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stephxsu's review against another edition
4.0
If you want a heartening, fun tale of true love set outside of the usual fairy tale setting, BREATHING is for you. From start to finish Cheryl Renee Herbsman engages us fully with Savannah’s Southern life, most obviously with Savannah’s charming Southern dialect. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book whose protagonist’s out-of-the-ordinary voice was so convincing as Savannah’s. It didn’t take long before I really felt like Savannah was talking to me, and that, if I really wanted to, I could easily step into her world and get along with her and her friends and family, just like that.
Since she is only 15, Savannah may act a bit childish sometimes. Her absolute devotion to Jackson sometimes makes me cringe, but in the end I’m impressed with how Cheryl handles Savannah’s maturation. You can see it in the way she interacts with her family, and in the new way in which she looks at herself as part of the blooming world.
I would have liked a little more gradual development with Savannah and Jackson’s relationship. It seriously just felt like the two got together after Savannah stalked him on the beach for a couple of days. However, the ups and downs of their long-distance relationship, plus the ever-changing fluctuations of their plans for the future, were all so realistic and endearing that I can forgive the too-hasty relationship development.
Overall, BREATHING is a charming love story with a quirky, accented, yet totally relatable protagonist. It will leave you cheering for Savannah as well as for the often understated power of love.
Since she is only 15, Savannah may act a bit childish sometimes. Her absolute devotion to Jackson sometimes makes me cringe, but in the end I’m impressed with how Cheryl handles Savannah’s maturation. You can see it in the way she interacts with her family, and in the new way in which she looks at herself as part of the blooming world.
I would have liked a little more gradual development with Savannah and Jackson’s relationship. It seriously just felt like the two got together after Savannah stalked him on the beach for a couple of days. However, the ups and downs of their long-distance relationship, plus the ever-changing fluctuations of their plans for the future, were all so realistic and endearing that I can forgive the too-hasty relationship development.
Overall, BREATHING is a charming love story with a quirky, accented, yet totally relatable protagonist. It will leave you cheering for Savannah as well as for the often understated power of love.
kristid's review against another edition
3.0
Breathing was a very cute, quick and fun read. Herbsman’s writing transported me to a different place! I felt like I just came back from a southern beach side getaway.
Savannah was a bit excessively melodramatic for me at times, but I guess that’s how extreme first love can be. So although it was slightly annoying at times it also helped reinforce her realism. I wish I could have learned the story from Jackson’s perspective. I didn’t fully understand why he was so drawn to Savannah, yes she is passionate about what she wants... but why was that attractive for him. I guess I didn’t feel wrapped up in their love story, because I felt like I was missing half of it.
I liked how Herbsman shared a story of lasting first love, so many times teens are underestimated when it comes to knowing love. “Oh you’re only a teenager you don’t know what love is.” Don’t act like you’ve never heard it! But it happens (my in-laws for instance, who are still very almost sickening in love today!) and it was refreshing to read a non-perfect, realistic rendition.
Herbsman’s notable writing skills as a debut author are sure to impress. As well as her unique characters and heartening story.
Savannah was a bit excessively melodramatic for me at times, but I guess that’s how extreme first love can be. So although it was slightly annoying at times it also helped reinforce her realism. I wish I could have learned the story from Jackson’s perspective. I didn’t fully understand why he was so drawn to Savannah, yes she is passionate about what she wants... but why was that attractive for him. I guess I didn’t feel wrapped up in their love story, because I felt like I was missing half of it.
I liked how Herbsman shared a story of lasting first love, so many times teens are underestimated when it comes to knowing love. “Oh you’re only a teenager you don’t know what love is.” Don’t act like you’ve never heard it! But it happens (my in-laws for instance, who are still very almost sickening in love today!) and it was refreshing to read a non-perfect, realistic rendition.
Herbsman’s notable writing skills as a debut author are sure to impress. As well as her unique characters and heartening story.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
5.0
Savannah and Jackson's story is a new type of love story. Unlike most stories about long distance relationships, this one inspires hope.
