Breathless

Reader: Sara M
Age: 17
Title: Breathless
Author: Jessica Warman
Publisher: Walker
Pub Date: 08/18/2009
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Would you recommend this book: No. I feel like there are better books on the market right now that have a much clearer focus, so I wouldn't recommend it to my friends.
Did you finish: Yes
Compelling aspect of the book: The character of Katie was the most compelling aspect of the book and it was her character that kept the novel from falling apart. She was complex, and I really liked the fact that she had multiple motivations for her actions - she didn't do things for one strong reason. At times I found her extremely annoying, but still easy to relate to and that added to my reading experience. She seemed very real, and the author didn't shy away from exploring her flaws, which I liked.
Were you disappointed with the book at all: This book seemed kind of choppy at various points and there were things that didn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the story thrown in at random times. The novel lacked a really clear focus—I felt like there was too much going on and that the author was trying to do too many things at once. I never was quite sure what the point of the novel was supposed to be—Katie’s secret about her older brother Will, her friendship with Mazzie, her relationship problems, and her quest for swimming glory were competing for the main focus, and the book kind of lost its center. I feel like the author was trying to do too much in this novel and it would be much improved if she focused it on one or two main ideas.
Comments: Katie's relationship with Mazzie just seemed weird. I understand that they were close and it was an all-girls dorm, but sleeping in the same bed? And holding hands? It didn't seem at all realistic to me and that put me off from Mazzie's character. Also, Kaite's boyfriend is presented as the "good Christian boy" who's always going to church, yet he drinks while underage. That didn't seem to fit in with his character—and worse yet, no one ever called him on it. His character seemed fake because of this.
Did the cover tempt you and/or reflect the contents of the book: I thought that this was a wonderful cover for the book. The image is something that grabbed my attention and made me pick the book up. I felt like it did a pretty good job of reflecting the contents of the book without giving too much away. The tie-in to swimming was great, and the cover also has a bit of symbolic meaning, especially talking about secrets.
Age Range: 14-15, 16-17
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal