My thoughts are still a bit messy on this book as I am not too sure on how I feel about it I must admit, but let me try to get my thoughts straight. Let's start with the main characters in this book, Claude and Jeremiah (also Miah), who both confuse me a lot, more than I thought they would. I just cannot connect with Claude, from the beginning on I just did not feel her vibe and she just does not sound like a very interesting person to me. She has a lot going on in her mind, and I really like this full insight on everything she thinks about, but at some point I got annoyed. She very often refrains from saying how she really feels and just makes matter even more complicated than they already are. She prefers to stay quiet and dwell on her problems than to just talk about them with others, and this bottling-up of emotions does not help her at all. She is also a very jealous person who just cannot stop thinking of other scenarios and making up new possible ones in her head and just making everything in her life worse. As you may be able to see, she is just not my type of main character.

Then there's Miah, who is just one big question mark to me. He has these "free-spirit" vibes, running around shoe- and shirtless, and that just did not fit my picture of this cute guy that Claude meets on this island. To me he was just very weird and I just do not really get Claude's and his connection. As Niven focuses on Miah and Claude, the reader does not get to see a lot of Claude's friendships with the other adolescents on the island who become her friends. This leads to the side characters being very shallow and depthless, and having no real importance to the storyline. But I have to say that Claude and Miah also do not have too much depth themselves: Claude is just the girl who badly wants to have sex whose parents are separating and Miah is just this island boy who walks around barely clothed and who is a bit of a mystery and somewhat dangerous. Nothing more.

Furthermore there are some parts of the book where I am unsure why they even are in the book, as they do in my eyes not contribute to the plot at all. One is the talk about turtles. Turtles? Yes, turtles. I have no idea where this is coming from, but at some point Claude researches some facts about turtles and then there are some turtles on the island on the beach but that was it. Not really any importance there. And then the whole thing with the Blackwood family, Claude's ancestors on her mother's side. They basically are some *strong* and *independent* women who lived on the island some centuries ago. Claude's mother is there to research further about them and everything screams such pretentious and superficial *feminism* that I could have done perfectly without all of that talk about those women. Bored me. A lot.

Okay, I know how this sounds, I can be quite critical when reading, but let's get to the nice parts! I really like the adventures or small trips that Claudette and Miah do, and they do have some cute scenes together. Another part that I liked a lot and already mentioned a bit in this review is the realness of Claude: I really like her insightful and accurate thoughts and feelings when learning about her parents' separation. Niven portrayed this aspect very well and I can imagine a bit better what it's like going through a time like that through reading what's going on in Claude's head at the time.

I just have some minor problem with this book being on sex and virginity. I think that it is super hard in general to write a young adult book on this topic, because it can be a very big hit-or-miss. You have to be educational but still not make it sound like a textbook, because you want to educate teens but still have it packed in a nice story so that they stay interested. I like the conversations that Claude has with her friend group and her best friend on the topic, but sometimes they come over a bit forced and "too much". In addition to that, after a while the topic just gets forgotten and is not as present as in the beginning of the book. In the middle of it the focus of the book switches and zooms out of the topic of virginity and sex and zooms into the relationship that is establishing.

All in all, I find it a cute book to read between books, but sadly not more than that. Niven could not convince me with her characters and the plot was also a bit uneventful and boring in my eyes. For me this is not a book that I wish I had read earlier or that I would suggest to teens, as the topic of sex and virginity is not as present as it is claimed to be. Nevertheless the book depicts very accurate thoughts of a teen on parents separating and also different thoughts and views on sex and virginity on a whole. Despite the uneventful and anticlimactic ending, the book is still cute.

Posted to Goodreads: Claudine Henry thought she had the perfect family, and her world is rocked, when just days before graduation, Claudine's father tells her that he no longer wants to be a family, and he is divorcing her mother. Claudine doesn't have time to process the news before her mother takes her to a small island off the coast of Georgia for the summer. Claudine feels exile on the isolated island that lacks technology until she meets Jeremiah "Miah" Crew. Jeremiah works for the park's services and spends his summers on the island working with Outward Bound teens. As the two grow closer, Claudine may find something new in her life to make her happy, but she must also come to terms with the possible end of her summer romance.

