epiphanylost86's review
5.0
All I can really say is that this series moved me to pieces. Sometimes as a series progesses the books move away from what initially captivated and moved me. They seem to fade in vigor and clarity. This series did the opposite for me. By the time I got to Breath, I felt I NEEDED it and it was by far my favorite. This series captures the feelings of being young and already broken by the world. Further, is illustrates clearly how those two things can lead to all or nothing thinking and feelings of hopelessness. These are not happy reads, but are also not entirely sad either. They are for those who feel like they have been broken by the world, those who need a little hope, and those who need to know they are not alone.
badwolfbooks's review
3.0
It was hard to get through because of how frustrating the storytelling is. It's frustrating to go through 4 novels, all of the characters coming together for this last one, and not be able to connect with any of them. Granted, in this one, we gain a bit of an inside look on Missy, but Tammy and Billy; knowing who they are deep down is not something I know, even after hearing their stories. With Xander, it's a bit better because the story of him is played out for the audience, but in the end, his sense of being was all a lie! The book is a soft 3... I will definitely be donating this series to my local library.
lindacbugg's review
5.0
Breath, the story of Death, is the final installment in the Riders of the Apocalypse Quartet and by far my very favorite of the series.
Throughout the first three books you get glimpses of Death's story but in this book Jackie Morse Kessler lays out the whole history and mythology of Death and his place in our world. This is a bold move because done badly and the whole thing can fail spectacularly, but Kessler pulls it off beautifully and her Death as embodied in his current incarnation by Kurt Cobain is wise, sad, lonely and ultimately weary of this world. We learn his creation story and how and why he created the original Horseman. The four Horseman keep the world in balance and after watching humans for millennium Death is suicidal. If Death dies then so does the world and this is the framework on which this story is built.
Breath is also the story of Xander Atwood who believes in true love with his whole being and believes he has found the one girl for him--Riley Jones. After crushing on her from afar, Xander and Riley are finally a couple, but there is something not quite right. Something Xander can't quite remember. Or doesn't want to remember. And he is the one person who can talk Death out of taking the whole world down in flames.
Why Xander you ask, well-he was nice to Death once without expecting anything in return so Death owes him a boon or favor so before he dies he must pay.
This was a great ending to a great series with all the loose ends tied up as nicely as you please. So many books that deal with "issues" practically beat you over the head but all four were handled with grace and the author relating her own personal experiences with the topics she explored made me love the series even more. Bonus for money from the book going to http://twloha.com/.
Buy this title at Powells Books.
Throughout the first three books you get glimpses of Death's story but in this book Jackie Morse Kessler lays out the whole history and mythology of Death and his place in our world. This is a bold move because done badly and the whole thing can fail spectacularly, but Kessler pulls it off beautifully and her Death as embodied in his current incarnation by Kurt Cobain is wise, sad, lonely and ultimately weary of this world. We learn his creation story and how and why he created the original Horseman. The four Horseman keep the world in balance and after watching humans for millennium Death is suicidal. If Death dies then so does the world and this is the framework on which this story is built.
Breath is also the story of Xander Atwood who believes in true love with his whole being and believes he has found the one girl for him--Riley Jones. After crushing on her from afar, Xander and Riley are finally a couple, but there is something not quite right. Something Xander can't quite remember. Or doesn't want to remember. And he is the one person who can talk Death out of taking the whole world down in flames.
Why Xander you ask, well-he was nice to Death once without expecting anything in return so Death owes him a boon or favor so before he dies he must pay.
This was a great ending to a great series with all the loose ends tied up as nicely as you please. So many books that deal with "issues" practically beat you over the head but all four were handled with grace and the author relating her own personal experiences with the topics she explored made me love the series even more. Bonus for money from the book going to http://twloha.com/.
Buy this title at Powells Books.
madamemidazolam's review
2.0
Too much telling, not enough showing. Very info-dumpy, especially for a finale to a series.
chwaters's review
4.0
Finally! The last book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series, wherein we get to see what things look like from the perspective of Death! We've already met War, Famine and Pestilence and the humans who took up their mantles. Death has been a constant throughout, but we've never really gotten to know him. Guess I didn't see it coming when this book's main crisis is the fact that Death has determined that it is time for it to end. And by "it", I mean "existence". Which is bad, particularly if you happen to like living. Now it's up to a guy named Xander to try and talk Death of killing himself (and everything else). Xander's remarkably "normal" for one of the humans in this series. He's got friends and no major psychological issues. He even has a girlfriend, who he is desperately in love with. So much so that he's changed his college plans to dovetail with hers. He just needs to tell everyone, including his parents, that he's not going to Carnegie Mellon on scholarship after all. The main complication in his life is the new baby in the house. Sleep deprivation gets to Xander; blackouts ensue. And then a guy that kind of looks like Kurt Cobain shows up on Xander's balcony. Xander intuitively knows this guy is Death. And Death informs him that he is owed a boon, for Xander had once shown Death kindness. At this point, Xander realizes the tell-tale signs of suicide and demands to know Death's entire story, in the hopes of delaying what seems inevitable.
This is one of those series where the premise really shouldn't work, but for some reason works exceptionally well. There's a lot to chew on here, both philosophically and emotionally. There's a sense of humor in the face of universal hardship (at times, Kessler's Death reminds me of a male version of Gaiman's Death from Sandman). Each one of the books in this series comes across as completely unique and never, ever formulaic. I never know where the story is going to go, but I always know I'm going to enjoy the ride.
This is one of those series where the premise really shouldn't work, but for some reason works exceptionally well. There's a lot to chew on here, both philosophically and emotionally. There's a sense of humor in the face of universal hardship (at times, Kessler's Death reminds me of a male version of Gaiman's Death from Sandman). Each one of the books in this series comes across as completely unique and never, ever formulaic. I never know where the story is going to go, but I always know I'm going to enjoy the ride.
jaymeshaw's review
4.0
I don't know where to begin... Death looks like Kurt Cobain... What happens if Death commits suicide? The first 3 books are pretty stand alone, but here in the 4th they are all tied together. I was gripped pretty much start to finish and it was refreshing to read something done in a new and different way.