Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his m...
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Jan 25, 2012
♥Rachel♥
rated it: 
I'm hardly an expert on suicide but I've always thought it was preceded by a momentous event, which after thinking more about it doesn't make any sense at all. If it was, less people would be successful in their attempts because others around them would be watching or worrying that this might happen. More often than not it seems that if a person commits suicide, others around are puzzled and wonder how it all came to this. They tell themselves, if they just would've seen the signs they could
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Feb 15, 2012
Sarai
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I liked this book. The characters were interesting and had depth. Everyone felt real to me, perhaps because they were shown with warts and all. I liked their confusion; it made sense given their situations. I liked the way the relationship developed between Ryan and Nicki. I liked the way Ryan's parents were drawn. I liked the ending, not all wrapped up in a pretty bow. Nothing felt rushed or prolonged. I just found it to be a very good read!
Book Description
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Book Description
Publication Date: More...
Feb 22, 2012
Carmen
rated it:
A Dark Subject Matter. A Highly Enjoyable Read
Cut off from friends but for the two he met at the mental Hospital he has just left after his suicide attempt, seventeen year-old Ryan spends his summer trying hard not to go back to the black place he so well remembers.
But living takes courage, more than he can gather on his own. Luckily for him Nicki intrudes into his life.
Nicki, a girl he barely knows, dares to ask him the questions neither of his traumatized p More...
Cut off from friends but for the two he met at the mental Hospital he has just left after his suicide attempt, seventeen year-old Ryan spends his summer trying hard not to go back to the black place he so well remembers.
But living takes courage, more than he can gather on his own. Luckily for him Nicki intrudes into his life.
Nicki, a girl he barely knows, dares to ask him the questions neither of his traumatized p More...
Jan 11, 2012
Jill Elizabeth
rated it:
Today we’re venturing into YA land. Try Not to Breathe is a touching story about the isolation – and the drama – of being a teenager. My advance review copy was generously provided by the good people at Penguin Young Readers Group. You can get your very own copy when the book is released on January 19 OR you can enter the contest on my blog (www.Jill-Elizabeth.com) to win one of three free copies, courtesy of Penguin (contest runs thru 2/1/12).
Without further ado, I bring you Try Not t More...
Without further ado, I bring you Try Not t More...
Jan 02, 2012
Angel
rated it:
I won this ARC, so thank you so much Jennifer Hubbard! I am excited to be adding this signed addition to my library.
Try Not to Breath is an amazing novel that describes the months following a teenage boy’s attempted suicide. I wasn’t sure how I would like reading a novel from a male’s perspective, but I really felt that I connected with the main character, Ryan, right from the beginning. Jennifer Hubbard did a great job with describing his feelings, or lack of them. The thought More...
Try Not to Breath is an amazing novel that describes the months following a teenage boy’s attempted suicide. I wasn’t sure how I would like reading a novel from a male’s perspective, but I really felt that I connected with the main character, Ryan, right from the beginning. Jennifer Hubbard did a great job with describing his feelings, or lack of them. The thought More...
Feb 14, 2012
Angie
rated it:
Try Not to Breathe is a breath of fresh air (pun intended?). It gave me a nice break from all of the supernatural and dystopian YA books out in the world. Surprisingly, with the main subject of depression and suicide, it's not depressing so chances are you won't be balling your eyes out by the end. Yay, you can read it in public! I instantly connected with the main character Ryan. All of the characters are well-fleshed out and Ryan and Nicki are perfect foils of each other. The book is a slow bu
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Jan 06, 2012
Angela
rated it:
This book was REALLY well written. It's a very raw and honest story of one teen's journey through and out of the depths of depression. The author was able to capture the emotions and thoughts of Ryan (the teen) with unbelievable accuracy and detail--without it coming off as overdone or cliche.
The book cover leads the reader to believe they're going to experience a love story, but really, the "romance" element is very minor . . . it's more about the friendship (in my opinion More...