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. I appreciated Niven writing a realistic portrayal of a teen girl's sexuality. Claudine's attitudes towards sex felt realistic, and believable and were probably the best part of the book. However, I never warmed up to Claudine, and I didn't really enjoy being in her head. Also, while I did like Jeremiah and I thought he had the potential to be a great love interest, the relationship between Claudine and Jeremiah felt very rushed with their fling becoming true love without really getting to know each other. Plus, the book's setting was fascinating but underused. There is potential for this book to be great, and other readers may enjoy it but it just didn't work for me.

This book was everything. I stayed up till 6 am today, just to finish reading it, and it left me….breathless. You know how some books make you feel like you’re back home? Breathless made me feel that way. I have been waiting for a new book from Jennifer Niven for the last 4 years. Getting to read her book as an early reviewer is definitely one of the best things to happen to me in 2020. :’) ?? Many thanks to Penguin Random House International #partner for the free review copy!

Breathless was a very personal letter from Jennifer Niven (as she mentions at the beginning of the book) – a letter filled with life lessons and important messages. The first thing I noticed after starting the book was how it had a similar format to that of All The Bright Places! It had chapter introductions mentioning the number of days leading to certain incidents and all. That made me feel a warm sense of nostalgia. :’)

The book explored themes of adapting to change, and finding yourself when your world turns upside down. Issues and topics of sexuality, mental health, divorce, friendship and relationships were the highlights of the book. Claude, was a very interesting character to read about. Her thought processes were really relatable at times, and I connected with her from the very beginning of the book. Jennifer Niven has the ability to make emotions of the characters jump from the pages of the book. She used metaphors to describe different feelings that Claude felt, which made the story feel like a beautiful song.

I really appreciated how realistically Claude’s friendship with Saz was written. The romance broke my heart and then fixed it all over again. Breathless is the perfect book for young and coming of age readers. I can’t recommend this book enough!

Breathless comes out in 2 days, on the 29th of September. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, please do! ?

This is a beautiful coming of age story about a young woman trying to grow into a young adult. Claude wants to experience some adult experiences before she goes off to college in the fall. She also cannot wait to spend the summer with her best friend. But when her parents relationship comes crashing down around her, her mother whisks them away to an island off the coast of Georgia to get away. Claude is resistant to the plan and feels stuck on the island, but when she meets Miah, the island starts to grow on her and she realizes that the island can help her grow into the young adult she wants to be.
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I thought the author did a good job of developing Claude's character. She acts like she doesn't believe in love because of her parents relationship, and while she wants to act like an adult, she starts to rebel like a typical teenager when she feels like her world is coming to an end.
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I also really liked the theme of strong women in the book, shown through Claude's relationship with her mother, her mother's family and it's history of strong women, and the role they played on the island. Thought this was a great addition.
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Overall a great story by a much loved author!

As a huge fan of All the Bright Places and Holding up the Universe, I was extremely excited about the opportunity to read Jennifer Niven’s newest book, Breathless. The premise of the book sounded promising… a summer on a remote island, family drama, and some summer romance.

While I did enjoy the book, I was a bit disappointed overall. Maybe because I’m an older reader, I didn’t understand the conflicts or feel that they were as serious as the main character, Claude, did. She was absolutely crushed when her father announced that he wanted to separate from her mom, and while I know from experience that this is really hard for families to go through, I felt that she was taking it especially hard. I also was confused by the conflict of virginity. I loved the conversations about virginity being a social construct, but didn’t understand Claude’s obsession with losing hers.

