Breathless Review

Thursday, November 18, 2010


When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice.

But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

Taken from GoodReads.

Breathless is the story of teenage Katie, a talented swimmer with the world at her feet, but she's hiding a dark secret and a painful past. Her older brother, whom she loves more than anything, is schizophrenic, and his disease is slowly consuming every inch of love and care he had for his family – especially his little sister. Katie discovers it's easier to lie about the past and pretend that everything is fine, her home life is normal, and there's no dark secrets hiding under her bed. The problem is that the secrets are catching up to her slowly but surely, and they're about to unravel all around her.

Breathless is one of those stories that I haven't heard much buzz about around the blogosphere. I think I've only read maybe one or two reviews for it, but they were pretty good, and I was already sold on the swimming premise (go figure) and the awesome cover. Breathless is the brainchild of author, Jessica Warman and combines a heart-wrenching tale with flowing prose, rich descriptions, and a setting that the reader can lose themselves in. It was very well-written and didn't lag, which I often find in books I don't know too much about.

I will, however, say that there were a few issues I had with Breathless. While it flowed nicely and had a great pace, I often found that the antics of the large cast of characters almost pulled me out of the story. Katie's personality had me somewhere between hating and loving her the entire time, and there were points where I was just indifferent. Then there's Drew. Drew is a character that I could potentially have loved in Breathless. He's a devout Christian with good morals and a strong standpoint, but I often found that he jumped on his religious bandwagon at only the most opportune moments, which I felt was a bit too convenient. Then, there were times when faith didn't drive his character, and I was left confused as to just who Drew really was.

I guess my verdict on Breathless is as follows. It's definitely not a bad read. I enjoyed a lot of it, and I thought the writing was very well done. While the characters have some flaws in my humble and honest opinion, I'm sure there is a big market for a book like Breathless. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA fiction, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

19 comments:

  1. Great honest review.
    I always have a hard time when there are tons of characters.

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  2. I really haven't heard anything about his one at all, I'm always finding new books on your blog:) It's a shame when the characters keep you out of the story instead of pull you in though, relating to them is the biggest thing I look for in a read. Lovely review Melissa!

    And to answer your question on Unraveled - it's definitely still very complex, but I thought the complexity made more sense in this one. I was able to follow it a bit easier:)

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  3. You're right--haven't heard any buzz about this one at all. Too bad you weren't in love with it because the swimming aspect is perfecto for you! Loved your honesty. Girl, you have mastered the so-so review :)

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  4. Great review! The premise of this one doesn't grab me, but like you said, I think there could be a good audience for it.

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  5. I have not heard a lot of this book too. First let me say that the cover is pretty cool. I like it. For that alone I want to read this book. Then to the story, I don't know! It does sounds pretty good, but I love strong female characters and she is for sure not that strong. Great review. I might try it, when I see it at the bookstore..I just might. :P

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  6. SOunds like a good book! The summary really makes me interested in reading this book! Great review :)

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  7. Haven' heard much of this book, but I've heard a bit about the author's other book Where the Truth Lies. This one does sound interesting, but I'm not sure about the characters since they're the ones that usually make it or break it for me. Great honest review. :D

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  8. Great review, the book sounds ok, but nah, not for me, not today. An honest review is the best

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  9. Thanks for a good and honest review. I think the books sounds quite good, YA books that deal with important topics such as mental ilness are really important in my opinion.

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  10. Another most interesting review. I do believe that I have been wondering about this book. However, not near the top of my list. I think I might make an attempt at it later on into the new year.

    Pleasant Evening,
    Mad Scientist
    http://madsteampunkery.blogspot.com

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  11. awesome review, melissa!! my cousin is a swimmer, but I'm not sure if she'd think this one was too intense...

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  12. A great review, very honest but the book is not really my piece of cake.

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  13. Great review. Doesn't sound like a book for me. I really appreciate your view on the book!

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  14. I've heard nothing about this book. This is the first time. Great review.

    The cover alone reminds me of you. I wonder why? LOL

    I must admit, I'm kind of confused, the character sound a bit selFISH. <--please enter me into the bad joke hall of fame. ;)

    Still, it does sound very interesting.

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  15. I haven't really heard anything much about this one today, but when your review popped up on my google reader I was really drawn to the cover of this one. Not sure the book is quite my thing, but I loved your review.

    I just found your blog yesterday. I can't believe I've missed it for so long! Will be checking back often. :)

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  16. Great review, Melissa! I'm torn about this one. I've heard some great reviews, but there's something about it... I just don't know. I may pick it up in the future, but at the present time I don't see myself reading it. Definitely not a fan of the love/hate relationship with the MC! :)

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  17. Great review and honest too. I'll put this on my maybe later to read list :)

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  18. I love the sound of this book - I'd never even heard of it. i love boarding school fiction and mental health stuff - I'll have to see if i can give this go.

    love the way you review so honestly and give me a feel for the book and what to expect!

    x

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  19. A breathless review! As always I know that you will give your honest feelings about a book,which is why I love reading your thoughs. The subject matter in this one is unique, at least to me, and like the MC I think it is often hidden. in that sense, I would like to see how the author deal with this. thanks for the review!

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