10. This book cured my soul.

I've been having a crummy week, and Tuesday was a particularly crummy day. All I wanted was to read a book that would swallow me whole and alter every single feeling in my body, that would make me swoon, laugh, scream, cry, and then ultimate leave me with a feeling of pure, transcendent ecstasy. Tall order, right? Well, on the combined enthusiastic recommendations of Meg (who also did a Top Ten Reasons  post for this book, which of course I only realized after finishing this one entirely) and Nikki, I'd preordered this bad boy, and decided to give it a shot in my crummy mood, hoping it would rise to the very tall order. 

I knew in the FIRST SCENE that I was in for a great treat of an evening. And from that first scene, Every Breath never once let go of my heart. In fact, Every Breath invaded my plot like a medieval army and planted little flags all over it and I am now a part of it and it is a part of me forever more. I burst into wild tears at three different moments. I nearly asphyxiated myself with a pillow when things got interestingly USTy. I laughed so hard my dog left the room (I think I embarrassed her). And I sent Meg 3 am gchat updates that looked like... well, this:







9. WHAT IF SHERLOCK WAS THE BOY NEXT DOOR?

Did you see that? Did you read that, on the cover? The premise of this book is What if Sherlock was the boy next door? Oh, wait, you saw that? Sorry, I just need to freak out about it a little because OMG. But what's so fabulous about Every Breath that though it is clearly playing off the premise of a modern day teenage Sherlock and Watson, and very nimbly tips it hat at the original stories, Mycroft and Watts are entirely their own. Mycroft is a socially awkward genius with a tragic past, yes, but he is himself--Mycroft. He's adorable and endearing and frustrating, but like his Sherlockian predecessors (rakish and Downeyan, calculating and CumbeRbatchian) he pairs perfectly--perfectly--with his Watts.



8. FRANDSHIPPPPPPP AND PARTNERSHIP AND PERFECTION

Watts and bloody Mycroft, you guys. They live two doors down from one another, and though the've only been friends for about half a year or so, they are biffles. Totally unconvential and dysfunctional biffles, since he's all geniusy and eccentric and forgets to feed himself, and she's kind of his practical, gruff caretaker at times, but really they take care of each other because they're both going through shit and my emotions I can't. And because they only call each other by their last names, you know that this ship is made of unicorn dreams and rainbows and angel wishes. 



7. Rachel Watts

Our narrator is seventeen-year-old Rachel Watts, newly moved to the big city of Melbourne from the country. She hates the city. She yearns with every fiber of her being to be back on her family's old farm. She is filled with resentment and bitterness, but she's been stoic and practical for so long that she can't express it, and it's eating her up. Rachel is a star. I felt her emotions so vividly, and she's deliciously sarcastic and brave and bright and GAH. She takes solace in escaping to hang out with Mycroft, helping him with his usual genius shenanigans and fighting the fact that she OBVIOUSLY wants to jump his SUPER HOT BONES because WHO DOESN'T ahem I mean what were we talking about

SHUT UP WATSON'S GRIEFSTACHE DON'T JUDGE ME

6. James Mycroft

Mycroft is ferociously hot in my head.

Riiiight, we were talking about my one true love, James Whelan Mycroft. Mmmmm. Like I said, Mycroft is not Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock. He definitely has moments where he fails to read social cues, but he can be warm and funny and is not nearly as dismissive of all of humanity. In fact, he's very fond of people and it's so adorable. He has a very tragic past, and though he runs on very high genius brain-fueled energy, sometimes he crashes and burns (which is where Watts tries to step in. He's a dynamic and hot like really really hot please just understand how hot her is for a moment
a super loyal friend and I really just want to write MYCROFT MYCROFT MYCROFT here and leave it at that so I shall.



5. STRAYA

AUSSIE LIT FTW! This book is set in Melbourne, and the flavor of the city and of Australia itself really comes through. I mean, I'm far from an expert on Australian culture (though I have seen every single episode of Australia's Next Top Model), but I very much felt transported and immersed through the imagery, the attitudes of the character, and the delightful slang and phrasiology. 

4. Mysteeeeeerious

Every Breath is a mystery at its heart. Mycroft and Watts stumble upon the dead body of their friend, a homeless man named Dave, and when it looks like the police aren't heading in the right direction in their investigation--and appear less than bothered about the death of a homeless man--Mycroft and (a reluctant, at first) Watts team up to solve the case. Shenanigans (highly dramatic and yet still within the realm of believable) ensue. INCLUDING AN ENDING SO INTENSE AND SCARY I ACTUALLY FELT ILL OMG. SERIOUSLY. TWO OF MY WORST NIGHTMARES WERE IN THIS BOOK. OMGGG. Though I guessed the killer at their first appearance, the mystery is still advanced enough to trick me on every other aspect of the plot. (Trigger warning for dog lovers, however. Ugly tears.)

3. CHARACTER ARCS (and accompanying feels)

Family, growth, tragedy, emotionsss, loss, friendship, first love. EVERYTHING. The interpersonal relationships take center stage in Every Breath, with the overarching mystery--though of definite import--serving as the framework for the feelings. This book is about Watts, and it is about Mycroft, and it is about them together. And it just so happens that the catalyst for all those arcs it the unfortunate death of Homeless Dave. This book is BRUTAL on the heart. It's all fluffy shippy quippy STAB STAB STAB shippy quippy EVISCERATE.



2. Quippy quipperdom!

Oh dear Gansey, is the dialogue in this book positively sparkling. Even with this book crushed me into smithereens, I was still laughing. The characters are brilliant. The book is brilliant. Everything is brilliant.

1. This ship. Is. Everything.

Here it is. The Big Kahuna. The reason you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK is Watts and Mycroft together. I was shrieking at them to get it on from page one. Honestly, I can't even about this ship. The chemistry is both physical (screamed at Certain Sexual Tensiony Scenes) and emotional (forever sobbing because BONDING). I know I should be articulately articulating all the reasons why Wattscroft (we'll work on this) are now queens of my heart, but honestly I hope you all just read and discover the deliciousness for yourself, just like I did.

How long have I been staring at this gif

BONUS: More Gillian-live-updating snippets, aka I'm a Loon