Cover Image: My Final Breath

My Final Breath

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Member Reviews

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.

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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.

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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).

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Ms. Dearth has done it again. This is another page turner and intriguing story. Ms. Dearth has the ability to take child abuse as a subject of her books and she makes her readers feel the fear and suffering of the child. In this story Ms. Death tackles mental illness that takes the form of Munchhausen by proxy. The characters in this book are believable and the story could be ripped from today's headlines. This book shows us not only the torture and pain and illness that leads to the death of Molly she also gives us a glimpse of what it might be like when you die with unresolved issues. Ms. Dearth lets us experience the pain that Molly suffered alive and then after her death when all the secrets of her short life with a maniacal mother that slowly was poisoning Molly. This would be a good read for anyone that works with children. This book will keep you thinking and remembering things from this story for a long time.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Shockingly I loved this book. It was intriguing from the first page. It was heartfelt and equally heartbreaking. Justice was served!

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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.

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This was an emotional rollercoaster of a read. So hard to put down. Knowing that Paige Dearth herself was an abused child it is hard to believe she is able to incorporate that into her books. She writes from her heart and her characters are completely believable. Molly a twelve year old girl who was slowly drained of life by her mother is living in limbo after her death having to watch her life back before she can move on. As she revisits her time on earth she learns that her illness' were all instigated by her mother. Once Molly is dead her mother then menacingly starts to do the same to Ava, Molly's younger sister. The father is totally unaware that his wife is slowly killing his children.
In limbo Molly has a guardian called Gwen who helps Molly accept her past to enable her to move on. The reader also gets insight into Gwen's past life. The story is told from Molly's perspective. It's tragic, heartbreaking, heartwarming and sensitive.
I am a huge fan of Paige Dearth and look forward to the next one.

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I was so excited to read this book because it reminded me a little bit of "the lovely bones" by Alice Sebold which is my favourite novel ever. As soon as I picked it up I was happy because it is along the same lines however the author takes a little bit of a darker turn to it. The characters in this book were very well written and I really loved the main character, Molly. Even Molly's mother Rona who I disliked greatly was very well written. The book starts out with the death of our main character Molly. When she awakes in limbo she starts trying to figure out what happened to her and what really caused her death in the first place. I loved the innocence that Molly's character possessed and how they didn't make her seem any older than she was. I really liked how the author took very serious and sad subjects like, concentration camps, and Munchausen syndrome, and presented them in a way that didn't hide how dark and terrible they are but put a little bit of a lighter feel on them since it was being described by a child. Molly meets a girl in Limbo named Gwen who becomes a sort of guide to her and helps her on her way to discovering the real truth of her death and helps he come to terms with things she couldn't accept or see when she was alive. I really liked the friendship that these two shared even if it was in limbo. This is one book that will jump to the top of my favourite list and will now be one of the first that I recommend to my friends. I was very pleased with how original the subject was and I can't wait to read more by Paige Dearth. If they all come out like this I know I will devour them all.

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Intriguing and very disturbing. A child's death is always sad, but when they have been ill most of their young lives, it seems so much worse. Now imagine if they didn't have to die. This author can show the dark side of society in such a thought provoking way.
As you read you'll find yourself shaking your head at the evil people can do. I've read several of her books and they always deliver an unique dark tale you can't put down.

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Childhood illness is sad. Seeing a child ill brings out compassion in even the hardest of hearts. What kind of person would cause illness in a child? Paige Dearth has written an emotional, moving story of a young girl who is the victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Molly Roslin loves her family but since the age of 8, her health has declined. Doctor after doctor, test after test, and no diagnosis. Molly dies and her soul travels to Limbo. She is met by a guide named Gwen who is to help her look at the details of her life and come to terms with them.

Looking back through her life, Molly is confronted with evidence showing her mother's wrongdoing. Understandably, Molly is shaken and denies her mother's actions. As each sickness is examined, Molly sees the actions that her mother takes. The disbelief and heartbreak are vividly described, immersing the reader in the pain.

This story opens your eyes to the elaborate ruse that someone with this horrible condition will perpetrate. It is a mental illness that is difficult to detect. As for treatment? I'm not sure there is any. While this story is disturbing, the ending is the best possible outcome given the circumstances. It is important to learn about these issues and hopefully this education will spread keeping us all vigilant.

