Scan barcode
A review by lealeatortilla
The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander
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).