Jo Ainsley has been running for a long time. From her childhood in small town England to art school in London to the messy end of a relationship in Sydney, Jo has chosen to run again and again, each time moving further from where her troubles began.
This time, her escape will bring her to the remote northwest region of Western Australia, where she must work for 88 days on a farm in order to extend her visa. There she meets an American, Gabe, with whom she has an immediate connection. He tells her of an idyllic off-grid community which seems like a refuge to her. Miserable, desperate and traumatised by a brutal event at the farm, Jo decides to run.
But the paradisal free-diving haven that embraces her without judgement is not all it seems. It harbours some sinister secrets – and so does Gabe. Jo searches for answers, but is she prepared for what she uncovers? She must decide where her loyalties lie and if she is really ready to confront the darkness of her past…
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Wow. My mind is blown. This is non-stop, edge-of-your-seat action. Up until halfway I was a little concerned that this story was going to be a bit too sad for me as so many awful things were happening, but as it went on I found myself reading faster and faster so that I could get to the end and have the whole story told. Each character is fantastic in their own way, I found myself really caring for each one. Incredibly immersive, I’m so glad that I read this. Sammy, NSW, 5 Stars
This is the first novel I’ve read by Anna Snoekstra so I wasn’t sure what to expect but I wasn’t disappointed! ‘Out of Breath’ has you guessing from the first few chapters in… There was so many twists and turns, just when you think you know what’s going to happen next, something else is starting to be revealed, which you never saw coming! Even once finished, I’m still left wondering about certain characters! Very intriguing!! Kelly, VIC, 5 Stars
I loved how this book made me feel like I was there, I could feel the heat of the desert, the cool water of the ocean. It was a story of twists that had plenty of plot lines that kept me reading way past my bedtime. I wasn’t a fan of Gabe too much but the story still challenged my thoughts on what from the outside would seem like a cult. Danielle, SA, 5 Stars
Out of Breath is a great witty, gritty addictive read! It is full of thrills and great characters ( characters include a few scary animals)! It’s characters are memorable and the story is full of drama and suspense. I read the whole book on an airplane and it made the trip so much faster. If you love to be thrilled with a bit of humour thrown in then you will love out of breath! You do feel out of breath after reading the thrilling bits. Ray, WA, 5 Stars
I was captivated by this book! The protagonist Jo is on a mission to escape to a new life, but things aren’t going as she would have hoped. Her mission is thwarted by terrible events that certainly present multiple challenges for her. As I read this novel I felt so many of her emotions such as fear, sadness, and hopelessness. A terrific, haunting story with a fitting ending. Samantha, QLD, 5 Stars
Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra is an absolute roller coaster ride! English expat Jo navigates one difficult situation after another as she hops from place to place in Australia trying to secure her Visa. Set against the perfect backdrop of the relentless Australian outback, this highly original narrative was full of tension and unexpected turns – a very satisfying read! Thank you Better Reading Preview for the advanced copy! Sarah, VIC, 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. I liked Jo, the main character, and admired her determination to “make a go of it” in Australia, even after being terribly let down not long after she arrives. As a naïve English backpacker, Jo is just like any other young woman finding her way in a new country, and I really felt for her as the parts of her past which she had always kept hidden – even from herself – began rising to the surface and demanding resolution. I had my heart in my mouth when she set off walking in WA’s north-west on her own, in scorching heat and with very little water. I was just waiting for her picture to join all the other Missing Persons photos on noticeboards all over the region. A terrific story that like a big wave, pulls you in and under, and a reminder that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is! Dariel, WA, 5 Stars
I really enjoyed reading Out of Breath by Australian author Anna Snoekstra. It is a well written interesting read with a mix of suspense, drama and love. Descriptions of the landscape and characters brought the story to life. A compelling story about a woman looking for a better life. The story is set in the Australian outback and has lots of twists and turns. Ali, VIC, 5 Stars
Jo Ainsley escaped her traumatic childhood in England by attending art school in London. And then she moved to Sydney. When her relationship in Sydney fails, Jo moves to the remote north-western region of Western Australia. While Jo wants to extend her visa to stay in Australia, and 88 days working on a farm will achieve this, it is also another way of escaping from the past. On a mango farm outside Broome, Jo finds that the work is hard. The conditions are basic, and the staff is high. While working, Jo meets Gabe, who tells her about an off-grid community which sounds idyllic. So, when Jo decides to run again, after a traumatic incident on the mango farm, she sets off to find this community. Badly sun burned, dehydrated and ill, Jo finds refuge in this seemingly carefree off-grid community. She is made feel welcome and encouraged to find her own answers. The group live on damaged fruit and vegetables that Gabe collects from the farmers and at first Jo enjoys the carefree life that they have, especially once the sessions with Anna start to unlock the source of her childhood trauma. There are issues in the past that Jo needs to confront but she is also concerned about aspects of life in the community. Jo learns to free dive and enjoys the control the experience gives her. But not everyone seems happy in the community, and Jo is particularly worried about one person. Jo is also concerned when she learns how the community uses its free diving skills has a purpose but also that someone has secrets which could harm the group and put her in danger. Samantha, QLD, 5 Stars
Before reading this book I didn’t really know much about how backpackers were treated and sometimes exploited. After a break up with boyfriend, Jo goes to work on a mango farm in WA where she has to work 88 days to be able to extend her visa. She leaves to join a community which she thinks will be her salvation. In time she realises that the community is not all above board. A very good read. Vivien, ACT, 5 Stars
This book was an absolute page turner for me. It starts out with Jo living in Sydney after running from the UK. She needs to go and work in a rural area as part of her immigration visa, so sets of to the Kimberley region. While working on a Mango farm, Jo meets Gabe, a charismatic, good looking man and is instantly intrigued and Ally, a retired psychiatrist. Gabe tells Jo about their idyllic little community and Jo is intrigued. One day, Jo walks off into the bush in search of Gabe and his community. Jo finally arrives but is severely dehydrated and sunburnt, so Ally and the others nurse her back to health. While there Jo befriends a little girl, who’s “missing poster” she had seen while travelling to the farm. It doesn’t take long for Jo to realise that the community is not as idyllic as she once thought and sets out to free both herself and the little girl from the grasp of Ally. Melinda, VIC, 5 Stars
Thank you to the Better Reading team for my free copy. As for the book title, I sometimes feel out of breath in several sections of this book. The life adventure of Jo Ainsley is quite exhausting and brave. The story starts with Jo’s life with her partner in Sydney. Jo is originally from the UK. Then due to the visa matter, she decided to work as fruit picking on the Mango farm outside Broome. She then meets the charismatic American, Gabe, who lives in an interesting community with Ally as the leader. After an accident with the sorting machine on the farm, Jo runs and decides to join Gabe and Ally. Then the story unfolds whether this is the perfect community for Jo or if she needs to run again. It makes my heart race to finish this book. So I’d recommend this book to someone who loves psychological thrillers and adventure. Margaret, NSW, 5 Stars
If you are a fan of psychological thrillers this book will not disappoint. I found it very difficult to put down, as each page had me glued with its magnificent cat-and-mouse, heart-racing narrative. Absolute honour, many thanks for this opportunity 🙏Izabella, VIC, 5 Stars
Jo escaped London. Jo escaped Sydney. Jo escaped from a remote farm in north Western Australia. Can she now escape Paradise? Jo’s working visa is about to expire. She is required to work 88 days to renew her visa and stay in Australia. After a distressing experience in Sydney, Jo decides to travel to the outback of Western Australia to fulfill her hours to extend her visa. Things seem to be going well for Jo. She meets other travellers. She has accomadation. She has access to food and all the mangoes she likes. After a chance meeting with Gabe, an American traveler, she discovers there is a little piece of paradise not far from where she is now staying. After a terrible accident at the farm, Jo decides to leave the safety of the outback farm to find this idyllic off-grid community which she has been told about. Is it the paradise and refuge that Jo has been after for so long or has she just stumbled across another place which she finds herself wanting to flee from? Can she escape again? Thank you to Better Reading and HarperCollins Publishers for a free copy of Out of Breath. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my first Anna Snoekstra book. The descriptive language of the Australian outback and country towns was so accurate. You could feel the heat coming of the page as she described the hot days and nights. You were there with Jo as she dived into the cooling water and as sweated traipsing through the harsh outback conditions. Tamara, WA, 5 Stars
