Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.
ALINA
has been stealing for a long time. She’s a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she’s never been caught before. If she’s careful, it’ll be easy. If she’s careful.
QUINN
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it’s also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn’t every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.
BEA
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they’d planned a trip together, the two of them, and she’d hoped he’d discover her out here, not another girl.
And as they walk into the Outlands with two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Publishes in US: Oct 2nd 2012
1st in Breathe series, 2nd releases in 2013
Source: author/Greenwillow (HarperCollins)




     In short: This is a fast and action packed story with an awesome premise, and characters that I wanted to succeed.
     At first the three perspectives confused me, especially the two girls, but I quickly got a hang of their voices and style as well as their backgrounds. I think at first I would've wanted to be in their heads a little longer, but I also think that the positive side is that we get to see how things connect. I was drawn in by the premise and by the characters especially when I got a feel for where they were coming from and a sense of their personalities.
      I quickly grew to love seeing the world from these three separate perspectives. Quinn is a premium (read: privileged and rich) and through fascination with Alina, a beautiful mysterious girl, learns that his world is not as it seems, and finds the longing for freedom. I really appreciated watching him grow and realize who his true feelings are for.
     Alina is passionate and strong. Seeing things from her perspective, as the one working for the resistance in the beginning, and watching her soften towards her traveling companions was quite a journey. It was easy to sympathize with her, the guilt she carries and the responsibility she all too acutely carries on her shoulders.
    Bea is kind-hearted and has such empathy for others, when she could easily feel so sorry for herself growing up as a lesser citizen, not being able to run or do anything that requires extra oxygen which costs money. I think that her personality and ways of thinking is closest to my own, and I connected the most personally with her. I could also totally feel for her unrequited love for Quinn at the beginning.
     This is such a chilling dystopian society. I can't imagine having to think about every breath. I also can't imagine being manipulated and lied to so much by the government.
    The resistance group is so easy to relate to and root for, and I loved watching them get stronger and as the new members realize the extent of Breathe (the government in the Pod)'s deception.
    I tore through this book, due to the great writing and superb pacing. There was always something going on, action as well as internal character struggles and growth. There were moments when I wanted to cry for the characters, others I wanted to cheer for them, and then others where I felt anger for them because of Breathe's actions.
    While the storyline of this book was tied up pretty well, it still left me yearning for the sequel. I wanted to know what would happen next, and what becomes of the characters I'd come to care for.

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More about the book:

To pre-order 'Breathe' in the US click here. For a UK purchase, click here. Alternatively, visit your local bookshop where a smiling bookseller will be happy to help you!
To add 'Breathe' to your Goodreads list, click here.

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Sarah Crossan is Irish. She graduated from Warwick University in 1999 with a degree in Philosophy and Literature.
She went on to train as an English and Drama teacher at Cambridge University and since then has been working to promote creative writing in schools. She currently teaches high school English at a small private school in Hoboken, New Jersey.
As well as teaching, Sarah has worked as a freelance magazine writer and book reviewer and educational writer. She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at The University of Warwick in 2003 and at this time began to write fiction seriously.
In 2010 she was the recipient of an Edward Albee Fellowship and spent the summer in Montauk, New York, working to complete THE WEIGHT OF WATER.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Would you leave only guaranteed to survive two days?

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