Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance ...
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Mar 12, 2009
Katie
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Savannah and Jackson's story is a new type of love story. Unlike most stories about long distance relationships, this one inspires hope.
As soon as I started reading this book, I fell in love with Savannah's character. She embodies the typical teenage girl, full of insecurities and hopes. Unlike most girls, though, Savannah has severe asthma.
Savannah was content to be by herself for the summer: working, reading romance novels, and watching out for her little brother. More...
As soon as I started reading this book, I fell in love with Savannah's character. She embodies the typical teenage girl, full of insecurities and hopes. Unlike most girls, though, Savannah has severe asthma.
Savannah was content to be by herself for the summer: working, reading romance novels, and watching out for her little brother. More...
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Mar 04, 2009
Yan
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Breathing was a tale of young love that steals your breath away. The sudden ache when you know that you are just meant to be, but the world prevents it. Or maybe just yourself? It’s the feeling that maybe you just are not good enough to be with that person that steals your breath or soul away. But, let’s aim for the positive. Breathing captured the essence of tender touches, ripping heartache, and soft caresses in one stunning novel.
Savannah was a poignant teen with an adorable sense More...
Savannah was a poignant teen with an adorable sense More...
Jan 28, 2009
J.E.
rated it:
Wow. Not only is the title incredibly fitting for this wonderful book, the story contains one of the most delicious romances ever.
I loved Savanannah, who springs to life, luring the reader immediatley into her Southern world, complete with heat (more than one kind), phrasing and distinct Southern living. I've never been South but I feel like I had a visit after reading Breathing. And if the Southern boys are like Jackson. Well. Simply swoon worthy.
My heart actually ach More...
I loved Savanannah, who springs to life, luring the reader immediatley into her Southern world, complete with heat (more than one kind), phrasing and distinct Southern living. I've never been South but I feel like I had a visit after reading Breathing. And if the Southern boys are like Jackson. Well. Simply swoon worthy.
My heart actually ach More...
Apr 08, 2009
Erin
rated it:
Savannah can't breathe because of her asthma. Her lungs have all seized up since her daddy left...until she meets Jackson. This sweet story of long-distance summer love will strike a heart with teen readers.
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Nov 24, 2008
Sarah
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Finishing Cheryl Herbsman's BREATHING prompts one of those moments when you close a book with such complete satisfaction that you can't help but sigh.
The book is really wonderful. It's lyric and lovely and the characters are so very vivid and authentic that I actually felt like I had spent my summer in Savannah's world. And that Jackson...my word. He is a tall drink of water. Cheryl has written a stunning, beautiful, charming book--the story is so simple and so perfect. I want to rea More...
The book is really wonderful. It's lyric and lovely and the characters are so very vivid and authentic that I actually felt like I had spent my summer in Savannah's world. And that Jackson...my word. He is a tall drink of water. Cheryl has written a stunning, beautiful, charming book--the story is so simple and so perfect. I want to rea More...
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Mar 24, 2009
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
Savannah was named after a tornado that was hitting Savannah, Georgia, when she was born. She lives with her mother and her brother, named Dog. Her father left when she was very young. Ever since the day her father left she has had severe asthma. She believes that she can't breathe without the support of her father.
Her mother is a proud yet loving mother. She keeps losing jobs because she won't tell her employer why she miss More...
Savannah was named after a tornado that was hitting Savannah, Georgia, when she was born. She lives with her mother and her brother, named Dog. Her father left when she was very young. Ever since the day her father left she has had severe asthma. She believes that she can't breathe without the support of her father.
Her mother is a proud yet loving mother. She keeps losing jobs because she won't tell her employer why she miss More...
Nov 13, 2010
April
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 17, 2010
Bianca
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Savannah's father walked out on her family long ago and her mother has been the one taking care of her and her brother Dog. Savannah is book smarts and has dreams of going onto bigger things as soon as she gets out of her small town. One summer day she meets a guy named Jackson on the beach and soon they find it hard to stay away from each other.
Herbsman writes a sweet, innocent and fast-paced story about first love and how teenagers can truly love one another. Jackson and Savannah a More...
Herbsman writes a sweet, innocent and fast-paced story about first love and how teenagers can truly love one another. Jackson and Savannah a More...
Jan 08, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
I'm sort of on the fence with this one. I really liked certain aspects of it, but other parts I didn't. Maybe I was just expecting too much since everyone else seemed to think it was the Best Book Ever and I was expected something Sarah Dessen worthy. I liked Savannah's voice as the narrator, as in her personality, but I really could not get past all the Southern dialect. It was just so distracting, because it made me wonder if people really talk like that, since I know tons of Southerners who b
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Jun 28, 2009
Jennifer
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I was very excited to read this book from the minute I read about it on the Debs of 2009 Livejournal. A southern girl falling in love for the first time? Sign me up! (In fact, I was so excited to read it that I read it *before* Sarah Dessen's new book -they came in the same book order- and I adore Sarah Dessen.)
If it was an option I would have given this book 3.5 stars. I liked it enough that I will recommend it to people, but not so much that I can see myself reading it over and ove More...
