Reviews with content warning for Racism - Breathe and Count Back from Ten

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Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester

9 reviews

chasingpages1's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Veronica, the protagonist in Breathe and Count Back From Ten, has hip dysplasia, as does the author. The impact of this on Veronica’s life comes through in many ways - pain, people reacting to her surgical scars, her parents being overprotective, loss of bodily autonomy, loss of “regular”life, the impact on her relationship with her sister, the hassle of regular medical appointments and the fear of further surgeries interfering with her life. Yet this wonderful YA novel is not solely about disability. Much of the plot revolves around Veronica wanting to pursue her dream of performing in a mermaid show, despite her parents’ opposition. The impact of immigration on this Peruvian-American family was another key theme as was their cultural heritage. There is also a sweet romance, a mental health storyline, another looking at sexual assault and issues of consent, plus an LGBTIQA+ storyline. This sounds like a lot but it never felt forced, nor did the story feel overstuffed since not all the themes and storylines are explored in depth. Veronica was a likeable protagonist. As a reader I wanted to cheer her on as she slowly negotiated, asserted and gained agency in her own life in a way that was sensible, safe and did not disrespect or disregard her parents. As a word nerd I found the dictionary entries at the start of each chapter a fun little bonus.

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rickireadss's review against another edition

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4.5

this was so freaking good!! i loved verónica SO MUCH and i felt myself relating to her a bunch. this books does a great job at exploring disability, immigration, and bodily autonomy. i think natalia does a great job at showing how people, who say they love you and want what's best for you, will treat you when you're disabled with ableism. the discussion around verónica's parents and how they treat/view her hurt my soul, but i think it was an important part of her story because it's something many disabled people face and experience.

i also think natalia did a great job with her discussions around bodily autonomy in regards to medical procedures and having control over what is happening to your body. i think many times, disabled and neurodivergent teens are overruled by their parents who "know best", but in reality, those parents are NOT the ones living in their teenagers' bodies - and i think that natalia including this in the story was very powerful.

overall, i had the BEST time with this book. i liked the whole mermaid obsession verónica has and the mermaid show was SO cool!! (i want to see one now!) i liked the little romance subplot between verónica and her new neighbor, alex. i do with it had been a little more fleshed out - i feel like they had minimal on-page interactions and those that were there seemed very deep. i wanted just a little more cute moments sprinkled in throughout. regardless, this book was PHENOMENAL, and i cannot wait to have a physical copy.

disability rep: hip dysplasia (fmc), clinical depression/depressive episodes (love interest)

⚠️: ableism, medical content, body shaming, sexual assault, sexism, emotional abuse, racism, mental illness (depression), suicidal thoughts

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I have never highlighted a book like I have this one! The disability rep here spoke to me on another level. The story perfectly captured the relationship I have to my body; the disconnect, and how simultaneously my body is hugely familiar AND unfamiliar to me. I also appreciated how the book showed that ableism comes in part from disabled people “making” abled people uncomfortable, as we are “uncomfortable” reminders that humans are not meant to be “perfect”, are not designed to be, and that ALL bodies have needs. Furthermore, I loved how the story poked holes in how abled people want to “fix” us. This quote in particular spoke to that:

“And why should it matter, anyway, when so many things in nature - rivers and trees and shorelines and mountains - are free to be imperfect? No one calls a flower chueca as it bends its way toward the sky.”

There’s so much more glowing praise I could lavish on the disability rep here! It was so spot on, and I’ll be looking at the annotations I’ve made for years to come.

The key theme of the book is bodily autonomy, and how Verónica is trying to find and assert this as a disabled immigrant Latina girl. Each of her intersecting identities impact this challenge, and it is in her search that she develops so much as a character. I really loved this part of the story.

I also really liked the summery feel this novel had. It is brought out by the pools and sunbathing, sunshine and, of course, mermaids. We got so much detail regarding how being a mermaid performer works and I loved it! It gave me a whole new appreciation for that profession.

I did struggle with two things. The first is the romance between Verónica and Alex. I didn’t get their chemistry, especially as everything within their relationship seemed to move so quickly. On top of this, I just don’t think having a romance was necessary for this book. The same themes could have been explored without it, and it took time and space away from the development of these themes. The second thing I didn’t like was that Sylvester never really properly addressed Verónica’s belief that her younger sister Dani didn’t have problems, or that the ones that she did have were insignificant. I didn’t like this invalidation of Dani’s experience especially as, aside from being disabled, she would have been going through similar struggles to Verónica. I will say that I DID appreciate how Sylvester handled the glass-child narrative within this relationship, though!

Rep: Peruvian-American MC with hip dysplasia, Mexican-American LI with depression, Peruvian-American SCs, sapphic SC, Black sapphic SC, Japanese-American SC, Native American genderqueer SC

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twistykris's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A great book that delves into an teenage immigrant's desire to be a mermaid while juggling the intricacies of her hip dysplasia diagnosis. The water is freedom that provides a (relative) relief from the pain, while also providing some relief from her overwhelming- but well-meaning- parents.

