I read a LOT of books about swimmers this summer but this one not only gave us a great look into the life of a swimmer in an athletic sense, but it dove into some tough topics.

A surprisingly good YA read with a lot of heart, I can’t believe it took me so long to pick this one up! 4.5 stars from me!

Breath Like Water is a bit sadder than my typical picks, definitely a read on the heavier side, though not one that's endlessly depressing. However, it captured me right from the start, and I found myself very invested in this tale that feels realistic and beautiful in its messiness.

Susannah's an Olympic hopeful, along with hundreds of other swimmers. When she was younger, it looked like she would be the next swimming phenom, but then puberty hit, leaving her with a completely different body that's slower in the water. Still, Susannah's stubborn as all hell, and she's working as hard as she possibly can to get back to where she was. I wish I had a tenth of her motivation.

The book gets into coaching methods a lot, shown in the dichotomy between the head coach, a guy who has coached a bunch of Olympians, and an assistant coach with new ideas. Initially, Susannah does not want to switch to the new female coach, because she feels like it would mean she's less than, but ultimately she realizes that the coach's different ideas work much better for her than Coach Dave's yelling and judgment. This is effective commentary on tradition in sports, as well as the emotional abuse that's considered necessary by many for coaching. I do wish there had been more focus on the sexism, but there are hints of it.

As you might expect, Susannah's torn between her focus on swimming and her increasingly strong feelings for a new team member, Harry. This is a familiar plot line, but I did like the way things happened here. I like how much thought Susannah put into everything, perhaps too much, which is relatable. She considers everything in a very mature way. I also like that the relationship, despite what the coaches might think, really was never the problem; that felt like a subtle trope twist to me. Aside from one notable confrontation, they really were both so supportive of one another's dreams, which I thought was pretty awesome.

The mental health rep definitely had me in my feels. I'm iffy about calling this a spoiler, but just in case some people would prefer not to know the details, I'm tagging it. [It was clear to me very early on that Harry was dealing with depression, but he doesn't reveal his diagnosis for a while. He's bipolar, and, even with meds and therapy, it's tough to manage. This really got to me, because I have a friend who goes through similar periods of really needing in-patient treatment to cope, and it's tough but also so great to see that shown here in a positive light. This book is pro-therapy and meds for those who need them, and I loved how much that was not all that Harry was about. (hide spoiler)]

Though I do not feel qualified to comment on the Latinx rep, I did notice that there wasn't much about the fact that Susannah is Latinx. There are references, when we're introduced to the fact that she and Amber, her bestie who is Black, bonded because they're pretty much the only non-white people on the team. There are references here to the difficulties they face, but nothing really comes up about that in the book. There's another reference at the end, in a speech given by her mother before the trials, but that's about it.

When I call this book messy, it's not that I mean it's sloppy. It's the emotions that are messy, and nothing unravels in that perfect way things do in a fluffier sort of book. Don't get me wrong: I love that feeling. But it's nice on occasion to read a book that feels very realistic without depressing the bejeesus out of me. There's just something about the way this book wraps up that embraces the way that people are complex and messy, but it makes it feel like a really great thing. [Usually I'm all about my happy endings, but I like here that Harry needed years to work on his mental health before they could maybe be together after the book ends, and I like that Susannah really might not ever make the Olympics. There's beauty and hope here, but there's also a constant reminder that life is hard, and sometimes the timing isn't right or things don't work out. (hide spoiler)]

This isn't the sort of book I'm always in the mood for, but it hit me at a really good time. The voice and the emotions really hit me in the heart space. I'd recommend this to readers who enjoyed Emery Lord's When We Collided particularly, because thematically and in terms of tone, this reminded me of that (though they are not similar otherwise).

I love YA books even though I am no longer a young adult, and this was no exception. I felt like it tackled hard issues that it seems many teens are going through today, in a really attainable and approachable way. Really enjoyed it.

At first, I thought this story would focus only on Susannah and her struggles with coaches, parents, expectations and results as she works toward her own personal bests in swimming. And, there is plenty of that in this story - told in a rather cyclical pattern that mimics (and feels) very much like lap swim training. But, the story quickly becomes so much more as Susannah meets another swimmer, Harry, who becomes her everything as they both battle injuries, expectations, issues from pressure and isolation, and fears about meeting (or failing to meet) their goals.

