"One Last Breath" by Ginny Myers Sain is a gripping supernatural thriller that unfolds in the small town of Mount Orange, Florida. Famed for its cerulean freshwater springs and haunted by a decades-old cold case, the story revolves around the unsolved murders of best friends Bailey and Celeste.

Tru, the protagonist, has always lived in the shadow of these gruesome murders, compounded by the death of her own sister. As she prepares to head to FSU with her boyfriend, the weight of the unsolved crimes and her personal losses consumes her thoughts. The darkness is only pierced when she immerses herself in the Hidden Glen Springs.

The arrival of Rio, a mysterious girl determined to unravel the truth behind Bailey and Celeste's murders, pulls Tru into the thrilling pursuit of solving the long-standing mystery. Tru can't resist the attraction not only to Rio but also to the challenge of uncovering the truth. As the summer heat rises, so does the connection between Tru and Rio, intertwined with their otherworldly link to Bailey and Celeste.

However, their quest for answers takes a dangerous turn when someone starts stalking them. Convinced that the killer is back in town, Tru and Rio must confront the past. The stakes are high, and as they dig deeper, they fear that this time, it could be their blood that turns the springs red.

Ginny Myers Sain weaves a tale filled with murder, romance, and a paranormal twist. The atmospheric setting of Mount Orange adds to the suspense, and the unresolved mysteries create an engaging plot. The novel explores themes of loss, obsession, and the interplay between the supernatural and the everyday.

"One Last Breath" promises readers a thrilling ride through a town haunted by its dark history, and it's likely to appeal to those who enjoy supernatural mysteries with a touch of romance. The blend of suspense, paranormal elements, and the quest for justice makes it a compelling addition to the young adult thriller genre.

* Thank you NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

One Last Breath is a swampy, thriller-mystery about a decades-old murder and the ripple effect it had on their small community. Tru has been obsessed with the murder as long as she can remember, and when a mysterious new girl appears, just as invested, they dive in (pun intended) together.

I think this will be my last Ginny Myers Sain book. I read Dark and Shallow Lies, and I didn't love it. I tried reading Secrets So Deep twice, and DNF'd both times. It took me a week to finish One Last Breath because as much as I am interested in GMS's plots, I cannot connect to her characters.

In One Last Breath, Trulee, our MC, was nearly impossible to like. Her brain was just... empty. She never seemed to have any meaningful reflections and was always ignoring everything bad around her. She'd find a clue in the murder mystery, and instead of investigating more, or talking to someone about what was going on, she'd go home to heat up a frozen meal and watch TV. I didn't understand her motives the entire story, and she jumped from suspect to suspect so quickly I got whiplash.

I didn't mind the romance. I had some issues with the way it played out on the page, but I didn't mind the love interest, and I think that was mostly because she wasn't incredibly fleshed out. She had a lot of interest backstory, but because of my inability to connect with Trulee, and Trulee's inability to think meaningfully, I was just meh about the entire thing.

I do always like GMS's plots, and I will say that One Last Breath had a very interesting plotline. If you don't mind somewhat annoying MC's, I'd actually recommend this book for the plot alone.

She has done it again! I absolutely loved Dark and Shallow Lies, and One Last Breath was an equally fantastic read. I really loved the characters, and the supernatural aspect to the story, which kept it fresh and unique.

3.2⭐
I remember when I first seen this book, back when it was announced, and the cover drew me in. And then I started it. Let me tell you any book that starts with murder(dream, nightmare, or real life), I expect it to be a great book. Don't get me wrong, ONE LAST BREATH was creepy: the unsolved murders, the Well, the watched feeling, etc. But, it wasn't everything I had thought it would be. I don't know why. I mean, don't get me wrong, the writing, the imagery, and the description was great(I feel like the plot was lost in ways because it didn't focus on the murders as much as I would have liked). It's just, ONE LAST BREATH started like it was going to be a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat paranormal thriller, but it wasn't until like page 80 when I felt like it was(I know this is paranormal and ghosts, but I was expecting a dead body with that reaction instead of a sliced up tent.) The only reason I made it that far was because I wanted to know who the murderer was. After that page 80-100 mark, ONE LAST BREATH became a fast-paced read that kept me intrigued until the end. And the reincarnation bit was wild.

