Monday, October 15, 2012

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan


Breathe by Sarah Crossan
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
Publisher: Greenwillow (Harper Collins)
Source: ARC from publisher
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Inhale. Exhale. 
Breathe. 
Breathe. 
Breathe . . .
The world is dead. 
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

My thoughts:

The World Is Dead, and the dome is your only home.

and if you aren't careful, you could be to.

I had the pleasure of attending a Frenzy Blogger Meet-up at HarperCollins Canada's Toronto office, last June, and Breathe was one of the highly anticipated Fall titles they were buzzing about. After having the pleasure of reading Breathe I can say, without a doubt, it completely lives up to the hype! The action is non-stop in this book.

The world Crossan has created is so innovative, and a little frightening because according to Al Gore, we're well on our way to creating an environment very much like the one Alina, Quinn and Bea inhabit. Oxygen is the new currency in this world, and it's still a Capitalist society where only the select few (Premiums) are lucky enough to have more than their fare share, while others are forced to preserve the precious O2 they're lucky enough to live off of. Ingenious! 

Only a select few, who survived the collapse of the Green World, live in the Glass Dome with it's limited oxygen, but our three heros embark on a journey outside the glass walls they've always known. With only enough oxygen to last them for 48 hours, the odds are not in their favour, but then they're separated during their travels. Let the true battle for survival begin...

Told from the rotating, first person narratives, of Alina, Quinn and Bea, Breathe is a "breath of fresh air" - yes I went there. I enjoyed reading from all of their perspectives, especially considering they all have their own, distinct role in society, Alina is a fighter- she believes that oxygen is a right, not a privilege, Quinn, who is a Premium- therefore the world (or what's left of it) is given to him on a platter, and Bea- a student, and one of the under-priviledged but, aspires to become a Premium. They each have their own take on the world they live in and they're all honourable characters who you'll root for through the entire book.

I loved the relationship between Quinn and Bea, they very close, platonic friends, with the potential for so much more. Enter fierce, take no prisoners, Alina, who seems to enchant Quinn, and who seems to be Bea polar opposite.

Crossan introduces us to a different kind of love triangle (i.e. one boy, two girls) and trust me you'll fall for Quinn to, he's sweet, smart, sexy and a complete gentleman. Which girl does he choose? Well you'll just have to read to find out won't you. But I was VERY happy with who he chose!

I will be recommending this book to all my customers at work. Whether you're a fan of dystopian, action or romance- if you YA is your genre, than Breathe is a wise choice to read. Seriously, I'm still thinking about it.

Bring on Book #2 Please! Until then, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out

Happy Reading!!!

Order your copy of Breathe:

1 comment:

  1. I enjoyed this book. I thought the idea of having to pay for air was interesting. The only thing I didn't care for was the way she did the POVs. There were times was confuse who was speaking. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

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