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A review by katiemack
The Selfless Act of Breathing by J.J. Bola
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Do not read this book if you're not in a good place mentally; this book touches on loneliness, suicide, depression, and more. While it has an undercurrent of hope, Michael's long monologues about his despair bury it.
Of course, the sadness is written in a beautiful, lyrical way; JJ Bola's prolific abilities as a poet really shine through here. The dual voices for the two timelines (both of which chronicle Michael's experiences) were distracting at first, but they actually helped me differentiate between the different plot points more easily. There are some discrepancies (e.g., Michael's third-person perspective popping up in his first-person-perspective timeline) that will hopefully be fixed in the final, published version.
Overall, this is a beautiful but heart-wrenching little book. Read it for a good cry and some thought-provoking questions about identity and belonging.
Do not read this book if you're not in a good place mentally; this book touches on loneliness, suicide, depression, and more. While it has an undercurrent of hope, Michael's long monologues about his despair bury it.
Of course, the sadness is written in a beautiful, lyrical way; JJ Bola's prolific abilities as a poet really shine through here. The dual voices for the two timelines (both of which chronicle Michael's experiences) were distracting at first, but they actually helped me differentiate between the different plot points more easily. There are some discrepancies (e.g., Michael's third-person perspective popping up in his first-person-perspective timeline) that will hopefully be fixed in the final, published version.
Overall, this is a beautiful but heart-wrenching little book. Read it for a good cry and some thought-provoking questions about identity and belonging.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Murder