Review: Breath of Life

Breath of Life by Christine Pope

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I read this story last night in a single setting because I couldn't wait to see if it ended well. I am not usually a sci- fi type of person because I get lost in the unimaginable descriptions, but that was not the case here. I loved the characters, and even in the dreary conditions Ainka lived in, I do appreciate that she was not a whinny teen with the poor me syndrome. She was quite the opposite with a might as well make the best of the situation, even when she had to go live with the alien next door (presuming that she was going to somehow be a servant or something).

I liked the characters and their appreciation for honesty in the story. I am so glad to finally read a book with a girl willing to sacrifice herself for her father and make the best of her dreary living conditions before her decision, rather than sitting around complaining & wallowing in self pity.

I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that the arrangement she agreed to with the alien to keep her father safe proved to be a learning experience. I wondered if the story was going to teach a lesson in prejudice & I guess in a way it does. The alien does his best to make her comfortable and even allows her contact with her family which I did not expect.

I hate to compare it to Beauty and the Beast because it is so much more than that in many ways.

I loved the descriptions of the different planets and moons which made it all feel real and make sense to me as I read, without pouring on too many strange names and losing me in made up words like a lot of sci-fi type stories do. This was a good read because of the excellent character development and the admirable qualities found in both of the main characters. I loved that the ending had the little surprise twist.



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