A very cute, emotional book that I absorbed in less than a day. I wish we got more of a growing relationship between Verónica and Alex- maybe it's me reading it as an adult, but I felt like they went into a relationship and fell in love VERY quickly and it felt.. unrealistic? Even as teenagers. I also wish we delved more into Verónica and Dani's relationship as sisters. There are brief moments of them arguing, but it felt sort of shallow. I think it would have been nice to see them bond more.

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this_momma_is_booked's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Natalia once again gifted us with a book that so perfectly captures the Latinx experience, particularly when you are raised in the US by immigrants (even if you are one as well). Vero hits the nail on the head so many times when she expresses how torn she feels about her identity, wondering if she's Latinx enough (spoiler: you always are) or "too American." Her battle with her parents to live her life on her terms is something I feel so deeply as I had the same battle. Vero has the added challenge of living with a disability but trying so hard to not be defined by it - a struggle so many people live with.

I really loved how each chapter started with the definitions - words are so fluid that even though they have a dictionary definition, they can mean something different or more when put into the context of our lives.

I would definitely recommend if you ever felt teen angst because there's lots of that here! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what else Natalie gives us.

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caseythereader's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free copy of this book.

- BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN is a gorgeous book. It tackles so many topics, from immigration to ableism, and never feels overstuffed.
- This book really digs in to how disabled people are often treated as if they are not the experts on their own bodies. Verónica spends so much time telling adults what she is capable of, and they continue to try to make decisions about her body without her.

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There is so much to love about this book. The characters are complex, there are a lot of great discussions about ableism and mental health, and it's really just a book about learning to be true to yourself. Learning to get the courage to stand up for what you want. Verónica's journey is definitely an emotional one, but I loved seeing her find her voice and finally stand up for herself. All of that was so well done.

Outside of Verónica's journey, I wish that her relationship with Alex would have been a little more developed. It felt a little insta-lovey, which isn't always my favorite. And while they did have a few deep conversations, I didn't feel like it got developed much outside of that.

But the whole mermaid thing was cool and awesome and I would totally read more stories about that. Definitely would recommend this book for anyone looking for a complex, emotional summer read!

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chronicallybookish's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Quick Stats
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Rating: 13/14+
Over All: 5000 stars
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Disability Rep: 5/5

TW: ableism, depression, brief mention of past suicidal ideation, discussion of previous surgeries and potential surgeries
Special thanks to Clarion Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.

How am I supposed to review this book? I’m going to be honest, I suck at reviewing books that I really truly loved. I find it easy to piece apart critiques and point out aspects that I didn’t quite enjoy or couldn’t connect with or think could have been done better, but I genuinely have nothing bad—or hell, nothing even remotely critical to—say about this book. Not a thing.

I knew I was going to love this book long before it even had a cover. I mean, a disabled girl who wants to be a mermaid? Yes please. And BACBFT exceeded every hope and expectation I had.
Verónica was so real. I am disabled, and though my disabilities are very different from hers, I connected to and related to her so deeply. Natalia Sylvester crafted a character who exudes raw emotion and who just completely absorbed me. Vero, her struggles, her personality, all of it was so easy to fall into and get lost in. I became so wrapped up in her story that I read the majority of this book in one sitting, because I just couldn’t put it down.
This is a story about disability, identity, immigrants, mental health, love, being true to yourself, and so much more. And every one of those aspects was executed masterfully, emotionally, and in a way that is simply unforgettable.
I loved the Mermaid Cove aspect of the story. I can honestly say I’ve never read a book that has anything like that—and I loved it. I loved the atmosphere of the Cove. We get to see it through Verónica’s eyes as a child, when she tells us about her first ever visit. We get to see it through 17-year-old Verónica’s eyes as she visits again. We get to see it as a child, an outsider, and then behind the scenes. We see the juxtaposition of the childhood fantasy and the harsh reality. I felt like I was experiencing these things with Vero, and it was such a visceral thing to me.
I adored Alex. He’s the kind of character you can’t help falling in love with yourself. He’s so perfect while still being flawed and real. I really liked the fact that he also grew in his own ways, outside of his relationship with Verónica. So often, the love interest is just the love interest. They exist to be something to the main character. And they can be interesting characters who still make you swoon, but they sometimes feel static. Alex felt like his own person. He was changing and growing with Vero, alongside her, and on his own. It made him a uniquely engaging character, and he added so much to the story.
Every character, in fact, felt so fleshed out. They were their own people, and it made the book come alive.
Honestly, all I can say is this is a beautiful, mesmerizing, powerful book, and you need to read it. It is one of the best books I have ever read. I already wish I could read it again for the first time and experience it all over again.
If you’re going to take any of my recommendations—make it this one.
-
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS IVE READ EVER
FULL REVIEW TO COME
BUT SERIOUSLY IM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK

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