What I Liked About It:
*the author's ability to tell a story
*unsolved murders
*the twists and turns
*the paranormal vibe

A unsolved murder of two girls years ago is reopened when one girl who is obsessed with the case begins seeing the ghost of one of the dead girls... and the new girl in town just happens to catch her attention as well as she might be the person to help her solve the case... that is, if the killer doesn't kill them. In Mount Orange, Florida, they are famous for two things: the beautiful freshwater springs perfect for free divers and the gruesome cold case murder of two best friends, Bailey and Celeste that occurred twenty years ago. The case was never solved and now twenty years after the murder Trulee "True" is obsessed with the murders. Tru wants to solve it, she feels connected to the case, and when a strange new girl named Rio comes into town also hellbent on solving the case, the two realize they have a connection that might be deeper than they could ever imagine. Rio is not only the perfect person to help her solve the case, there also happens to be the fact that Tru might also be falling for her. Yet the more they dig into the case the more the girls are realizing that the killer might be someone from town, someone who knows they are looking and will kill them if they get too close. This one was an odd one, it mixes mystery with a dash of sapphic romance and supernatural elements. It's definitely an interesting mystery read but the overall conclusion is what threw me off a bit. I was really intrigued by the mystery and the book starts really interesting. It's the ending that just kind of throws you off a bit. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a unique sapphic murder mystery read!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Ugh, the way I am obsessed with her writing! I live in Florida, too, and the way she perfectly captures our sticky, hot summers in a horror setting is unmatched. This time I did guess who it was pretty early on, HOWEVER, I did go back and forth for quite a while after other evidence was provided and was suspicious of other characters. The other twists in this had me literally gasping out loud, jaw-dropping in surprise and I couldn't get enough. I also really enjoyed the turn this took in regards to True and Rio (IYKYK) and was pleasantly surprised- you don't normally see that kind of twist anymore. I would say I liked this better than Secrets So Deep but not as much as the magical Dark and Shallow Lies. I would highly recommend if you like to be on the edge of your seat, or if you love a good old fashioned murder mystery with some paranormal activity thrown in.

The unsolved deaths of two teenage girls still plagues this Florida town twenty years later. Eighteen year old Trulee feels a strong pull to the case, and she longs to find answers to their deaths as well as the unrelated death of his own sister a handful of years ago.

Spending her summer free diving, spending time with her longtime boyfriend, and working at the newspaper, she yearns to uncover the truth. When Rio rolls into town, evidently searching for answers of her own on the two girls’ deaths, Tru is immediately pulled into her orbit. There is something about her that Tru can’t ignore.

Together, the two of them seek to unlock secrets long since buried and finally uncover what really happened, but there is someone watching them. It’s clear they are not safe, but Trulee and Rio will stop at nothing to solve this case, finding other gruesome and otherworldly truths along the way.

I found the storytelling and the setup of this story so intriguing. The characters all had strong voices and the pacing was on point. It was the romance that had me dropping this book from five to four stars. It just felt forced and left me feeling heartbreak for the one party who loses out in the situation.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

One Last Breath was quite the original and unique story as it follows to girls who embody the past lives of two serial killer victims. Rio and Trulee are drawn together by fate in the small Florida town of Mount Orange. Twenty years ago Bailey and Celeste are brutally murdered by a killer while camping at Hidden Glen Springs. The town is haunted by the past and it just might happen that Trulee and Rio are haunted by it too. The girls bond over free diving in the springs which I absolutely loved. There was always really cool imagery for the Hidden Glen Springs parts and I loved that. Throughout the book Trulee and Rio experience some strange things that connect them to the dead girls and they're determined to uncover the truth, even while they're being stalked by the killer himself. This book does a really good job intertwining the supernatural and murder and I think fans of Ginny Myers Sain will love this one!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for letting me read this early.

So it’s no secret I adore Ginny Myers Sain’s books. She’s my favorite YA thriller author. Her books always suprise me no matter how many times I think I know what’s going to happen, and One Last Breath was no different. the writing was fast paced and I loved all of the characters. I could not put this down and I’m eagerly anticipating this to release!