Verónica would live in the water if she could - which is why she’d be perfect as an underwater performer at the local attraction Mermaid’s Cove. But being from an immigrant family and living with hip dysplasia has her under constant scrutiny from her parents. With the potential for further procedures after her next MRI, Verónica must decide what she wants from her life.

I really enjoyed reading about mermaid performers! I was really intrigued by the setting of Mermaid Cove and the fact that it’s based off a real attraction. Just hearing about it made it feel like an elevated version of me at 5 playing mermaid in the local pool.

What really connected me to this story was Verónica’s hip dysplasia. I don’t face the same struggles, but I really connected with her when it comes to pain. I thought her response to pain and not wanting to show it was really relatable.

I enjoyed the small romance subplot, but was glad that this story focused more on Verónica and her own journey to figuring out what comes next for her.

Overall I really enjoyed this coming of age story!

This book brought me so much joy. I really saw myself in Véronica's struggle to manage her dreams with her immigrant parent's expectations. Her parents love her but they don't know how to let her follow her dreams so she has developed coping mechanisms that were so similar to the ones I did. I also learned a lot by hearing Véronica's journey with her disability and appreciated the discussion of depression. It is just such a wonderful book that I think readers will love.

“If my feet were a clock, the short limb would be pointing at eleven, the longer one perfectly upright. It makes sense because I was born at eleven at night: proof, as my Mami says, that my body carries all my stories.”

Breathe and Count Back from Ten is an ode to individual histories, the stories that make us and the conflicting narratives of our own lives. Verónica is no stranger to others telling her stories for her. Her conservative Peruvian parents have their own version of not only how her life should go (her career, her future hip operations and, of course, the boys she shouldn’t be dating) but they also have their own understanding of her roots and the path that led her here. Meanwhile, most strangers and even peers will stereotype her by her ethnicity, despite spending the majority of her life being raised in Florida, or her constant battles with hip dysplasia. Verónica escapes in the middle ground, the parent-approved doctor-recommended form of rehabilitation: swimming. But beneath the surface, Verónica dreams of Mermaid Cove, a tourist hotspot and home to professional mermaids performing in an underground tank. It all comes to a crux one summer in the form of a rare audition spot at the Cove, a cute next-door neighbour and a medical crossroads with her parents, all Verónica knows is that it's time to take control of her own life, own her own narrative.

I love this central theme, the axel on which this book centres, in which we see Verónica come to take ownership of her narrative. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Verónica didn’t have a strong voice from the start. One of the ways that Sylvester cleverly does this is by including a dictionary definition side by side with Verónica’s own interpretation of a word at the beginning of each chapter. However, we see how Verónica has been affected by people stereotyping, discriminating against and misunderstanding her because of who she is and her disability and as she starts to push outside her comfort zone, she starts to realise what all of it really means to her. I hope I’m doing this journey justice. In its most basic form it’s a coming of age story (cue young person discovering themself) but with amazing rep and rather than coming to a point when ‘theoretically’ Verónica has ‘found herself,’ there is less finality. Rather, and more realistically, there’s more of a focus on Verónica realising she does have a say and what that means.

"You really think I'd make it?
"Do you even have to ask?"
"I'm not ready."
"You were born ready."
"I was born a lot of things."

There’s so much I could say that I really loved about this book, but I want to take a moment to really highlight the own voices disability rep and from the other reviews I’ve read, I’m not the only one because let’s be honest- readers are gasping for it. I have close members of my family and friends who are disabled, and I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve begged for good rep, got frustrated with the disabled inspiration porn or wanted more than the disability being the main focus than just a part of who they are. Having own voices rep is so important and Sylvester just shows that, read more reviews than mine, see how others with the same disability issues and those who have had relatable experiences are responding because it matters.

“To this day, I don’t know how I didn’t scream. Maybe I was just used to it by then, this idea that pain is meant to be endured quietly.”

Whilst there is a romance with cute next-door neighbour Alex, this isn’t the central plot. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do with it and how it fitted into the story apart from as a tool for Verónica’s growth. Yet by the end of the book, we still explored a depth to Alex and again, there’s that realism that Verónica’s life is not defined by one aspect of it, even the romance. She’s relatable and still her own person.

