A Breath Too Late is a deeply moving story that sensitively examines the beautiful and terrible moments that make up a life and the possibilities that live in even the darkest of places. And who better to talk about such a powerful and personal message than the author? Don’t miss this special note from Rocky Callen about her incredible debut contemporary novel. Dear Reader, When I was a kid, I used to climb onto my roof to watch sunsets and sit under the stars. I grasped for dreams and stories. I would pretend that the yelling in my home was far, far away. My mother and I would leave our house armed with smiles and excuses. People didn’t see the broken windows and bruises, and they didn’t know that sometimes my mom would curl up in bed with me because she was afraid. I also climbed onto my roof to run away from my own depression that seemed to lurk behind every door. It always snuck up on me when I wasn’t looking. There was so much pain that no one could see. People often look away from domestic violence, mental health issues, and suicide because of the stigma that shrouds these experiences. That’s why I wrote A Breath Too Late. Because even though my heart broke with every word, I wanted people to see. I almost made the same choice Ellie made when I was eleven years old. But every time I got lost in the labyrinth of my own heartache or suffering, I would stumble out to find a life waiting for me, a life that was mine, a life I wanted to keep. This book cannot be everything I want it to be, but it can be this: a reminder that you don’t have to be alone, that help exists and is waiting, and that the only way we can change the statistic of suicide and domestic violence is if we break the silence with our stories. A Breath Too Late is for the people who have kept their pain secret, for those who have shuttered their hearts and their doors, for those who might not see the hope that is reaching out to them. It is for the Ellies of the world who we have lost, the ones left behind whose hearts are mending, and those teetering on the edge between hope and pain. While I would love for you to read this book and hold it close to your heart, Ellie would want you to know this even if you never read a page: Hope can still live in the dark. Always, always look for it. I sometimes still climb onto rooftops just to marvel at the sky. I still grasp for dreams and stories. But I now know that I don’t need to hide my own stories. Neither do you. You are like stars: bright, wondrous, and beautiful. The world needs you in it. Rocky

A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen

For fans of Girl in Pieces, All the Bright Places, and Girl, Interrupted comes a haunting and breathtaking YA contemporary debut novel that packs a powerful message: hope can be found in the darkness. Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death. But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There's her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists. Told in epistolary-like style, this deeply moving novel sensitively examines the beautiful and terrible moments that make up a life and the possibilities that live in even the darkest of places. Perfect for fans of the critically-acclaimed Speak, I’ll Give You the Sun, and If I Stay. “Achingly poignant . . . a love letter and a life raft to the brokenhearted.” –New York Times–bestselling author Alison McGhee "An exquisitely played love song to life, in all of its hurts, wonders, memories, and loves." –Jeff Zentner, Morris Award winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days