Even though this is not the type of book I normally read it kept me coming back to it. A page turner where you want to find out what happen to main character Jo. This story really gets you in touch with her and what she is going through. I felt for her through this story. I also loved that it was mainly set in Australia. I high recommend this book. Kerry, WA, 5 Stars
Anna has written a brilliant novel which I inhaled in 2 days on vacation. I love psychological thrillers and this one was so tense and nailbiting that I had to just hide out in the bathroom and read it to avoid everyone on vacation! I absolutely love Australian fiction that focuses on the landscapes of the outback and ocean. This is a story about a damaged woman with a past but its drawn out slowly and then comes fast and fierce. I don’t have to pass on any spoilers but I think Anna is up there with other top Aussie authors. I have borrowed out 3 of her other novels! Preeya, QLD, 5 Stars
This book follows the life of Jo Ainsley from her young life in country England, and later moving to Australia. After she loses her baby, her partner Eric breaks up with her, so she flees Sydney and escapes to the north-west region of Western Australia, where she plans to work on a farm for eighty-eight days so she can extend her visa. During her time on the mango farm, a terrible accident occurs and she runs to an off-grid commune, which a young American, Gabe, told her about. They had an instant bond so she is going to see Gabe. Once at the commune she soon finds there are under-handed things going on, and Jo with the help of a young girl at the commune, get away and send the Police to save the endangered life of Gabe. This book has a different storyline to any I have read before. I found myself ploughing through the pages as I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. At the conclusion it still has you wondering the “what ifs” after the ending. A must read nightmarish thriller with action a plenty. Thanks to Goodreads and Harlequin for the copy. Vicki, VIC, 5 Stars
I loved Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra due out 6th July, its an absolute banger of a novel. I devoured this over 48hrs. The atmosphere, the heat, the backpackers, the constant hair standing up on the back of your neck feeling of abductions & attacks, races you through this remote coastal region of Australia with our novels protagonist Jo, who thinking she will be safe, will place herself in the centre of danger. From Mango picking to crocodiles, free diving to pearls, this book is an atmospheric wonderland. This novel is sinister, believable & thrilling. Highly recommend 5 ⭐️Penne, NSW, 5 Stars
Jo Ainsley, had a traumatic childhood, left by her mum and grown up with her dad. Running away from her past and failure, she travels to Sydney, working as a trivia host in a local pub. After a broken relationship with Eric and tried to extend her visa to stay in Australia, she’s heading to Northwest Australia and ended up as a fruit picker at Denny’s mango farm. While in the farm, she meets an American guy, Gabe, and interested about living off the grid as how Gabe lives with a few people in Rossack. She’s hoping that this community will help her heal. This is another unputdownable book from @snoekstra, will let you keep guessing of where and how she’s going to end up. The ending totally melts my heart.🙂 Vivi, NSW, 5 Stars
Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra is an engaging novel that I struggled to put down. The story takes number of twists before the main protagonist finds, and for a time, loses herself in an unlikely community. As the plot unravels, not all is what it seems, and the more you read the less you know. I loved the way that through the novel colours were described from an artists palette, making it more real and at the same time, more surreal. It was the perfect ode to the protagonists background and future. The ending tied up the story without being contrived, and actually added a nice ending and feel to what at times was quite a dark story. I’ll definitely be recommending this one. Jodie, WA, 5 Stars
