This novel was well written and described the pain of being an abused child. I could relate to the feelings the author wrote about, as I myself am a survivor of child abuse. There is nothing worse than the loneliness and fear of being alone without a good outcome in sight. Molly was so brave and still had a caring personality, even when she had to acknowledge her mom did not love her. Mom getting her karma was the best part of the book. She wanted attention, now she was getting it in droves.

MY FINAL BREATH
BY PAIGE DEARTH

This author is known for raising her awareness about child abuse. That is a commendable quality to bring to fiction but I think that although Paige Dearth's mission is positive her new novel "My Final Breath was not an easy read for me. I am trying to expand my mind by taking on different subject matter but I must stop requesting depressing subject matter because it only lowers my vibrations and I would like to keep it high in peace and joy. This novel called "My Final Breath," was rather depressing and it is the first time that I have read this author. I am sure there is a multitude of other reviewer's out there by my noticing so many five star review's who will disagree with me and that is okay.

This novel covers the tough topic of Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy and it was a very sad and bleak read for me. I do understand the author's desire to educate the population so that we will notice the signs and speak up if we witness or suspect a parent or caregiver doing this to an innocent and unsuspecting, incredulous child. That is my take away from the message of this novel so that we can advocate for a helpless and chronically sick child. See something say something. While I love to learn something new while reading I also want to be inspired and feel happy chemicals of dopamine and oxytocin chemicals being released by my brain while reading.

In this novel a mother named Rona is making her daughter Molly sick on purpose starting when Molly turned eight years old. Only we witness Molly looking down from a place of "Limbo," with another dead child who died in a concentration camp named Gwen. Molly dies at the age of twelve from kidney failure brought on my four years of her mother making her sick. Gwen's purpose is to be Molly's spiritual guide in between death and Molly must first understand how she was so sick and why she suffered for four years at the hands of a mother who Molly believed to love her. The only inspiration that I gleaned from reading this tale of twisted and sadistic actions is that Molly slowly accepts that it wasn't her fault and she had no reason to suspect that her mother was causing all of her four years of suffering. There were a multitude of medical tests and hospitalizations that were senseless.

There is a happily ever after but at what such a heartbreaking cost to Molly. Her own mother killed her and she lost out on so many of life's experiences. I am grateful that the chapters were short and that this was easily read in just a few hours. I am haunted by this and feel like this book was meant well but it is not one that I would read again or recommend to good friend's and family. But if this kind of book interests you by all means read it. Don't go by my opinion and I would never encourage anybody not to read a book that they wanted to read. On a final note this book did not remind me of Alice Sebold's at one time a favorite of mine called "The Lovely Bones." "The Lovely Bones," protagonist was murdered by a stranger not by her mother. As a mother I can't imagine doing what this mother did to her daughter in my wildest dreams. It sickens me that a mother could kill their own child or make them even a tiny bit uncomfortable on purpose. Again, I know that I am in the minority here among reviewer's who loved this so if you take away anything from this review realize that this is only my humble opinion in how depressing this was for me.

Publication Date: June 24, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Paige Dearth and Fiction With Meaning LLC Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#MyFinalBreath #PaigeDearth #FictionWithMeaningLLCPublishing #NetGalley

This was a really original premise, and a great read.

As an atheist I don't believe in heaven (or similar), however this premise was a great idea to explore what had happened.

Paige has been poorly for years, and wakes to find herself dead. The book follows her discover how and why she died, as well as trying to ensure it doesn't happen again to someone else. She explores her life, and eventual death in flash backs. So you find out what happened, as well as go on the journey with her to understand what happened.

It does show early on what is going on. So it's not a suspenseful thriller in that sense. It is though a good exploration of the different faces killers can have.

A good book I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My final breath is the first Paige Dearth book I have read and I have to admit it is a grim novel but lovely at the same time, it focuses on the worst thing you can imagine, a child dying and stuck in limbo and having to come to terms with her untimely demise. Told through flash backs to Mollys life she must accept and let go of her old life to leave the limbo she has found herself in. Apparently Paige Dearth has suffered abuse in her past and this shows in her writing which is powerful and I love her idea of the harvest.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time! I couldn’t put it down!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

My Final Breath was just painful to read, and not because of the topic. I just felt it wasn't written well at all and came across very amateurish. Molly is a 12 year old girl who has died from a chronic illness and finds herself in an afterlife place called Limbo where she is to discover the truth about her death. As readers we know right from the beginning that the Mother suffers from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another) so there isn't any mystery for readers to uncover, this story is all about Molly and her finding out the truth. The topic and the angle of the story was very interesting and immediately drew me to the book but unfortunately it wasn't executed well. There were scenes in the book that were just absolutely ridiculous. For example, Molly at 12 years old is forced to watch the violent rape and murder of a woman just so that she knows she isn't alone in dying needlessly. For me that just isn't believable at all and it added nothing to the story. It just felt like it was thrown in there for shock value. But the worst thing about the book for me was the fact that 12 year old Molly spoke as if she were a middle aged English teacher. The author did not do a good job at all of writing from a child's perspective. Almost every single page had Molly say something that was completely unrealistic and had me huffing and rolling my eyes. This just destroyed the reading experience for me. For example, I seriously doubt there is a 12 year old child out there that would say "I am crawling out of my skin with apprehension." Or "Defiance inches its way up from the pit of my belly."
It took me quite some time to finish the book because of the poor quality and I won't be recommending it to anyone.