As soon as I started reading this book, I fell in love with Savannah's character. She embodies the typical teenage girl, full of insecurities and hopes. Unlike most girls, though, Savannah has severe asthma.
Savannah was content to be by herself for the summer: working, reading romance novels, and watching out for her little brother. Then she met Jackson Channing.
Jackson isn't like the other guys around town. He's 18-years-old and staying with his cousins, the Channings. His father died recently and his mom didn't want him around because he reminded her too much of his father. Jackson didn't mind, though, because it gave him time to work on his paintings, his hidden secret. Jackson couldn't be more perfect: respectful, kind, and caring.
When Savannah collapses after an asthma attack, Jackson stays by her side the whole time she is in the hospital. And when her mom gives them a manifesto of rules they must follow, he doesn't even blink. He seems like the perfect boyfriend, and he is. That is, until he is called away to help out with his family back home. She knows that if he goes back he is going to be trapped in a life that he doesn't want, with a job all day and no more free time for his paintings. But it's not only that that has Savannah worried. Ever since Jackson arrived her breathing seems to be doing better. What happens if he leaves and she can't breathe without him?
Will Jackson and Savannah's relationship be able to survive the long distance? Will Savannah help Jackson realize that he should go after his dream, no matter what it takes? Will Savannah finally learn to breathe on her own?
Breathing is the perfect debut novel by Cheryl Renee Herbsman. Not only is it told in witty Southern dialect but it is full of lovable characters that embody the traits of the South.
Breathing will be available on April 16.
As soon as I started reading this book, I fell in love with Savannah's character. She embodies the typical teenage girl, full of insecurities and hopes. Unlike most girls, though, Savannah has severe asthma.
Savannah was content to be by herself for the summer: working, reading romance novels, and watching out for her little brother. Then she met Jackson Channing.
Jackson isn't like the other guys around town. He's 18-years-old and staying with his cousins, the Channings. His father died recently and his mom didn't want him around because he reminded her too much of his father. Jackson didn't mind, though, because it gave him time to work on his paintings, his hidden secret. Jackson couldn't be more perfect: respectful, kind, and caring.
When Savannah collapses after an asthma attack, Jackson stays by her side the whole time she is in the hospital. And when her mom gives them a manifesto of rules they must follow, he doesn't even blink. He seems like the perfect boyfriend, and he is. That is, until he is called away to help out with his family back home. She knows that if he goes back he is going to be trapped in a life that he doesn't want, with a job all day and no more free time for his paintings. But it's not only that that has Savannah worried. Ever since Jackson arrived her breathing seems to be doing better. What happens if he leaves and she can't breathe without him?
Will Jackson and Savannah's relationship be able to survive the long distance? Will Savannah help Jackson realize that he should go after his dream, no matter what it takes? Will Savannah finally learn to breathe on her own?
Breathing is the perfect debut novel by Cheryl Renee Herbsman. Not only is it told in witty Southern dialect but it is full of lovable characters that embody the traits of the South.
Breathing will be available on April 16.
kricketa's review against another edition
the dialect in this book is making me crazy. the main character keeps saying things like "durn" and "i was hotter'n a fish in a frying pan." probably teens DO talk this way in itty bitty towns in north carolina, but i don't know any of them, so it all sounded fake and bizarre to me.
also, i didn't understand why someone with chronic asthma- bad enough for frequent hospitalization- would go ANYWHERE without her inhaler.
the romance didn't seem realistic at all. i was just supposed to believe that savannah and jackson had this crazy out-of-the-blue connection just by laying eyes on each other. didn't buy it.
final blow: there's a shushing, bossy librarian character.
made it about halfway through...
also, i didn't understand why someone with chronic asthma- bad enough for frequent hospitalization- would go ANYWHERE without her inhaler.
the romance didn't seem realistic at all. i was just supposed to believe that savannah and jackson had this crazy out-of-the-blue connection just by laying eyes on each other. didn't buy it.
final blow: there's a shushing, bossy librarian character.
made it about halfway through...
greatbutuseless's review against another edition
1.0
Terrible. The entire thing was absolutely terrible.
