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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jennifer somehow always manages to completely shatter my heart at the end. I need more of Claude and Miah, Miah and Claude.
Edit: I suddenly realised that maybe the ending was that way because she couldn't say goodbye like Miah so she just didn't. If that's it then my mind is completely blown.
Edit: I suddenly realised that maybe the ending was that way because she couldn't say goodbye like Miah so she just didn't. If that's it then my mind is completely blown.
My most favourite book in the whole world is I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith). I really don't do favourites or top ten lists, especially when it comes to books, but somehow ICTC made it. I tell you this because, when I say that the ending of Breathless reminded me of I Capture the Castle, I want you to know that that is one of the biggest compliments I could even imagine, never mind give.
Breathless is... well, it left me breathless. It is full of stunning prose, and heart-capturing characters, and intricately woven stories. It's one of those books that will completely ruin you, because you can't imagine reading anything set in any other world, with any other characters.
A word of warning, that Breathless is kind of the definition of a character-driven novel. That isn't to say that nothing happens, quite the opposite, but the things that are happening kind of fade into the background compared to the journey of the protagonist, Claudine. The book starts with Claudine's last week of high school: her friendships, particularly with best friend Saz; her excitement and fears about the next chapter of her life; the guy she's dating, and the guy she's long been in love with. The summer is about to start, and she's ready to make memories with Saz, to maybe maybe have sex for the first time. And then- and then her dad drops a bombshell, and she and her mum head off to a far-flung Georgian island to try and mend their broken pieces. On the island, Claudine tries to make sense of all that's happened, and to find a way to continue knowing how easily the floor can be taken away from beneath her. At the same time, she and her mum find out more about their distant relatives, the Blackwoods, a lineage of strong women who faced incredible hardship; and she meets Miah, who she promises not to fall in love with.
Something that really stood out about Breathless is how it seems somewhat predictable, yet feels anything but. I could never have predicted the ending, nor could I have predicted the route it took to get there. Without getting too spoilery, there are multiple plotlines that feel left unfinished at the end, but that was one of the things I liked most. It's not about the ending, it's about the journey, and it's about what might come next. Another element that really stood out was the intertwining plots: I loved finding out about Tillie, and about the first Claudine, whilst the rest of the novel was still unfolding.
One of the main themes of Breathless is sex, particularly sex when you are just discovering what it's all about. I haven't seen any other book, ever, that has handled this in such a phenomenal way as Niven. The theme of sex is explored in a truly exceptional way, with a great deal of nuance. I really hope this book makes it into every school library possible, because I think so many teenagers would benefit from reading this. That virginity is a patriarchal construct is discussed and explored- but, equally, there is great consideration given to how early sexual experiences can feel momentous. This level of nuance is applied across the novel to all kinds of aspects. I also really appreciated how Claudine's less positive feelings about sex were given space and time, without judgement. I remember, as a teenager, experiencing all kinds of unpleasant feelings following even the loveliest of intimacies, and being confused and distressed by feeling them. Seeing Claudine have these same difficult and bewildering feelings was a healing for myself, and a representation I really hope as many people as possible are able to access.
I also loved the way that Niven handled trauma: the ways we are shaped and influenced by the past, but also the ways we have to take responsibility for the present and the future. Miah's history as a carer was explained really well, and again there was some incredibly valuable and refreshing representation in this. Yet another reason for every school librarian to get a copy of this (or several copies of this), because I know all too well how this book could be exactly what some young adults need.
My main critique, I think, is of the way that Claudine talks about Saz's relationship with her parents. I can see where she's coming from in this, but it was still quite privileged, and ignored the difficulties LGBTQ+ young people can face, particularly in relation to their families and feeling understood. It's also key to note that I am a white reviewer, so cannot speak for any of the racial representation in this novel.
Lastly, it feels utterly inappropriate to review this book and not give a nod to the gorgeous, gorgeous prose. My Kindle copy is full of highlightings, and I'm sure many people's copies will be the same. Niven truly is a beautiful writer.
Overall, a fantastic novel, and a great addition to the world of YA (have I mentioned that all school/college librarians should be pre-ordering this already?!).
Breathless is... well, it left me breathless. It is full of stunning prose, and heart-capturing characters, and intricately woven stories. It's one of those books that will completely ruin you, because you can't imagine reading anything set in any other world, with any other characters.
A word of warning, that Breathless is kind of the definition of a character-driven novel. That isn't to say that nothing happens, quite the opposite, but the things that are happening kind of fade into the background compared to the journey of the protagonist, Claudine. The book starts with Claudine's last week of high school: her friendships, particularly with best friend Saz; her excitement and fears about the next chapter of her life; the guy she's dating, and the guy she's long been in love with. The summer is about to start, and she's ready to make memories with Saz, to maybe maybe have sex for the first time. And then- and then her dad drops a bombshell, and she and her mum head off to a far-flung Georgian island to try and mend their broken pieces. On the island, Claudine tries to make sense of all that's happened, and to find a way to continue knowing how easily the floor can be taken away from beneath her. At the same time, she and her mum find out more about their distant relatives, the Blackwoods, a lineage of strong women who faced incredible hardship; and she meets Miah, who she promises not to fall in love with.
