Don’t Breathe a WordAuthor: Jennifer McMahon
ISBN-13: 978-0061689376
Publication Date: May, 2011
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Book Length: 447 pages
Acquired by Me: Sent from Publisher
Description Courtesy of Goodreads:
“On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.
Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all.”
My Thoughts:
How deceptive this description is! Well, sort of. What I mean is that the description is correct, but when you read the story – it is something entirely else. But, oh my goodness, it really is a good book. Spooky and strange, completely mystifying at times – never a book I would have selected for myself, yet one that I became completely caught up in.
The chapters in Don’t Breathe a Word alternate between the past and present. We follow Lisa’s story as a young girl who follows her heart to become one of the fairies she is convinced lives in her backyard. She spends a summer being courted by the King of the Fairies and falls under his charm, ultimately disappearing – never to be seen again.
We also follow Phoebe (and Sam) in the present. Phoebe is mildly obsessed with Lisa’s story. She floated through town during the time Lisa disappeared – and years later found herself involved with Lisa’s young brother (since grown up), Sam. Strange things start happening to Phoebe and Sam when Phoebe starts to push for information about Lisa. Very strange things.
To say more would be to open up the story for speculation – but it is best saved for when you read the book itself. As confusing and perplexing some of the text is – there is a resolution at the end, as light is shed on some terrifyingly deep dark secrets.
There are other characters in Don’t Breathe a Word that feel insignificant at times, but pay attention to them, because each has a distinctive purpose for having been written. It all draws you closer to the ending. Personally, I like to have a heads up when I’m trying to tackle a tangled story – part of my enjoyment stems from ‘watching’ the evolution of the plot over the course of the book. (I’m also a –gasp- last page reader for this reason as well; surprisingly, I did not read the end of this book first).
I would classify Don’t Breathe a Word as a mature story, due to its dark material. There is mystery, suspense, self-examination, and a twist of the fantastical between its covers. I do recommend it for those who are self-professed Jennifer McMahon fans, as well as those who are looking for something a little bit unusual.
The thoughts expressed in this post are solely based on my personal opinion and have not been influenced by any other entity or being. Use of my statements may not be reproduced without permission from me, the author of Fall In Love With Books.
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