I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. While I had trouble getting through this book, I am finding that our teens are checking it out often.

Swoon Reads has brought some amazing Young Adult romance stories and this one is definitely one of my favorites! Loved everything about it!

I was really able to relate to the main character in this story with my own childhood experiences. This kept me engaged and established a connection between myself and the story right away.

3-1/2 stars. Kate’s life is turned upside down in an instant when her dad/swimming coach is caught in the act of snogging the parent of teammate in front of the entire swim team. Humiliated, disgusted, and deeply hurt, she struggles to find meaning in her life outside the pool. After being kicked out of her own home by her cheating dad, she and her mom move to Portland to start a new life. She immediately meets adorable neighbor, Michael, who appears to have his own family problems in spades. The two forge a friendship that blossoms into something more. Kate tries and fails to find a balance between friendship, loyalty, honesty, and her own path for the future before discovering who she is without competitive swimming.

Plot
The main plot is the romance between Michael and Kate, but there are numerous subplots involving Kate’s friendships with the girls at her new school, her post-cheating scandal relationship with her dad, her friendship with childhood best friend, Harris, her sister’s relationship with a fiance, and Kate’s relationship with the pool itself. It’s a lot at times, but all of it ties back to the main themes of finding yourself and learning to navigate life when sudden changes are thrust upon you. I was hoping to get more of the competitive swimming angle in this book, though, wishing it was more of a sports romance, but it’s a solid character-driven book.

The Characters
This story centers on the characters and they are well-developed and go through a ton of transformations. Kate was someone I initially rooted for, then became someone I didn’t much care for, ultimately redeeming herself by the end. All of the main and secondary characters have their own arc, which was refreshing. I love it when characters are so much more than props.

Top Five Things I Enjoyed About HOW TO BREATHE UNDERWATER
1. Swimming. I enjoyed the scenes where swimming was the focus most of all.

2. Angst. Lots of teen angst, which is my favorite kind of young adult romance.

3. Marisol and Patrice. These two BFFs who took Kate under their wing on the first day are what loyal friends are all about.

4. Harris. Kate’s childhood best friend had some of the best character development in the book.

5. Small moments. The book is littered with little moments that count. The author creates these amazing vignettes that are vivid and memorable.

Bottom Line
A character-driven contemporary young adult romance with complex plotting and solid characters.

"Michael didn't expect anything from me. My father, my mother, even Lily, they all expected something from me, whether I was ready to give it or not. But Michael just looked at me like he was waiting. He was waiting to see what I would do next, what I would say next, who I would be in the next ten minutes" (p. 90).

After Kate's father successfully ruins Kate's life by getting caught cheating by the WHOLE swim team, Kate's mother moves them out to Seattle to be close to her college-age sister, Lily. Not only does Kate need to deal with a wave of hurt, she also needs to get used to a new city, a new school, and being away from her best friend. Can anyone do that gracefully? Luckily, Kate's mom is one of those people persons and has made friends with people in their building before they're even unpacked--including this super cute boy named Michael.

Michael from the get-go is kind and funny. Even though Kate's mom has already told him everything anyone needs to know about Kate, he still wants to know more and really invests in her. He's one of those characters that radiates sunshine and you just can't be sad when he's in the scene. Unfortunately, his life presents it's own set of challenges, specifically his mother, who's cough just keeps getting worse and worse.

It's clear that Kate and Michael deal with their struggles in different ways--Kate is angry at her dad and scared of life without swimming, terrified of learning how to breath again. She tries to make the most of her situation by making friends, but her emotions are fairly close to the surface. Michael pushes his emotions down, instead focusing on being positive and having fun. As they wrestle through the hand life has dealt them, I loved seeing it shape who they are, how to support each other, and how they feel about each other. My heart couldn't get anymore full.

While Kate has a lot of anger and lashes out sometimes, I found all the characters to be redeeming and show positive growth. Skinner's writing is captivating and uplifting, while still facing the conflicts head-on. Everything about this book is feel-good and I'm all about it.

Skinner's writing is a breath of fresh air! Too often, young adult novels fall prey to simplistic writing that pulls away from the story and leaves the characters less than full. That is not the case with How to Breathe Underwater. The conflict and tension that run Kate's life propel this novel from start to finish. It almost makes the reader feel like they are breathing underwater, barely able to catch their breath. It's fast-paced and addictive; we want to know what happens next. There is so much feeling in this novel, but it's the kind that readers miss the most in much of the books published today. This would make for a great literature circle or independent read.