If it was an option I would have given this book 3.5 stars. I liked it enough that I will recommend it to people, but not so much that I can see myself reading it over and ove More...
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May 28, 2009
Teen
rated it:
I closed this book and sighed a happy sigh. It isn’t often that I read something that isn’ t blood, violence and intrigue so, I forgot that I liked another kind of book.
A sweet, clean, summer romance that is more than it appears. The tagline, “What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?”, is intriguing and really does capture the essence of the this book. Savannah Georgina Brown (not Savannah Georgia, her mama thought that would be tacky!) l More...
A sweet, clean, summer romance that is more than it appears. The tagline, “What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?”, is intriguing and really does capture the essence of the this book. Savannah Georgina Brown (not Savannah Georgia, her mama thought that would be tacky!) l More...
Jun 01, 2011
Savannah (Books With Bite)
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This is a great summer, southern story that had me hooked from the very first page. Now this Savannah, I not only adored but fell in love with. She reminded me of me so much. I really enjoyed reading this book. The southern boy in this book, not only said things that made me gasp, but grip my heart hard.
You got to love your southern boys. Always real and true, this boy Jack, said everything right and more. He is your type of guys who knows what he wants. And when he finds it, he will More...
You got to love your southern boys. Always real and true, this boy Jack, said everything right and more. He is your type of guys who knows what he wants. And when he finds it, he will More...
Aug 23, 2009
Stephanie
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Breathing is about a fifteen year old girl named Savannah who falls in love with eighteen year old Jackson. However, this simple plot is filled with the troubles of Savannah's asthma and the turmoils of true love. Savannah and Jackson's love is a bumpy road filled with family problems, strict rules and asthma attacks.
What I really loved about this novel was the way it was written or it's prose. The novel is written from Savannah's point of view, which is written in a Southern accent, More...
What I really loved about this novel was the way it was written or it's prose. The novel is written from Savannah's point of view, which is written in a Southern accent, More...
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Jun 09, 2009
Justin
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Unputdownable. I love Savannah Georgina Brown. She's such a sweet and funny character.
Although, being a Carolina girl, I am a little put off by the author's choice of grammar, or perhaps I should say, often lack of grammar. The main character, Savannah gets excellent grades and works hard in school, yet in her conversations, she along with the other characters sometimes sound like a bunch of uneducated hicks. But, I do recognize many of the things the characters say as part of t More...
Although, being a Carolina girl, I am a little put off by the author's choice of grammar, or perhaps I should say, often lack of grammar. The main character, Savannah gets excellent grades and works hard in school, yet in her conversations, she along with the other characters sometimes sound like a bunch of uneducated hicks. But, I do recognize many of the things the characters say as part of t More...
Jan 16, 2012
Karen
rated it:
Breathing is a cute and romantic story about young love. A great novel for a summer’s read.
The book cover instantly caught my attention, the book itself was engrossing. I appreciated the Southern drawl that made the book seem more realistic. The obstacles that the lovers had to face was also relatable and realistic; curfew, chores, money, long distance relationship and strict parents etc. The author captured the teenage minds in her story perfectly.
Savannah is a sweet fi More...
The book cover instantly caught my attention, the book itself was engrossing. I appreciated the Southern drawl that made the book seem more realistic. The obstacles that the lovers had to face was also relatable and realistic; curfew, chores, money, long distance relationship and strict parents etc. The author captured the teenage minds in her story perfectly.
Savannah is a sweet fi More...
Jul 18, 2010
Tiffany
rated it:
Fifteen year old Savannah dreams of getting out of her small town and making something of herself. She meets 18 year old Jackson and while she fights to help him have his dreams come true she is willing to set her own dreams aside. This is a cute story but some times I felt the relationship was a little disfunctional. Jackson and Savannah were cute when they were together but when he was not there I didn't like how Savannah just shut herself off from the world.
I loved the southe More...
I loved the southe More...
Feb 01, 2012
BookChic
rated it:
Herbsman did a wonderful first love story here and it made for a quick and cute read. I really enjoyed how it was told in a Southern dialect because it made the novel more interesting and unique. I liked seeing Jackson and Savannah connect and also seeing how they coped with being so far apart from each other. It is extremely difficult to do a long distance relationship (as I know myself) and it was very interesting to see how they dealt with the obstacles thrown between them. One thing I wasn't
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Jan 25, 2010
Brittany
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Savannah (named after a "tornada") loves to lie around during the summer and read romance novels. This gives her a break from her hard working school year. This summer becomes different, after she meets Jackson. She senses that something about him might just be different than the way other boys are. He follows her mama's rules and when she has an asthma attack he even stays with her in the hospital. Eventually however, his mom decides she needs help earning money and taking care of her
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Dec 20, 2008
These characters feel very real to me -- Mama, Jackson, especially Savannah. Their concerns, desires, interactions with one another combine to create vibrant, living, *breathing* people. And Savannah and Jackson have some heat going on. A very fine debut.
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Apr 08, 2011
S.
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Savannah is a young teenage girl living in a small town off the Carolina coast. She has been working at the library, reading romance books and wondering how she was escaping her small town. She meets Jackson and they decide that they are made for each other. However, when Jackson leaves to go back to his hometown, Savannah struggles with the heartbreak and her asthma attacks. How will she get Jackson to come back?
