A quirky, coming-of-age novel from Sarah Allen for the younger set. It explores sisterhood, dreams, and what it means to be there for someone you love.
Olivia wants to put a smile back on Ruth's face and she is determined to remind her of how life used to be, She wants to capture that smile her sister used to always have.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Breathing Underwater is a beautiful book, which focuses on the important issues of mental health and depression from many angles; not just how it impacts those suffering from the issues but their loved ones as well. I loved the poignant portrayal of sibling relationships, and of the power of sisterly love. And of course, the fun of road trips, the joy of photography, and the pure happiness of magical musical lists. It was on my list of most anticipated reads for the year and definitely worth its place on the list as it is now here on my list of favorite books of the year too!

Source: Netgalley e-ARC

Sarah Allen’s sophomore novel has all the makings of a great road trip book. I especially love good road trip story from the middle-grade category (The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is one of my absolute favorites). Breathing Underwater also circles arounds themes of sisterhood and topics like mental health.

Thank you #Netgalley for a chance to read Breathing Underwater. Perfect for my fifth graders--I got s copy for my classroom that is already loved!

This middle grade book is about 12 year old Olivia who loves photography and is about to go on a road trip with her older sister Ruth. Ruth is dealing with depression, but Olivia has a plan to help her sister feel better on their trip. Will it work or will her sister continue to struggle?

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book! I am so sad that it has taken me so long to get to it!

I don't know what exactly I was expecting going into this, but this exceeded any expectations that I could have possibly had by MILES. What this book is is a wonderful middle grade that deals with the struggles of mental illness, depression, and family relationships.

This was such a beautiful story of two sisters, who on the outside are just on a road trip and are trying to relive a treasure hunt they invented years ago; but what it really is is the struggles of dealing with depression and how it affects those who you love.

I can't put into words how wonderful and well written this story is. It makes readers who may be going through something similar OR who notice these signs in those they love, FEEL SEEN. It is truly incredible. I feel like this is such an important and impactful read and I am so grateful that this book exists and that I had the chance to read this gem.

This was such a sweet book. The characters are so sweet and lovable and the story line is beautiful. It was so heartfelt and just perfect. I will be purchasing this for my 13 year old to have on her shelf for just a feel good book.

This book was an interesting take on depression from the view of a younger sibling. Older sister Ruth does a good job of explaining something that is so unique for each person that experiences it. I also appreciated that Olivia (our main character) was not perfect but was able to grow significantly within her self and in her understanding of her sisters disease. The book would have been better if the author had added even just a page of information about where you can go to get help if depression is something the reader is dealing with.

A beautiful, quiet middle grade novel about sibling relationships. The prose was adequate, as was the plot. What really shone about this novel was the relationship between the two siblings, however. 4/5.

Olivia and Ruth used to do so much together - play pirates, watch movies, go scuba diving, and create epic treasure hunts including the one they did when they moved across country. But Ruth's depression saps her energy and even though Olivia tries hard to help she is often at the receiving end of snarky comments or eye rolls. In a trip back west Olivia tries to recreate their last big treasure hunt which will culminate in digging up a box they buried. But can Olivia hold Ruth together and make everything ok?

This book reveals a struggle with depression which I can appreciate - the whole windows, mirrors, sliding glass doors thing - but it was a tough read too. It did end up on a hopeful note though, which was good.

This was a quiet Middle Grade book, that I think would be good for anyone who has a family member with depression to read. I related to Ruth and her struggles with depression, and Olivia being there for her, while also learning to thrive herself was really nice to read. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Breathing Underwater tells a story of a young girl who is fighting to pull her sister out of her deep depression. She is on a mission to take the perfect pictures in order to remind her sister of the beautiful, and happy, lives the both had. Sarah Allen wrote a beautiful story on both the family and personal journey people go through when depression has taken over their lives. This story is raw, real, and will help so many kids know that they aren't alone.

**Thank you author and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Allen's after reading, "What Stars are Made of". This is another one that definitely did not disappoint! She is able portrays real life situations in a way that is honestly so good for middle grade and up to read.

Sarah Allen captured what it's like to love a family member suffering from depression in such an authentic way. It wasn't too overwhelming or dark for a middle grade book. Olivia, the main character, and her family moved across the country and her sister, Ruth, started to change. Ruth's depression got worse. Olivia is young, but she understands the signs to watch out for when her sister goes into one of her dark moods and does not dismiss her feelings. Olivia has planned the perfect road trip/treasure hunt to try and bring back happy memories for Ruth and cheer her up.

This is such a real and true story that even though there are dark times, it reminds us that there is always hope. "We can't control the waves and the tide. But we can swim in them."

