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Resist

(Breathe #2)

Sarah Crossan (Goodreads Author)

3.74 · Rating details · 5,451 ratings · 564 reviews

The sequel—and conclusion—to Sarah Crossan's Breathe. Three teen outlaws must survive on their own in a world without air, exiled outside the glass dome that protects what's left of human civilization. Gripping action, provocative ideas, and shocking revelations in a dystopian novel that fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth will devour.

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the ru ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published October 8th 2013 by Greenwillow Books

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Feb 13, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-character, post-apoc, me-likes-you, books-i-own, arc, action, dystopian-utopian, love-triangle, death, could-have-been-so-much-better

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

3.5 stars

Thank you Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

I just run. I run as fast as my lungs and legs will carry me. The voice comes at me again. It's Silas. "Run, Alina! ALINA!"

Even though Resist was not as stunning as Crossan's first instalment, Breathe, Resist was still a thoroughly enjoyable book compact with action, survival and persistence. I just was hoping for a little more from every See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

3.5 stars

Thank you Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

I just run. I run as fast as my lungs and legs will carry me. The voice comes at me again. It's Silas. "Run, Alina! ALINA!"

Even though Resist was not as stunning as Crossan's first instalment, Breathe, Resist was still a thoroughly enjoyable book compact with action, survival and persistence. I just was hoping for a little more from everything.

While we are welcomed back to the characters, Bea, Alina and Quinn, we also have a new addition of a voice--the mayor's son, Ronan. Each of these are all tested and stretched to the maximums of their abilities as they attempt to strive in the writhing, oxygen-deprived world. Oxygen becomes scarcer but Bea, Quinn, Alina and Ronan are becoming better and better at breathing thin gasps. If the environment doesn't change, they've got to change with them. This small group of teenagers were strong in their own ways and lengths--mentally, physically and emotionally. We have the over-thinking Bea and fearless Alina, Quinn who if full of determination and Ronan, who is just trying to do the right thing. Despite the likable-sounding personalities, I still struggled to connect with these four protagonists because if anything, they were just ornaments that drove the plot along. They were at times hard to distinguish without the help of their settings and supporting characters. In the end, I truly appreciated each character, some of them turned out to shock me. I am still trying to shake away my unsettlement.

Sarah Crossan's writing is in a way, poetic and flowing. Maybe why I enjoyed her The Weight of Water so much. Her words are simple, yet they are strong and pull this story through nicely. I'd also like to point out that the romance was at the perfect level. In a fighting world, powering romance would have knocked this series flat onto the ground in a second. But Crossan's romance is just there, to know it's existing but it's not there as some ludicrous necessity. This is what I loved more about Resist than Breathe, the romance had lightened up. And refocused on the more important and more captivating elements--i.e. the plot. Life isn't about love; it's about fighting for what's right and what is meant to be free.

World building was relatively non-existent here. I understand that all the world building was projected in Breathe; however more history of the world would have made this series much more likable and thought-provoking. And as a last quibble, the ending. So damn unexpected and not really my favourite. I was hoping for a better closure--or longer closure. I guess I'm still a little on-the-fence about it. Unexpected but in a way, disquieting.

The second and final instalment to Sarah Crossan's debut is here with some ass-kicking characters and slash of romance. I would have liked more detail in some aspects but I was still satisfied all the same. I am ready to pounce on anything Sarah Crossan has coming up next. ...more

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Dec 21, 2013 Barb Middleton rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, dystopia, air-pollution

I thought the first book had potential but lacked character development. This book stills lacks character development but the plot is absurd. Not enough is explained, the action doesn't flow well from one scene to the other, and some parts don't make sense. I had way too many questions at the end. The story starts where Breathe (book 1) left off with Quinn, Bea, and Alina being tossed out of the pod and looking for Sequoia, another oasis to get oxygen. Or is it? Jazz, Bea, and Quinn are fleeing I thought the first book had potential but lacked character development. This book stills lacks character development but the plot is absurd. Not enough is explained, the action doesn't flow well from one scene to the other, and some parts don't make sense. I had way too many questions at the end. The story starts where Breathe (book 1) left off with Quinn, Bea, and Alina being tossed out of the pod and looking for Sequoia, another oasis to get oxygen. Or is it? Jazz, Bea, and Quinn are fleeing when Jazz falls down a manhole breaking her leg so badly the bone goes through the skin. Quinn is forced to leave them and get help. Alina is with another group that is headed for Sequoia and they get there first finding out that things are not all that they seem.

