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Have you read Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon? Post your feedback by 26 September for a chance to win £100 Love2Shop voucher!

39 replies

SorchaMumsnet · 19/07/2016 12:29

Alex is lost. Until she discovers Amy, just another girl from a nearby town except that she's been in a coma for fifteen years. Amy was the victim of a near-deadly assault and Alex soon becomes obsessed with finding the culprit. But how do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale?

Try Not to Breathe is the immersive debut novel from Holly Seddon and makes for fantastic holiday reading - apply for your copy now. You can also be inspired - read Holly's terrific top tips for aspiring writers.

To celebrate the release of Try Not to Breathe in paperback, we have 50 copies to give away to Mumsnetters who want to read and share their thoughts about it on this discussion. Go to the giveaway page to find out more about the book and apply for a free copy.

You don't have to win a free copy to take part in the discussion. Anyone who has read Try Not to Breathe can post their feedback here. If you miss out on a free one, you can buy a paperback. All who post feedback before 26 September will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Love2shop voucher. The giveaway ends on Monday 25 July so apply now!

This giveaway is sponsored by Corvus

Have you read Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon? Post your feedback by 26 September for a chance to win £100 Love2Shop voucher!
Have you read Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon? Post your feedback by 26 September for a chance to win £100 Love2Shop voucher!
OP posts:
aspella · 23/08/2016 19:35

Thanks Mumsnet for my copy of the book Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon. I found the pace of this book slow and repetitive due to the chapters covering the same scenario from a different characters point of view and constantly going from the past to the present. Far too many clues given away at the beginning which meant I worked out who the attacker was far too quickly and easily thus the book ended up being boring.

juleslucas · 23/08/2016 18:29

I really enjoyed this book perfect summer holiday reading. Loved the short chapter structure as it meant I could pick it up and down without losing my place.

Holly Seddon is a new author for me, so the review copy was a great chance to read something new.

voyager50 · 20/08/2016 23:23

Thank you mumsnet for the copy.

Many of the books I have read recently have been written from the perspective of different characters in each chapter or in different time periods - this book does both and I always seem to enjoy books written using these methods.

It is a good read and references things from my teenage years which makes it nostalgic in places.

For some reason Alex's blisters and sore feet get mentioned a lot - don't know if this will become relevant as I am only a third of the way through!

I also have an idea of who attacked Amy but I don't know if I'm right yet. I'm looking forward to finishing it soon.

RoastieToastieReastie · 18/08/2016 06:41

Thanks for the book mumsnet, just finished. Found this a nice easy to read book which I git through quickly and probably good for a light beach read or when you might get multiple disturbances from Dc as it's easy to follow and has short chapters.

I liked how it was written from different perspectives and from different times but I did find the whole story pretty predictable and guessed who did it very early on. It wasn't grippy in the same way I found 'Girl on the train'. I found the story perhaps more interesting as I live very close to whe the story was set so knew all the places mentioned (although a fair few fictional additions too) and liked the mention of the kitchen shop in the panties, which is the most amazing kitchen shop!

lottietiger · 16/08/2016 08:30

I really enjoyed this book, I think it's the best I've read this year so far. I love the way it's told in short bursts by different characters, it makes it easy to pick up and not so easy to put down as you naturally want to skip on to the next chapter. Having an idea who may have hurt Amy just made me more determined to get to the end to see if I was right and it was enticing right to the end. Thanks mumsnet for the chance to try a new author :)

BBQsAreSooooOverrated · 14/08/2016 14:40

Thank you for a copy of this book. It was easy and enjoyable to read, I read it in 1.5days. It wasn't as 'thrilling' as some books I've read before but the plot was interesting. I would've liked to read more about Alex suspecting someone had been in her house before the person was caught to make the book a bit more suspenseful. The person found guilty of Amy's attack wasn't really a shock but even so I still really enjoyed reading this book.

pennwood · 14/08/2016 14:24

The story is told chapter by chapter via the different characters which makes the book different to most. Alex is an alcoholic, & the mainstay of achieving the conclusion. It fictionalised Amy's condition, but was still believable to me, although other readers may disagree. It was fast paced sufficiently to keep my interest throughout, but I could put the book down & easily continue the storyline thanks to the manner in which it is written. I enjoyed this thriller, & would recommend it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

cathisherwood · 14/08/2016 09:34

This is a book with a good plot which is easy to read but has no depth and no suspense. Shallow characters with only one real suspect which you realise long before the end - good for reading on a boring plane journey maybe but sadly I wont be actively seeking more titles by this author. Thanks to mumsnet for the free book - I shall now pass it on to someone who might enjoy it more

Mick15 · 14/08/2016 00:36

Just finished this as part of the lucky few included in the free giveaway and like a previous reader, I did guess the whodunit but it doesn't matter as its a great character story too and I was interested in the evolution of characters throughout the book. I really enjoyed this book which is a thriller without having to be too gruesome- a great, fast paced holiday read. Thanks.

jammy388 · 13/08/2016 15:56

I was really gripped by this story - despite guessing "whodunnit" quite a bit before the end I felt compelled to keep on reading to see if I was right. The "artistic licence" taken with Amy's condition did strain my credulity at times, but I found the characters and setting convincing, and felt emotional reading the final chapter. The book was a good read but I would be interested to know how the title was arrived at as it didn't strike me as being immediately obvious.

pennwood · 10/08/2016 21:46

Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon is a great read. I read to chapter 12 the first time I picked the book up to start it so I should soon be back to discuss it. Loving what I have read so far as it is so fresh & fast paced.

lottietiger · 10/08/2016 10:44

Absolutely loving this book so far. will write again on completion shouldn't be too long as I cant put it down :)

juleslucas · 06/08/2016 14:44

Just received my copy in the post. Looking forward to getting started, thank you for the free review copy.

voyager50 · 05/08/2016 11:47

Looking forward to receiving and reviewing my copy - thank you very much.