I did enjoy the sweet relationship between Claude and Miah, and wished that we could have learned more of Miah’s back story. I also felt that midway through the book, the story picked up and became a lot more interesting. Overall, I would recommend this to high school students and teens experiencing divorce in their family. As always, Niven’s writing was excellent, and I think my disconnect may come from me being older. I know many teens who would definitely enjoy reading this book!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was difficult for me to get into, but once I fell into it, I fell deep. As an adult, I did indeed feel frustrated by some of the very youthful decisions Claudine makes, but I also know that this is a book that many teens need. Claudine, and her choices, are very relatable. On the negative side for me is that parts of this seem a bit overly wordy. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but it is just my thing.

For libraries: This is a worthwhile addition to any realistic contemporary fiction collection.

Breathless is about Claude and her experiences on a remote island in Georgia for the summer after high school graduation after she finds out that her parents are splitting up. She finds this out a few days before she graduates and it sets her perfectly planned summer and future plans on a whole new path. This is a beautifully crafted coming of age story. Probably best for 16+

I received an ebook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review.

Breathless by Jennifer Niven follows Claude, who will be graduating from high school soon. She wants to live a brave life. She is ready to explore her sexuality, go to college, and become an author. When her dad announces that he is leaving her mom, Claude is heartbroken. Her mom takes her to an island off the coast of Georgia where she meets Jeremiah. He understands Claude more than anyone.

This book is perfect for those who enjoy reading about a young woman ready to take the reins on her life.

Wonderful book. I will definitely be checking out the author's other titles after this. The author captured wonderfully the feelings of first love and the uncertainty surrounding the transition from high school to college and the first steps into adulthood.

A coming of age YA story about Claude, a recent graduate, who cannot wait to get on with life. Then her parents split up and her mother whisks her off to Georgia, where she’s sure nothing great can happen.

This book was well-written, but I found the characters to be shallow.

Claudine graduates in a week and then she and her BFF Saz are taking a road trip before they head off to different colleges in the fall. Then her dad walks into her room one night and drops the bombshell that he and her mom are splitting up and that Claude and her mom will be spending the summer on a remote island in Georgia researching her mom's new book. Claude feels like the floor has disappeared and she's just tumbling and lost. in Georgia she she meets Jeremiah Crew, Miah, who comes with his own reasons to tumble.

The characters are so realistically portrayed and the writing is exquisite. I definitely recommend this book to teens struggling with divorce, despair, change, pressure to have sex, family drama, and friendship. I'm taking off a star because I would have liked a little less discussion of sex and a little more discussion of Claude's relationships with the friends she made on the island besides Miah. Also, I had a hard time buying into the idea that she had a close relationship with her mom - I wanted more foundation for that before they got to the island, it came out of the blue and was mentioned multiple times. But, Claude never confided in her mom or seemed to spend any time with her so that was a hard sell for me.

I recommend this book to older teen readers.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Readers will appreciate the frank honesty of Niven’s latest work. With graduation comes change, but no one expects to be blindsided by loss and betrayal of trust not only from friends, but from one’s own parents as well.

Our protagonist, Claude, is left breathless by these changes. She’s upset, she’s angry and she feels alone, especially since her best friend is preoccupied by start of a new relationship. Claude starts to question her sense of trust, not only in others, but with herself as well. She’s unmoored and cast adrift. She doesn’t know who she is anymore or where she belongs.

But she meets someone who understands this vulnerability and loss of innocence, and helps her regain her sense of self and independence. While there is no chance of changing things back to how they were, there’s a sense of acceptance and growth…a sense of preparedness that will ground future adventures and experiences for the both of them.

The book doesn’t necessarily present this journey of growth as an easy feat. Our protagonist is vulnerable, and Niven provides a few examples of how acquaintances can easily take advantage in these situations, exploiting vulnerability for a few kicks.

The main relationship described in this book is a rare one…a kind of ideal that almost seems unreal. While some readers might balk at this, Niven balances it with an ending filled with realism…an ending leading to new beginnings with a fond remembrance of things past.

