The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander | Rating: ★★★☆☆ As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
When I first heard about The Art of Not Breathing I knew that I had to read it. There was something I enjoyed about the vibe of the summary and I coveted it from the get go. I felt it had the potential to be all its own but also hit a similar vein like Sarah Dessen, Lurlene McDaniel and Gayle Forman. And who can resist such a promising plot? I felt right away I would need a tissue box on hand and I wasn't wrong.
But. Huge but. The Art of Not Breathing wasn't exactly what I expected it to be and while it was still solid, and I'd definitely recommend it, I couldn't help but to be a little uncertain about it. As a whole, I can't say if I'm going to ever be inclined to pick it up and read it again. But I will say that it is undeniably heartfelt and a breeze to finish. All you young adult lovers out there will devour this one quickly and it's readily on the list of summer reads.
Sarah Alexander hits a lot of good notes in her portrayal of loss--the loss of a twin, five years prior, no less--and mental illness. There are many trigger warns applicable to The Art of Not Breathing but not always in an overly graphic way. I daresay that Alexander knew what she was doing and did a solid when it came down to accuracy.