How to breathe under water is a story of Kate, they way her live is changed upside down, after she sees her father cheating. We see her life falling apart, but we also see her gaining freedom and finally being able to find who she is, without pressures and expectations. However growing up is never easy.

It's such a touching story, that pull at you emotions. The characters are very real and relatable, especially Kate, I felt like I knew her. :) The writing is really good, I was pulled into the story in few chapters. There were few aspects of the story that I didn't like, like the way Michael and she got together.

It's a touching story, that stays with you, makes you think and feel.

How to Breathe Underwater was a really sweet story. The characters were all okay, the main character was relatable, the plot was interesting and the romance was sweet. But I felt like there was something missing, that something that makes a book imppssible to put down, that something that literally makes you feel everything the characters are feeling. It might've been because I was a bit annoyed with the main character at times. But it was an enjoyable read.

I have mixed feelings about Kate. She was relatable, and my heart really ached for her and what she was going through with her parents' divorce and her dad. But she did a lot of things that annoyed me a lot. She made a lot of mistakes that could've been easily avoided, and at times, I felt she wasn't all that nice to her friends. But mostly, I liked her well enough.

I loved Michael, though. I think boys next door are way underrated. He's just really nice and sweet, and he's a great friend. And he can dance! As a dancer, I have to admit I can't resist a guy who can dance. If things don't work out between Kate and Michael, I can totally take him.

The romance was really sweet. I love friends-to-lovers romance, and I loved seeing the romance grow between Kate and Michael. And I loved how Michael was always there for Kate, no matter what was going on with her, and he really wanted to help. And she was there for him, too. I just think they're really sweet together.

The plot was good. It was very well-paced, and while at times it felt like there was a lot going on, almost too much, it all added to the plot in the end and was important for the story.

How to Breathe Underwater is a really sweet, but heartbreaking story about healing. I loved how Kate wasn't the only one who was struggling with healing, but every single character had their own problems they were struggling with, their own scars they were healing from. In my experience, that's rare in books, because most of the focus is on the main character, and I really loved that about this book. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I would definitely recommend it.

Holy Smokes, albeit modern day romance clichés, this made me cry, laugh, and died out of swooning.

I love how “How to Breathe Underwater” posed as simplistic yet profoundly heartfelt novel at the same time. What the MC struggles with were similar to mine~not all. And I instantly connected to her. I just

For a book that had tackled a lot of themes and at this length? 304 pages? The topics went on so sincerely; pictured how it happened and dealing with it. Me crying over this book is an understatement.

How to Breathe Underwater has:

-it delivered the feels, completely and all at once. It made me sad, fall in love, belief, angry, hope, cry, everything! It didn’t fail to give those emotions. And if you’re a huge fan of feeling all sort of feelings I say go for it!
-New beginnings, as Kate and the whole swimming team found out that Kate’s father cheated on her mom, everything she thought great went out the window. I am amazed how this narrative was written. Going through the pain of it and the amazing self-discovery unveiling had me smiling.
-Kate and her sister’s relationship was undoubtedly great! With the event unfolding in their lives. They both have completely different views when it comes to family and friends. How they both voices out their opinions were sincerely done.
-Kate’s relationship with her mother and father had been growing apart. And she has been hurt most by her father. How it all wrap-up was distinguished and powerful.
-Michael, well, their chemistry is strong. You can feel it immediately. And boy, if you’re into a slow burn romance. *Might want to consider this one.
It has a theme of sports, in out MC’s case swimming, her journey of falling in and out with her passion for the sport had me torn up.
-As I mentioned earlier some sensitive themes, cheating issue, drug abuse, and dealing with illness. I am speaking for myself. And I find these issues were handled with such sensitivity.
-The ending. It was something that would stick with you. A story I wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon.

How to Breathe Underwater is a beautiful book taking you through self-discovery and realization. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It takes you through love and loss and what a thoughtful book it is.

This story is about Kate who is a state-championship winner in swimming. She has spent the last 10 years of her life swimming and competing to please her father, who is also her swim coach. But her father betrays her and her family. Kate moves to a new city with her mom. She tries to decide what swimming really means for her.

She realizes that while she loves swimming and water, she really hate competing. She was doing all of the competing to just please her father who made her work harder every time. Now that she doesn’t have to please him anymore, she quits swimming in her new school. She has to find a new path for her and she is trying to understand all the changes that occurred in her life after she moved to the new city.

I really loved the overall journey of Kate from her self-realization to achieving the things that actually mattered to her. She proved to be a strong character as the story progresses. She made mistakes like all teenagers do. But she was never afraid of consequences and was always ready to face them. Through all of her struggles, she learns to love and to open her heart.

