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lealeatortilla's review against another edition
4.0
I would rate this 3.5 stars out of 5, but Goodreads does not allow me to use half stars in my rating. I will round up to 4.
This story takes place in a small village in Scotland, surrounded by the sea. It follows the Main family who enjoy visiting the beach to spend time together. This tradition is ruined when the youngest child (one of the twins) named Eddie drowns in the water. Elsie, the narrator and other twin, becomes obsessed with discovering what really happened that day in the sea when she lets go of his hand and where the rest of her family members were. Using the water as an escape and healer, she learns the truth about secrets her family has kept from that traumatic day.
This story is very deep and explores difficult topics such as grief, depression, suicidal thoughts, love affairs, eating disorders, violence, and alcoholism. Be aware of these triggering topics before reading this content.
“I should have stayed away, but I just couldn’t. I saw your loneliness and I saw how alive you became in the water. I wanted to be the one to keep you alive because I failed you once, and because you gave me a reason to keep going” (Alexander 277).
This story takes place in a small village in Scotland, surrounded by the sea. It follows the Main family who enjoy visiting the beach to spend time together. This tradition is ruined when the youngest child (one of the twins) named Eddie drowns in the water. Elsie, the narrator and other twin, becomes obsessed with discovering what really happened that day in the sea when she lets go of his hand and where the rest of her family members were. Using the water as an escape and healer, she learns the truth about secrets her family has kept from that traumatic day.
This story is very deep and explores difficult topics such as grief, depression, suicidal thoughts, love affairs, eating disorders, violence, and alcoholism. Be aware of these triggering topics before reading this content.
“I should have stayed away, but I just couldn’t. I saw your loneliness and I saw how alive you became in the water. I wanted to be the one to keep you alive because I failed you once, and because you gave me a reason to keep going” (Alexander 277).
flo_2003's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
deepower7's review against another edition
3.0
Good story, but much too long, so the pacing was quite bad and imbalanced. I don't usually mind when endings are open or inconclusive, but this one was severely rushed and just felt like it didn't know how to end.
joyceeeee_k's review against another edition
2.0
Not my kind of book, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it.
anxietygirl89's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
3.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
*PLEASE NOTE THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
I don't have much to say about The Art of Not Breathing. I did like it. But it isn't my favorite book I ever read. It also won't be one of the most memorable. There were qualities that I liked, and then many things that I disliked.
Likes:
-I like that is was set in Scotland. It took a little getting use to the terms that were use. But it was refreshing to read.
-Alexander created a cast of realistically flawed characters (For the most part. Read in the dislike section for more)
-Free diving isn't something you read about. It was cool to read about. It actually makes me want to try it out. (I won't)
-I especially liked that Elise was depicted as a chubbier then most girls her age, and she views her body in a disdainful way. I found it realistic about how some girls view themselves.
Dislikes:
-Flawed characters are good. They make a story sometimes. But every character in this book was flawed. It was hard to keep up with what was going on with who, and why this character acted this way.
-There was one part of the story that threw me off. Elsie's other brother has a girlfriend. So one day she is peaking through the lock on his door and catches them having sex. Most people would turn away, but Elsie continues to watch for a minute or two. (Which maybe isn't a big thing? But I just found it odd) And then one day that girlfriend says that Elsie could watch if she wanted too.
-From the summary the book it makes you think that the story is about Elsie coming to terms with Eddie's death and stuff. It is and it isn't. But suddenly Elsie is is trying to piece together the memories of that day she can't remember, and then who else was involved. How her brother knows Tay and Adam. It suddenly turned into a mystery.
-In the last half of the book, Elsie's brother develops an eating disorder. But it comes out of nowhere. One minute he was fine and the next minute he is sickly thin.
Overall I found the story rushed and too much crammed into less then 300 pages. It might have benefited if it was longer then 288 pages.
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
*PLEASE NOTE THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
I don't have much to say about The Art of Not Breathing. I did like it. But it isn't my favorite book I ever read. It also won't be one of the most memorable. There were qualities that I liked, and then many things that I disliked.
Likes:
-I like that is was set in Scotland. It took a little getting use to the terms that were use. But it was refreshing to read.
-Alexander created a cast of realistically flawed characters (For the most part. Read in the dislike section for more)
-Free diving isn't something you read about. It was cool to read about. It actually makes me want to try it out. (I won't)
-I especially liked that Elise was depicted as a chubbier then most girls her age, and she views her body in a disdainful way. I found it realistic about how some girls view themselves.
Dislikes:
-Flawed characters are good. They make a story sometimes. But every character in this book was flawed. It was hard to keep up with what was going on with who, and why this character acted this way.