Spoiler alert*
Ronan, a minor character in the first book, gets his own point of view in the chapters. He is just like Quinn. Rich boy who rejects his upbringing and never acts selfishly. He's willing to give up his wealth because he doesn't agree with the government's inequality. His motivation to change is because his father is cruel and he's traumatized from burning down the Grove and killing innocent people. The mom and sister love their lifestyle. Because the characters lack depth and are shown one-dimensionally, I am not convinced that Ronan would completely turn his back on his lifestyle. It seems more like the author is telling the reader how to act toward injustices in authoritarian governments rather than showing a complex personality in a character. Because of that, Ronan lacked authenticity for me. The point of views are all written in first person narration and if you don't read the book nonstop it can be confusing who is speaking when setting it down and picking it up in the middle of the chapter.

Vanya is just like Petra who is her sister, but more maniacal. She is not explained at all. We don't know why she gave up her kid or why she has started a breeding program or why she and her sister had such a severe falling out with each other. One of my favorite dystopia books, "The Handmaid's Tale," by Margaret Atwood explores the concept of women used for breeding. If you want to see this idea explored in a psychological, creepy way I highly recommend it. Alina is paired with the villain, Maks, and the way he is presented you would expect him to rape her, but he doesn't after the Pairing Ceremony. The women seem to be at the mercy of men physically. Bea has a rape scene too. It's supposed to show her being naive and then turning into someone with a reason to kill another human being, but if was more manipulative than in-depth character change. Many times it felt like the author was dropping in some big event and eventually so many got plunked into the plot it began to feel absurd. I realize that dystopia and fantasy push the boundaries of believability but this seemed like too much from pushing a bone back into place to escaping with a bunch of babies. When Alina dies at the end I didn't even feel sad.

I had so many questions at the ending that felt rushed. What happened to Jazz and Vanya? Why did she give up her daughter? Why did she experiment on people to breed kids who could survive on less air when she already had a process that worked with adults? Why didn't Vanya give the adults any freedom? Why would the adults agree to it? Why did Abel like Sequoia? Why didn't the author have Maude reuniting with Bea? What happened to Quinn's mom? What happened to Nimh? Don't bother with this book.

2 Smileys
...more

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Dec 19, 2015 Maddie rated it really liked it

Shelves: ukya, library-books

Such an amazing sequel and ending to the series, unexpected and thrilling this duet is seriously special and well worth reading if you like the dystopian genre and a nice, thick plot!

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Jul 06, 2014 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-am-gonna-die-if-i-don-t-read-this, library-now

My only complaint is that I wish this would have been a trilogy.

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Dec 15, 2015 Bee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ukya, library-books

Can all dystopians be duologies please?(!)

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Jun 25, 2013 J rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

After reading this, THANK YOU GOD FOR OXYGEN!

The sequel and I believe also the last book in this series -don't quote me on that- was more gripping, shocking for sure, and had me more than the first book. No spoilers of course but there was more things going on in this and we get to see that in many point of views.

First thing comes in mind about this was shocking. About maybe 24%, 11 chapters in, I literally jumped out of my bed and started screaming. I did not see that coming. I can't even... I ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Mazz Nixon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Full review here: (http://wordsontheshelf.blogspot.co.uk...)

Oh where to start with this beautiful, beautiful heart breaking book. Well I knew I would love this book, after book 1 (Breathe) which I adored to no end, I had very high expectations. Not only were those met, but they were exceeded. My mind was blown by the imagination and skill that Sarah must have put in, in order to create such a action packed, believable, solid plot that is like spaghetti twisted together on a plate... complicated ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Christina Pilkington rated it did not like it

*I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. Especially after I disliked the first book in the duo logy.