Michael was the love interest of Kate who lived down the hall in her building. She hadn’t known at first that he had a girlfriend and she started liking him. But when she found out about his girlfriend, it was too late for her to retreat her feeling. Between swim classes and salsa lessons, she falls for him and so does he.

I totally shipped this couple and their romance was so adorable. Before they were romantically involved, they were friends and there were some quite cute moments in that friendship. Michael had a habit of smoking, because of her mother, but Kate helped her in quitting it. Both had their own problems to deal with and in this way, they found solace in each other’s company.

I loved all the side characters. They were very well developed.

I really liked how well Vicky Skinner has included so many heavy themes in this otherwise simple story. The issues are talked about as drama but in actual they never felt dramatic? Michael’s mom was in terrible condition because of smoking and he also was habitual to it. This shows how parents actions can make impressions on a child’s life. There are lots of teen-relevant issues shown like dealing with parents’ divorce, father-daughter relationship, falling for your friend’s guy, moving in new town and experiencing new love, and I think each of these things has perfectly been captured in the story.

Overall, this is a sweet and painful story of one girl’s quest to find herself and starting her life fresh. With so many important issues handled, Vicky Skinner has shown a story dealing with love and loss in its various forms. If you like reading contemporary with love, loss, drama and challenging relationships, then this book is for you. Kate would make you love her.

This book was full of feelings! It was really well written and it was easy to sympathize with the main character Kate. Her dad was caught cheating, so Kate's mom decided to move them to Portland to start a new life. Kate went through tons of growth in this book. She was a really amazing swimmer who swam on her dad's team. When she was away from him, she had to decide if that was something she actually wanted. Her struggle with determining how she wanted to proceed with swimming was realistic and heartbreaking. She also had ups and downs in all of her relationships. She left old friends, made new friends, met a boy she likes, and found out said boy has a girlfriend. Kate and Michael had a really great relationship. I really enjoyed their interaction, but the fact that he had a girlfriend made it a little difficult to get behind their relationship 100%. I really loved her relationship with her sister. They were extremely close and we're really there for each other in some difficult times. Overall, this book was really good. It was heartbreakingly sad in so many ways, but it was well worth the read.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Publishing via NetGalley.

For almost ten years, Kates’s constant companion was nothing but the water. Her life usually revolved around swimming, but most of all, the pressure of competing and being the best so she can have her father’s approval.

All her life, she has been longing for her father’s affection that she thought she could earn by letting him control her every move. That was why when Kate caught her father cheating; everything she had built which constitutes her belief that swimming was all she is, changed.

When Kate and her mother moved in to Portland to have a fresh start away from everyone they used to know including Kate’s best friend, Harris, her mother played match maker and met Michael—the boy across the hall in their apartment building.

Once more, I decided to test my reading choice and went blind on this book. And it seems like I had another fantastic, unforgettable experience because I was instantly hooked the moment I started reading the book.

This story shows how everything turned out differently for Kate because she found herself caught in the middle of knowing who she really is and what she truly wants in life. Her love-hate relationship with the pool and memories of her father only gave her anxiety and panic episodes, and soon became a traumatic event for her that she needs to overcome.

Like everyone else, Kate experienced the same effects of toxic stress dealt from having helicopter parents. Her character is a real depiction of those children, young adults and sometimes, even adults who was put under an enormous amount of pressure and expectations by their parents who gear them up towards success.

I love how genuine her character was. Kate was a sixteen year old who struggled being the new girl, trying to adjust with her new life whilst fighting a crush over someone’s boyfriend, added a teenage feels that I’m sure most of us experienced when we were in high school. She also learned to be free from every expectations and gain not her father, mother or even her sister’s approval but her own, which was brave and admirable.

On the other hand, I understand why Lily, Kate’s older sister, ditched her own wedding even if she knew how much she loves Tom. The divorce of her parents gave her too much doubt that she feared her own relationship would end up to be like theirs. She may always be there for Kate but in the end, both of them are just the same—drowning, struggling to keep up with the wave of life.

That same goes with Michael. His tremendous love for his mother was truly touching and heart breaking and yet scary because he might be taking good care of his mother, but he wasn’t taking good care of himself. The pain both him and Kate experienced was what brought them together making the slow burn romance sweet and tragic all at the same time. And although his relationship with Kate somehow started as awkward, I love how in every furtive glance, comforting gestures and simple touch, the chemistry between them could steal each page time.