Ultimately, I think I really liked this book. I started thinking it might be too angsty, but because it's a Jennifer Niven book, I didn't put it down. Jennifer Niven has a way of putting the "feels" into words. Yes, there's a lot to unpack. Yes, as an adult, this story takes me back to a time when I was struggling with some of the same questions Claude is struggling with: how to feel about a dad who is leaving his family, who to love and trust, and how to write my own story. But truth be told, I don't think it matters how old you are, some of these struggles continue. We all are in search of our story.
Hand to teens who like a good romance, coming-of-age novel.

I started this book expecting the world, since Jennifer Niven has written one of my all-times favorite stories. Unfortunately, my expectations were not reached. I found its protagonist irritating and way too childish. The author's view of sex was old, frustrating to witness, and almost unbearable. This book was definitely not for me and I didn't feel represented at all.
I am so sad to give it two stars, but I'm afraid I cannot give it more.

Claudine can’t wait to graduate from high school, go to college, and hopefully become a famous writer. Her life is shattered when weeks before graduation her dad tells her that he is leaving her mother. Her mother’s response is to take Claudine away to an island off the coast of Georgia where they can be away from the memories. She isn’t looking for a relationship, but Miah seems to be the only person to see the potential Claudine has insider her. Will Claudine be able to have this summer romance and not create an attachment? Can her already broken heart handle this relationship?

Breathless is a stand-alone romance with a lot of teen angst thrown in. Niven has created a main character and storyline that is very realistic and easy to relate to. Most readers, whether they are a teen or older reader, will be able to relate to the feelings that Claudine experiences throughout the pages. I enjoyed her self-reflections, yet they didn’t seem staged or unnecessary. I recommend Breathless to everyone who enjoys a good YA romance.

High school graduation can bring lots of changes - leaving old friends, starting a new phase of life, and falling in love for the first time. Claude and her BFF Saz think they have the whole summer together before they go away to separate colleges. But Claude’s father drops the news that he and Claude’s mom are breaking up. After graduation, Claude and her mom go to an island off the coast of Georgia. It is Claude’s mom’s ancestral home and her mom, an author, wants to do some research and see if there’s a story there. It is also a good excuse to get away from Claude’s dad for a few weeks.

Claude meets Miah, a boy with his own heartache, on the island. They fall in love as Claude navigates her anger over her parents’ break up and the changes in her friendship with Sazzy.

Niven proves once again that she can tap into the emotions of teenagers, first love and sorrow. I’m sure this will be a popular choice for older teen readers facing big life changes themselves.

Superb young adult read that deals with many facets of young adult experiences in society today. Multi-cultural characters, young and old with sexual, marital, and family drama at its best. Jennifer Niven leaves you breathless.

Too teen agey for this "old" woman! Sex obsessed, no depth to characters, and all the little current buzz words of absolute consent, sex for the sake of sex, etc. makes it almost offensive to me. I'm sure teenagers who want to have descriptive sex in the story will fall for it but i would rather read about teens who overcome hardships and grow through them rather than all this internal, shallow angst. In other words, I kept saying, "Get over yourself and get out there and make a difference."

Man! That Jennifer Niven really knows how to write a romance. I fell in love with her perfectly broken characters in All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe but Claude and Miah now hold another corner of my heart. Niven navigates the challenges of sexual awakening and first love beautifully while also driving home the point that it is perfectly okay and normal for girls to want to explore physical intimacy without always having to be in love. I loved the magical island setting and the flawed side characters Claude meets along her coming of age journey. It was difficult to read about the pain Claude experiences as a result of her parents' marriage woes, but I appreciated how Niven wove this story together with Claude's fears that even real love may not stand the test of of time.. I do wish she'd done a bit more with the island stories, perhaps connecting these stories more closely to some of the present plotlines; however, I found myself tearing up at the novel's bittersweet conclusion and appreciating the book's overall mood and the poetry Claude's inner dialogue as she grapples with the elusive nature of love and time.

Realistic in its dialogue and descriptions of teen interactions, romantic relationships and family dynamics.