“HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH: Once Upon a Crime Family,” by Tiffany Schmidt, Bloomsbury USA Childrens, May 19, 2015, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
I’m not usually one for crime dramas, but I have to admit, “Hold Me Like a Breath,” by Tiffany Schmidt, captured my attention and held it throughout.
Penelope Landlow has a large Family — Family with a capital F. She’s the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. Her father is the head of one of three crime families controlling the black market for organ transplants. Normally, Penny would be trained in the family business, but an autoimmune disorder causes her to bruise easily, making her too “delicate” to step foot outside their estate.
Of course Penny just wants independence. She dreams of a life in New York City, but when she finds herself there alone, she realizes how much she has to learn. As she struggles to remain hidden from rival crime families, she realizes there’s much more to being Penny Landlow than she ever expected.
“Hold Me Like a Breath” is the first book in Tiffany Schmidt’s new Once Upon a Crime Family series, and I can see why a series is planned. There are a lot of nuances here that pique interest. Penny is a likable character and there are a lot of twists and turns throughout. There are a few predictable elements throughout “Hold Me Like a Breath,” and it’s not particularly deep, but it’s a fun summer read.