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
This time, the poor girl is from the South, named Savannah after the city in Georgia (it's a little more complicated than that, though). Dad ran off a few years earlier, and she, her brother (named Dogwood and called Dog) and their mother live in a two-bedroom house on the poorer side of town. Savannah loves to read (sigh) and has asthma. The asthma's why her mother never holds a job for long, as she misses work too often when Savannah's in the hospital. Fairly early on, she meets Jackson Canning and falls in love while an asthma attack brings her mother and DC together. By the end of the book, love conquers all.
The biggest problem I had was with the use of dialect during the narrative. While this was all told from Savannah's point-of-view, it just felt gimmicky and forced.
The biggest problem I had was with the use of dialect during the narrative. While this was all told from Savannah's point-of-view, it just felt gimmicky and forced.
lesliethewanderlust's review against another edition
2.0
A 15 year old girl finds her true love in a 18 year old visitor from out of town. He eventually returns home and they have a angst ridden long distance relationship. She believes him being around, is what keeps her asthma at bay. I honestly can't tell if this book was cute and sweet or overdramatic and annoying.....
stollhofen's review against another edition
4.0
A perfect summer beach read! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I've missed reading a plain ol' romance and this was just what I needed. Breathing is one of the most realistic teen romance stories I've read in a long time.
What made me love Breathing the most was how simple the story was. Of course there was angst, but it was so appropriate and realistic, not only for the characters but for teenagers in general. There wasn't even really an antagonist, just the circumstances of their lives tearing them apart.
I loved Savannah from the start. A hard-working loving Southern teen who loves to read and can't wait to get out of her small town. Heard it all before, right? Wrong. She didn't adore her friends, she just enjoyed their company. She wasn't a perfect daughter, she often judged and argued with her mother. A lot of teen readers will empathize with Savannah and be rooting for her to achieve her goals.
But most importantly she suffered from asthma. I've never read a story about asthma before and this definitely made my heart go out to all those who suffer from it. At times I found her attacks very melodramatic and angsty until I realized how realistic and terrifying they would be to experience. I also thought that it would be quite juvenile for Savannah to think she couldn't "breathe" without Jackson and when she had an attack shortly after he left I was fully prepared to give up on reading it. Cheryl totally turned it around though, showing how Savannah learning to "breathe" on her own was more of a metaphor for her independence and growth. Very well done!
I have also never read a novel with such an interesting twist on Southern culture. Rather than just having the characters speak with an accent, Cheryl wrote it into the narration. It worked perfectly! I often found myself thinking in an accent when writing this review even.
What made me love Breathing the most was how simple the story was. Of course there was angst, but it was so appropriate and realistic, not only for the characters but for teenagers in general. There wasn't even really an antagonist, just the circumstances of their lives tearing them apart.
I loved Savannah from the start. A hard-working loving Southern teen who loves to read and can't wait to get out of her small town. Heard it all before, right? Wrong. She didn't adore her friends, she just enjoyed their company. She wasn't a perfect daughter, she often judged and argued with her mother. A lot of teen readers will empathize with Savannah and be rooting for her to achieve her goals.
But most importantly she suffered from asthma. I've never read a story about asthma before and this definitely made my heart go out to all those who suffer from it. At times I found her attacks very melodramatic and angsty until I realized how realistic and terrifying they would be to experience. I also thought that it would be quite juvenile for Savannah to think she couldn't "breathe" without Jackson and when she had an attack shortly after he left I was fully prepared to give up on reading it. Cheryl totally turned it around though, showing how Savannah learning to "breathe" on her own was more of a metaphor for her independence and growth. Very well done!