Michael’s character also shows how smoking may gave emotional comfort but like any other kind of addiction, the effect was totally frightening. He may have fought it once with Kate’s help but the moment he admitted he went smoking again but thriving to be better, was a real life story.

The issue about using drugs in the world of sports was also brought through Harris’ character that rooted from peer pressure. He wanted to be as good as Kate that he resorted the easiest way he knew.

The emotional depth pulled in each character including the supporting ones was what made this book easy to read. From Harris, Patrice to Coach Masterson and Kate’s mother, Vicky Skinner was able to write a story that vibrated a deeper connection between her readers and those of her characters.

The writing style brought me into a new journey of emotions, making me feel what they feel. And considering this, the story ended quite satisfying and eventful given that everyone may not have their own happily ever after but rather, the author leave the characters at their own pace.

How to Breathe Underwater is a story that renders how we go on freestyle when it’s too much and giving our best stroke when it is not enough. It is a heartfelt, moving story about pain, loss and new beginnings.

***Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillian Children’s Publishing Group – Swoon Reads, Xpresso Book Tours and Vicky Skinner for providing me an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

How to Breather Underwater sucked me in from the start. This author's writing style is really enjoyable. We see a lot of books in the YA genre about teenagers that end up having some family problems. This was the first one I read where the main character starts questioning her passion for the sport she thought she loved.

Kate is really hurt when she finds out her father has been cheating on her mother. Her mother moves them to another city and this turns her life upside down. Another school, home and new swimming team. That's when things get tricky though, she starts freaking out at the thought of swimming or even being in a pool.

Not only is she in a new location, but her schedule is different as well. No more intensive swimming schedule, diet and more time for a social life. Kate meets Michael (her neighbor) and they connect. He has some problems of his own, buts she trusts him.

I loved reading about Kate trying to adjust to her new life and how she feels. Of course she's hurt and doesn't know what to think of her father anymore, let alone swimming. Her best friend is in a different own and constantly swimming with her father and she feels a bit betrayed.

I loved Michael's character and he was very strong for a boy his age. Dealing with family issues will do that I guess, but not everyone can handle that. He's also a rock for Kate when things fall apart for her. I think that made it easier for Kate to decide not to swim for awhile and think about what she really wanted.

Kate's journey was a very interesting one and I am happy this author wrote it. Even though her relationship with her Dad became hurtful, she became closer with her mother and sister. The unconditional love they had for each other was very touching.

There were a few things that bugged me though, I felt like we missed some information about Michael. I know this was Kate's story, but Michael was a big part of it as well. His story would've been so much more real if maybe we got his POV as well.

Kate's sister has some issues of her own and in ways I didn't completely feel that it fit in this story. While it did, it didn't get a lot of attention, so it kind of felt out of place. Even though I loved how her story ended!

Also, the way Kate is treated when her friends think she was cheating with Michael. Yes, it may have seemed that way and things may have gone fast, but I hated how she was treated. Then again, I know that high school can work this way.

All in all, I did enjoy Kate's journey and this story. I wouldn't even mind reading another book to see how all of these characters are doing in college. I even think Ben should get his own story, haha.

There's a lot to unravel here, so bear with me. I'm still in awe of the profound emotional roller coaster I just experienced with this heartfelt story. Skinner has a way with words that elicits your emotions and keeps you engaged page after page.

Kate is a fairly average teenager, save for one big exception, she's the best swimmer in the state. With her dad as her coach constantly pushing her to do more, be better, work harder, etc. there's a lot of emotional baggage tied into her sport. When Kate's life turns upside down after her dad's affair becomes public, it's more than just a relocation. It is the first time Kate really questions whether she wants to keep swimming now that she's not striving for her father's attention.

I imagine switching schools after growing up with the same team is difficult in itself, then add the pressure of being "the best", any kid would have a hard time. Kate manages to navigate her new circumstances with less than stellar grace and a few bad choices to makes things more challenging. Crushing on the boy next door is adorable and sweet, but navigating through an existing girlfriend and trying to make new friends does not make it easy.

Kate's struggles with her new family life are an integral part of the story. Divorce is a difficult topic to write about, but Skinner does an exceptional job keeping things just the right amount of heavy without feeling overwhelming. It was important that we see how the divorce is affecting Kate's mom and sister as well. The camaraderie of their shared heartache is a refreshingly honest look at the emotional toll divorce can have on a family.