So, if you’re looking for a book with amazing rep, heart-warming characters and, of course, mermaids- you’ve found it.

Breathe and Count Back from Ten was a very well written YA contemporary book, with a lot of heart. Set in Florida, it follows Peruvian teen Verónica who desperately wants to become one of the mermaids at local attraction Mermaid Cove. Due to her disability- Verónica has hip dysplasia- she has to go behind the backs of her overprotective parents in order to pursue her dreams.
The writing in this book flowed very well, despite issues I had with the pacing as a whole, individual scenes never felt like they were dragging. The language wasn’t overly flowery, but at points there were some gorgeous descriptions which really drew me in.
My main issue with this book was that I felt for a very long time like I was waiting for the plot to start. It took me a very long time to read the first half of this book, and I flew through the second half in an afternoon! Once the action picked up I found it hard to put down, but I think the beginning was rather slow. The set up could have happened far more quickly, and that would have given more time for the book to focus on the action, which felt like it was over very shortly after it started.
The romance in this book was very sweet, but ultimately could have been better developed. I think the platonic relationships are better written than the romantic one, and I do like having them more as the central point of the story. Verónica’s relationship with her sister Dani was brilliant. It managed to capture the perfect balance of love and annoyance I know I have with my own sister!
As someone who is able-bodied, I don’t feel qualified to comment on the disability representation, but I will say that I loved the fact that Verónica didn’t feel the need to be ‘strong’ because of her scars, and instead just saw them as another part of her. It felt like something very true to real life, but that we don’t often see in stories. I am also not Peruvian, or a first-generation immigrant, but the author seemed to capture the difficulty of such a situation. I love that although Verónica didn’t agree with all her parents decisions and opinions, she loved her culture and wanted to share it’s folklore. The way she told and reinvented the story was beautiful and I loved that section of the story a lot!
I also really appreciated that Verónica’s dreams changed over the course of the story, and that though she was set on one thing at the start of the novel, she was happy elsewhere by the end. I think that it’s really important to show that you don’t need to do just one thing to be happy, you can find happiness within yourself, and I really felt like this story embodied that.
Overall this was a beautiful novel and a sweet romance, despite a few pacing issues, it was a very enjoyable and engaging read.

Stunning, novel, I loved reading it, Natalia Sylvester entwines family, disability representation, important discussions about the future and autonomy together in a way that I have not read before. I could relate to Veronica, and yet, at times, the character was selfish. I loved the perspective on scars and love, This is a powerful book and I’m grateful to the publisher for the chance to read it in exchange for an honest review.

“I don’t know what fine looks like yet, for me. I’ve spent so much energy trying to convince everyone else I was fine that I didn’t stop to think if it was true or not. I just need time to figure things out.”

I feel so strongly mixed about this book. I like how our protagonist Ronnie’s working through how to relate to her body/disability, and struggling with ingrained shame about sexuality, but I wasn’t into the ultimate decisions Ronnie made with sex and how to respond to her parents. I admire this book and have learned so much from reading it, but not sure I can whole-heartedly recommend it.

There’s a lot I love here. I love how this book talks about body limits, and how Ronnie has to make choices for what’s best for her body regarding surgery and taking care of herself—SO important! I adore the disability representation in this book, and crave more. I love how this interrogates elements of purity culture—the dad doesn’t want her to be a mermaid showing off her stomach, her parents won’t let her shave her calves or above the knee. I resonate with the guilt Ronnie feels over all her parents have given her. I also love how this book talks about consent.

But the way she confronts her parents feels unnecessarily harsh. The parents clearly mean well but are a little controlling, but also she’s literally about to go to college. Feels like it’d make more sense if she was in college, setting up these boundaries. Then it would feel more like line-crossers, how her parents behave. But as a high schooler, the response didn’t seem in proportion with the problem. I think we need to be careful in how we teach and model to kids how to stand up for themselves/their choices and setting up boundaries. There’s a difference between being in an unsafe situation vs just growing up and disagreeing with your parents. It seems like a lot of kidlit books these days have protagonists taking dramatic measures against their parents that frankly don’t always seem necessary. There is definitely a time and place to step away from toxic parents. But I think we need to also model that there are other times where it’s just OK to disagree with your parents. Not every disagreement needs you need to completely cut ties with your family. At the mermaid show and the surgery, Ronnie comes off less like she’s setting healthy boundaries and more like she’s being unnecessarily rude and uncommunicative with her parents.