The book cover leads the reader to believe they're going to experience a love story, but really, the "romance" element is very minor . . . it's more about the friendship (in my opinion More...
Jan 29, 2012
Trisha
rated it:
I am extremely fond of Hubbard's writing and the way she deals with her chosen subject matter. Teen suicide, mental illness, and family dysfunction are not uncommon in the teen YA world, and yet Hubbard brings a freshness & a gravitas to them.
Ryan wants to move on from his problems. But the people around him: his parents, his peers and his doctors still treat him like he is either fragile or a freak.
Almost immediately Ryan meets Nikki who challenges him, colludes with him an More...
Ryan wants to move on from his problems. But the people around him: his parents, his peers and his doctors still treat him like he is either fragile or a freak.
Almost immediately Ryan meets Nikki who challenges him, colludes with him an More...
Feb 10, 2012
Devyani
rated it: 
Why didn't i like it ?
It had such a dark , smexy and Thrilling appeal to it ! but it all went down and kept on going down :(
Initial synopsis
Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs More...
It had such a dark , smexy and Thrilling appeal to it ! but it all went down and kept on going down :(
Initial synopsis
Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs More...
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Jan 10, 2012
Cheyenne
rated it:
I fell in love with Jennifer R. Hubbard's writing from the moment I laid eyes on The Secret Year, so I was ecstatic when I heard that Try Not to Breathe was coming out in the beginning of 2012. Unfortunately, this book-- while still a great message-- didn't quite live up to my expectations. Everything seemed to be slower paced and it might be because I've read more action-filled books lately, but it just wasn't enough for me.
Ryan's was a misunderstood teenage boy that felt alone a More...
Ryan's was a misunderstood teenage boy that felt alone a More...
Jan 02, 2012
Erica
rated it:
Try Not to Breathe was a really great read. I was very interested in this one when I heard about it, since I had liked her debut, The Secret Year. Try Not to Breathe was a really touching read that was just a really great book and I am happy to have read it.
I really loved the characters. Val, Jake, Nikki, they were all just great. The relationships between all the characters were so complex, and I loved seeing how everything would pan out between them. I really liked Nikki - she was More...
I really loved the characters. Val, Jake, Nikki, they were all just great. The relationships between all the characters were so complex, and I loved seeing how everything would pan out between them. I really liked Nikki - she was More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Sandra
rated it:
Try Not To Breathe is not your ordinary YA book. It deals primarily with a suicide attempt by the protagonist, Ryan, and the emotionally messy aftermath. This is a very heartfelt book and it takes a direct heads-on approach to the realities of teenagers and their problems.
Ryan has intense feelings of isolation and loneliness, even when surrounded by other people. I really felt sympathy for Ryan when he was describing what it felt like at these times. I liked that he readily admitted More...
Ryan has intense feelings of isolation and loneliness, even when surrounded by other people. I really felt sympathy for Ryan when he was describing what it felt like at these times. I liked that he readily admitted More...
Jan 30, 2012
Kapri
rated it:
I was so excited to read Try Not to Breathe. It sounded heartbreaking yet so good. Try Not to Breathe was different than I expected, but it was still good.
Try Not to Breathe wasn't as hard to read as I thought it would be. Considering the subject matter, it was surprisingly not hard to get through. It was still heartbreaking in its own way, but it wasn't super intense. I appreciated this a lot, because the subject of suicide can be a very difficult topic to tackle.
I was More...
Try Not to Breathe wasn't as hard to read as I thought it would be. Considering the subject matter, it was surprisingly not hard to get through. It was still heartbreaking in its own way, but it wasn't super intense. I appreciated this a lot, because the subject of suicide can be a very difficult topic to tackle.
I was More...
Feb 21, 2012
Ducky
rated it:
4.5 stars Ah, this really got under my skin, but it didn't make me cry. I'm still trying to figure that out (I think that I like that I didn't cry. I think that Hubbard's a good writer). Why was there romance? It was nice, but I'd like to think that everything could've been done without it.
