Book Review: The Town That Forgot How To Breathe

Just finished reading "The Town That Forgot How to Breathe" by Kenneth J. Harvey. Thumbs up!

Overview: Something strange is happening in the seaside town of Bareneed. Mythical creatures…are being pulled from the sea. Perfectly preserved corpses of villager long ago lost at sea are being washed upon the shore. And residents of the town are suddenly suffering from a mysterious illness that is making them forget how to breathe. Joseph Blackwood returns to his hometown to spend time with his daughter, but when the young girl begins having visions and conversing with the spirit of a neighbor’s deceased child, he knows that his daughter is suffering from a supernatural affliction. With help from some colorful village residents, Joseph must unravel this paranormal mystery to save his only child. (from book jacket)

Dawn’s Recommendation: 5 of 5 Stars

What I liked: The opening character, Miss Laracy, grabbed me. Her colorful dialect pulled me in and I had to read on to get to know her better.

Story line was very interesting. It had mystery, with a touch of bizarre and creepy (supernatural), but not too scary. Perfect combination.

Pace was great. One part was so heart-pounding that I feared for what Joseph might do and inside I was yelling, “No, don’t do it!”

The characters were colorful and really brought life to the fishing village of Bareneed. From the whispy and tragic Claudia to the straight-laced Lieutenant-Commander French, to the plump Dr. Thompson – I really enjoyed the characters.

What I didn’t like: Nothing really --it was a satisfying read, but....if you forced me to “find” something, I might have two little things.

1. The dog – not sure what the dog meant to the story unless it was just for bizarre effect.   

2. The ending outcome of the bizarre events/sickness (can’t spoil it for you). Not sure it completely works out in my head.

Overall: Really enjoyed the book and I’ll be looking to read his other books ("Brud" and "Directions for an Opened Body").