This is a heartbreaking and devastating story to read but as the author states, it is important to be aware and remember the abuse and cruelty that is happening to children every day.

Molly is in limbo after passing away at a young age. Going over her life and remembering things she does not want to remember is part of the process of moving from limbo on to a better place where Molly can finally find peace.

This is not an easy read as I have already stated. It is painful but what is even more painful is the knowledge that this and other abuses are happening to children even as I type this. Why do I read her books then? I read them because it is easy to put aside and forget things that are uncomfortable. I want to remember so that I am aware and watching for children who might be suffering abuse.

This particular story deals with Munchausen syndrome and the effects it has on children. The story itself is graphic and disturbing. I did have to put it down from time to time as it is very dark but I made sure to temper it with lighter novels. This is another story by Paige Dearth that I will not forget.

Great book. Several nights I would say one more chapter and myself reading several chapters even though I really needed to go to sleep.

I'm amazed this book has such a high ranking on Net Galley as it has the subtlety of a sledgehammer and is not a novel I would recommend to any teenager.

Early in the novel a twelve year old girl awakens in Limbo - after being slowly poisoned by her mother over a long period of time. Whilst in Limbo she is guided by a Holocaust victim to come to terms with her death and it was so obvious the mother was involved, with the prologue outlining her own personal problems she had with her mother.

Abuse are tricky subjects to tackle in fiction, but I found this clunky, obvious and dull. There are no other hidden layers to the story and there are many better stories on the YA market which tackle both abuse and life after death. The Lovely Bones is still probably the best on the market with a dead child looking down on their family and their lives, this falls way short of that standard.

This reminded me a bit of The Lovely Bones in that we are taken on a journey to learn more about the tragic death of a child by the child herself. This book could have tipped the balance and become a bit sentimental but instead it was gripping and honest and sincere in the way it was written. The characters really became people - real people about whom you can’t help caring. Some parts of the story will make you angry, many will make you cry but there is also a sense of quiet resolution. I am keen to read more from this author.

This was my second book from Paige Dearth, so I was prepared about what I was going to get. I like this author because she writes about difficult topics, in a direct and involving manner, and she's really good in expressing the feelings and the situations.
I wouldn't have chosen to read that book only by the blurb, if I didn't know the author, but I was sure she would find a way to close in a satisfying manner even such a sad and enraging story.
What I loved is that even through the worst situations I was still feeling hope.. and rage and a huge sense of powerlessness, but also hope.
What made me decide to give it only four stars instead of five is that the story felt too long, as if the material would have been better suited to a short story, but I totally understand the need to make it into a full book. Maybe it was even intentional because the sense of dragging on without being able to get to "the point" reflected exactly the feeling of the MC so in a way it made sense.
The ending was satisfying and even if it was a thought read it still was a very good experience

# My Final Breath # Netgalley
This is not my normal type of book but something pulled me towards it. .... I am glad it did. Although in some places I found it uncomfortable to read, only in a sense of people causing others pain. I am not going to use spoilers. I never do. Not only is this book heartbreaking it’s also liberating. Although again it’s not just sad it’s really horrifying in parts. It’s hard to understand what make one or two maybe more out there enjoy inflicting pain on anyone. Truly is beyond comprehension. No one should have to feel any type of pain or anything else from someone else’s doing. Let alone death....... how some people can use the word love, when they are just incapable of feelings like that. I would definitely recommend this book it’s a insight to human nature of pain and suffering brought about by someone who are truly truly sick. Having experience of some of the above. Only in a different form. People who enjoy inflicting any type of pain on another human being should die at birth, and not be allowed a life. It may sound harsh but life is harsh what some people are capable of being more than harsh. No I do not think my comment about them dying at birth is harsh at all if anything they are vile creatures.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Paige Dearth!

Another emotional read from Paige Dearth. I thought I was going to make it through without crying, but I didn’t. Paige’s books are just so emotional. I love how much I can connect with the characters in her books.

This book was different from the rest of her books. All the rest of her books take place while the character is alive. The book took place after the main character died and showed scenes from her life while she was in limbo. The storyline was the flashbacks were really done.