Gentle and unassuming, the friendship and support that they get from one another quickly blossoms into more: a love that is far more mature than their ages or experience would suggest. With insets of training routines, the ups and downs of finding a goal when very young and simply focusing on it, perhaps to the detriment of other things. The determination and work-ethic involved, and the little jealousies and pitfalls that happen when milestones are reached, perhaps unevenly.

What emerges from all of the emotions, the struggles and the dramas is the ability to put lessons learned in one place (the pool) to work in other aspects of your life: learning to let go and break free of the expected as you push onward to the next hoped for goal. A lovely read that is nuanced, deep and emotionally captivating as the issues the two discover, and the way they support each other, allows them to rediscover their own love for swimming, and for themselves.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aHC/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I like watching the Olympic swim meets as much as the next person and angsty teen romance is kind of why I read this genre, lol! That being said, I enjoyed this one but I wasn't expecting the bittersweet ending. Or the grueling real life challenges of those Olympic hopefuls. It turned out to be a bit of a downer for me.

So although the beginning and the middle where great for reeling me in, keeping me interested and giving me characters to really root for, the end left me feeling deflated.

I'm not one that seeks out realism in my reads. I prefer uplifting, inspiring and generally a happy - feel good ending. Thats not what this book is all about.

The risky and delicate subjects that are brought up in Breathe Like Water were commendable and sheds some much needed light on mental health and how to seek help but I wish it hadn't been so rushed. It was like pulling teeth to get to the big secret but then once it's out, things quickly spiral out of control and then it's over. Fast forward to two years and we're left with a teaser of what could be.

I know this book with resonate with a different reader group and although not a favorite, I did like the positive lessons learned between Susie and Harry. Harry is hands down my favorite character and wish he had gotten his own POV just because I found him the most relatable/likable of the two MCs.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

I loved this book! Susannah is a strong, determined and flawed female athlete. She created a good role model who still has her own problems. Harry begins as the strong, hot, popular guy and reveals a huge vulnerable side. Watching these two characters bounce off of one another as they grow and change was so exciting. I could not put this book down! Yes they are both selfish teens at times but that makes them human and relatable. I also would like to slap Dave!!

What a beautiful story. This book dealt with some heavy topics - mental illness, first loves, self confidence and verbal abuse from a coach. I adored both of the main characters and my heart broke as I read about their struggles. The author did balance the heaviness with plenty of light, sweet dialogue, supportive families and friends (I don’t like really heavy/sad books so this was good for me). The writing was engaging and you will love and cheer for these characters.

This book was terrific. It was a moving story of a girl who just wants to swim and reach the Olympics and finds out what is truly important in life.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from Anna Jarzab and Inkyard Press through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was fun watching Susannah grow as an individual and an athlete. I would recommend this book to any teen looking for a good romance novel, the content was age appropriate, easy to read, and kept you entertained.

While not appropriate to address as a classroom piece, definitely a novel I would recommend to students. Covers a lot of important topics in a balanced fashion while remaining entertaining. Would especially recommend to student-athletes or other highly competitive arenas.

I truly enjoyed the journey I had with this book. Susannah grows so much as a character and her relationship with Harry was so sweet. I really appreciated how you get to see many of the characters grow and change throughout this story, and I’ll be thinking about Breath Like Water for quite some time.

DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reader copy (eBook) of Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab from Inkyard Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Breath Like Water is part of Harlequin Trade Publishing’s 2020 YA Summer blog tour from Inkyard Press.

“That’s the nice thing about swimming: the water is new every day.”

Breath Like Water was a refreshing read that really resonated with me. In YA books, there aren’t a lot of books about swimmers. As someone who swam on the swim team back in the day, I was excited to read this book. Fortunately, it did not disappoint one bit. I really liked Susannah’s character. Her background as a swimmer, Latina, and Chicagoan was very relatable. I admired Susannah’s strength and courage as she trained for the US Olympic Team Trials. I liked her character development throughout the story. She really learned a lot about herself as a swimmer and as a person.

I was a fan of Susannah’s love interest, Harry, who teaches her about friendship, love, and mental illness. Their relationship’s foundation is a special friendship at its core. Together, Susannah and Harry dealt with much more than a teenage romance. Surprisingly, Breath Like Water ended up being about more than a swimmer’s journey to the US Olympic Team Trials, but about mental health and coping with mental illness. So many people in the world deal with mental illness, so it was refreshing to find that this book spreads awareness about it – specifically bipolar disorder.

