Title: Unbreathable (Unbreathable, #1)
Author: Hafsah Laziaf
Author: Hafsah Laziaf
Publisher: Self
Release date: October 29, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
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Excerpt:
I’m drenched in sweat and embarrassment. Julian doesn't seem to notice when he guides my arm back behind my neck.
My hand trembles beneath his touch. My heart races so fast, I’m afraid it will explode from overheating like the motors I’ve read about. Julian notices. My breath catches at the intensity in his gaze.
“Clear your head, Lissa,” he says softly. I swallow. His hand closes around mine again and my whole body pulses with my heart.
“Pull your hand back, like this.” He pulls my hand back toward my shoulder.
“Focus on the target and nothing else. Then throw.” His voice is lulling. I can't focus on anything but my thrumming heart, my hand pulsing beneath his, and my body, slick with sweat. How can I focus when he is so close?
But when my breathing synchronizes with his, my pulse slows. My mind clears. Julian releases my arm.
And the faded red and white target is all I see. I think of all the physics Gage taught me. The rules of trajectory paths. I close my eyes for a brief heartbeat, expecting to hear his voice and see his face, but all I see is the target. I open my eyes and throw. My arm swings forward and my fingers release the knife. I hold my breath.
And watch as it sticks into the cushioned wall between two targets.
Just as the door opens. And Dena laughs.
I think I might die from humiliation.
“You did good for your first try,” Julian says, but his voice is tight. I could have done better. Especially because she was here to see it.
Dena pulls the dagger from the wall and twirls it her hand.
“I bet you need a break, Jules.” Her voice is suggestive.
Julian's eyes dart to me. “No, I don't. Just leave, Dena.”
She scoffs. “Can't you see how pathetic she is? Why bother? Let the Jute do whatever they want with her. At least they’re good-looking. Better than good, I should say.”
Julian clenches his jaw. His voice drops. “Dena. Leave.”
Dena looks at me for the first time. She opens her mouth.
And I can’t take it anymore. Because anger is stronger than fear. Because I finally snap. “Did anyone ever tell you to take a hike? On Earth, that meant shut up and leave, no one wants your condescension.”
I clamp my mouth shut, heat exploding across my face. Julian snorts and barely covers it with a cough. Dena turns bright red and glares at him.
“You don't want to die anymore, do you, Julian?” She takes in his stricken face before she storms out, slamming the door behind her.
My hands shake when I retrieve the dagger from the floor.
“I'm sorry,” I can barely say.
He scoffs. “Sorry? That was—I didn't think you had it in you. And besides, Dena deserved it.”
I struggle to change the subject. “Can I keep this with me?”
He doesn't answer right away. Finally, he blinks. “Oh yeah, sure. Tomorrow then?”
“Tomorrow,” I say.
He hurries out, leaving me surrounded by a multitude of weapons I can't even use. I stare at the knife in my hand.
We learn as fast as they heal, Julian said.
Pathetic, Dena said.
I'm not. I step back and angle my arm. I'll show her I'm not. I throw the knife. It lands an embarrassing length away from target, worse than before. I pull it free and release a shuddering breath. Anger still pulses through my veins. It is new to me, this anger.
I let it stay, fuel me. And I throw the knife again.
And again and again.
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About the Book:
About the Book:
One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often.
When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.
When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.
Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.
But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process.
The race for Earth has begun.
Unbreathable is a tale of love, redemption, and sacrifice, and one girl's struggle to find her place in a world where she doesn't belong.
Purchase links:
Book Trailer:
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About the Author
Hafsah Laziaf was born on the east coast on a hot summer day in 1993, raised on the west coast and is now stuck in the middle – in Texas – with more books than she can read. She’s the designer behind IceyDesigns and the blogger behind IceyBooks.
UNBREATHABLE is her debut novel.
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Giveaway
1st place: a signed paperback copy of UNBREATHABLE (US)
2nd place: an e-book of UNBREATHABLE (INT)
3rd place: an UNBREATHABLE swag pack (US)
