My thoughts:

First off thank you to netgalley for the arc of the book. I love Mirada Kenneally's books so I knew I had to read this. It was an easy read that was very well written. The author writes very relatable and complex characters. I love sports stories so this made the story very interesting to me. The book is focused on two swimmers and their life.

Plot:
The plot was really well written and the story flowed well. The author weaved the character's personal life with their swim competitions. Since this was set in high school there was drama but that is normal. The romance part of the plot was okay but not really good.

Characters:
Maggie was a really well written character and I love her voice. She was not annoying or drama filled. Her fears were real and made the story more engaging. I liked Levi as well he was always there for Maggie and added to her story. I liked the rest of the characters as well and how they drove the story forward.

This book was cute! She's trying to have sex, realizes she's in love, and of course because it's one of those teen romance novels, it's her best friend. Pretty cliche, but still interesting.

If you know me at all, you know I have somewhat varied taste when it comes to the books I read. And, there is a soft place in my heart for really well-done YA fiction. This is where Miranda Kenneally comes into the picture. Having read all of the books she has written about characters in the Hundred Oaks world, I was so excited to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of Coming Up for Air.

Having read the book, I am delighted for readers to get to dive into this story into July. It is a perfect summer read.

What Kenneally does so well is develop YA characters who are able to focus on individual goals along with relationships. Maggie is a competitive swimmer who has aspirations of qualifying for the Olympic trials. Given her dedicated focus on her dreams as an athlete, Maggie has not given herself the opportunity to explore romantic relationships like most of her peers, She wants to have some experiences prior to leaving for college. Enter her best friend Levi. What keeps this book from being formulaic is the depth of the relationships that Kenneally is able to convey. We all can remember the insecurities we had at 17 (and 27 :). Those insecurities are explored in a charming and engaging way in this book.

I was lucky enough to have started this series last year when I read a really great review of Breathe, Annie, Breathe . While you don't necessarily have to start with book one in this series, the characters in each book do tend to show up in later books. I started in the middle and kind of pinged around, reading the other books as they were available in my library. Some of them I really liked, some of them I liked a little less. Either way, I think this is a really great contemporary YA series.

Coming Up for Air is probably my second favorite book in this series. I liked the main characters, and as my school was small enough to not offer swimming, it was interesting to see how time consuming life as a high schooler can be while being a part of that sport. Actually, pretty much all of these books have something to do with teens balancing school and sports. I appreciated the realism of these books. All of them feature young people with real life relationships, real life intimacy issues, and things that readers could actually relate with and benefit from.

All of these are quick and fun reads but books that could actually make a difference in young peoples lives. I'd recommend to nearly anyone who loves contemporaries :)

Finally, huge thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC copy of this book!!

Twitteresque reviews are for books where I never wrote a full review but I want to give you a flavour of how I felt during the book. All in 140 characters or less! I normal have a mixed bag of ratings on these, but this time, these were all books I LOVED.

Twitteresque review:

Very cute, buckets of humour, fab sports theme. And a great cast of authentic characters, with realistic, relatable issues. Thankfully the non-ott-type issues.

Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally
Maggie, an athlete first, a teen second has to figure out how to eliminate her anxieties and obliterate her swim rival's times to qualify for the Olympic trials, all the while navigating a new development in her relationship with her best friend, Levi, a fellow competitive swimmer. Maggie's story is realistic and funny, with just the right amount of romance and tension, making it hard to put it down! A must purchase for your YA collection where realistic fiction and romance are popular.
Readalikes: Sarah Dessen books & How it Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes

Such a perfect coming of age book. Had me hooked from the very first page. I truly enjoyed this book!

Miranda Kenneally is one of the YA authors whose books I cannot get enough of. I love the way she tackles tough teenage topics. I was very excited to have the chance to read an ARC of her upcoming release, Coming Up for Air. Coming Up for Air tackles a couple of different teenage issues. One is how to deal with competition and self-confidence in sports. The other is hooking up.

In Coming Up for Air, Maggie is a dedicated swimmer. Her life runs around getting her closer to her Olympic dream. She's missed out on a lot of high school experiences, but that hasn't mattered because she's had her best friend, Levi, by her side. It isn't until Maggie goes to visit her dream college that she realizes she might be missing some really important things while she's training. The most important to her -- how to hook up with guys. It's been a while since her last kiss, and Maggie's ready to experience more kisses and maybe more than just kisses. The problem is, Maggie doesn't have anyone to kiss.

The only person Maggie can think of to help her with her problem is Levi. He's had lots of practice and she trusts him. Levi's not so sure about Maggie's idea, but he doesn't like the idea of her hooking up with some random guy. All Maggie needs to do is convince Levi that hooking up won't make things awkward between them. But Maggie's never hooked up with anyone before, and soon she starts to understand what Levi meant by awkward.

Coming Up for Air has a great message about competing against yourself and not worrying about everyone else. That part was really inspiring, but what stood out more for me in this book was how it talked about the culture of hooking up. I liked the way it dealt with it. Things are so different these days than when I was a teenager. There's definitely a more carefree attitude when it comes to sex, but there's also still a lot of slut-shaming. I liked how Maggie wanted to experiment and be ready for college hook ups, but didn't want to do anything that would tarnish her good girl image. Her idea to turn to her best friend, Levi, for help was smart in a way. She went to someone she trusted for help. Now, I would have preferred she didn't have to look for someone, that she was already in love with someone and wanted to take things further for that reason, but I know that's not always real life. I loved how Miranda Kenneally approached the whole topic, and the myriad of feelings she had both Maggie and Levi go through. Their feelings felt genuine, and everything went down exactly as it should have. Maggie and Levi's ever-changing relationship was exactly what I would have expected it to be in real life.

If you're a fan of the Hundred Oaks series, you will love Coming Up for Air. It's just as fun and well-written as the rest of the series. It does an amazing job of showcasing what it takes to be an elite athlete, while also taking a closer look at today's hook up culture. I loved every minute of it.

The story was very detailed in the competitive swimming facts, but the characters lacked depth. I wasnt sure if the book was about their relationships or facts on swimming.
I did enjoy the banter between the friends during their Friday night dinners, but the back and forth between Maggie and Levi became tiresome and somewhat immature. The book also had an odd ending, almost like the author got tired of writing and decided to end it quick, but then decided to add an epilogue which I also thought was the beginning of a whole other book with totally different characters... I think the story has potential if the characters are given more depth.... maybe

*eARC received from publisher via NetGalley

Not my favourite in the series, which has to go to "Breathe, Annie, Breathe" but it was very enjoyable and I did love Maggie and Levi. They were very realistic as teenagers for the most part, I loved their friendship and how they encouraged each other. I feel like it may have been too much sex for high school, especially with characters who have Olympic dreams. I'd recommend it for adults more than YA with that element.

This book was okay, but I felt like it was lacking something...I'm not sure what, but it didn't grab me as I'd thought it might. It seemed a bit predictable at times, but I did actually appreciate the insight into the world of serious competitive athletes. I also appreciated the falling-in-love-with-a-friend thing...my experience with that didn't have a happy ending, however! The cover rather reminded me of Kasie West's books, but I didn't find this to be QUITE up to that standard. Enjoyable, nonetheless!

I am loving the Hundred Oaks series. Maggie’s story was really funny and awkward, the perfect summary of our teenage years. Although this wasn’t one of my all time favorites (Breathe, Annie, Breathe is at the top) I still really enjoyed it. I have yet to find anything I dislike about Miranda Kenneally’s books and for that I am highly thankful.

Maggie is a girl focused on her swimming. So focused she’s slowly realizing as graduation looms she’s never made out with a boy. Never done anything with someone for that matter. College is about enjoying yourself, exploring new opportunities and hooking up, but Maggie doesn’t know how to do any of that. In typical strong steadfast Kenneally female fashion Maggie decides to ask for tips from her best friend Levi. What could go wrong? (Well, a lot actually.) Now Levi is one of my favorite Hundred Oaks boys. He’s smart, sweet, determined, and reads constantly. Raven Boys, Harry Potter, the list goes on. He is hardly without a book at his side. Bless his heart.

Obviously I won’t get into the romance/tips area as that’s what reading the book is for, and trust me when I say it’s equal parts charming and hilarious. I laughed out loud in more than one situation. For Maggie everything was so new and I got the fresh sense of it being exile rating and nerve wrecking at the same time.

One thing I wanted to touch on though was the use of a rival. Now naturally most competitive sports books come with rivals. What I felt with the use of Roxie, Maggie’s rival in Coming Up For Air was a bit… lacking. I was torn right down the middle with wanting to know why she hated Maggie so much or wanting them to magically “make up” and be friends again. We get neither in this story and I just wish we got some insight on why Roxie goes through so much hassle to bully Maggie online and in the water. Now obviously if this was real life we wouldn’t get closure, so I get that. It’s believable and real. Doesn’t stop me from wanting to know though.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and devoured it quickly. I would definitely buy this book to read again or loan out to some friends. If you’ve read any of the Hundred Oaks books I know you’ll love this one as well.

This was actually my first Miranda Kenneally book, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it, but let's just say I was not disappointed in any way.

Maggie's life revolves around swimming practice and school. Her ultimate goal is the Olympics, and she's doing everything she can to achieve that. Unfortunately, that means she doesn't have a lot of time for the typical high school experience, like dating cute guys, going to high school dances, etc.

After going to visit her future college for a weekend, and a disastrous make out session, she realizes she knows nothing about hooking up with guys, and she wants to rectify that. After thinking it through, she decides to ask her best friend Levi to teach her, he's hesitant at first, because what could go wrong, right? But he ultimately accepts the offer and so it starts their friends-to-lovers relationship.

One thing that I really liked and that you don't always see it on young adult books is the sex positive image. You don't see mentions of slut-shamming (like it usually happens with the protagonist 'enemy') or anything of the kind, it's like 'I'm a girl, I like sex too, I can have casual sex just like guys do and you can't say anything about it.' I loved that, I think it's so important.

I liked the friendships in this story; Maggie, Levi, Hunter and Georgia were such good friends to each other and I loved seeing that dynamic. Their interactions were so entertaining and fun that it made the whole book appeal even more to me. Also, I'd really love to read a book about Hunter and Georgia.

The romance was very cute, with some awkwardness to it at some parts, but overall super adorable. I liked how nothing felt rushed and the that you could see the lines slowly blurring and when their friendship started getting more into the relationship zone. I'm actually quite fond of this trope, friends-to-lovers, although it can be hard to handle it so I'm always a little unsure about it. But I appreciated how the author dealt with it here.

There were some cringe worthy parts in this book though, I don't deal well with second hand embarrassment and it happened quite often, so that was uncomfortable to me. However, the writing, the story, the characters, the interactions, everything put together, it made this a truly enjoyable book.

I requested this book from Netgalley bc I have a niece who is a serious Olympic contender for swimming and I wanted to see if it'd be a good pick for her as a Christmas present.

Verdict: can't do it.

Why: while the sports and practices and competitive necessary to compete at an elite level are all pretty accurate, the fairy tale romance between Maggie and Levi killed it for me. It's just too perfect. While I love the concept of friends-first-then-lovers (bc that seriously works and is the best prospect for a long-term relationship), the idea that she falls into the perfect relationship on her first real try was just too far-fetched for me. High schoolers are developmentally unable to react the way these two do to each other. It'd be nice but...super unlikely to impossible.

The sex: many readers will applaud the author for her honest, straight-forward treatment of sexual behavior of teens. The problem is, of course, that teens aren't capable of such straight-forward behavior. Sex is like a new toy to them and the vast majority of them treat it like a toddler does with a new toy - they throw it down. Kick it around. Stomp on it. Try to break it, just to see what will happen. I love that Maggie and Levi are long-time friends before they become lovers. But that kind of relationship is SO RARE, it's like a winning lottery ticket. And I'd hate for girls - especially competitive female athletes - to jeopardize their future and their bodies by wasting time on the idea of a fairy-tale romance in high school when there's plenty of time - and a heck of a lot more possibility - for that later.

Bottom line: I'd have loved to see Maggie compete and win without any romantic drama. But maybe I'm like the author in my fairy-tale idealism as well...thinking teen girls will pick up a sports book because it's about sports, and NOT a hot guy.

Maggie and Levi are both swimmers who are hopeful for a successful swimming career and hopefully a trip to the Olympics. Maggie hasn't ever had a real relationship and decides that her best friend would be perfect to help her in the romance department. This is a perfect example of a Miranda Kenneally novel. It has a realistic romance and teenage relationship, full of struggles, love, jealousy, along with a focus on a sport. Her novels are well written and so much fun to read, especially her glimpses to characters from other books. I will always pick up a Kenneally book to read because I know I won't be disappointed!

Holy smokes, this is easily the hottest of Miranda Kenneally's books yet! I basically had to fan myself while reading.

A decent contemporary young adult novel. If you like contemporary YA I would recommend checking this out.

4.5 stars - This is listed as a YA read, but in my opinion it is a great read regardless of your age. The story is beautiful with a bit of emotion. If you're a young adult, this is likely your life right now. If you're older, there is something here for you as well. I'm in my (late) 30s and I enjoyed it immensely. The story took me back to my first love. Including all the angst, uncertainty and knowing there's so much you don't know. It was very nostalgic.

On another note, I love that Maggie and Levi are seniors. Although 8th graders are sexing, I think the subject matter would have been uncomfortable for me as an adult reader had the leads been younger.

I received an ARC of this book, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazing. Every time I finish one of Miranda's books I'm convinced it is my favorite...and COMING UP FOR AIR keeps the tradition alive. The Hundred Oaks series is in a league of its own. ♡

What I liked about this book was the fact that we got to see characters from earlier on in the series again, so readers can know what they’re up to and whatnot. Especially with the epilogue! That was just pure sweetness! I also liked the book’s main message about how people have experiences within their own time and that they shouldn’t compare themselves to others. The important thing is that whatever you’re doing matters to you. It doesn’t mean that I fully understand Maggie’s reason to practice with her best friend to ensure no drama occurs. Mainly because, to me, that seems like a recipe for drama.

Other than that, I guess my problem with Coming Up for Air was that I was hoping for more. All Maggie ever does is swim or want to hook up. There’s not much else going on other than funny anecdotes from the her interaction with secondary characters. Sure, she has her moment to shine in the end when she figures a few things out, but I felt as if she was single-minded in her endeavours. We only hear how her swim meets went and how her love life is going. The issues between Roxy and Maggie never get resolved, or at least hashed out, and other than merely mentioning their problems, we never hear from secondary characters unless it’s to comment on Maggie’s life. Why can’t they get some sort of resolution as well? Maybe I’m asking too much for such a short book, but do I have so many questions left unanswered!

Well, that’s my take on Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally. It was probably my least favourite Hundred Oaks novel, but I recommend this to anyone who likes short contemporary novels, though!