Just a Breath Away

by D.J. Hawkins

Savannah chose to live. As much for herself as for those she loved. She made it to high school graduation and even though college is out of the question, she has big plans for the future, a future she can finally see. With a big move on the horizon for both her and Aryn, Savannah is ready for change.
But when Savannah’s whole world is upended and she’s left with more questions than answers, she must decide if life is worth living after all. With an inherited box of letters, a codependent rescue cat, and a bucket list in progress, Savannah embarks on a journey to confront her demons before it’s too late. And along the way, she makes a promise to herself: to learn how to breathe past the pain without needing the help of someone else.
Even if that means leaving people behind.

Unknown Binding

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

D.J. Hawkins is an author and poet from Upstate, New York whose writing has been praised for its use of poetic imagery and exploration of complex topics like self-harm and depression. Her debut YA novel “This Mess You’ve Made” was published in November 2020. She published “Quietus,” the first installment of her dark, paranormal romance series The Death Witch in June of 2021 and released a second, expanded edition in 2022. Her poem “The Allegory of Us” has also been published by Oprelle publications in the anthology titled “Matter.” Her first poetry collection, "Phoenix Rising", was published winter 2022.

A middle school teacher by day, novelist by night, D.J. earned her BA in Literature from Hamilton College and a Masters of Teaching in English Education from BU. She currently lives in southern Massachusetts with her husband, newborn, and chonky cats Tofu and Luna.

Reviews

[Marissa Dike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most beautiful writing you’ll ever read

the sequel to This Mess You’ve Made, Savannah returns, but the love of her life, Aryn, does not. One of the two main protagonists in Book 1, Aryn is represented in Book 2 only by letters written to Savannah but never delivered. Savannah, meanwhile, has to now learn how to manage her clinical depression while also living with the grief of losing the person she loved most.

I sort of subconsciously put books into two categories: books that are driven by plot and books that are driven by prose. Both are great and valid, and both can get me equally excited depending on what mood I’m in. DJ’s writing is definitely the latter. It’s some of the most beautiful prose that I have ever read. She has this startling way of capturing with words those feelings that we never know how to describe, but as soon as we read them, we all instantly understand. I can’t even say for sure if I have a favorite quote because there were just too many times that I read a sentence or paragraph, then stopped and immediately had to go back and read it again because it struck me so deeply.

Read this book with caution (and after reading This Mess You’ve Made). It will rip you apart in the best way. ALLL of the stars for this one!!!!!

[Faith Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how you do this book proper justice in a review. Just a Breath Away is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful narrative that is just as captivating and poetic as the first.

The author’s ability to weave such a poignant and poetic narrative is nothing short of amazing. Every page feels like a delicate dance between heartache and hope, making each page turn feel like a bittersweet revelation all the while making it impossible to put the book down.

This book, along with the first one, is one that I will never stop recommending to people as I overwhelmingly admire and adore this author.