Sarah Alexander

Five years after the drowning of her twin brother, Scottish teenager Elsie Main confronts the tempestuous sea and her family s tragic past in a young adult debut that will appeal to fans of the mystery of E. Lockhart s "We Were Liars" and the family drama of Jandy Nelson s "I ll Give You the Sun.""

The Art of Not Breathing

One minute Eddie was there. And the next he was gone. Five years on, and it’s Elsie who’s lost. All she knows is the pain she feels. Pain that her twin Eddie’s body has never been found after that day on the beach. Then she meets Tay; confident, cool and addicted to free-diving. He says it’s too dangerous for her to join; it’s too dark, too scary, too deep. But what does he know? He doesn’t know that being underwater is the only time Elsie doesn’t ache for her brother. That diving gives her flashbacks. And that uncovering the secrets of that day is the only way for Elsie to start breathing again.

Jessica 

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  As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. 


When I first heard about The Art of Not Breathing I knew that I had to read it. There was something I enjoyed about the vibe of the summary and I coveted it from the get go. I felt it had the potential to be all its own but also hit a similar vein like Sarah Dessen, Lurlene McDaniel and Gayle Forman. And who can resist such a promising plot? I felt right away I would need a tissue box on hand and I wasn't wrong.

But. Huge but. The Art of Not Breathing wasn't exactly what I expected it to be and while it was still solid, and I'd definitely recommend it, I couldn't help but to be a little uncertain about it. As a whole, I can't say if I'm going to ever be inclined to pick it up and read it again. But I will say that it is undeniably heartfelt and a breeze to finish. All you young adult lovers out there will devour this one quickly and it's readily on the list of summer reads.

Sarah Alexander hits a lot of good notes in her portrayal of loss--the loss of a twin, five years prior, no less--and mental illness. There are many trigger warns applicable to The Art of Not Breathing but not always in an overly graphic way. I daresay that Alexander knew what she was doing and did a solid when it came down to accuracy.

Continued: BOOKEDJ

Hannah Cromby 

Emma piati

Megan Clark

Chelsey Dennington 

Hannah Hamid

Jayarna La Bozzetta

Emily C Peterson

When I'm underwater, I remember things. Flashes of the day my brother Eddie vanished. My father holding me; my mother missing. And the deeper I dive, the less pain I feel. I can believe my brother isn't dead, that my family isn't falling apart. I can forget that it was all my fault. The only trouble is, eventually you have to come up for air.

The Art of Not Breathing

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