Reviews with content warning for Death - Holding Her Breath

A comet appeared. What is a comet but ice and ash and dust?
I like to think of myself as a picky reader, but this melted me completely. I don’t care how clichéd the phrase seems, I need to say; this book is perfection.

I have never read a book that has hit so personally in describing all aspects in relation to how I experienced my grief. When Beth lost Lydia it was like reading someone describing what I went through when my Nanny died, though we had a much different grandmother/granddaughter dynamic than those two, grief hit similarly.

Just really, really beautiful writing- Read this book!

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agustinayloslibros's review

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emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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becca_thegrimreader's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

What a breathtaking debut novel. A coming of age story that delves into the world of Beth Crowe and her path of not only self discovery, but the discovery of her family history. Beth is studying psychology in Trinity, and her late grandfather was a famous Irish poet and becomes an object of fascination around campus. After crashing out of competitive swimming, Beth finally begins to swim endless laps in the college swimming pool where she feels most comfortable.

The narration of this book is incredible, and we are transported into Beth's world. It was incredibly relatable to read of someone who is unsure of who they are or what they want. Beth faces not only a personal identity crises, but a familial one too. Each character in this book is strong and well written, a particular stand out would be Gran Lydia who is stubborn and acerbic. Her family guard all family secrets and information closely, especially anything about Beth's grandfather. Growing up with a mild disgust for her grandfather's fame, it is not till she arrives at college does he begin to intrigue her. Around college she is faced with the legacy of her grandfather and those who want to discover more about the man. After beginning a relationship with a post-doc who is obsessed with her grandfather, Beth is spurned on to discovering who her grandfather really was.

This book does touch on the environment of elite athletics and what is demanded of athletes. We clearly see the effects of this culture on Beth and how this has left her shattered. Although the book does not delve into this fully, enough was said of the effects that this high pressure environment can have on a person. I loved the emphasis put on water throughout the book, the sections where Beth describes swimming are utterly magical and were one of my favourite elements of the book.

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ladysanctuary's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

It feels like there are a lot of character driven college-based novels coming out, but I enjoyed that this was very much just using college as a backdrop. The characters felt original but familiar, and their good and bad decisions felt like they made sense based on their personalities. The college parts paled in comparison to the swimming and poetry plots, and at its core it felt like a very Irish family mystery.

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