I especially wanted to like it because the premise intrigued me. It's a dystopian novel set in a world where most people are reduced to living inside a pod, which produces its air artificially since humans have polluted the world's water system and destroyed all its trees. It's about evil governments, rebellions and a f *I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. Especially after I disliked the first book in the duo logy.

I especially wanted to like it because the premise intrigued me. It's a dystopian novel set in a world where most people are reduced to living inside a pod, which produces its air artificially since humans have polluted the world's water system and destroyed all its trees. It's about evil governments, rebellions and a fight to make the world into a better place- all pretty typical dystopian troupes.

But the first novel Breathe was pretty bad. I read it first knowing that I had won this book.
It was bad not so much from the plot, although there wasn’t anything you couldn’t guess would happen, but from the poor writing. Each sentence was the same- monotonous. Not a complex compound sentence to be found. Awful dialogue in many places. Embarrassing details that brought nothing to the characters or the plot.

So I was hoping for improvements in this next book. But no. I will have to say the dialogue and most of the description was improved a bit, but the writing style was still very monotonous.
There were some ok plot twists. But just when I was thinking, “Now she could definitely do something interesting with that,” the author turned around and created incredible unrealistic and mostly predictable choices.

The other thing that drove me a bit crazy was the strange way the characters weren’t developed. It wasn’t that they were two dimensional. It’s just that all the characters seemed bipolar. They kept on changing who they were even within the same scene. It’s always nice to not have predictable characters, but to have them bounce around in their personalities so much seemed very strange. There was definitely no character arc for any of the characters.

So I cannot recommend that anyone read this book. It has such an interesting premise. It’s just a shame it wasn’t written to its full potential.
...more

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Dec 26, 2013 Marcia rated it really liked it

Shelves: rereads-2016, science-fiction, dystopia, young-adult, romantiek

Ik heb enorm genoten van het herlezen van Breathe en Resist. Deze duologie weet je van begin tot eind op het puntje van je stoel te houden en onderscheidt zich door haar enorm originele world building en een goed uitgewerkte diversiteit aan karakters. Helaas vond ik het einde iets te kort door de bocht en had ik graag wat extra achtergrondinformatie gelezen over deze interessante toekomstvisie. Desondanks wil ik deze boeken enorm graag aanraden, omdat het verhaal super spannend is en het je zeke ...more

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Oct 27, 2015 Laura rated it it was ok

Shelves: ebook, read-2015

A disappointing conclusion to a less than promising ending.

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Feb 25, 2020 Anya Blackhart rated it liked it

Character development is so good it’s practically insane! The ending semi-killed me though.

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Jan 18, 2014 P.E. rated it did not like it

Reviews and more at The Sirenic Codex

Resist did nothing to pull me in emotionally.

I thought I may as well start this review with brutal honesty. I can tiptoe around it, but this is by far the biggest issue of Resist. I wasn't a fan of Breathe, but I read a review that spoke so highly of Resist that I convinced myself that it deserved another chance. So, here we are.

The characters were barely distinguishable to me. Alina was fierce, Bea was strong, Quinn was umm, mature? Ronan was the only one I Reviews and more at The Sirenic Codex

Resist did nothing to pull me in emotionally.

I thought I may as well start this review with brutal honesty. I can tiptoe around it, but this is by far the biggest issue of Resist. I wasn't a fan of Breathe, but I read a review that spoke so highly of Resist that I convinced myself that it deserved another chance. So, here we are.

The characters were barely distinguishable to me. Alina was fierce, Bea was strong, Quinn was umm, mature? Ronan was the only one I felt had any real characterization and he was probably my favourite character. Maybe it was the writing style but I just felt so detached from all of them. The story featured alternating perspectives but it wasn't done too well and I really couldn't tell who's perspective I was reading.

The world building failed when it came to plausibility. I don't understand why the evil villains did their evil deeds. There was no explanation besides that they're insane, which I can't really believe when so many people supported them. It feels like it was written for shock value, but with no real basis and that's irritating. Furthermore, I had a lot of trouble believing in the lack of technology. The fact that there weren't any cameras and microphones in every room was strange. The plan the good guys concocted just seemed too lucky.

