Breathless

„To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.“ Up until graduation, Claude’s life was just great. She knew where she wanted to go to college, had an amazing best friend and an intact family life. But with only a few days to go until the end of highschool, everything changes. Her parents drop a bombshell she does not know how to deal with and on top of that she is supposed to spend her summer on an island in the middle of nowhere. Feeling absolutely overwhelmed and lost, she does not know how to get her footing back – until she meets Miah, a boy she has an instant connection with… Jennifer Niven’s new book „Breathless“ is wonderful YA novel about growing up, dealing with change and a lot of firsts. Even though, there isn’t a lot going on plot-wise, it is almost impossible to put down this book. The things Claude experiences might not be earth-shattering in the grand scheme of things, but can be devastating nonetheless. Never having been great at dealing with change myself, it was very easy for me to relate to her and I am sure many younger readers will, too. In addition to growing up and learning to deal with change, having one’s firsts is another big topic in this book. The love story, the way it progresses and how the two lovebirds communicate with each other seems very authentic and healthy, so I am very happy with that as well. I recommend this book to readers aged 14 and up.