I do love how Alex is modeled as a really great ally and boyfriend. He models consent well in how he approaches her disability as well as sex. But frankly, I’m getting super tired of sex in YA. Can we have more YA that doesn’t revolve around sex, where characters can have healthy self-identity without having sex? It feels too one sided in the market right now.

I feel seen!

Breathe and Count Back from Ten is a beautifully written story with representation for hip dysplasia, disability, and bodily autonomy, among other strong themes. Natalia's head on approach to these themes brought me to tears many times, as I connected so strongly with the main character. There are things in here I never really vocalized, but once I saw it in writing, I couldn't believe someone else knew how it felt. And so many others are going to have this reaction when they read this, too.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for access to an early review copy.
I read Breathe and Count Back From Ten in two days in any and every moment I had to spare. There were so many moments in this book where I would just stop and think "That. That right there. That emotion, those words. That's what it feels like." Whether it was pushing back against ableism or the expectations and limitations people place on our bodies. The disabled experience of trying to have the experiences you want to have and explore your own boundaries. Figuring out if you can do something you want deep in your bones for yourself even when the people around you may not believe you're capable or are scared for you is something so important for disabled people, especially as they're coming of age. I feel so incredibly lucky to be seeing so many amazing disabled writers giving us the representation we so badly need. I felt so seen by this book and by Verónica as a character. I've already recommended this to so many of my coworkers and I cannot wait to have it on our shelves.

Obsessed with this book! As someone with dysplasia myself this made my younger self happy, knowing teens with the same condition will be able to see themselves represented on the page- and in such a great story too. Sylvester has consistently delivered on prose, character, and plot. 5/5 whole hearted stars!

What first drew me to this lovely book was the front cover. And the mention of mermaids. I love mermaids. What kept me hooked though was the fantastic story, I was immediately invested in Verónica and her life.
The plot is fun and enjoyable, with just enough nuance when it came to the discussion of body autonomy and disability. I hadn’t read a book before that had a protagonist who had hip dysplasia so that was really interesting and educational for me. It also reminded me why I love to read so much— learning about people or situations that are different from yourself. I liked the romance element of the story and didn’t feel like it had been shoehorned in. The plot reminded me of summer, I think it was all the swimming. It was just calm and sweet, and really encapsulated the long summer holidays stretching out before you between school years when you're a teenager.

I really loved Verónica as a character, I massively admired her strength, and how she grew to stand up for herself more as the story progressed. I loved how badly she wanted to be a mermaid (and after reading this I desperately want to be one too), and how much she was willing to fight for the things she wanted. I also loved reading about a Peruvian-American protagonist, the inclusion of Peruvian myths was just amazing as I'd never heard them before and I'd definitely like to hear more about them now!
The side characters were all great and fleshed-out well. I think my favourite character was her best friend though, I loved her and she brought a really fun energy that I enjoyed. Alex wasn’t my favourite love interest ever written, but I quite liked the dynamic between him and Verónica. I also loved the other mermaids at the mermaid park— have I mentioned that I want to be a mermaid?

The only reason I'm knocking a star off is because I really couldn’t stand Verónica’s parents. Now I know that parents in YA are often strict and unlikeable, but these two were just too much for me. They put Verónica down constantly, slut-shamed her, and made decisions about her health and body without talking to her first. Her father was especially bad, and whilst I imagined that there would be amends made at the end of the book, I almost wanted Verónica to cut them out of her life completely instead. They were honestly so unpleasant towards their daughter that I never really got over it.

Overall though I did really enjoy this book and highly recommend it to everyone. Whilst it is YA, it felt like ‘mature YA’, and I think it could be enjoyed by people of any age. It’s always great to read an Own Voices story, and this one was no exception. I would definitely like to read more from this author in the future, and I’ll keep an eye out for her future books.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Thoughtful, gentle, and sweet, BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN is the perfect summer romance.

Contemporary isn't my usual read, but I admit that what initially drew me to this book was the mermaids. I didn't even know mermaid theme parks existed. They sound so fun?! No wonder Verónica wanted to become a mermaid!

What kept me reading, however, was its exploration and nuanced discussion about body image, disability and mental health. BREATHE manages to draw a fine balance between its message about the self, about finding your own boundaries and allowing you to merely be, and about society and its expectations overall, and it does a brilliant job of it.

Both Verónica and Alex, her love interest, and side characters as well, navigate their numerous demons and external issues through meaningful conversation and dialogue, and in Verónica's case, considerate introspection and critical thought. BREATHE talks about body autonomy, about racism and struggles with immigration, about feeling suffocated by parental and societal expectations, about disabilities in relationships, but not without brevity, joy, humour and the little enjoyable moments that make it feel real and lifelike. The prose is beautiful, the right amount of poetry and succinctness to sweep you away.

BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN is a sweet, compassionate read, perfect for summer.

(And now I want to go to a mermaid theme park.)

The story of Vero, a Peruvian American teenager who has gone through more surgeries than she can count and is now facing things even scarier than that. Teen life. She’s auditioning for the role of her dream as a mermaid at her local theme park and navigating first love and being comfortable and safe in your own body. A hard task for a girl with hip dysplasia.

From the very first paragraph of this book, I was hooked.
“When you’re about to go under, the doctor tells you to breathe and count back from ten.”
As Veronica says she’s been through ‘hundreds’ of times and that little beginning just before you fall is what normally sticks with you, those few seconds before you pass out.

This book is a beautiful tribute to the author's scars and disability that pulls you in and keeps you hooked from the moment go.

Another quote in the story that really shows Vero and her internal thoughts while being one of my favourite quotes of the book;
“It’s nice, for one, to be called weird for being from Florida. Not for being born in a country that evokes nothing but llama jokes from everyone at school. Or for bringing ‘weird’ leftovers to school for lunch instead of just buying from the cafeteria. Or for walking in a way that makes people look twice, think twice, as if something about me is just … off.”
Anyone whos just a little out of the norm can relate to this quote so utterly and completely that it really makes you care for Vero early on because you relate to her so easily.

Also who can ignore that cover, it jumps off of the page at you, demanding you to pick it up and read it. Honestly, the things that made me read it the most was the beautiful cover and as the author said;
“I used to hide my scars and now they’re on my book cover.”
It's such a beautiful thing to see past your insecurities and make them into such a beautiful thing - this cover and this novel altogether.


Breathe and Count Down to Ten comes out the 10th of May and should be on EVERYONE’s TBRs right away. A perfect read that is not only entertaining and beautiful but brings disabilities to the forefront of the story never hiding away from the hard truths that come with it.

This review has also been published on Goodreads and eventually when available to Amazon.

This is such a lovely story. It deals with something that a lot of young people and adults go throigh and it was handled in a sensitvely and uplifting way. It was well written with beautifu; language, a good plotline and well developed and likeable characters. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Veronica is a Peruvian-American teen who has hip dysplasia. She was born with it.
I loved the way the author represented hip dysplasia in this book. I couldn't stop reading this book when I started the first few pages.
Her relationship with Alex was one I loved and it made real sense to me.
Her relationship with her parents was also realistic.
This is the first book I read by the author and I would love to read more.

Veronica, born with hip dysplasia, has had to endure pain, surgeries and scarring that make her feel different than others. She is used to questions about her limp or the scars on her leg. but when she meets Alex, the new boy in her apartment complex, he doesn't question her about any of that. Alex has his own set of problems since his family has split and he is now living with only his mother.

Veronica's very strict parents keep a tight reign on her so when she wants to pursue her dream job of being a mermaid at the local theme park she knows they wouldn't approve. Veronica decides to audition anyway and with the help of her close set of friends she gets the job. But what happens if her parents find out?