I didn't like the structure of the story either because I felt like some parts dragged out, and other were way too short. The ending, with a scene that was supposed to be epic, fell rather flat because there wasn't enough build up. Something happened for shock value (again), and I realized to what extent I was emotionally detached when I couldn't bring myself to care and moved on.

Resist was easily readable, but in the sense that you could make yourself read it and be interested. When I put the book down however, I felt no compulsion or curiosity concerning the story. None of the characters were fascinating, the premise wasn't believable, and the plot felt dull.

Maybe this is a writing issue in the sense of execution. I feel like this series could have been good, and when I think of it, the idea is cool. Imagine living without oxygen? Sounds awful to be given or denied oxygen based on your social class. However, somehow Breathe and Resist both fell flat. I don't know if there are more books. (Turns out there are not.) Neither do I care. Resist didn't work for me. ...more

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Dec 14, 2014 Amanda rated it it was ok · review of another edition

At least one mystery was solved. (view spoiler) Which was the only question that was answered. I was especially disappointed that the big questions I had about The Switch went unanswered. Resist continued following a formulaic dystopian plot, which bothered me. There were no surprises, really. (view spoiler) ...more

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Dec 21, 2016 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

This was one the most interesting books I have ever read. I loved how the author made the story tense, but not lover tense, because I HATE that. My dad and I are big into conserving energy and natural resources, and this book was a whole new thing for us. The whole part about having no air whatsoever was an interesting concept, and how some people wanted to keep it that way, while others wanted to save the planet. I was very glad that my prediction that Abel was working for the Ministry was fals ...more

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Jul 12, 2015 Ryan Buckby rated it it was amazing

in a society built on lies, not everyone can survive the truth..

i REALLY enjoyed this book more than i did the first one but i can say i love the series equally

This book was the squeal and final book in the breathe series, it was gripping, shocking for sure, and had me more than the first book at times. New characters make an appearance in this book we don't get 3 different perspectives but now 4 different ones in this book we have Bea, Quinn, Alina and now Ronan.

I will have to say the charact ...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Annabelle marked it as wishlist

I really, really want this. It's gonna be amazing. ...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Madison rated it it was amazing

8th of October? I can't wait that long. I won't be able to Breathe much longer if it doesn't come out soon. Haha not funny. I can't wait I loved it so much and Resist is going to be much better. ...more

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Jul 19, 2017 15HillB rated it really liked it

Amazing book better than breathe

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Apr 08, 2018 octavia 🥀 rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 05, 2018 15HillG rated it it was amazing

It was incredible and left the story with an ending that I could say yes I’ve read this book. It answered so many questions I had when reading the first book and I thought the storyline was so strong and an amazing book by Sarah.

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Apr 04, 2018 Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

Such an easy read. This was a good ending to the series.

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Nov 11, 2019 Greenglasses rated it it was amazing

This was a great sequel to breath.

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Oct 20, 2020 aileenlucia rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star-reads, love-love-love, books-i-own, series, fantasy, dystopia, recommended-by-me, made-me-cry

It started slow and ended soooo quick.

I loved the Breathe series so much but there were so many problems and new discoveries in this book, but not many pages left so I thought how is she going to end this book. Of course, the end was rushed and didn't really tell me what happened. It just goes straight forward to the "everything turned out perfect, we are all happy" part what I didn't like.

I can only recommend this thrilling series. ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog.

Last year, I was completely taken by surprise by how much I loved Sarah Crossan's Breathe despite the multiple mixed reviews from blogger friends. I was more than excited to begin Resist because I wanted to know how everything ended for the characters that I grew to cherish in the first book of the series. While Resist ended on a positive note, I was still disappointed by the lack of answers to some questions I had in the first book.

Resist, like Breath
Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog.

Last year, I was completely taken by surprise by how much I loved Sarah Crossan's Breathe despite the multiple mixed reviews from blogger friends. I was more than excited to begin Resist because I wanted to know how everything ended for the characters that I grew to cherish in the first book of the series. While Resist ended on a positive note, I was still disappointed by the lack of answers to some questions I had in the first book.