Something that really stood out about Breathless is how it seems somewhat predictable, yet feels anything but. I could never have predicted the ending, nor could I have predicted the route it took to get there. Without getting too spoilery, there are multiple plotlines that feel left unfinished at the end, but that was one of the things I liked most. It's not about the ending, it's about the journey, and it's about what might come next. Another element that really stood out was the intertwining plots: I loved finding out about Tillie, and about the first Claudine, whilst the rest of the novel was still unfolding.
One of the main themes of Breathless is sex, particularly sex when you are just discovering what it's all about. I haven't seen any other book, ever, that has handled this in such a phenomenal way as Niven. The theme of sex is explored in a truly exceptional way, with a great deal of nuance. I really hope this book makes it into every school library possible, because I think so many teenagers would benefit from reading this. That virginity is a patriarchal construct is discussed and explored- but, equally, there is great consideration given to how early sexual experiences can feel momentous. This level of nuance is applied across the novel to all kinds of aspects. I also really appreciated how Claudine's less positive feelings about sex were given space and time, without judgement. I remember, as a teenager, experiencing all kinds of unpleasant feelings following even the loveliest of intimacies, and being confused and distressed by feeling them. Seeing Claudine have these same difficult and bewildering feelings was a healing for myself, and a representation I really hope as many people as possible are able to access.
I also loved the way that Niven handled trauma: the ways we are shaped and influenced by the past, but also the ways we have to take responsibility for the present and the future. Miah's history as a carer was explained really well, and again there was some incredibly valuable and refreshing representation in this. Yet another reason for every school librarian to get a copy of this (or several copies of this), because I know all too well how this book could be exactly what some young adults need.
My main critique, I think, is of the way that Claudine talks about Saz's relationship with her parents. I can see where she's coming from in this, but it was still quite privileged, and ignored the difficulties LGBTQ+ young people can face, particularly in relation to their families and feeling understood. It's also key to note that I am a white reviewer, so cannot speak for any of the racial representation in this novel.
Lastly, it feels utterly inappropriate to review this book and not give a nod to the gorgeous, gorgeous prose. My Kindle copy is full of highlightings, and I'm sure many people's copies will be the same. Niven truly is a beautiful writer.
Overall, a fantastic novel, and a great addition to the world of YA (have I mentioned that all school/college librarians should be pre-ordering this already?!).
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-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
"You can't tell me who I can and can't talk to about this. You don't get to tell me the world is ending and then ask me not to share it."
I was really close to flat-out giving this book a 2 and have instead decided to round it up to a 2.5. I saw someone reviewed this with the quote I've just put at the top and it had me thinking about a lot of the things that [a:Jennifer Niven|45592|Jennifer Niven|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1601577087p2/45592.jpg] did right with [b:Breathless|51401773|Breathless|Jennifer Niven|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589393573l/51401773._SY75_.jpg|76070420].
To preface all of this, I want to say that I really loved [b:All the Bright Places|18460392|All the Bright Places|Jennifer Niven|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404331702l/18460392._SY75_.jpg|26113532] and enjoyed [b:Holding Up the Universe|28686840|Holding Up the Universe|Jennifer Niven|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463377718l/28686840._SY75_.jpg|48860979]. I was excited to see that Niven had a new book and didn't really pay a lot of attention to the premise before purchasing. That's on me. I'm definitely outside of the targeted demographic (which I would say is older-YA... maybe even New Adult).
Some things I think Niven did well? Her depiction of divorce felt fairly spot-on. The quote mentioned above is in respect to the protagonist (Claude)'s parents breaking the news of their separation to her. As a child of divorce, I definitely empathized with what Claude was going through. I also appreciated Niven's attempts to create more inclusive content for her readers. Some great points were made about virginity as a social construct, sex and body positivity, and consent between partners.
What didn't work for me? The island legends/myths side story she attempted to weave into the primary narrative. While I think I would have normally enjoyed this sort of thing, I don't feel it was executed very well. I also found that some of the dialogue was off-putting and inorganic. There were times when Claude felt very childish and other times when she was absolutely not speaking the words of an eighteen year-old.
Probably not a book I'd recommend, or one I'd read again. But it might work for some people!
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's an interesting story, but there were way too many unnecessary details about Claude's death family. I'm sorry, but I really don't care about them. You can mention them in 1, 2 or maybe 3 chapters, but they were in almost every chapter. I wanted to read more about Claude and Jeremiah's love story.