Every Stolen Breath

by Kimberly Gabriel

Overview

This fast-paced and immersive thriller shows just how hard one girl will fight back against corruption and violence, knowing any breath might be her last. Publisher’s Weekly said, “Gabriel's debut demonstrates how technology can be used to incite violence, and fans of Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden's The Hive will find a similarly themed, and similarly frightening, story here.” Also winner of the 2020 ILA Award for Best YA Fiction.

The Swarm is unrecognizable, untraceable, and unpredictable—a mob that leaves death in its wake. Public places are no longer safe. Every day is a threat. Though it’s been two years since the last attack, Lia Finch has found clues that the Swarm is ready to claim a new victim.

The last victim was Lia’s father, attorney Steven Finch. Devastated and desperate for answers, Lia will do anything to uncover the reasons behind his death and to stop someone else from being struck down. However, the odds are stacked against her: Lia’s PTSD from her father’s attack has left her with a shaky grip on reality, and her debilitating asthma is a time bomb that could kill her at any moment.

After a close encounter with the Swarm puts Lia on their radar, she teams up with a teen hacker, a reporter, and a mysterious stranger who knows firsthand how the Swarm works. Together, they work to uncover the master puppeteer behind the group. If Lia and her network don’t stop the person pulling the strings—and fast—Lia will be the next victim.

Inspired by the real flash mobs in Chicago, readers ages 13 and up won’t be able to put Every Stolen Breath down. This YA thriller is great for readers who enjoy mystery and suspense.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310766667
Publisher:	Blink
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	689,160
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	720L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kimberly Gabriel is an English teacher who writes every chance she gets and struggles with laundry avoidance issues. When she's not teaching or writing, she's enjoying life with her husband, her three beautiful children, and a seriously beautiful boxer in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

10/14/2019

Lia Finch, 16, has evidence that the Death Mob’s Swarm will strike again after a two-year absence. In Chicago, dozens of disguised teens have beaten and kicked their victims to death. Lia’s father, a prosecuting attorney who was investigating the Swarm, became one of their victims. After deciphering a tweet indicating that a new attack will take place, Lia goes to the waterfront site alone to try to document the mob’s activities. While there, she’s saved from the violence by a gray-eyed teen, who tosses her into Lake Michigan. Her rescuer, Ryan, later introduces himself as a Swarm member who also worked with her father. As Lia, along with her friends Adam and Katie, works to identify members of the Swarm to help stop the Death Mobs, Ryan stays in the shadows, trying to protect Lia. Despite suffering from both asthma and panic attacks, Lia often acts recklessly, adding to the story’s excitement but detracting from her depiction as a savvy teen. Inspired by real-life flash mob attacks in Chicago, Gabriel’s debut demonstrates how technology can be used to incite violence, and fans of Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden’s The Hive will find a similarly themed, and similarly frightening, story here. Ages 13–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

'Lia is the only one still pursuing her father's killers, two years after attorney Steven Finch's murder by the Swarm. Devastated and desperate for answers, Lia will do anything to uncover the reasons behind his death and to stop someone else from being struck down. But due to debilitating asthma and PTSD that leaves her with a tenuous hold on reality, Lia is the last person to mount a crusade on her own. After a close encounter with the Swarm puts Lia on their radar, she teams up with a teen hacker, a reporter, and a mysterious stranger who knows firsthand how the mob works. Together, they work to uncover the master puppeteer behind the group. Though if Lia and her network don't stop the person pulling the strings (and fast!) Lia may end up the next target. Critique: Inspired by the real-life 'flash mob' violence that happened Chicago in 2011, Kimberly Gabriel 'Every Stolen Breath' is a fast-paced page turner of a novel by an author with a genuine flair for a distinctive and truly reader engaging narrative storytelling style.' — Midwest Book Review

Midwest Book Review

Original, engrossing, and full of suspense, EVERY STOLEN BREATH is an intense YA thriller/mystery and page-turner.

YA and Kids Books Central

Don't miss it. It's a good one!

Beauty Brite

10/01/2019

Gr 7 Up—Two years ago, Lia's father was killed by the Swarm, a vicious mob of teenagers who seemingly choose random victims to beat to death in the streets. Lia thinks her dad may have been researching who is behind the attacks and that he was targeted because he was close to an answer. With the help of her techie friend Adam, she works tirelessly to try to find the teens who killed her dad. But the Swarm is everywhere, and now they might be after Lia. As the danger to her increases, she encounters Ryan, a young man with a shady past who is hell-bent on protecting her, but she's not sure she can trust him. Pushy reporter Emi Vega is also investigating the story, but Lia questions her motives, too. While the concept of this book is original, unfortunately the characters are not, falling into cliché as soon as readers meet them. The plot moves quickly, but most of the turns fall flat, and while there seems to be the promise of romance, that fails to deliver. VERDICT The interesting premise should draw in some readers and the intensity of the pacing may keep them reading. Recommended for larger collections.—Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX

School Library Journal