A very clever use of a topical subject in regards to the treatment of overseas itinerant workers in outback Australia. I was interested in how the author incorporated that topic into the bigger story line. The author was excellent in describing the Western Australia coastline and the harshness of the environs. The story was centered very beautifully around Josephine and was able to bring her family history into sharp focus and the impact it had in her emotional development. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me wanting more. Ainsley, QLD, 5 Stars
Outback Western Australia on a mango farm is where Jo Ainsley ends up she has 88 days working so she can extend her visa and stay in Australia, the farm is in a desolate part of Australia she meets a fellow called Gabe who tells her about a community living off the grid Jo sets out to find this community not knowing how harsh and unforgivable our outback is, the community welcomes Jo but has a lot of hidden secrets ( no spoilers ) this is a great book I really enjoyed. Deborah, NSW, 5 Stars
I was left breathless by this book. Reading this book reminded me of watching scary movies – from behind my hands but I could not look away! There is one part in this book where my heart was racing after reading it – it is so scary but I could not stop reading it. As well as a thrilling story this book also has great characters – especially Jo (the books voice) – that you feel you know them (or someone like them). Great read! Lisa, NSW, 5 Stars
Every one of us needs to feel loved and wanted. This beautiful story brought me to tears when Jo realizes long hidden memories of guilt and loss, have brought her back with her mother. The mind protects and cushions us from pain and somtimes we seek love and community in wrong places. The descriptive text of our Australian outback and its cruel harshness created such a vivid picture in my mind. I walked with Jo, felt the sunburn peeling open her skin but despite her pain, the faith of finding something better kept her strong. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Love takes many paths but a mothers love is brightest and eternal. Shelley, NSW, 5 Stars
What a nice thriller read – keep me interested right to the end.. I wish there was more to the end I feel it ended in a nice way but sudden. While reading I was trying to tell her to not do what she did – join a cult and nor to jump to conclusions so much. I did love the little girl and Gaba characters as they knew what was happening and tried to help Jo see and to stop it. Just took a while and things to happen before she believed or listened.. but overall I liked this book. Beth, TAS, 4 Stars
What a read. For fans of a thriller which you don’t know where it will end. Once I started this book I could not put it down as I needed to know how it was going to end! Claire, VIC, 4 Stars
Well, where to begin with this book? I have always been fascinated with what draws people in, to trust strangers, to put themselves into situations which you know, YOU KNOW, are not going to play out well. My answer, from reading this book, is that they feel lost. Everyone around them seems to be doing something, but they seem to not being doing anything. Jo was a fascinating character. Her want, her need, her desire to belong, yet she would choose to run, was written so well. I felt like I could see parts of myself in her. The way this book is written so that you can so easily understand, empathise, and sympathise, with how these groups of people come together and how they feel when the cracks begin to show is a testament to the writing. I know that a book is written well when I can place myself in the narrative and truly understand the position of the character. This was an amazing read. Aotea, QLD, 4 Stars
Jo is a young woman with a troubled past. She runs from her problems. She leaves England for outback Western Australia where she meets people as damaged as she is. This book was tense and compelling. I couldn’t put it down. A thriller right to the end! Litsa, VIC, 4 Stars
Thank you to Better Reading and Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book for review. Although I found this book a bit slow-to-go, I was captivated by the way it unfolded. Jo was running, from her childhood in England, to art school in London and then onto Australia. Into Western Australia where the experience of free diving, living farm life just to retrieve her visa seems a small price to pay. Enticed by attraction with an American man she visualises a beautiful refuge. So many emotions run riot, so many characters to keep you guessing. A final twist you won’t see coming…. Or will you…. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to ready more from Anna Snoekstra. Nicky, QLD, 4 Stars
Psychological thrillers are my fave, and this suspenseful tale from an author unknown to me was a nice surprise. Great character development and a plot that made me stay up much too late to see what would happen next. Recommended. Christina, WA, 4 Stars
The main character Jo is well fleshed out with all her faults on display as she leaves England for Sydney, Australia. To keep her visa she must eventually head to a desolate fruit farm in distant Broome and most of the story takes place there. It is definitely a creepy atmospheric read with building tension as small mishaps mount to bigger disasters. At her wits end she leaves the farm and sets out for a hidden refuge for outcasts like her. At first she is accepted and liked but they have secrets too. Jo must dig deep for her inner truth and her hidden strength to survive and make a new life for herself. Very tense and well written. Kristy, NSW, 4 Stars
This book was highly entertaining and enjoyable. The author, Anna Snoekstra, engaged readers using plot twists and delved deeper into the nature of humans. Snoekstra helps readers understand the ‘thinking’ of someone while being in a commune and how it can affect the human body. Snoekstra has a great way of writing with words and it really shone through her writing. Although this book had many great characteristics, I felt that it could be slow and irritable for me as the main character, Jo, kept running away from her problems instead of trying to face them. This led to an ‘unfinished’ past which was only repaired at the end of the book. The book was more enjoyable towards the end as it had sped up and was no longer dull. I relished the ending as Jo unravelled her problems and finally faced them. Nishka, NSW, 4 Stars
The novel did start slowly and then got a little weird and I wondered is this really a thriller, or some fancy drama? I would describe it as a drama/mystery. Josephine/Josie/Jo/J is running from one drama right into another, shedding part of her name as she moves from London to Sydney to Western Australia. As we take up the story she is heading from Sydney to work on a remote WA mango farm as part of her visa extension requirements. After meeting American Gabe and in seeking his ‘utopia’, she stumbles into an off-the-grid community suffering heatstroke, sunburn and dehydration. As she heals from the physical ailments, Ally the community leader coaxes Jo into dealing with the psychological bits of her. All is not as it seems. The link between freediving, the pearling industry and the ‘community’ was interesting. The descriptions of place are superb – colours from an artist’s palette: ultramarine, oxide blue, burnt sienna. The ending feels a little too neat or maybe it was rushed or suffered word count reduction. A possible book group read to explore lots of different issues. Thanks to BetterReading and HarperCollins-Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review an ARC. Indigo, NSW, 4 Stars
Out of Breath is an atmospheric tense thriller written in three distinct acts. Our leading lady is Jo, a Brit living in Australia. The first part is set in Sydney and features the breakdown of Jo’s romantic relationship which becomes the catalyst for her signing up to a government program agreeing to work in a regional area to extend her visa. In this case, fruit picking on a mango farm in north Western Australia. I enjoyed this section the most – the heat, the isolation, the farm’s atrocious working conditions and the lack of basics such as electricity and healthy food. This section was very outback noir with an oppressive setting and increasing tension. In the third section Jo becomes involved in a cult. I must admit I was less enamoured with this part of the plotline and found Jo’s gullibility frustrating. However, I did like the climactic scenes and appreciated that Jo’s childhood trauma, along with her struggles in Sydney and on the farm, led to explaining her naivete. There are several themes addressed in the book, including PTSD and the arrogance and deficiency of colonisation. Lee-ann, QLD, 4 Stars
While I found this book to be a slow burn for a psychological thriller it sure packed a punch. It is one of those novels that you have to sit with after you have finished to process what you have read. While I enjoyed the descriptive nature of the landscape and learnt a lot about visas and pearl diving, I found it really hard to connect with Joanna as I just wanted to yell at her you are making bad choices and what the hell do you think you are doing! It was only after I had sat with my thoughts for awhile, I realised that this was a good thing as the author has showcased just how mislead people can be when they are searching for something they feel is missing in their lives. Joanna was craving a sense of belonging and family and kept running from one place to another until she thought she had found it. As a reader we could see what was happening but as she was in the thick of it, it is easy to be misled. Snoekstra has brilliantly shown what harm damaged people can do to others, under the guise of trying to help them. While I thought the ending was probably wrapped up a bit to neatly for my liking, this was a read that made me look at my thoughts as a reader and why a character who is frustrating can be a good thing. This is the first book by Snoekstra that I have read and I am surprised I have not heard of her before. Mel, NSW, 4 Stars
