A review by busybookreporter
Breathless by Jennifer Niven

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

What an emotional rollercoaster this book was! This was such a good read. It felt wholesome and I felt very connected to the main character while reading. Breathless is a YA novel  about two teens who find themselves on the same island one summer. These characters both have had life events that brought them to the island, and they end up finding each other and start to make peace with their pasts. I loved the setting of this book. It’s set on an island off the coast of Georgia, and I appreciated the nod to all things southern. Everything from the mossy live oak trees to the need for insect repellant to the noisy cicadas of summertime, it was all described beautifully. This was a coming of age story centered around our main female character, Claude- short for Claudine. At 18, she is discovering so much about herself, her friendship, her sexuality, and her family. There were moments where I could reminisce on my angsty teen years, especially in her relationship with her mother. This story touches on family trials, the importance of friendship, and first loves. I took off one star because I simply wanted more closure for the two main characters. I was so invested in their journeys, and I wanted so much more for them. As a reader I hope they both got what they were searching for, but I wanted to know for sure. There are some things that could be triggering so check the warnings or DM me if you can’t find any. Amazon says 14+ but personally I feel like there were themes that were more mature so I’m going to say 16-18+. There was a lot of focus on sex and while it wasn’t graphic or “on page,” I still feel like it would be a little too mature for 14. 
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