I give Breath Like Water 5 out of 5 stars! This book has a very special place in my heart. Reading about a female swimmer was very nostalgic for me, and made me miss my days as a swimmer. I love that Breath Like Water covers uncommon topics, such as women in sports and mental illness. I think everyone will fall in love with the characters, the story, and gain a new perspective on life.

Check out my blog to read my full review:
http://www.candisbarbosa.com/book-review-breath-like-water-anna-jarzab/

As much as I love the cover art and the idea behind Breath Like Water, I just couldn't connect with it. I am not sure if it was the sports behind the romance or how quickly they seemed to just be together. I felt a lack of depth with all of the characters and just couldn't hang in there with it. They touched on some mental illness parts which I found interesting, but wanted more from that as well.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

Susannah’s dream is to go to the Olympics. She has a tough coach, but she knows he can turn her into an Olympic athlete. In the year before her Olympic trial, another coach is brought into her school with a completely different training method. Susannah meets a boy, Harry, who gives her a life outside of the pool. She also has something happen to her that is potentially life changing. Susannah and Harry both have struggles that they have to balance on her road to the Olympic trials.

I’ve never been an athlete, so stories about sports and athletes are completely new to me. There was so much tension leading up to all of Susannah’s swim competitions. I felt myself getting nervous for her, because I couldn’t imagine myself doing what she did. I found this world of competitive swimming quite scary, both mentally and physically.

The second half of the book was dark and emotional. I don’t want to give away the plot, but there are some possible trigger points about mental health and suicide. These are things that can happen to anyone, not just competitive athletes, so the story isn’t just about sports. It’s also about the pressures with growing up and discovering your place in the world.

This is a powerful and emotional story.

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an odd one for me. I wanted to like it, because these sports romance kind of ones are something I usually have a soft spot for in the teen romance category, but I just... Couldn't really vibe with it. There's a bit too much holding it back for me to genuinely enjoy it, from the characters to the plot itself. It starts off seeming as though it's going to be one of those perfect happy ending types where everything fits into a neat little box, and I'm not going to object to it breaking that mold, but there's just too much going on for me to say it's perfectly done either.

I do admire Jarzab for putting in some sort of representation that isn't just the typical POC or LGBT, even though those are both front and center here. However, there's also the tiny bit of acknowledgement for people with mental illness, the story taking a wide swing at one point and focusing on one character having bipolar disorder, one that's very much not talked about in any kind of media in general. I'm appreciative of it, but... The characters, despite this, don't ring true to me. The only ones that actually made any sort of sense throughout the whole thing were Nina, Beth, and April, and just barely in most cases. I wanted more from these characters, and Susannah was a really lame protagonist. She was so in her head about everything that it felt like she was trying to convince the reader to hate her half the time.

Ultimately, not my favourite out there for the second half, but if you can vibe with the first half and disregard anything after they go to the beach, it's pretty decent.

I tried reading Breath Like Water, by Anna Jarzab, twice, and stopped both times. It just didn't keep my interest.

Full of emotion, this book left me wanting more! I tore through the pages, not able to get enough of Susannah’s story. I will happily pick up anything and everything I see Anna Jarzab publish in the future.

Susannah always feels like the water is a living thing. She is a really good swimmer. I thought some parts were boring.vthe characters were okay

The olympics have always been Susannah's dream. Her body has changed and she no longer feels as confident in the water as when she won the world championship, but she is determined to reach that goal. Even if it means she's unhappy in the process. But when she meets Harry and can't deny her feelings for him, she begins to wonder if she is allowed to be happy and if it's possible to have her dream and also be happy.

I loved the swimming portions of this book. The descriptions of swimming elements were easy to follow even if you know nothing about swimming. Whenever Susannah was in a race, Jarzab's writing made it feel like time was actually slowing down, showing all the thoughts running through her head during a race in a beautiful way. Most importantly, I loved the discussions of pressure on elite athletes and what good coaching should look like.

Because I was so invested in the swimming storyline, I felt that I wasn't quite as invested in Susannah and Harry's relationship as I could have been. I think some of this was because of the dragged out beginning to their relationship and then almost intsa-love as soon as they were in a relationship. It just didn't seem realistic to me. As the story progressed though, I became more invested and loved how both Susannah and Harry grew as individuals because of their relationship.

Breath Like Water is a wonderful read full of examples of what relationships should look like, whether between a coach and a swimmer, a parent and a child, or two teenagers.