Resist, like Breathe, is told in multiple POVs. However, in addition to the POVs of Alina, Bea and Quinn, we get another POV from a new character, Ronan. Usually, I'm not a fan of multiple POVs because they hardly ever work for me, but this series is an exception because I completely adore being inside the head of all these characters. It was also a necessity in this book because the characters were never always together. My favorite character in this series has always been Bea. She started off as the naive, innocent girl who has had a crush on her best friend for a long time, but over the course of the book, she developed into this beautiful character who began to see her real strength and started using her strengths to help others. In Resist, I grew to love her even more because she blossomed into an even braver character. What I loved most about Bea though that she didn't allow the circumstances that she was in to harden her soul. She was still the sweet, genuine and honest girl that she had always been. Quinn, on the other hand, I had some issues with. I hated how he constantly left Bea alone despite knowing very well how harsh the conditions were and he frustrated me at times. What I love about the characters in this series is that they are all well-developed and you actually get to watch them grow throughout the books, which is a huge plus according to me.

The plot in Resist was fast-paced, which made it quite an entertaining read. I also liked how the characters weren't constantly with each other, so you go to see what was going on on the different sides of the world in Resist. My complaint when it comes to Resist is the lack of answers. I had multiple questions as to how the world in this series came to be in the first book, so I was sorely disappointed when I turned the last page because none of my questions were answered and this is the last book of the series. While the world-building wasn't as strong, the characterizations and the nail-biting plot made up for it, but I do think a lot of people who look for solid world-building when it comes to dystopian books will be a bit disappointed with Resist. The romance between Bea and Quinn was minimal and that was a shame because I was looking forward to more scenes between them. The few scenes they had together though were sweet, heart-warming and left me smiling. While the Breathe series might not be the best dystopian series, I do think it's worth the read because Sarah Crossan has a wonderful writing style.

My feelings for Resist are conflicted. Part of me loved it and the other part had a few issues with it. It is by no means a terrible book, but I did expect more from it. If I had to choose between Breathe and Resist, I would most definitely choose Breathe. ...more

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Oct 13, 2013 Adriana C rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-arc

I'll start by saying that I did not expect that Resist was the conclusion of Breathe, I had the idea that it was a trilogy and is the standard in the dystopias (and other sub-genres), so it was a pleasant surprise to find out that it was a duology. Another thing I did not expect was the added a point of view, now the story is told from the point of view of Bea, Quinn, Alina and Ronan. When I realized that there was another POV my first reaction was ... who is Ronan! then I remembered seeing him I'll start by saying that I did not expect that Resist was the conclusion of Breathe, I had the idea that it was a trilogy and is the standard in the dystopias (and other sub-genres), so it was a pleasant surprise to find out that it was a duology. Another thing I did not expect was the added a point of view, now the story is told from the point of view of Bea, Quinn, Alina and Ronan. When I realized that there was another POV my first reaction was ... who is Ronan! then I remembered seeing him in the first book, but it was a minor appearance that´s why I didn´t remember him.

And because I read Resist and Breathe almost one after the other, it was like just resume where I left it, Bea and Quinn were expelled from the dome and are view as terrorists so they have to find the resistance to join them, and meanwhile Alina and co. must seek a new haven and they head towards Sequoia, a place where they hope to find another resistance group. And when they found Sequoia, it is not at all like any of them expected, I'll just say that it has rules and a way of life that´s rather strict and extreme.

The fact that they are now four points of view in this book worked for me, but there were times that I was in despair because now Bea, Quinn and Alina are separated from each other and my desperation was because at the end of each chapter there was a mini-cliffhanger and I was tempted to skip some chapters just to know what happened to a certain character.

About the main characters in this book, Bea and Quinn grow more as a person, they´re stronger and they are seeing their world with new eyes, they´re tired of what´s happening to the people that lives in the dome, they want to make a difference and although Bea does not see herself as someone strong, in this book I saw her a little more sure of herself and making decisions and I felt like she was the center of change and the plot because a lot of people are depending on her. Alina continues to be strong, independent and wanting to change her world. Meanwhile the new point of view is that of Ronan, he´s the son of the former minister of the dome, but in this book we see that he is also a member of the special forces and that he´s been fighting against the resistance, but because of what happened in the previous book, he isn´t happy with his job anymore and wants to quit, but there isn´t desertion in the army, but Quinn´s father offers him a way out, he must go to the Outlands and look for Quinn and bring him back, if he does this, Quinn's father will help him leave the army.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, the story has a good pace, the parts where some character can not breathe still give me goosebumps, Resist has more action than the previous book and I must say that I was a little surprised for the ending, because as a good dystopian book many characters die, but there was one that I didn´t saw coming, but otherwise it was a good ending. I recommended this duology for fans of dystopian novels.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review. ...more

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Oct 08, 2013 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, young-adult

In the conclusion to Breathe, we find our main characters at a crossroads. Life has been drastically altered for them all and now they must decide what to do next- do they seek out the other Resistance hub or do they remain in the Outlands?

Alina has made her choice- after the Grove was destroyed, her and a few fellow Resistance members are heading for Sequoia, another Resistance hub. Meanwhile, Bea and Quinn have left the Pod and are going to make their way back to the Grove to find Alina and t In the conclusion to Breathe, we find our main characters at a crossroads. Life has been drastically altered for them all and now they must decide what to do next- do they seek out the other Resistance hub or do they remain in the Outlands?

Alina has made her choice- after the Grove was destroyed, her and a few fellow Resistance members are heading for Sequoia, another Resistance hub. Meanwhile, Bea and Quinn have left the Pod and are going to make their way back to the Grove to find Alina and the others. Bea is heartbroken right now after a devastating loss has crushed her spirit, and not even Quinn can seem to bring the old her back. After discovering the Grove has been destroyed and finding a little girl, Jazz, (who was important to Petra) they decide to head for Sequoia to regroup with the others. However, Jazz has been injured and will not be able make the trip there. Quinn heads out on his own to seek out help, leaving Bea and Jazz behind.

This book adds in one more point of view, Ronan Knavery, the young former Pod Minister's son. He is a part of the Special Forces and Jude Caffrey, Quinn's father, has offered him a deal that is hard to refuse. I liked Ronan's character. After his father's death he is having to make some difficult decisions concerning his life and what his end goals are. By chance he meets up with Bea and Jazz, and is able to use his connections to get Jazz the help she needs. Ronan ends up being a good friend to Bea and really supports her while Quinn is away. I was afraid of a potential love triangle here with Bea, Ronan, and Quinn but luckily we don't get that.

Bea, while hurting from losing her parents, shows so much growth and development in this book. Gone is the timid girl- in her place is someone who is willing to fight back against the Ministry that hurt her family. While Quinn sets out to find Alina and the others for help from outside, Bea and Ronan head back into The Pod to seek out help from within. After Quinn's very public speech at the end of book one, people are now aware of the position the Ministry and Breathe have put them in and they're not going down without a fight.

Meanwhile, Alina, Quinn, and the gang are in a world of trouble at Sequoia. This Resistance base is far from what they thought it would be. Once you enter Sequoia, there is no leaving. It is almost cult like and the way they plan on surviving is completely opposite from Petra's in the Grove. Their hopes of recruiting these Resistance members is completely obliterated and now they must begin thinking of their own survival.

As everything comes to a head and we discover the lengths each individual will go through to be free, we are left with an ending that inspires hope, but is tinged with loss and grief. Even though I enjoyed this duology, I doubt I would read these again in the future. The lack of spark found it hard to stay focused and while I cared about what happened to these characters, I just did not care enough.

*Received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.* ...more

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Jul 23, 2016 Ilana rated it really liked it

Title: Resist
Author: Sarah Crossan
Publisher/Year: HarperColling 10/7/14
Length: 368 Pages
Series: Breathe #2

Overview

What would you do if you were desperate? Bea, Alina, and Quinn are outlaws. They started a rebellion and have been thrown out of the pod—the only place where there's enough air to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. What will they find now that they are refugees in the perilous Outlands? Their final safe haven may be har Title: Resist
Author: Sarah Crossan
Publisher/Year: HarperColling 10/7/14
Length: 368 Pages
Series: Breathe #2

Overview

What would you do if you were desperate? Bea, Alina, and Quinn are outlaws. They started a rebellion and have been thrown out of the pod—the only place where there's enough air to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. What will they find now that they are refugees in the perilous Outlands? Their final safe haven may be harboring dark secrets. But together, the three teens find the will to keep fighting, to save one another, and to break free from everything that's holding them back.

My Thoughts

This second and final installment takes us on quite the journey. We see that there's the quest to find another settlement from the Resistance in the Outlands - and what they find there is not at all what they expected. We learn more that the true identify of Abel is found out and it's not what we thought, but not what you didn't think either.

there's a new character brought into the mix here - Ronan, who is part of the Special forces led by Quinn's father. He's beginning to question what he's been told to do his whole life and i think that it's about time that he links up with Quinn, Bea, Alina or any of them to figure out how to make a change come around in the Pod. With the Rebellion going on, someone has to be a leader.

So there's the rebellion in one place, the interesting conditions at the Sequoia - where they aren't growing plants/trees, they are growing babies....and well when our fav characters find themselves in that society, it's not a happy ending for anyone.

Throughout this story i kept wondering if we were going to see folks switch sides - and if we were going to be let down by what we had hoped would happen. I think that we all wanted to have faith with the Premiums and high powerful folks that get involved in the cause to actually make a change, and i think that there's still way to much uncertainty to be able to trust anyone. I feel like Jude (Quinn's father) - is such a gray area of trust - so we really need to read the story in entirety to see who he's playing for.

I'm a bit sad that this was just a 2 book series and not a trilogy. i feel like the last third was a bit rushed with the quest to fill in enough and the ending - that we didn't get as far into things as we necessarily would have in a 3 book-er. oh well. We get to the point where a lot of people are dead, a few are saved, and there are a few new ones even, with their own perspective on Pod life. ...more

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Sep 30, 2012 AH rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-edelweiss, babr-reviews, zzread-july-2013, dystopian, young-adult, green

Young adult dystopian novels are all the rage right now. Go to any bookstore and there will be a huge display of these books. While they are a refreshing change from all the young adult vampire books of a few years ago, I’m not sure that this trend is one I’d like to see continued. I find that dystopian books depress me. I’m saddened to see society devolve to such lows. I find that a lot of these books lack hope.

For example, the world of Resist is a world where breathable oxygen is seriously la Young adult dystopian novels are all the rage right now. Go to any bookstore and there will be a huge display of these books. While they are a refreshing change from all the young adult vampire books of a few years ago, I’m not sure that this trend is one I’d like to see continued. I find that dystopian books depress me. I’m saddened to see society devolve to such lows. I find that a lot of these books lack hope.

For example, the world of Resist is a world where breathable oxygen is seriously lacking. People live in pods where oxygen is pumped in and depending on one’s social status, some people get more than others. Premiums get enough air for everyday activity. The Auxiliaries, or others, do not. I can’t imagine having to restrict activity to such an extent where simple daily activities must be restricted. The world outside the pods is dangerous. There are drifters who attack anyone who escapes the pods. That, combined with the lack of oxygen makes life outside the pods quite deadly.

Resist picks up right where the first novel Breathe left off. The Pod Ministry is out to get all of The Resistance and has destroyed their stronghold. The survivors head to Sequoia, another Rebel settlement. Meanwhile, Ronin is sent to look for the Rebels. Of course, nothing is what it seems and Sequoia is certainly no haven…

Somehow, the whole futility of fighting the Resistance became rapidly apparent. They were living on their own, minding their own business, and gardening. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the battle against the Resistance, except to protect the status quo.

While the premise of this story was intriguing, I found it difficult to follow because the story was told in multiple first person points of view. I don’t mind one or two first person points of view, however many different points of view can get confusing. I found myself flipping back and forth just to remember who the speaker was on several occasions.

Despite its flaws, I did enjoy Resist. The last half of the book was action packed, filled with some really hairy moments. A lot of crazy stuff happens. I’d recommend this book for young adult readers who enjoy dystopian books.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
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Oct 29, 2013 Ruthsic rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie.

In comparison to Breathe, Resist did better than it's prequel. Here, all of them are separated - Alina and others from Grove are heading to Sequoia and Quinn and Bea along with Jazz are following them. We get another POV in this book, in the form of the pod minister's son Ronan, who is disgusted by his father's actions. Basically it's a culmination of the revolution that started in Breathe. In terms of world-building, there is the new place Sequoia which kind of reminds me of Rule from Ashes trilogy (don't ask me why) and it's basically ruled by a maniac who serves as the Big Bad for the book. The writing is great and really gives you a feel of the events in the book.

As for the characters, Alina is as awesome as ever. Quinn definitely improved in this book and Bea - man, she is a bad-ass. She becomes a true leader in this book and even Quinn's father praises her for inspiring people. Ronan is interesting - he is a Premium but like Quinn, he is not a snob and has a good heart. I almost thought it would be a triangle with Quinn and Bea but thankfully it wasn't. The plot-line was good, not great - because I just couldn't get over the million coincidences that occur in the book. Seriously, it's like the Pod, the Grove and Sequoia are right in the same neighborhood and not days away from each other - the way the people are connected is just too unbelievable. The epilogue felt sort of short and I wanted to get more details of what happened in the aftermath of the war. Overall, I would recommend the book for it's writing and plot.

Received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ...more

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Mar 20, 2016 Lauren rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What a phenomenal book!

I loved this SO much and took my time reading it so I could savour the story.

Resist follows on from Breathe where we learn that the grass isn't always greener on the other side! We have our regular cast (Bea, Quinn, Alina) but we also have Ronan too (Cain Knavery's son aka the former Pod minister) which is nice to see since the story unfolds through their narration, and despite the characters coming from very different backgrounds, (resistance member - Alina, auxiliary - What a phenomenal book!

I loved this SO much and took my time reading it so I could savour the story.

Resist follows on from Breathe where we learn that the grass isn't always greener on the other side! We have our regular cast (Bea, Quinn, Alina) but we also have Ronan too (Cain Knavery's son aka the former Pod minister) which is nice to see since the story unfolds through their narration, and despite the characters coming from very different backgrounds, (resistance member - Alina, auxiliary - Bea, Premiums - Quinn and Ronan) they all converge and believe in a future which is completely free.

Resist focuses on their exploits outside of the Pod, in a place called Sequoia, which is the sister of The Grove (where the Resistance members formerly lived with Petra.) This time, Sequoia's leader is a fearsome woman called Vanya, which we later learn is Petra's sister, whose sole belief is to pair off her members so they can produce offspring who are able to breathe without the use of oxygen tanks.

Alina, Quinn and Silas find themselves undergoing some very intimate examinations in order for Vanya to find them their 'partners'. Vanya's ideology is much more sinister than Petra's, who wanted to increase the production of plant life to help them breathe, and gives this sequel a much darker undertone.

Again, this book is everything you expect from a dystopian YA novel - it is action-packed, never really letting up any of the mounting tension which continues to increase until the very end, full of vivid and incredibly memorable characters, topped off with some unforgettable scenarios.

I believe this is how dystopian novels should be written; they can be appreciated and enjoyed by all, have an accessible and wholly believable world which is often hard to achieve with main characters you honestly care about and feel for. Crossan has done a wonderful job in capturing a an oxygen-limited world and raised a lot of thought-provoking questions along the way.

If you want a book which will make you think and consider the what-ifs of this world, then Resist is definitely the book for you. A gem of a story which should be savoured!
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YA Book Gang!!: Resist by Sarah Crossan - Starting 15th September	5	10	Sep 18, 2014 10:56AM
Crazy for Young A...: Resist (Breathe #2) by Sarah Crossan → Start Date: March 25th, 2014	19	32	Mar 27, 2014 12:11PM
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About Sarah Crossan

Sarah Crossan

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Sarah Crossan is Irish. She graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Literature before training as an English and Drama teacher at Cambridge University and worked to promote creative writing in schools before leaving teaching to write full time.

She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in 2003 and in 2010 received an Edward Albee Fellowship for writing.

She curren ...more