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Another heartbreaking story by Paige Dearth. This one is about a mother with Munchausen by Proxy.. She kills her own mother, then her eldest child and on the way to doing the same with her second child.. I would have expected the doctors to have picked up on her illness but they were completely bamboozled. I did enjoy the second part of the story. What a lovely idea of a way to find closure. A thoroughly absorbing story.

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Wow, this was such a heart felt book so emotional and gripping this book actually brought me to tears and to think this kind of child abuse actually goes on is heart breaking this is a must read

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Told through the heartbreaking eyes of innocence, Paige Dearth’s MY FINAL BREATH is a brittle and brutal tale of abuse, mental illness and the selective blindness of adults to look into the unthinkable, to go beyond the surface until it was too late and a young girl was dead. It was from beyond the grave that Molly could finally tell her story, a story she did not even know the truth of until she was beyond help.

Paige Dearth has never shied away from writing in such a manner that makes readers uncomfortable, appalled, fearful and enraged. Her stories are shocking, eye-opening and raw. Molly’s story is no exception and while appropriate for young adult readers, this story is one that no adult should miss either.

Brilliantly told, the emotional pull is huge and if one child is spared, one adult helped, then she has done both her job, and a great service to the world.

I was invited to accept a complimentary copy from Fiction With Meaning, LLC! This is my honest and voluntary review.

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This book was absolutely amazing. I discovered Paige dearths books a year ago and every single one I read keeps me intrigued until the very end. This book grabbed me from the get go. The book takes place from limbo and we are watching past and future events that happened in Molly's life. Gwen the new friend Molly is accompanied by in limbo is by her side showing molly things that went on in her life that she couldn't see clearly at the time . Sadness, happiness and relief are all the emotions that you'll feel while reading this book. I highly reccomend this book.

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This was an ok read for me, but I ended up having a lot of issues with this book. The story opens with Molly, a 12 year old girl, dying from a mysterious illness. She dies in the first chapter and a majority of the story is told from her in Limbo with her spirit guru Gwen. This book is categorized as a YA mystery/thriller but it did not read like a YA novel or a mystery/thriller. It is a story of a young girl that slowly reflects on the events that lead up to her death so she can come to terms with it and move on.

I appreciate that the author attempted to tackle a rare, but important medical condition but she treated it like a black and white issue when in reality it is very grey and complex. Even though the subject of this story is absolutely devastating, I did not feel any emotional attachment to the characters. I think part of it was that the narration seemed too mature for a 12-year old girl. Molly would often have these very profound statements that didn’t seem appropriate for her age. For example: “She taught me that fleeting moments of joy can mean more than a lifetime of mediocrity.” I have a really hard time thinking a 12-year old girl would say that, even a very mature 12-year old.

While I was disappointed that the ‘secret’ was revealed in the first chapter, I realized this story was more about Molly coming to terms with her death and ensuring that her family would be okay without her so she could move on. The ending wrapped it up nicely (even though I think it was a bit harsh), but I did feel like Molly finally came to accept what happened to her and was ready to move on. This was definitely an interesting read, but ultimately I had too many issues with the story to fully enjoy it.

CW: rape, child abuse

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As a fan of Paige Dearth's books, I was not let down with this new release. It's told from a slightly different view and I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it is as compelling as any of her others. I couldn't stop reading! And I was so happy when the story crossed paths with characters from another book! That is one of my favorite things about reading a Paige Dearth book - they are stand-alone novels, but if you've read her others, you'll have Ah-Ha moments and I-see-what-you-did-there grins across your face!

In exchange for my honest review, I was allowed a free copy of this book. I would gladly pay to read this story and I highly recommend that any fans of disturbing-yet-empowering novels add this to the top of their list. I do wish that this story would have come BEFORE Joon's, though. I might have been better prepared to read about the streets of Philadelphia and Joon & Lulu with the peek that I received here in Molly's story.

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Wow. This was a really rough read for me. I have 3 wonderful sons and couldn’t in my wildest nightmare imagine ever hurting them. There were times I had to stop reading, due to being upset or teary eyed. That being said it was written so well, I had to keep reading. Paige Dearth, due to her unfortunate upbringing, is amazing at making you feel the pain that comes with abuse. Whether it’s physical abuse, mental abuse, or Munchausen’s Syndrome you are feeling everything that is going on in her books. Hopefully this book will do some good someday with the knowledge of it.

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