I have also never read a novel with such an interesting twist on Southern culture. Rather than just having the characters speak with an accent, Cheryl wrote it into the narration. It worked perfectly! I often found myself thinking in an accent when writing this review even.
philyra91's review against another edition
2.0
I really felt that Breathing could have been a good book for me, but unfortunately, it was hampered by its narration/accent and characterizations. The narration reads very much like a diary format, not unlike to The Princess Diaries, but it’s not, and because of that, I felt like I wasn’t sure what I was reading, a diary or a story.
Savannah (as in) Georgia Brown is a 15-year-old girl who lives in the south and is perfectly content with reading romance novels and living a simple life. She meets and then falls in love with 18-year-old Jackson. One would expect a simple love story but twists come in the form of Savannah’s severe asthma and the struggles of a relationship.
One problem I had with the story was the “accent”. The story is told in Savannah’s POV and written in a Southern accent. I’ve read books set in the south before, but never with one written in that accent and reading it gave me a headache because I found many of the words and phrases Savannah used to be confusing, hilarious (not in a good way) and just downright weird, phrases like, “evil as a goat”. How is a goat evil? Can animals even be evil?
Another problem I had was how inexplicably clingy Savannah was to Jackson. Perhaps this is what first love is like, but I found 15-year-old Savannah to be acting much younger than her age. She wants Jackson around all the time, seemingly because he calms her down and eases her asthma, and because of that, she submits job applications and samples of his paintings in his name, without consulting him first. While it may be true that Savannah has a right (as a friend) to be angry at Jackson’s mother for sending him away and making him come back when she needed help, I felt that she didn’t have the right to do that. She speaks of how she’s trying to be mature so as to compensate for their age different but her behavior speaks otherwise. As much as Jackson loved Savannah, it is clear to readers that he, being the eldest son and an 18-year-old, has responsibilities and cannot just follow Savannah’s every whim and fancy no matter how much he wants to.
The ending is feel-good and it’s an easy read, so that’s probably why I gave it 2 stars. That and the beautiful cover which somehow only makes me feel even more disappointed because I was really hoping for a better book. The story itself is good, and it probably will be for others but it was just hampered by other factors for me.
Savannah (as in) Georgia Brown is a 15-year-old girl who lives in the south and is perfectly content with reading romance novels and living a simple life. She meets and then falls in love with 18-year-old Jackson. One would expect a simple love story but twists come in the form of Savannah’s severe asthma and the struggles of a relationship.
One problem I had with the story was the “accent”. The story is told in Savannah’s POV and written in a Southern accent. I’ve read books set in the south before, but never with one written in that accent and reading it gave me a headache because I found many of the words and phrases Savannah used to be confusing, hilarious (not in a good way) and just downright weird, phrases like, “evil as a goat”. How is a goat evil? Can animals even be evil?
Another problem I had was how inexplicably clingy Savannah was to Jackson. Perhaps this is what first love is like, but I found 15-year-old Savannah to be acting much younger than her age. She wants Jackson around all the time, seemingly because he calms her down and eases her asthma, and because of that, she submits job applications and samples of his paintings in his name, without consulting him first. While it may be true that Savannah has a right (as a friend) to be angry at Jackson’s mother for sending him away and making him come back when she needed help, I felt that she didn’t have the right to do that. She speaks of how she’s trying to be mature so as to compensate for their age different but her behavior speaks otherwise. As much as Jackson loved Savannah, it is clear to readers that he, being the eldest son and an 18-year-old, has responsibilities and cannot just follow Savannah’s every whim and fancy no matter how much he wants to.
The ending is feel-good and it’s an easy read, so that’s probably why I gave it 2 stars. That and the beautiful cover which somehow only makes me feel even more disappointed because I was really hoping for a better book. The story itself is good, and it probably will be for others but it was just hampered by other factors for me.
maryanne19's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really liked this book! My only reservation was the Southern dialect - sometimes it was a little strong. But, other than that it was a sweet, feel good book.