Underwater Breathing

This was an unusual book, but I did enjoy it. I don't know if all would enjoy it. Mental health issues are very hard subject matters, and I believe this author did well to handle the issues she did. I know how hard it is for some to accept just because you are family, it does not mean you would always be the one best suited to take care of family if health issues were presented. I know sometimes people don't want to hear that, but sometimes when dealing with mental health, it may be the best option to look for.
This book is one of those you will have a hard time forgetting about. There was a lot going on that had to be absorbed at one time. Some of the characters were well developed, and the lesser characters were left as they should be, under-developed. I think I would like to read another one by this author. I just don't think it would be soon!

Such an unusual book, very well executed and highly readable. Atmospheric and highly emotive, the storyline is utterly absorbing and well paced throughout. Very much enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend it to those he like a thought provoking, gutsy read.

Underwater Breathing took my breath away and left me without oxygen until the very last page. It was heartbreaking, and sometimes painful to read, but from the first chapter, I was drawn in, and could not put it down. Underwater Breathing was written so well, and the story itself was unexpected. I can’t recommend this enough to people!

Stunning, twisted and compelling. This book had more twists and turns than anything I have read recently. Continually flashing back and forward in time from the night that Jacob's mother and sister disappear from their cliff house, I could not put it down. Jacob and Ella have a game they play when their parents are fighting which is called "underwater breathing", however the theme of water continues to be toyed with throughout the novel. A great read and stunningly written, I was very moved by the relationship that Jake had with his father for whom he had to care.
If you love a good disturbing, dark and twisted book, look no further. You will not regret it.

Jacob and Ella's parents have purchased a home on the crumbling cliffs of Yorkshire. There is one other home on the cliff, owned by Mrs. Armitage, that sits closer to the edge. Eventually the cliffs will crumble and both homes will fall into the sea. Sounds like a great place to live, right? Add in the "passionate" fights of their parents – and you have two unsettled kids as nothing in their life seems stable. Sixteen-year-old Jacob and six-year-old Ella hide in the bathroom during their parent's fights and practice "breathing underwater." Ella is afraid that their house will one day fall into the sea, so they practice their underwater breathing so that they can survive if the house does crumble into the sea below.

This is an interesting family. Why does Jacob go to school while Ella is home-schooled? Why does Ella's mother sleep for long periods of time? Why does Mrs. Armitage not seem concerned that her home will one day fall into the sea as well? She appears to accept this as she goes about her business each day. She often goes out on her little boat and has an affinity for the sea. Has she been practicing her underwater breathing as well? Why is she not afraid?

Why did Ella and her Mother disappear one night? What secrets did their parents have? How will Ella's re-appearance back into Jacob's life change things? Because she does re-appear about 10 years later -making Jacob around 26 years old and Ella around 16 years old. Think about that when you get towards the end of the book.

There are a lot of secrets in this book and a lot of questions. This book is well-written and is an interesting premise. What happens when you learn the "truth". When you think you know the story of your life, but it turns out you only knew a footnote? It is interesting when one sibling remembers things one way and the other sibling does not. I enjoyed this book but there were parts where I felt underwhelmed and other parts that had some ick factor. There were also parts that shined making this book a hard book to rate. This is one instance where I may change my rating after thinking about the book more. This book did have atmosphere, with the cliffs and the sea below, but I think it would have worked better with a more Gothic feel to it. Perhaps it would have set the mood more for me.

I’m teetering between a 3 and a 3.5 for this one. Right now I will keep it a 3 star rating.

Thank you to Legend Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read any other books by this author but she competently evokes a taut plot that draws you into a compelling read.
There are time lapses which initially were a bit irritating but once you've got into the lives of Jacob and Ella in their childhood and the protective world into which they retreat from the arguments and violence of their parents-submerging themselves underwater in the bath being a constant theme.
We then come up to date where Jacob is a 27 year old teacher who is now a carer for his father, who in the throes of dementia, is also still violent. Yet now there is no sign of Ella or their mother. Deep trauma underlines the characters and the house in which the family live- 'at the end of the world- turn right' is symbolic as it teters at the end of crumbling cliffs on the sea edge. The closeness of nature often overwhelms the family and I like the author's use of the elements outside stirring up the emotions of the family members.
Minor character Mrs Armitage is a neighbour who is intriguing and I liked her role throughout the novel - as she like us as readers chip away at the disturbing history that has unhinged this family. Classic page turner in a psychological vein but not a classic as such

A book that gets better the further into it you read, until you reach the point where you can't put it down at all. Some parts I found a little slow, which is the reason that I've put a four star rating instead of five, but that does not mean that I didn't love this book. It's a unique read and Cassandra has the voices of the characters down to a tee. Ella's little thoughts and questions are exactly what you'd hear from someone of her age group and her mother's 'mad' bits of speech are also very well done.

I love how they're slowly watching the cliff edge collapse over the years, knowing that one day it will take both houses with it. I also find it weird that although some of the characters were unlikeable, I somehow liked them. Not an easy thing for an author to achieve.

I didn't expect the twist, or should I say twists, at the end. The death was actually really shocking and the very... wrong thing that happens, strangely doesn't feel wrong. Like, I kind of wanted it to happen by the point it did. It's weird how something people would usually judge as bad can be made so perfect to the reader. Not sure if there's going to be a second book to this one or not, but if there is then I'd love to read it.

Jacob has promised to protect young Ella, even from their own parents. When they argue downstairs, Jacob and Ella practice in Underwater Breathing, and they stay together. Until one day, Jacob wakes up to find his mother and sister gone.

Years have gone by, and Jacob is trapped at home with a father who remembers nothing. When Ella reappears out of the blue, they will both have to face their childhood demons. They might finally realize their childhood was much different than what they remembered. Hidden secrets will resurface from the water, and the puzzle of their lives will be complete - but will they have the courage to face it?

Underwater Breathing is so much more than meets the eye. The author has managed to portray so many aspects of life, so many characteristics of human nature, that it is hardly manageable to describe it. From coping with the loss of loved ones - either alive or dead- to assuming responsibility of one's own actions, the characters of this book has so much to teach the readers. There are a lot of things humans will do or endure for love, and that is clearly seen in the lives of all members of this tragic family. Beautiful metaphors are hidden within this tragic, heartbreaking, but still beautiful tale, with the most magnificent one being the sea devouring a house, and the willingness to move on.

Underwater Breathing is, in this reviewer's humble opinion, a masterpiece of fiction Captivating, engrossing, and wonderfully tragic at the same time. It is absolutely worth the time of every reader, and it is one of these books that a person can read time and again without getting tired. Strongly recommended for all readers.