A great story about disabilities, both seen and unseen, that teens are dealing with every day. A really sweet story about friendship, relationships, pursuing your dream and finding out who you really are. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Veronica is a Peruvian-American teen who has hip dysplasia, a condition she was born with. Swimming helps relieve the pain, but what she really dreams of is being a mermaid at the local water park. Her parents sacrificed a lot to raise them in America, and are strict about her being serious with the choices she makes in her life, whether that be a suitable summer job, read: NOT being a mermaid, or avoiding boys. Veronica tries to navigate all this, all the while trying to figure out what she really wants and standing up for herself.

I loved this own voices YA story, and will have to read more from the author now! I learnt a lot from Veronica as a main character, and loved the disability rep. Her younger sister and best friend are wonderful too, and I love books that have strong, supportive female friendships. Her relationship with Alex grows as the book goes on, and I liked how they complemented each other. They communicated their feelings and supported one another throughout. I really liked the scene where Veronica met Alex unpacking boxes and he was mentally far away and struggling to talk to her, but she didn't take it personally, just kept him company until he was ready. It was really mature and I liked that there wasn't unnecessary drama in any of the relationships between Veronica and her friends.
Veronica has a very strenuous relationship with her parents. I think a lot of came from the clash of cultures, with her parents being very traditional and conventional, and wanting the best from Veronica without understanding her perspective. There were times where they fought, but it all came from a place of love, and throughout the book they learnt to understand the other more and appreciate them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

After finishing the novel I knew I have never read anything like this before and that we need more people telling stories like this. This is a 5 star book. I didn't round up, it is 5 stars. I don't think I have ever read a YA novel following a Peruvian MC and I read a lot of Latinx contemporary novels. Sylvester is a fantastic author. Verónica is a 17 year old girl living in Florida with hip dysplasia and a dream of becoming a professional mermaid. With her medical issues her parents are overprotective about what her body can handle, what she should do with it and with who. Sylvester did a great job at giving issues enough time in the book which is something I usually have problems with. When she introduces someone or something she follows through with it. I loved the ending and Verónica's journey was one that I think people need to read.

She even included some Peruvian mythology which I never heard of and I can't wait to find out more about it.

My only critique was the name of the book. And that is mostly because I kept forgetting it. I would tell people what I was reading and mess up the title every time. I got it now, but I don't know why I could not remember it.

I am going to be pre-ordering this book because it was amazing. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Breathe and Count Back to Ten is one of my most anticipated books of the year. As someone who has a chronic pain illness that affects me everyday I went into this book stoked to see representation..

Natalia Sylvester did not disappoint. This book was sweet, funny, with just the right amount of serious regarding her health thrown in there to make you concerned. I learned about culture in this book and enjoyed reading about her family dynamic since it differs so much from what I grew up with. The concern for her illness was definitely the same.
This book is a great summer read, I highly recommend if you like a light romance, a book with wonderful friends, and of course mermaids.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I love Natalia Sylvester, and love (the idea of!) Weeki Wachee Springs (someday i will actually go), so was excited for this book. I didn't even realize--because of not bothering to read the description in my excitement!--that it was also own voices disability rep in YA. It was thoughtful and not overly simplifying the complexities of being a teenager with disabilities, all wrapped up in a love story with water and a love story with a boy (with his own mental health plotline) and a coming of age tale. I had such a good time reading this book, even as i cringed at some of Verónica's teenage bad choices!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

To say this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 is an understatement. Not only have I LOVED the two books I've read by Natalia Sylvester, this one is about swimming and mermaids?! Sign me up!

And, thankfully, it delivered! Here's what I adored:
• Veronica's relationship to the water. As a former swimmer myself, the way the water was described and how Veronica used it to feel at ease was so relatable.
• The real, raw discussions of chronic pain, scars, and Veronica's hip dysplasia. While I don't have hip dysplasia myself, I do have chronic pain associated with an autoimmune disease. And much of what Veronica's experienced and discussed spoke to me. The question of how much pain is too much pain is one I'm all too familiar with.
• As always, the parent/child relationships were so complex and well done. I appreciated how this one connected to the idea of bodily autonomy.

This book will be a perfect summer read when it comes out in May!