I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of MY FINAL BREATH by Paige Dearth thanks to the publisher through NetGalley.

I am still sobbing. The parent in me is shattered and I want to wake my daughter (8) to cuddle with her even though it is.... yep 1 AM. But instead I will cry as I review because she has camp in like 6-7 hours and a tired kid is oof. I’d feel sorry for her and the camp counselors.

So... the review. Also trigger warning for this book as it contains abuse, rape, and murder. You know, the bright happy things every MG book should have. (Sarcasm, but still a powerful read when in the right frame of mind).

This story tackles some really hard aspects of mental illness and child abuse. Pretty early on you can tell something isn’t right with Rona, the main character’s mother. But the loving daughter has no idea, which makes the story that much harder to read. Rona has Munchausen’s by proxy, the mental illness that has a caretaker seeking medical help for false claims of illness. Severe cases can result in the caretaker actually causing the illness in order to gain that attention. Molly, who is 12, has been in and out of hospitals for the past four years without a know reason behind her continued sicknesses and her very loving and protective mother seeks out cures for her. See where this is going? I’m not saying more because you really need to read this one to get the full effect.

This was hard. There were many tears. But it didn’t fully hit until like chapter 45 with the dad scene. It literally kept me up so that I could binge read it in a day.

Extremely recommended for all despite the lower age category, middle grade (albeit upper). However, it is done in a really spectacular way because after you get used to the character’s voice, you can’t tell that it was for that age range. Definitely not for those who struggle with difficult concept plots, but oh so worth it for those who can.

Wow! What an amazing book. Paige Dearth beautifully tells a heartbreaking story of extreme abuse of a young girl at the hands of her own mother. Molly died because her mother tortured her because she enjoyed the attention she received from other people when her child was ill. At the beginning of the story, Molly dies and awakens in Limbo. There she meets Gwen, who acts as her guardian in Limbo. Gwen helps Molly see what actually caused her death.
This story was hard to read at times. As the parent of a child with a disability, it is unimaginable to think of a mother deliberately causing their child to be sick. Dearth shows not alone this abuse, but highlights other brutal abuses that have happened throughout history, including the Holocaust and slavery. All in all, this is a beautiful and sad tale that absolutely shattered me at times.

This book was emotional on so many levels. The story is related from Molly's point of view. She was naive and innocent to her mothers abuse. The author ties in important topics such as Nazi concentration camps, slavery, and homelessness (Never Be Alone, tie in character was great). If you are sensitive to those topics this is not a book for you!
Grab some tissues and read this book. Discover life, death, Limbo and karma (Harvest).

An honest look at the past... by a 12 year old girl...

Twelve year old Molly has been ill for four years. After constant medicines and even surgeries, she loses the fight.

Molly ends up in Limbo and meets her Guide - Gwen. Gwen had died during WW2 in a concentration camp gassing.. Now, Molly needs to relook at her past - with the help of Gwen - to find the truth of how/why she was ill. And how this ultimately led to her untimely death.

Although I am not familiar with this author, I took the chance to review this book - and I am glad that I did.

This read is not your normal horror/domestic thriller /suspense story. A dark premise leads to an intellectually challenging and solid story.

I had no problem keeping interest or reading quickly!

Thanks to Fiction and Meaning, LLC and NetGalley for a thought-provoking book.

This is an unusual story that takes you deep into the mind of a young woman who has died. The author does a great job of defining the characters and describing their behaviors. Be prepared to become very emotionally involved as she investigates the life she has experienced. You will experience great relief as the pieces begin to come together. The writing is smooth and easy to read.. The style is simple and direct, guiding the reader through some difficult times. Molly is guided in her review by a woman who died in a Nazi gas chamber, and we get to experience that death with her as the story unfolds. Just about every person in Molly's life experiences pain and suffering. .This book provides an experience for the reader that will stay long after the reading is over.

A heartbreaking and beautiful story. I was very moved by Molly's journey. I loved the vivid descriptions of Limbo. I have always enjoyed any of the books I have read by this author.

Stunning Book. This story really blew my mind. An emotional roller coaster from start to finish, and I’m so glad that I picked it up to have a read. What a great imagination Paige Dearth has, not that I was surprised after reading a few of her other wonderful stories previously. This one just really stood out.
Molly Roslin had a family that loved her, but unfortunately the twelve-year-old was really sick. Molly had spent so much of time in and out of hospital since she was an eight-year-old, and she just didn’t seem to be able to get better. Her mum has been her rock, constantly by her side offering support and taking really good care of her. However, it doesn’t seem to matter what special medicine she gave Molly, she just wasn’t improving. If Molly doesn’t get a kidney transplant, then the doctors don’t like her chances. I think I’ll remember this story for a long time to come. 5/5 Star Rating.