One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain
Pub Date: March 5, 2024

Eighteen-year-old Trulee lives in Mount Orange, Florida, a sleepy small-town famous for a twenty-year-old unsolved murder of two young women, Bailey and Celeste. Trulee has always been fascinated with the case and feels a pull towards the young women, but especially to Bailey.

It’s the start of summer vacation before she’s supposed to head off to FSU with her long-time boyfriend, Trulee is planning on spending it free-diving and working at the small local paper but she’s really scouring the archives looking for any clues or details that might have been missed during the investigation of the murder.

When mysterious Rio comes to town, Trulee finds that her interest in the murders is just as intense but it goes much deeper and before too long, they’re in the crosshairs of someone who doesn’t want them digging into the past.

This story has everything to keep me turning pages; murder, mayhem, a mystery that needs solving – all while outsmarting a killer! So good! The atmosphere is creepy and foreboding, the plot intense and twisty with a hint of the supernatural.

Loved this one front to back!

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

"One Last Breath" dives into the murky waters of a decades-old murder mystery, combining elements of thriller, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of sapphic romance. Set in the small town of Mount Orange, Florida, the narrative follows Trulee's relentless quest to unravel the truth behind the unsolved murders of two best friends, Bailey and Celeste.

The novel masterfully weaves mystery, thriller, and supernatural elements into a gripping narrative. Trulee's connection to the case takes a fascinating turn when Rio, a mysterious newcomer, arrives in town, sparking a profound and unexpected connection. "One Last Breath" is a slow burn mystery that keeps readers on their toes until the very end. The plot unfolds gradually, allowing for detailed exploration of characters and their relationships. While the plot itself is a bit slow, especially at the beginning, the slow burn adds layers to the narrative, keep you guessing and invested.

GMS excels in character development, creating a cast that resonates with depth and authenticity. Trulee, Rio, and supporting characters like East, Dill, and Derry each contribute uniquely to the story, making them memorable and engaging. I also like how GMS focused on free diving, which is something that I haven’t read a lot of in YA books, and the process of free diving and Trulee’s thought process was unique and well-written. The setting was also very sensory and descriptive throughout. I felt like I was in Florida when I was reading this book, especially the descriptions of the Florida humidity. I definitely appreciated this when it’s currently freezing outside when I read the book.

Beyond the mystery, the novel delves into themes of obsession, grief, and the impact of a heinous crime on a tight-knit community. Trulee's personal struggles, particularly her haunted past and complex family dynamics, add depth to the storyline. The inclusion of sapphic romance and paranormal elements adds a unique flavor to the murder mystery genre. The evolving connection between Trulee and Rio, intertwined with supernatural elements, creates a rich and immersive reading experience. While at times predictable (and making me feel for East who Trulee is dating at the beginning of the book), I enjoyed the romance part of the book as it felt very realistic for a just-graduated teenager in a small town discovering the world is much bigger than what she’s used to. It also didn’t take up too much focus in the book, leaving a lot of room for the mystery to develop.

"One Last Breath" stands out as a genre-blending thriller, offering a fresh take on cold-case mysteries with its well-drawn characters, atmospheric setting, and a narrative that skillfully balances suspense, romance, and the supernatural. I especially found the unique background of the murders to stand out (Trulee seemingly has no connection to the murders that were committed 20 years ago). I definitely enjoyed this book, and I look forward to exploring GMS’s other YA books.

I was really interested in this book and the cover drew me in. However, I found the book to be not very thrilling and quite slow. YA Thrillers are some of my favorite books to read but for whatever reason I couldn’t get into this one. I even put it down and tried picking it back up, but it just wasn’t clicking. I think that I found the slow burn aspect of it to be too long and drawn out to hold my interest.

I’ve enjoyed books with slow burn plots before because they’ve had other aspects that have held my interest. I found the characters to be a bit one dimensional and lacking depth.

The premise of this book reminded me of other YA Thrillers I’ve read. Where teenage girls end up solving cold case crimes. While I don’t usually have a problem with this, I did find it to be a bit played out at this point and I was looking for more of a unique twist. To me adding queer rep and a paranormal element just wasn’t what I was looking for and it felt too familiar to me.

This isn’t a horrible book, but it wasn’t a great read. I would recommend it to certain people, but not everyone. I just wish that this book would have been a little more unique and deeper overall.

Thank you so much to the publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, Penguin Group, and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, awesome cover! Was I drawn to this book because of the Florida setting? Yes. Born and raised so I had to pick up with paranormal mystery thriller since I enjoyed Ginny Myer Sain’s first two books.

This was slow to start and o did struggle to get into the story initially. While I never really connected with any of the characters, the plot is what carried this book for me. It was slow for the most part but the ending goes out with a bang and a twist of who did it.

Worth the read if you enjoy paranormal mysteries.

What a ride! This was my first Ginny Myers Sain read and I loved every bit of it. I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book, so I was so excited when I was able to get an ARC for it. I am a Florida girlie and FSU isn't too far from my town, so it was an additional bonus to read about the mysterious town of Mount Orange.

Overall the storyline was fun and thrilling, and the characters were top tier! It's always a personal goal of mine to collect all the clues and guess the big mystery by the end of the book...I was kind of right with this one. So, I take it as a partial win. If you are a misery/supernatural reader, give this book a try!

Thank you to Ginny Myers Sain, Penguin Teen, and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Gorgeous horror and a. Ice ARC, very supernatural and very much like a dark thriller. I loved the blending. Thanks for the arc

A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!! I really enjoyed this book; definitely something I will tell my friends about!