Michael and Kate's friendship is the bright light in an otherwise tumultuous world. There's one particular scene that stands out in my mind where they sit in the hallway across from each other in the middle of the night eating ice cream. That sweet moment of friendship made me wish I had a neighbor like that, especially as I suffered from insomnia in high school too. I found their story endearing and frustrating at the same time. It is a splendid story fraught with awkward moments, sweet gestures, and a fair amount of hardship.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a heartfelt look at what strengths lie in moving on and forgiveness.

Kate spent the last ten years of her life working to be the best in order to earn her father's love, until he betrayed her and her family. Forced to start over in a new town, in a new school, in a new home, she had to figure out what swimming really meant to her, and if it even still belonged in her life.

• Pro: I am a fan of feeling the feels, and Skinner definitely delivered. Kate's anguish with separating swimming from her father was palpable. Her emotions were raw and real, and I really felt her pain as she struggled with trying to remember why she swam or if she ever enjoyed it at all.

• Pro: Kate also wrestled with who she was without swimming. I love journeys of self discovery, and Kate had a long journey ahead of her. But I had faith in Kate. She had a lot more inner strength than she thought she did, and I found myself rooting for her to find herself and find some peace.

• Pro: Michael and Kate together was romance gold for me. They had a great connection, and I really felt the stirrings of love between them. The situation was a little bit awkward, but I thought Skinner built a good enough case for to explain the hows and whys, and I was ok with all of it.

• Pro: The relationship between Kate and her sister was pretty wonderful. The whole family was kind of falling apart, but they were all still there for each other.

• Pro: The final chapters were really strong for me. There were a lot of really joyful things that happened, which left me in a happy place. I was really glad with the path Skinner chose for these characters.

• Pro: I am a fan of sports in books, and I was really glad that swimming was featured quite prominently in this story. The life of an elite athlete fascinates me, and getting a peek into their lives is always so eye-opening.

Overall: A sweet, touching, painful, and sometimes fun story of one girl's quest to find herself and begin anew.

First off, I did like this book. But it isn't a light happy read. The main character deals with issues such as parent's divorce, steroid use, cigarette additiction, betrayal of friends etc. So a majority of the book she isn't very happy. However, she does work on overcoming the issues around her. Overall it's an enjoyable read, just not as light and fluffy as other YA Contemporary Romances.

This book was definitely interesting. This was a pretty good sporty YA book. After Kate catches her dad cheating on her mom, she gives up swimming and leaves her school. Her mom and her move to another town to start over. When she's there she becomes friends with Patrice (who is dating Michael). She soon meets Michael and starts to fall for him. As you can see from this the problem is she's falling for her best friend's guy. My problems with this book was several facts. She has a friend who is unbelievably kind and she pretty much screws her over and then gets whiny when Patrice won't talk to her...(Umm her boyfriend just broke up with her for you).  Secondly Michael is kind of a scum bag. He breaks it off with someone who he claims to have only dated b/c she was so nice and that he really didn't have feelings for. I don't know how I feel about this book. The writing was done really well and the dialogue was expertly written, I just had personal problems with the plot, making it hard for me to get into. It did seem a bit realistic as I've known things like this do happen in real life, but I just couldn't get into to it.

3.5/5 Stars from me!

***I received and e-ARC of this title from Swoon Reads via NetGalley in exchange for an open and honest review***

Kate's life has been all about swimming for years. Since her father is her coach, it's a family affair, affair being the key word. When her dad is discovered in a compromising position, Kate's life changes overnight. Her parents split up, she moves to a new town and quits swim team. Feeling lost, Kate falls for the neighbor, only to learn that he is dating one of the few friends she has made at her new school. Kate starts teaching Michael to swim. Not knowing how to swim is the least of his problems. Michael is juggling a sick mom, two girls, and trying to quit smoking. Meanwhile, Kate is trying to find her balance again after all the upheaval, worrying about her old friends and trying to hang on to the new ones.

Kate's world is turned upside down when her dad (and swim coach) is caught making out with a swim mom in his office.. in front of everybody. Her mom uproots her to be closer to her engaged sister.. and the rest is.. a boring, cliched story.

I skimmed the last few chapters of this book because I just didn't want to waste precious reading time. Kate is a character that's hard to like or empathize with. The writing is mediocre and just nothing special. The insta love is cringey and silly. And the competing plot lines makes for a plot driven story-- not a complex character analysis.

I didn't find myself enjoying the main character very much which held me back I think from really enjoying the story. It had a lot going on and it was a bit heavy with all of the layers of things happening. I really find myself struggling to fully appreciate books that have characters who I can't connect with and honestly that was the problem from me with this one.