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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved this book for so many reasons! Once I finished it and realized the autobiographical connections, I loved it even more. I loved Njven’s YA discussion of a woman’s body and what that should mean as relationships develop without sounding preachy. And I loved the characterization of this book— such richly developed characters — like in All the Bright Places. The setting details were amazing, too, contrasted well with Ohio and the humid island. And the themes throughout are a good reminder of how hard it is to let someone love us and all of us. The extended metaphor of the floor was tied in beautifully, too. Such a great read!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
this is one of my new favorite books. as a child of divorce myself, i really identified with Claudine. i had the same experience and i really felt seen and understood. the love story is beautiful. truly, i love it sm. and the letters are so interesting.
oh this book>
i was suprised by the moderness of this novel in a very good way. its an understatement to say that i LOVED when the mc and her bestie stated that virginity is a fkd social construct. i went like ”yes go girllssssd✨
i was suprised by the moderness of this novel in a very good way. its an understatement to say that i LOVED when the mc and her bestie stated that virginity is a fkd social construct. i went like ”yes go girllssssd✨
Read for ReadPlus Review. I love Jennifer Niven and her writing but this book didn’t sit right with me. Claude is an interesting character and it’s easy to empathise with her and feel her pain, confusion, hopelessness, and longing. I found her to be a bit sex-obsessed which was a main theme of the novel and something that I do not enjoy reading.
There was a lot of triggering content with no kind of warning and this significantly took away from the novel for me. However, the love story itself was beautiful, I loved Jared and Claude’s mother Lauren as side characters. The relationship between Claude and her mother was refreshing and comforting to read - a highlight of the book. This, in combination with the ending, had me close to tears - a catharsis the novel had gradually built inside me as I turned each page.
That being said, I would still recommend Holding Up The Universe and (while triggering in itself) All The Bright Places over this novel to see Jennifer Niven at her best.
There was a lot of triggering content with no kind of warning and this significantly took away from the novel for me. However, the love story itself was beautiful, I loved Jared and Claude’s mother Lauren as side characters. The relationship between Claude and her mother was refreshing and comforting to read - a highlight of the book. This, in combination with the ending, had me close to tears - a catharsis the novel had gradually built inside me as I turned each page.
That being said, I would still recommend Holding Up The Universe and (while triggering in itself) All The Bright Places over this novel to see Jennifer Niven at her best.
While all of the components of a good coming of age story are present in this novel, from plot arc, to character, to writing style, this book never completely won me over. I felt the main character's voice was off. It vacillated between feeling too young and too removed, as if told in a flashback. The setting had potential to be a character of its own, but never truly achieved that level. I think this would have worked better if it was told through Miah's perspective because he was the more interesting character.
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was a bit too descriptive and bland for my taste. It was enjoyable, but I feel like nothing much happened throughout the book, and I quickly lost interest.
Breathless was one of my most highly anticipated releases of this year, and it did not disappoint. It took me a while to get into it - I found the first 50 pages to be pretty boring, very teenagery, and mostly unnecessary. But then, once Claude reached the island, we returned to Niven’s writing that we all know and love. This book had me longing for the beach in summer, even though I hate both the beach AND summer. It had me nostalgic over a life I haven’t lived. Truly lovely