It's a touchy subject. You might love it, you might hate it, or you might not even care. I didn't hate it or not care about it, sure, but I'm not sure that I loved it either. It left me feeling ho More...
It's a touchy subject. You might love it, you might hate it, or you might not even care. I didn't hate it or not care about it, sure, but I'm not sure that I loved it either. It left me feeling ho More...
Jan 25, 2012
Joy (joyous reads)
rated it:
Dying is easy. Living is hard. - If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
Three years ago my Dad tried to hang himself.
My Mom got there on time.
I still haven't been able to look him in the face when I see him.
Too scared to see the mark around his neck.
I can't figure out why he tried to do it.
I know they were in a bad place. I know they were having a hard time.
But who really knew what's going on in his head at the time?
What makes a More...
Three years ago my Dad tried to hang himself.
My Mom got there on time.
I still haven't been able to look him in the face when I see him.
Too scared to see the mark around his neck.
I can't figure out why he tried to do it.
I know they were in a bad place. I know they were having a hard time.
But who really knew what's going on in his head at the time?
What makes a More...
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Feb 21, 2012
Darkfallen
rated it:
This book was almost refreshing in a darker, slightly morbid way. Not that the book itself is morbid, but I'm sure people will say I am morbid for calling a book about a boy that tried to commit suicide "refreshing", but it was.
This review might be hard to follow but just hang in there with me...
Ryan is just a boy. A boy that didn't see any reason to carry on in his glass shield, invisible existence so he tries to commit suicide. Only the thing they don't tell More...
This review might be hard to follow but just hang in there with me...
Ryan is just a boy. A boy that didn't see any reason to carry on in his glass shield, invisible existence so he tries to commit suicide. Only the thing they don't tell More...
Dec 15, 2011
Jessi (Reading in the Corner)
rated it:
It was dangerous to stand under the waterfall, but some kids did it anyway, and I was one of them. The water pounded my mind blankc, stung my skin. It hit my naked back, chest, and shoulders so hard I couldn't think. That water could knock me over, pound me into hypothermia, force the breath out of me, pin me to the rock, and I knew it.
-p1, ARC
This paragraph had me literally from page one. The opening paragraph (above) pulled me right in to the story and hel More...
-p1, ARC
This paragraph had me literally from page one. The opening paragraph (above) pulled me right in to the story and hel More...
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Feb 19, 2012
Midnite
rated it: 
I expected Try Not to Breathe to be...something else. It didn't make me think about suicide or depression or what it's like to be a survivor, which disappointed me. Ryan (the main character) talks about the fact that his classmates stay away from him when school's in session, but I thought more moments with his peers would have shown the reader what life was like for him after leaving a mental hospital. There are plenty of awkward scenes with his parents that I thought were well done, but I neve
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Jan 20, 2012
Brittany
rated it:
Ryan gets out of the hospital after a suicide attempt and finds out that everyone knows. No one really knows why though. A neighbor girl, Nicki, meets him one day and starts asking him to help her. Her father killed himself and she wants to figure out why. She thinks that Ryan holds the answers. Ryan is still trying to figure things out for himself. Trying to piece himself back together. He's in love with a girl who will reject him and his parents don't know how to treat him. Both Nicki and Rya
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Dec 01, 2011
Princess Bookie
rated it:
My Thoughts: When I started this novel, I wasn't sure what I was in for? I don't normally like reading books based on a males perspective, as I've said time and time before. I have a problem connecting for some reason.
Try Not To Breathe was a sensible beautiful novel. I really felt like I understood exactly what Ryan was going through. He made it all so clear. He made me feel what he felt.
He tried to kill himself by locking himself in a garage and turning the car on. He More...
Try Not To Breathe was a sensible beautiful novel. I really felt like I understood exactly what Ryan was going through. He made it all so clear. He made me feel what he felt.
He tried to kill himself by locking himself in a garage and turning the car on. He More...