The book is written entirely in the dialect of the Southeast. I, being a More...
The book is written entirely in the dialect of the Southeast. I, being a More...
Jul 15, 2009
Kristin
rated it:
Set on the Carolina shore, Breathing by Cheryl Renée Herbsman focuses on Savannah (ironically named for Savannah, Georgia) the summer she meets Jackson Channing. When Savannah was young, her father left the family, and since then Savannah has been faced with severe asthma attacks that occur more frequently than she would like to admit, especially to the handsome Jackson. His presence not only captures the attention of her heart, but allows her to breathe a little more easily. When Jackson has to
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Jun 23, 2009
Steph Su
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If you want a heartening, fun tale of true love set outside of the usual fairy tale setting, BREATHING is for you. From start to finish Cheryl Renee Herbsman engages us fully with Savannah’s Southern life, most obviously with Savannah’s charming Southern dialect. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book whose protagonist’s out-of-the-ordinary voice was so convincing as Savannah’s. It didn’t take long before I really felt like Savannah was talking to me, and that, if I really wanted to, I could easi
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Mar 22, 2009
Angela
rated it:
A sweet story about summer love, following your dreams and the important people in your life who love you.
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Oct 20, 2008
Sydney
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A wonderful, unique love story that will appeal to romantics of all ages.
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Sep 07, 2011
vcheung
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I'm still not really sure how I feel about this book. Unfortunately, it was just one of those books that didn't really stand out one way or another, and it really is just a three star kind of book in my opinion. Which is a bit disappointing really, because Breathing was anything but the stereotypical, cliche YA novel, and, I felt, it was way more substantial than many of the YA books that have filled up my 'to read' list. It deserves to be more than forgettable, but I fear it'll join the ranks o
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Jun 08, 2011
Clover (Fluttering Butterflies)
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Awww. What an absolutely sweet book Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman is. Right from the very first page, I was absolutely hooked. This book instantly put the smile on my face and made my heart happy.
This book felt like an absolute breath of fresh air with its young love and its Southerness. I know that I complain sometimes that love in YA shouldn't be hugely dramatic and overemotional and especially that it shouldn't necessarily be forever. But then there's books like Breathing where More...
This book felt like an absolute breath of fresh air with its young love and its Southerness. I know that I complain sometimes that love in YA shouldn't be hugely dramatic and overemotional and especially that it shouldn't necessarily be forever. But then there's books like Breathing where More...
Mar 24, 2011
Melissa
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I really felt that Breathing could have been a good book for me, but unfortunately, it was hampered by its narration/accent and characterizations. The narration reads very much like a diary format, not unlike to The Princess Diaries, but it’s not, and because of that, I felt like I wasn’t sure what I was reading, a diary or a story.
Savannah (as in) Georgia Brown is a 15-year-old girl who lives in the south and is perfectly content with reading romance novels and living a simple life. More...
Savannah (as in) Georgia Brown is a 15-year-old girl who lives in the south and is perfectly content with reading romance novels and living a simple life. More...
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Apr 24, 2011
Laura
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A perfect summer beach read! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I've missed reading a plain ol' romance and this was just what I needed. Breathing is one of the most realistic teen romance stories I've read in a long time.
What made me love Breathing the most was how simple the story was. Of course there was angst, but it was so appropriate and realistic, not only for the characters but for teenagers in general. There wasn't even really an antagonist, jus More...
What made me love Breathing the most was how simple the story was. Of course there was angst, but it was so appropriate and realistic, not only for the characters but for teenagers in general. There wasn't even really an antagonist, jus More...
Jan 27, 2012
Mika
rated it:
Likes
- The writing. It was quite simple but efficient. Good hold on the Carolina accent.
- The relationship between Savannah and her mother. They have their ups and downs but you can feel the love, especially towards the end of the book. Savannah's mother is a strong independant woman and she wants her children to have the life she didn't. Her relationship with her own mother is paved with resentment and bitterness and you can tell that Porscha doesn't want her relationship with he More...
- The writing. It was quite simple but efficient. Good hold on the Carolina accent.
- The relationship between Savannah and her mother. They have their ups and downs but you can feel the love, especially towards the end of the book. Savannah's mother is a strong independant woman and she wants her children to have the life she didn't. Her relationship with her own mother is paved with resentment and bitterness and you can tell that Porscha doesn't want her relationship with he More...
Feb 03, 2010
Lizzy
rated it:
Breathing made me mourn summer. I started the book in the middle of the first big snowstorm of the winter, and the description made me wish that I could go lay out in the sun.
I really enjoyed the way the story dealt with teen love. It didn't treat it like "puppy love" (a phrase my parents use to describe teen love), and it felt very real. Savannah, though immature and naive at times, cares very deeply about Jackson. I felt particularly bad for Savannah during the portion of More...
I really enjoyed the way the story dealt with teen love. It didn't treat it like "puppy love" (a phrase my parents use to describe teen love), and it felt very real. Savannah, though immature and naive at times, cares very deeply about Jackson. I felt particularly bad for Savannah during the portion of More...