-There was one part of the story that threw me off. Elsie's other brother has a girlfriend. So one day she is peaking through the lock on his door and catches them having sex. Most people would turn away, but Elsie continues to watch for a minute or two. (Which maybe isn't a big thing? But I just found it odd) And then one day that girlfriend says that Elsie could watch if she wanted too.
-From the summary the book it makes you think that the story is about Elsie coming to terms with Eddie's death and stuff. It is and it isn't. But suddenly Elsie is is trying to piece together the memories of that day she can't remember, and then who else was involved. How her brother knows Tay and Adam. It suddenly turned into a mystery.
-In the last half of the book, Elsie's brother develops an eating disorder. But it comes out of nowhere. One minute he was fine and the next minute he is sickly thin.
Overall I found the story rushed and too much crammed into less then 300 pages. It might have benefited if it was longer then 288 pages.
pomochi's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via Net Galley.
The Art of Not Breathing is a gripping, raw novel about a 16 year old girl as she uncovers the mystery behind her twin brother's death. As she learns more about that day, Elsie stumbles upon many other secrets that had been hidden for years. The main thing that drew me to this book was the cover, and the description that it was similar to I'll Give You the Sun, which I read last year and really enjoyed. I am not disappointed with The Art of Not Breathing, but I didn't really care much for the characters. They were all pretty unlikable. I didn't really feel any connection with Elsie, which made this story a lot less emotional than it could have been. It's been a couple weeks since I read this book, and I have to admit that none of the characters have really stuck with me. I didn't feel a connection with them while reading the book, and I don't really remember their distinct personalities now.
However, the mystery of this book compensated for this lack of empathy. When I think of this book, I will always remember the raw, spiraling mystery that unfolded before my eyes. Sarah Alexander crafted an extremely interesting mystery, and I loved how the reader was shown little clues and we were left to piece everything together until the end, when everything was revealed slowly. I also thought the reveal was done really well because it was a gradual process of Elsie making all the connections, and, as a reader, I felt like I was there with her as she discovered all these details. This book made me feel as if I were underwater, and everything around me is distorted and foggy, but eventually, when I resurface, everything is clear.
If you are looking for an intriguing mystery, I definitely recommend picking up The Art of Not Breathing when it comes out on April 26!
DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via Net Galley.
The Art of Not Breathing is a gripping, raw novel about a 16 year old girl as she uncovers the mystery behind her twin brother's death. As she learns more about that day, Elsie stumbles upon many other secrets that had been hidden for years. The main thing that drew me to this book was the cover, and the description that it was similar to I'll Give You the Sun, which I read last year and really enjoyed. I am not disappointed with The Art of Not Breathing, but I didn't really care much for the characters. They were all pretty unlikable. I didn't really feel any connection with Elsie, which made this story a lot less emotional than it could have been. It's been a couple weeks since I read this book, and I have to admit that none of the characters have really stuck with me. I didn't feel a connection with them while reading the book, and I don't really remember their distinct personalities now.
However, the mystery of this book compensated for this lack of empathy. When I think of this book, I will always remember the raw, spiraling mystery that unfolded before my eyes. Sarah Alexander crafted an extremely interesting mystery, and I loved how the reader was shown little clues and we were left to piece everything together until the end, when everything was revealed slowly. I also thought the reveal was done really well because it was a gradual process of Elsie making all the connections, and, as a reader, I felt like I was there with her as she discovered all these details. This book made me feel as if I were underwater, and everything around me is distorted and foggy, but eventually, when I resurface, everything is clear.
If you are looking for an intriguing mystery, I definitely recommend picking up The Art of Not Breathing when it comes out on April 26!
where_the_pages_bleed's review against another edition
5.0
This one! Ooof Never connected with a story about teenagers like this!
Elsie 5 years ago lost her twin brother to the ocean. It was an accident, but she still blames herself. Since that day nothing in her family has been right. Her parents relationship is more strained than anything. Her brother is clearing struggling but his parents don’t notice. And Elsie, just is..
This book is about the discovery a teenager goes through, as well as showing how vulnerable people and families are. Secrets are above surface level and we still don’t accept them. Will Elsie uncover the truth surrounding her brothers drowning while accepting the truth about her family?
Damn this poor girl can’t just be…
Elsie 5 years ago lost her twin brother to the ocean. It was an accident, but she still blames herself. Since that day nothing in her family has been right. Her parents relationship is more strained than anything. Her brother is clearing struggling but his parents don’t notice. And Elsie, just is..
This book is about the discovery a teenager goes through, as well as showing how vulnerable people and families are. Secrets are above surface level and we still don’t accept them. Will Elsie uncover the truth surrounding her brothers drowning while accepting the truth about her family?
Damn this poor girl can’t just be…
dynila's review against another edition
Excellent narrator, nice accent gets the point across (Scots) without descending into incomprehensibility.