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jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
With her two main characters -- Ryan, a teen who tried to commit suicide, and Nikki, a teen whose father killed himself -- Hubbard gives voice to the two main audiences for this book: people who have suffered from depression, and those who haven't, but want/need to understand. Ryan's narrative struck me as dead-on about what depression feels like: how pathetic you feel for feeling so bad when nothing really that bad has ever happened to you; how your emotions seemed walled off; how when you do feel emotions, they seem to come late, making it seem like you dwell on things others have already forgotten. For a person suffering from depression, reading that he/she isn't the only one who feels like this can be an amazing relief.
And Nikki's confusion, her quest to understand, also seems painfully true, even while the book acknowledges that to know or understand may be impossible for the one not depressed. Ryan's parents, especially his mom, mirror Nikki's wish to understand, but also show how the opposite wish -- that everything would just be ok -- often is far more powerful, and stands in the way of true understanding.
Ryan's final insight -- "But then, like Val said, things got better. And worse again. And better. I was beginning to see this wave of ups and downs stretching out in front of me forever, beginning to think maybe that was just life" (230) -- so very true...
And Nikki's confusion, her quest to understand, also seems painfully true, even while the book acknowledges that to know or understand may be impossible for the one not depressed. Ryan's parents, especially his mom, mirror Nikki's wish to understand, but also show how the opposite wish -- that everything would just be ok -- often is far more powerful, and stands in the way of true understanding.
Ryan's final insight -- "But then, like Val said, things got better. And worse again. And better. I was beginning to see this wave of ups and downs stretching out in front of me forever, beginning to think maybe that was just life" (230) -- so very true...
books4susie's review against another edition
5.0
Really didn't see the clever twist coming in this one but what an incredible read!
nashmtb's review against another edition
5.0
Try not to breathe is probably my favorite book. I love Ryan, he is a different character and I love how realistic he is. Depression is not beautiful and he knew how to explain it.
ketchuplisa's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars for this contemporary novel. To be honest, I usually hardly ever reach for contemporary novels, because they don't feel overwhelming to me. However, this book was a surprisingly enjoying read mostly due to the amazingly vivid characters in it. Even though I would say that books dealing with suicide are rather depressing (at least to me), this novel definitely did not make me feel this way.
britt2013fb's review against another edition
5.0
This book wasn't my type of book. I gave it 5 stars because it was a good book.
I was under a different impression of the book when I started reading it. Although, It was a very good story line. I think that anyone struggling with depression should give it a read. It will show that you're not alone.
I was under a different impression of the book when I started reading it. Although, It was a very good story line. I think that anyone struggling with depression should give it a read. It will show that you're not alone.
kristid's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Jennifer Hubbard’s first novel The Secret Year! While I enjoyed reading another of Hubbard’s works, I didn’t enjoy Try Not to Breathe as much as I did her first book. It was really well written, which I was expecting, but I didn’t connect with the characters nor the story as much this time around.
Ryan has just returned home from a stint in a facility, after he tried committing suicide. He’s not only dealing with the whispers and stares from the kid’s at school, but is still battling with himself internally. Trying to figure out how and why he got to the point that he did.
To make matters worse he has befriended a girl Nicki, who is dealing with the suicide of her father. She is struggling with her father’s death and is hoping that Ryan might be able to give her some answers.
In the end it seems to be Nicki who gives Ryan the answers that he needs.
I really enjoyed Nicki and Ryan as characters. They couldn’t have been more different, but I loved Nicki’s personality and how she’s not afraid to push Ryan and make him uncomfortable. I think perhaps I problem I had with the story was that I didn’t make a strong connection with Ryan. Although we learn about him and his history, I still felt a distance from him.
Suicide is never an easy subject, but I loved and appreciated how Hubbard treated it. It was honest and heart-wrenching. Yet at the same time I’d say that the story was hopeful.
Ryan has just returned home from a stint in a facility, after he tried committing suicide. He’s not only dealing with the whispers and stares from the kid’s at school, but is still battling with himself internally. Trying to figure out how and why he got to the point that he did.
To make matters worse he has befriended a girl Nicki, who is dealing with the suicide of her father. She is struggling with her father’s death and is hoping that Ryan might be able to give her some answers.
In the end it seems to be Nicki who gives Ryan the answers that he needs.
I really enjoyed Nicki and Ryan as characters. They couldn’t have been more different, but I loved Nicki’s personality and how she’s not afraid to push Ryan and make him uncomfortable. I think perhaps I problem I had with the story was that I didn’t make a strong connection with Ryan. Although we learn about him and his history, I still felt a distance from him.
Suicide is never an easy subject, but I loved and appreciated how Hubbard treated it. It was honest and heart-wrenching. Yet at the same time I’d say that the story was hopeful.
joyousreads132's review against another edition
4.0
Dying is easy. Living is hard. - If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
Three years ago my Dad tried to hang himself.
My Mom got there on time.
I still haven't been able to look him in the face when I see him.
Too scared to see the mark around his neck.
I can't figure out why he tried to do it.
I know they were in a bad place. I know they were having a hard time.
But who really knew what's going on in his head at the time?
What makes a person brave enough to try and kill themselves?
...And yet too cowardice to face life?
No one really talked about this in my family. The subject matter is taboo. We still don't have the answers. We're all too scared to ask him why. I'd like to say that we've all recovered from it. I can't remember when I stopped trying to look for evidence of depression when I look at him. I never ask him directly if he was okay. My familial relationships hasn't really been ideal - not since my siblings and I were kids. I wish we were all close.
Reading this book brought it all back. I was Nicki, asking why, why would he do such a thing? In a way, this book helped. Sometimes, it just gets too much. We sometimes think that crying buckets of tears would help cleanse our depression away but it's not true at all.
I wish I could say that I helped my Dad. I wish I could say that we've become closer after this. But we're far from it.
My parents are Catholics...they found an even better Religion after that.
This book hits too close to home. Most of the time I had to do gut checks.
Should I stop?
Should I continue?
This review is way too personal.
This book is way too personal.
Three years ago my Dad tried to hang himself.
My Mom got there on time.
I still haven't been able to look him in the face when I see him.
Too scared to see the mark around his neck.
I can't figure out why he tried to do it.
I know they were in a bad place. I know they were having a hard time.
But who really knew what's going on in his head at the time?
What makes a person brave enough to try and kill themselves?
...And yet too cowardice to face life?
No one really talked about this in my family. The subject matter is taboo. We still don't have the answers. We're all too scared to ask him why. I'd like to say that we've all recovered from it. I can't remember when I stopped trying to look for evidence of depression when I look at him. I never ask him directly if he was okay. My familial relationships hasn't really been ideal - not since my siblings and I were kids. I wish we were all close.
Reading this book brought it all back. I was Nicki, asking why, why would he do such a thing? In a way, this book helped. Sometimes, it just gets too much. We sometimes think that crying buckets of tears would help cleanse our depression away but it's not true at all.
I wish I could say that I helped my Dad. I wish I could say that we've become closer after this. But we're far from it.
My parents are Catholics...they found an even better Religion after that.
This book hits too close to home. Most of the time I had to do gut checks.
Should I stop?
Should I continue?
This review is way too personal.
This book is way too personal.
roousc's review against another edition
4.0
I like when I read a book in a day because I can't put it down, and even though this wasn't a book that has those big moments of tension I couldn't stop reading. I liked the theme of the story and how it was developed. I really enjoyed reading this.