This is an amazing YA thriller book. The story takes place 20 years after the double murder of two high school aged girls. Tru was born after the murders in the same town and her family lost her sister in a tragic hit and run. Tru meets Rio on one of her many outings to the local springs that she frequently free dives at. Rio also is interested in the murders and the more the two dig into the past the more dangerous it becomes when it becomes clear that someone is stalking the two girls. Both girls can remember various parts of the murders even though they weren't born yet it is as though they are the murder victims reincarnated. This book had me continuously turning the pages I couldn't put it down. It had my heart racing as I was scared and nervous for the girls and if they would make it out of this alive.

Celeste and Bailey were gruesomely murdered nearly 20 years ago in Mount Orange, Florida.
Present day, Tru and Rio join forces to try and solve the cold case of the teenagers. Someone starts stalking them and disturbing things come to light. Things heat up with Tru and Rio as the summer progresses even though Tru has a childhood sweetheart.
This was a creepy, intense read that I stayed up late into the night to finish.
Thanks NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC that will be released March 5, 2024!

4.25 Stars
The story begins with the unveiling of yet another memorial for Bailey and Celeste, whose unsolved murders occurred almost twenty years ago. Tru has just graduated from high school and is spending as much time as she can free diving in the freshwater springs her small town is well known for. Diving and the unsolved murders are both top of mind for her this summer. It is at the springs that she meets Rio, who is new in town, and as focused on the murders as Tru. They become fast friends, and diving companions, while they search for answers about the murders and their own identities.

This story was very compelling, and I breezed right through it. The twists kept me guessing almost to the very end. The writing in this book was so crisp I felt like I could see this small town and the springs from the descriptions. This is a must read for anyone that likes small town mysteries.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such a great thriller! I loved the current timeline meshing with a story of the past. I love how this book also managed to be a wonderful coming of as he story. We got not only this wonderful thriller but also Tru and Rio finding themselves in the process. The end had my jaw on the floor!

When I first started to read this story, I thought I knew where it was going to go and then things kept happening causing me to second guess everything. I had to keep reading it, just to see how it ended. The crazy amount of things that went on in this town, it is a wonder how anyone ever trusted someone. Then I learned about free diving from this book, never knew that was a thing and seeing it used as both an escape and it makes sense when one of the twists comes to light. This was a rather fun ride of a story and how it ended, I was pleasantly happy with it. Everything did come together perfectly and I am so happy to have gotten an arc of it. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it.

One Last Breath was captivating from the first page. Tru is a fascinating main character--true to herself, curious, and brave. This was a pretty fast-paced read, perfect for true crime fans, and one that keeps you guessing until the very end. There's an unsolved murder, a killer on the loose, and an investigation that was fun to piece together along with Tru and Rio. The side characters added so much to the tension and mystery, and the end wraps up nicely, although a bit abruptly. I didn't know what to expect picking up this book, but I was pleasantly surprised and read it quickly. Fans thrillers, supernatural mysteries, and true crime will love this!

Thank you to netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read this book. This book was overall decent. I enjoyed i wanted more but I did enjoy it

I DNF'd this book I tried so hard to get into this story but it was so blah and forgetable that I even forgot I was reading it and forgot to go back and pick the book back up to read.

This one wasn't for me. I felt that the story had a good premise for your standard YA thriller/mystery, but the fantasy/paranormal element threw me off as it was unexpected - especially with the ending! I liked the twists and I think YA readers who enjoy fantasy would get more out of it, but it just isn't my thing. That being said, I'd be interested in reading other works from this author - thank you for the ARC!

I think I'm settling on 4 stars. This is my first read from Ginny Myers Sain, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that it will not be my last. The quality of the writing was exceptional and the atmosphere and ambiance that Myers Sain crafted was masterful. The story itself felt like if a Stacy Willingham book and Simone St. James book had a baby, and that baby was YA. If you like haunting, creepy thrillers with fantasy/ paranormal elements, then you should absolutely check out One Last Breath. Truly, I couldn't put this down. It's not that it was fast paced, because it wasn't. But it was paced perfectly, and Myers Sain sprinkled crumbs and revelations at just the right moments to keep you hooked. Honestly, the build up was a master class in suspense.

Why 4 stars instead of 5? The ending was just a little too fantastical for my preference. And I'm not talking about the fantasy-esque components... I was fine with that. But with that aside, the ending felt a little too unrealistic, and at some points, maybe even silly? Like the author was just throwing everything against the wall to see what would stick/ be the most dramatic and surprising. But literally every thing else about the book was perfection, and I unequivocally recommend this. Thank you so much to Myers Sain, Penguin Teen, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and Shallow Lies was a 5 star book for when i had read it so i had high expectations for this book and even though it isn't a 5 star read i still very much enjoyed and will most likely buy a copy when its released.

My true crime loving heart ate this up i loved the loosely woven paranormal aspect of why Tru and Rio connected so fast and the whole reincarnation thing was pretty cool to read about as well.

If you liked Ginny Myers Sain Dark and Shallow Lies you will love this book as well, please RUN don't walk and grab you a copy when it comes out in March 2024.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

I absolutely loved this book!! This book starts out with a memorial service for 2 girls that were murdered at hidden glen 30 years prior. The girls names were Celeste and Bailey. They had gone camping and the next morning their bodies were found one by the tent and the other was lying in a crystal clear bottomless pool. It is where all the locals go to cool off during the hot summer days. However no one tries to swim in them at night because of the alligators like to swim in them at night.

All the local teens like to use the springs to go free diving. They swim as far down the spring as they can before coming back up again for air. Tru meets another girl named Rio and they become best friends, together they work to uncover what really happened to Celeste and Bailey several years ago and at the same time they find out who they truly are and what they are to each other.

The ending of this book was so good!! I won’t give it away but I will tell you that you absolutely need to read this book because it ended up being someone you wouldn’t have ever expected.