I enjoy a psychological thriller, Anna Snoekstra has delivered with this well written book! The characters and storyline were hard to connect with initially but the more time I invested, the harder it became to stop reading! This suspenseful journey follows Jo, she’s been running from people and situations her whole life. Jo had believed that ’home’ is in England, she stops running when she arrives in a remote area of Australia! Jo meets Gabe and is hopeful of a new start, considering that he offers answers and stability. Jo finds herself living in a commune, Gabe has suggested a change may be a great opportunity. Learning new skills, accepting help and living in a more relaxing environment is new and welcomed by Jo. The challenge of facing her demons is a huge commitment for Jo, is a new beginning within reach? Suspense builds, questions appear and more secrets are revealed. This Australian novel, set in the outback is recommended to anyone wanting an edgy, drama filled read, with relatable characters and plenty of intrigue! My sincere thanks to Harlequin Australia HQ, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Vikki, TAS, 4 Stars
Great read. Captivating, interesting and very real in today’s world. An English woman comes to work and live in Australia on a working visa. To complete the requirements for the visa, she has to go work in a remote area. She chooses the remote WA Kimberley region, to work on a mango farm. Her friends in Sydney warn her of the dangers ahead, but she still decides to take up an offer of work. Stunned by the remoteness of the area, she is intrigued by the red soil, wide open spaces and not many people. Details of her wait in Broome are written about and the bus ride to the pick-up point by her new employer. The rather antiquated living arrangements are outlined, together with the awkward details of the employer’s working requirements. So typical of some of the situations in Australia today and in the past re employers of people on visas. She meets a new guy who outlines his living arrangements and she wants to go there. She leaves where she is working and walks to find this new place. Great details of what she encounters on the way. When she finds this place, it is all a sham in the end. Glenice, VIC, 4 Stars
Jo has a history of running from things. Originally from England, she moves from Sydney to Broome to work on a mango farm in order to extend her visa. Here she meets Gabe who’s connected with an idyllic off-grid community, one that likes free diving. But both Gabe and the community have secrets lurking beneath. OUT OF BREATH was my first novel by this author, possibly the first book I’ve read set near Broome (never been, but love travel via literature) and definitely the first involving 88 day agricultural workers. I’m familiar with this visa requirement via my dairy farming parents and thought the way in which the challenges and vulnerabilities of both the workers and the farmers was depicted so well. I cherished my creature comforts as I read about the oppressive heat and harsh environment but also longed for the vivid beauty. Overall, I found this psychological thriller to be an alluring and atmospheric read with deftly drawn characters, plenty of suspense and depth. Julia, NSW, 4 Stars
Well this sure kept me guessing to the end. It was actually quite difficult to put down ‘Out of Breath’ as I just needed to find out what exactly was going on. The characters were relatable and likeable and helped contribute to the intrigue. Well worth the read. Alice, NSW, 4 Stars
If your looking for a book with some twist and turns and heart racing moments then this is the book for you. Jo hasn’t had it easy and continues to run away from her problems. But when she finally stops running and finds an off grid community she seizes the chance. What she doesn’t know is that the off grid community isn’t all that it seems. Molly, QLD, 4 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this offering, and being set in Australia makes it more familiar. I found myself thinking about the storyline at different times of the day and even felt comfortable enough to recommend it to friends. I also really enjoyed learning about free diving even though it not something I am every likely to try! I am going to keep an eye out for more offerings by this author. Donna, VIC, 4 Stars
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