This is the first book I've read that truly captures the all consuming angst of living with someone suffering from chronic depression. It profoundly affects everyone they touch keeping them on edge and guessing. What are the signs of a bad day? Can I leave the person alone? Why do they do such harmful things to themselves? How can I make them smile? Will the person I knew ever return? Why can't I help them? Why are they so vicious to me? Don't I matter? How do I hang on to my own worth and my own joy without getting sucked into the pit of despair? I totally believed and understood everything that young Olivia was experiencing, the pain, the love, the remembrance, the hope, as she takes a cross country journey seeking to rekindle the close relationship she has had with her older troubled sister. This is a beautiful and ultimately redemptive book. There is always hope.

This is a good middle grade novel to add to any library's collection. It does a good job of touching upon mental health issues in young people, which is very timely for today.

Breathing Underwater was a solid DNF for me, but until the point I left it, I adored the focus on mental health, as well as all the family dynamics.

This book was really as heavy hitting on the emotions as it appeared it would be at first glance. I think that MG books that include diversity are just underrated, in this case this book gave spotlight to depression, focusing on mental health and loving someone who has depression. Our protagonist is this wonderfully loving younger sister, she’s not perfect by any means but her love for Ruth is not ‘soured’ because Ruth has depression and I think a lot of times it’s so easy to show only the darker side of things.

Allen instead shows the hope that Olivia has that she can do something to make her sister smile again. It’s more than that though, it’s that Olivia loves Ruth just as much on her very bad days as on her good days, that she knows that there will be days that she cannot help and that does not diminish her love.

The road trip these sisters take with their cousins sets out to be a recreation of one of her most treasured memories with her sister. But Olivia learns to be flexible and instead shares in different yet no less impactful experiences with her sister and the road trip doesn’t magically cure anything either. They have their highs and lows and the bond between them was very well written.

A book doesn’t need a magic fix and Allen showing that no matter what some times things will not be helped is just as important to impart onto young readers.

5/5 Cups of coffee from me for this absolutely beautiful and slightly heartbreaking MG book that comes out tomorrow! Thank you so much to Xpresso Tours, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest review as part of the tour.

As someone with depression, this book represents it in such a great especially for young readers where they will be able to relate and understand. More importantly, they’ll know that there is no “normal” way to feel or act.

I found the characters to be realistic in their depictions as both teenagers and struggling with mental health.

As someone with ADHD also, I also often just forget to listen to music. But, I always, always find it helps me so much when I do remember. Also, as a photographer, it’s so much fun to be able to relate to a character so much.

And, of course, I have to mention the cover. It’s beautiful and what drew my attention especially as I don’t read many middle-grade books. I’m an avid scuba diver and I loved it for that underwater aspect but also what “breathing underwater” symbolizes because often when I’m in a depressive slump or an anxiety attack –– it feels exactly like I’m trying to breathe underwater, without my scuba equipment of course.

Olivia is on a cross country trip with her older sister, Ruth, her aunt and uncle with her amazing new camera at her side. Their ultimate destination is San Diego, the city Olivia and Ruth left behind three years ago when they moved to Tennessee. During those three years, Ruth’s depression has worsened, and Olivia is determined to use this trip to help her sister find her old self.

Your heart will go out to all of the characters in this story. Olivia loves her sister so much and will do anything to prevent Ruth from falling into THE PIT, which frequently happens on her bad days. This means Olivia puts tremendous pressure on herself to anticipate Ruth’s needs (is she eating properly, is she sleeping) and to constantly be cheerful and positive. Every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the real Ruth Olivia misses so much; the music lover who constantly writes songs, longs to become a composer and is a great big sister. Unfortunately, her depression often causes her to instead take out her frustrations and darkness on Olivia, which breaks Olivia’s heart. Luckily, Oliva’s late night talks with her Uncle Eddie help her to better understand Ruth and to gain confidence and courage in her quest to help Ruth. He especially helps her when he shares his belief that Olivia’s superpower is finding neat, pretty things to make people happy or excited. Finally, Aunt Ellie is amazingly patient and understanding of both Ruth’s depression and Olivia’s desperation to make Ruth happy again.

This is such a powerful story. It offers comfort, hope and understanding to middle graders who are living with someone suffering from depression. Oftentimes that middle grader may wonder if, despite all they try to do to support their family member, if they really matter, just as Olivia wondered about Ruth. Ruth’s reply to Olivia was so comforting, “you’re my...my no-filter person...my free person.” In other words, Ruth knows Olivia will always love her, even during Ruth’s darkest days. This offers understanding and encouragement to the middle grade readers about their struggling family member.

This is a must buy for middle school libraries and counselor’s book shelves. It’s available 3.30. Preorder it now!!