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Dec 07, 2011
S.F.
rated it:
In short, Try Not to Breathe lives up to its name.
This tangle of emotional moments will have readers holding their breath as often as the characters, but shock isn’t what will make you forget to breathe. Based on the description and the likening of this novel to Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (review), shock was what I was expecting. Well, it never came and I’m glad. There’s a quiet strength in this novel, and that’s what hooked me.
Ryan’s coping with life after his s More...
This tangle of emotional moments will have readers holding their breath as often as the characters, but shock isn’t what will make you forget to breathe. Based on the description and the likening of this novel to Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (review), shock was what I was expecting. Well, it never came and I’m glad. There’s a quiet strength in this novel, and that’s what hooked me.
Ryan’s coping with life after his s More...
Nov 13, 2011
11/13/2011 5:22 PM I am currently entering giveaways on Goodreads when I came across this book. This book is so intriguing to me since my sister was also 16 when she attempted suicide and is still dealing with the aftereffects and still searching for the meaning of life. I can't wait to read this book and see what happens to Ryan; hopefully I can find something meaningful in the book to share with my younger sister.
Feb 09, 2012
Krista
rated it:
I absolutely loved this book. The voice of Ryan was so perfect and the aftermath of his suicide attempt tenderly chronicled. His struggle to understand himself why he did what he did is mirrored in the questions his new friend Nikki has regarding her own father's suicide.
As Ryan tries to explain to Nikki that some things are not easily explained, Nikkie seeks out various psychics to speak to the spirit of her dead father. Ryan undergoes transformation and growth as his friendship wi More...
As Ryan tries to explain to Nikki that some things are not easily explained, Nikkie seeks out various psychics to speak to the spirit of her dead father. Ryan undergoes transformation and growth as his friendship wi More...
Feb 20, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
OK so this book is hard for me to rate. the writing was done well and moved me to tear up in places, but the story was hard for me. i have never been to a place in my life to understand attempting suicide, so it made sense but also made me question... can it really be so simple? even that question sounds wrong? i found myself wondering just like thoes in the book, were these things bad enough for Ryan to give up life for? i guess the fact that it is making me ask these questions shows the t
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Jan 30, 2012
Ellen
rated it:
Ryan & Nicki bond over their shared daring underneath a powerful waterfall. He's recently out of a mental hospital after a suicide attempt, she's trying to recover from her father's unexplained suicide. While not as affecting as The Secret Year, Hubbard's sophomore effort is well worth a read, and with a visually appealing cover, should have a decent audience.
Feb 07, 2012
Emily
rated it:
I picked this book off of my library's shelves and hoped it wasn't too depressing. I was pleased to find that it's not depressing at all! Try Not to Breathe tells the story of a once suicidal teen who is discovering what life is truly about. I thought the characters were very well-developed and I liked it all the way through to the end.
Feb 12, 2012
Teenelizabeth
rated it:
Real and raw and often difficult for me to read (and I think that would go for anyone who's dealt with mental illness and suicide), but it's worth the discomfort because the story and the characters are so so so beautiful and brimming with a desperate kind of hope.
Jul 19, 2011
NOOOOOOOOOOO! 2012?!?!?!?!
I NEED THIS NOW.
Sounds dark and sexy and the cover is one of my favorites ever!
how did they manage to pull it off?! it's just so perfect!
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is it 2012, already? D:
I NEED THIS NOW.
Sounds dark and sexy and the cover is one of my favorites ever!
how did they manage to pull it off?! it's just so perfect!
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is it 2012, already? D:
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Feb 05, 2012
Anna
rated it:
Books about depression are always a bit of a downer (duh, huh?) but I also always appreciate Hubbard's smooth and eloquent (more adult, maybe) writing style, which she has once again accomplished here.
Nov 24, 2011
Finally, a unique sounding YA romance that doesn't involve anything supernatural. I look forward to reading this one, I entered the giveaway for it, even if I don't win the giveaway I will make sure to request that my local library gets it! :)
