Scan barcode
bibliomich's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Oh, this was an EASY five stars for me! What a phenomenal novel. I need to read more Natalia Sylvester now.
What I loved:
- The diversity. Sylvester has created a book that truly highlights intersectional diversity: ability, chronic pain, race, sexuality and sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health. And while all of these elements are present, none of them feel forced. She has created a truly diverse cast of characters.
- The representation of hip dysplasia and chronic pain.
- The way she addresses ableism. In recent times, I've noticed a lot of contemporary middle grade and YA authors using the word "lame" in their books (often by the protagonist, and rarely called out). I LOVE that Sylvester tackles this ableism in her book. We see the way language affects Verónica, and we hear her explain why it matters in her own words.
- The complicated family dynamics. I appreciated that Verónica's relationships with her parents and sister were complicated, nuanced, and fully explored. Verónica's parents were not perfect (esp. all the slut shaming), though they clearly cared about her. Additionally, Verónica was not a perfect daughter, though her behavior made total sense given her age, her wants and needs, and her feelings about her bodily autonomy. I loved the way we saw their relationships evolve over the course of the book, and the fact that it was never neat and tidy, but always a little messy. How refreshingly real.
- The love interest. Ahh, Alex was just so lovable (and again, a fully developed, very realistic character). I appreciated that he had his own challenges, particularly his struggles with mental health. I loved how he respected Verónica, and that he showed up when it mattered. I also enjoyed the way Alex provided Verónica with new perspectives when it came to her relationships with her parents.
What I loved:
- The diversity. Sylvester has created a book that truly highlights intersectional diversity: ability, chronic pain, race, sexuality and sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health. And while all of these elements are present, none of them feel forced. She has created a truly diverse cast of characters.
- The representation of hip dysplasia and chronic pain.
- The way she addresses ableism. In recent times, I've noticed a lot of contemporary middle grade and YA authors using the word "lame" in their books (often by the protagonist, and rarely called out). I LOVE that Sylvester tackles this ableism in her book. We see the way language affects Verónica, and we hear her explain why it matters in her own words.
- The complicated family dynamics. I appreciated that Verónica's relationships with her parents and sister were complicated, nuanced, and fully explored. Verónica's parents were not perfect (esp. all the slut shaming), though they clearly cared about her. Additionally, Verónica was not a perfect daughter, though her behavior made total sense given her age, her wants and needs, and her feelings about her bodily autonomy. I loved the way we saw their relationships evolve over the course of the book, and the fact that it was never neat and tidy, but always a little messy. How refreshingly real.
- The love interest. Ahh, Alex was just so lovable (and again, a fully developed, very realistic character). I appreciated that he had his own challenges, particularly his struggles with mental health. I loved how he respected Verónica, and that he showed up when it mattered. I also enjoyed the way Alex provided Verónica with new perspectives when it came to her relationships with her parents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Medical content and Sexism
Minor: Deportation and Sexual assault
chasingpages1's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
reallife_kazbrekker's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I love books with good disability representation so much, I really wish we got more of it.
This book was great! It was a fast read and quite an informative one as well about hip dysplasia, a disability I personally done have. I do have something very similar to it tho, so I felt very seen by some of the things discussed in this book. I have so many sentences that I tabbed, because they were just so impactful to me!
The romance was also quite well done, I liked that there wasn't much angst regarding their relationship and that they were very supportive towards each other. I would have liked just a little bit more depth into their relationship tho... Maybe there is potential for a small sequel?
Doesn't have to be a full book, but I would love more of Verónica's story!
Anyway, watch me try and find more great disability rep in other books and fail at it. I really wish there were more books like this, makes me feel less alone.
This book was great! It was a fast read and quite an informative one as well about hip dysplasia, a disability I personally done have. I do have something very similar to it tho, so I felt very seen by some of the things discussed in this book. I have so many sentences that I tabbed, because they were just so impactful to me!
The romance was also quite well done, I liked that there wasn't much angst regarding their relationship and that they were very supportive towards each other. I would have liked just a little bit more depth into their relationship tho... Maybe there is potential for a small sequel?
Doesn't have to be a full book, but I would love more of Verónica's story!
Anyway, watch me try and find more great disability rep in other books and fail at it. I really wish there were more books like this, makes me feel less alone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Ableism
Moderate: Body shaming and Mental illness
Minor: Racism and Sexual assault
amberinpieces's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Mental illness, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
rickireadss's review against another edition
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Body shaming
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Racism
Minor: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
emily_mh's review against another edition
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Medical content, Racism, Xenophobia, Ableism, Sexism, Cursing, and Body shaming
Minor: Fatphobia, Deportation, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug use, Alcohol, and Child death
NB: the graphic warning for sexual assault is not because the sexual assault occurs graphically on page, but because it is a prominent theme throughout the book. Minor: suicidal ideation, heternormativity, cisnormativitychronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Mental illness
twistykris's review
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual assault and Bullying
Minor: Racism and Sexism
Content warnings excerpt from book: "There are part of Veró's story that involve instances of bullying, ableism, slut shaming, and lack of consent, both medical and sexual. Processing them looks different for all of us, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. There's only what feels right for you, when and how you decide."this_momma_is_booked's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, and Body shaming
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism