Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman Review

(Photo: authorsnow.com)

 

How do I breathe without you? If you ever go, How do I ever, ever survive?

            Okay, so no this book is not about Leann Rimes. But, those lines describe this book perfectly. Actually, that’s what I first thought after reading the description. So, was Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman a hit like that Leann Rimes song? Um, not quite.

            Breathing follows Savannah, a fifteen-year-old girl who suffers from severe asthma that often leaves her hospitalized. At the beginning of the summer, Savannah meets Jackson, an older boy that immediately steals her heart. The two instantly become absorbed in a summer romance. However, when Jackson must leave to help his recently divorced mother, Savannah fears that she will not be able to figuratively or physically breathe without him.

            I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from Breathing since I hadn’t read very many reviews on the book. However, I did find the whole tagline to be slightly cheesy, so I feared that the book would suffer the same fate. After reading, my fears were confirmed.

            There’s not denying that the book centers around the romance. I thoroughly enjoyed how Jackson treats Savannah with respect. How well that he treats her is refreshing in a genre overcrowded with drama-filled love triangles and overly flirty/arrogant love interests. Yet, at times, their relationship is almost a little too perfect. Within only a time or two of meeting each other, they become so undyingly in love that it is unbelievable (even if it is a quickly heated summer romance).

            At first, I really liked Savannah. Her country twang and struggles with asthma make her a unique protagonist. However, like many YA protagonist, she pines for her boyfriend throughout the entire book. Let me make this clear. I don’t find girls weak for thinking about a guy or wanting to be with their boyfriend. But when a character literally belittles their friend’s relationship because she doesn’t think it is as real as her’s, mopes for half the book when she can’t see her boyfriend, almost gives up her entire future for said boyfriend, and constantly nags him about everything, I just want to scream because it’s so annoying! I know this is typically, overdramatic teenage girl behavior, but when the main character only whines about her boyfriend and nothing else, it gets old fast.

            My favorite character has to be Savannah’s mom. She adds depth to the story and her hesitancy to trust another man is very believable. She works hard for her family, and even though she can be rough around the edges, it’s clear that she truly cares for Savannah. I absolutely loved her character. While Dog is the typical annoying younger brother, I liked his storyline. Although I could predict it, it adds a nice touch to the story.

            As I mentioned before, I found the breathing aspect to be quite cheesy. Asthma is a unique topic and it is tied up nicely at the end, but the “How can I breathe without you?!” part was just too cheesy. I am not kidding you… Savannah actually says those words to Jackson. I think that I literally cringed.

            Breathing is a good choice if you are searching for a unique summer romance. Despite the somewhat cheesy premise, the book is decent and worth checking out.



Disclaimer: I borrowed Breathing from the library. I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!