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Breath Like Water

Anna Jarzab (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · Rating details · 580 ratings · 204 reviews

Susannah Ramos has always loved the water. A swimmer whose early talent made her a world champion, Susannah was poised for greatness in a sport that demands so much of its young. But an inexplicable slowdown has put her dream in jeopardy, and Susannah is fighting to keep her career afloat when two important people enter her life: a new coach with a revolutionary training s ...more

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Hardcover, 416 pages

Published May 19th 2020 by Inkyard Press

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· 580 ratings · 204 reviews

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Mar 05, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

Did you see this amazing cover? Two young people reach out to hold each other’s hands to save themselves for pushing themselves up from the water and keep on breathing! This is a great sign that something poignant, powerful, emotional hid inside the pages.

And I’m so happy that beautiful cover didn’t disappoint me or gave me any false impression.

First of all, I liked to this journey of two young people fight against the psychical and mental struggles in their life, working their ass off to be s Did you see this amazing cover? Two young people reach out to hold each other’s hands to save themselves for pushing themselves up from the water and keep on breathing! This is a great sign that something poignant, powerful, emotional hid inside the pages.

And I’m so happy that beautiful cover didn’t disappoint me or gave me any false impression.

First of all, I liked to this journey of two young people fight against the psychical and mental struggles in their life, working their ass off to be successful, become golden metal athletes at Olympics. Too much pressure, lack of money, isolated from close relations and the path they chose is so demanding, stressful, depressing because they don’t have time for socializing, building friendships, living careless and free. Their each step is planned and they have a compelling, challenging schedule to work on.

Susannah is lovely character, connectable, mature, trying so hard to be strong, fighting with her insecurities and damages over controlling and demanding coach had done to her. Now new coach is being hired named Beth. Could she help her to race at Olympics dream?
And sweet Harry seems like falling head over heels in love with her but he also has a secret that he only shared with her. He has a mental condition, suffering from mood swings, ups and downs throughout his own life: bipolar is the monster he needs to fight and also he needs to learn how to live it.

This book is not about swimming, competitions, overwhelming stress that athletes endure and winning. This book is about families, friendship, opening your heart to the new experiences of your life, learning to trust, bond, feel, letting yourself free and being brave enough to break your walls.

Two young adults’ heartbreaking, over emotional stories, their families, pasts, weaknesses, strengths, dreams are perfectly and genuinely told with a moving, lyrical writing style by the author like swimming in the water, refreshing feeling circulating through your body as the sun’s heating lights touching your face.

I enjoyed more than I expected and I’m looking forward to read more works of the author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN/ Inkyard Press for sharing this emotional ARC in exchange my honest review.

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May 26, 2020 Larry H rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

How hard will you push to achieve your dreams, and what will you sacrifice to achieve them? These questions are at the core of Anna Jarzab's Breath Like Water .

All Susannah has known for as long as she can remember is swimming. She dreams of going to the Olympics, a dream she felt even closer to when she won a world championship at age 14. But when her body starts to slow down and change as she gets older, she wonders if her chance is over or whether she should listen to her overbearing coach ...more

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Jul 18, 2020 Snjez rated it it was ok

Shelves: audiobooks

2.5 stars

My problem with this book was the main character, Susannah. She is ambitious and very focused on achieving her goal, which is not a bad thing, but she is also very self-centered, inconsiderate and rude. There were moments when she was nice, but that would change the moment something didn't go the way she wanted. She is the type of person who thinks that everything is always about her and I can't relate to that.

There were some lovely characters here. Susannah's parents are wonderful, as ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Mimi rated it really liked it

Well, this fucking amazing book came out of nowhere???

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May 31, 2020 Ari rated it it was amazing

“Failure is an intersection.”

One of the most inspiring books for young readers I’ve read in a while. Where was this story 15 years* ago?

Seriously, I don't even know where to start here, as I loved pretty much everything about it. It's also hard to talk about this book without spoiling some major points, but I will try my best. I'll start with the main characters...

--- MAIN CHARACTERS

Susannah is one of the strongest characters I've come across. She is passionate, motivated, driven, loyal, c ...more

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Mar 19, 2020 j.chestnut rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs

It's after 1 pm and I have done nothing today besides finish this book. I have no regrets.
🌊
I got an ARC of this and I am so glad I did. I had not seen it before picking it up but as someone who swims competitively, this spoke to my soul.
🌊
This book follows a girl named Susannah that was a super fast swimmer when she was young but recently she has been experiencing a slow down. She is still working her butt off in and out of the pool but nothing is really helping. Then, she meets a boy and a new ...more

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May 17, 2020 Lindsi (Do You Dog-ear?) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, netgalley-via-publisher

"The best way I’ve come up with to describe how Harry kisses is that he does it with joy."

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Breath Like Water wasn't the story I was expecting, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Susannah was a wonderful character that I could easily relate to, and her determination was enviable. She struggled to ...more

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May 24, 2020 Elliot A rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, 2020-reading-list

Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I read most of the book in one day, staying up until 2 o’clock in the morning just to finish it. It wasn’t because I was so hooked on the story, instead I kept seeing all this potential and held out hope that the story might improve or at least find its centre.

I checked out a few other reviews in this story and I must warn you, this is going to be a very ...more

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May 12, 2020 The Nerd Daily added it

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Mimi Koehler

Every once in a while, I pick up with no expectations whatsoever. I don’t read about it online; I don’t look up reviews. I just go into it blindly. And every once in a while, a book surprises me by exceeding all the expectations I didn’t have.

Breath Like Water was one of those books.

Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily ...more

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Apr 28, 2020 Alyson Stone rated it really liked it

Shelves: teen-fic, arc

Book: Breath Like Water
Author: Anna Jarzab
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for sending me an ARC.

I will just go ahead and put this out there: I didn’t really enjoy the beginning of the book. However, I could sense something about this one that I knew if I kept on reading that I would come to enjoy it. I was right. Once I got into the book, I was in love. I loved the characters and the impact that this one left on me. This book may seem light hearted Book: Breath Like Water
Author: Anna Jarzab
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for sending me an ARC.

I will just go ahead and put this out there: I didn’t really enjoy the beginning of the book. However, I could sense something about this one that I knew if I kept on reading that I would come to enjoy it. I was right. Once I got into the book, I was in love. I loved the characters and the impact that this one left on me. This book may seem light hearted at first, but it’s not. It gave me all kinds of Sarah Dessan feels.

I love Susannah and her drive to reach her goals. She was once on top of the world-literally, she’s a world champion swimmer-but has kind of fallen off the leader board. She wants to go the Olympics and will let nothing get in her way of reaching her dream-not her coach, not the past, not injuries, and, certainly not, a boyfriend. I like that she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. She is also Hispanic, so we get to see what people of colour deal with in high level sports. Not only that, but she doesn’t come from money and we get to see her family struggle a little bit financially. I like this part. Here we have a diverse book that hasn’t lost the story. As the story goes along, we get to see her grow and change in ways that she didn’t think she would. We really get to see her question everything and this impacts her decisions later in the book.

Harry is our male lead. He’s sweet and caring. Plus, he falls in love with Susannah. The way he tries to win her over will just make you feel good. He’s also a swimmer, but he’s not in it for the same reasons as Susannah. He has a secret, one that he is trying to keep under control. He is dealing with bipolar disorder and is struggling. We get to see his highs and lows. Not only do we get to see the impact that it has on him, but the impact it has one those around him. We see his family struggle with it and go into dark places with him. Susannah tries to understand and wants to be there. It is Harry is, I believe, really does cause Susannah to kind of take a step back and reexamine her life. No, I’m not saying that Harry tries to make her give up her dreams. What I am saying is that I think he is the reason that she kind of takes a step back and looks at the important things in life.

Like I said, Anna’s writing just didn’t pull me in right away. I couldn’t really connect with it at first. However, I could see something in it that I knew I was going to connect with. She kind of starts this out as being your typical young adult teen romance. I am not really a big romance reader, so I really thought that I had made a mistake in agreeing to read this book. However, as the story goes on, we get more and more layers. What we end up with is a story that will leave an impact on you. It will make you step away and just think. I like books like this. I like books that start out with such a happy feel, but end up leaving you crying. It tells me that the author has done their job and done it well.

Anyway, this book comes out on May 19, 2020. If you are looking for a hard hitting book, then go ahead and pick it up. You won’t be sorry.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/_97sjUeukX4
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Jul 10, 2020 mia :) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: important-subjects, representation-matters, romance, realistic-fiction, contemporary, mental-health-matters

This was absolutely gorgeous!! ❤️

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May 10, 2020 Lacey rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, owned, romance, contemporary, young-adult, sports

Review coming soon!

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Mar 25, 2020 Ahana M Rao (Heart’s Content) rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbr-arcs, arcs, edelweiss

You can find this review of Breath Like Water on my blog, Heart's Content!

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher, Inkyard Press (HarperCollins), via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I can say, safely, that we get exactly what we read in the synopsis and more. Breath Like Water is a story about support and struggle, about conflict and care, of being self-absorbed and being selflessness. It was also about fights that help you grow and those that bring you down You can find this review of Breath Like Water on my blog, Heart's Content!

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher, Inkyard Press (HarperCollins), via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I can say, safely, that we get exactly what we read in the synopsis and more. Breath Like Water is a story about support and struggle, about conflict and care, of being self-absorbed and being selflessness. It was also about fights that help you grow and those that bring you down and finding the difference between the two. I think this was one of the more subtler and–to me at least–one of the most important topics: what failure actually means and how one’s perception must supersede that which is observable on the surface.

There were very many poignant moments in Breath Like Water and the author does a fantastic job in keeping you with the story at all times. At no point did I feel that the pace of the plot had dragged, slowed down or sped up. There were very many surprises along the way and I can safely say I predicted absolutely nothing until the very end.

I loved how every character who was introduced was given their own role, scene-space and had their own impact on the protagonist, leading her onward in her journey. Susannah read as someone who was both young and not; she had that perfect balance in personality of someone who practiced discipline and focus all their lives, and at the same time, the youthfulness of someone who was a teen and trying to figure out the ropes of life and see the ups and downs for what they are while navigating the many roads that come in one’s journey. Harry, on the other hand, really tugged on my heartstrings. His was a story I wasn’t prepared for and I was so blindsided that his words moved me to tears. Susannah’s connection with Harry was evident from the first moment they met and I truly enjoyed their interactions; the only issue I struggled with briefly was the constant reiteration of their connection that the protagonist kept insisting we read every time she thought of Harry. Their relationship wasn’t perfect and I loved seeing them find out how to be someone’s partner and what that entailed.

Something I will always always always support is good parent-child relationship rep. I absolutely adored them in this book and I was very very glad for it. I definitely loved all the support that the protagonists received from their family and that this support was constant and filled with nothing but love. The friendships in this book, was in my opinion, realistic. We all go through ups and downs in our friendships and there are some friends with whom we can safely speak only about certain things and there are those with whom we can say anything at all we wish. There is also mention of racism in this book and the protagonist and her family deal with it as they have anything else in their lives: with fortitude and hard work.

Four and a half stars. I highly recommend this book. ❤ ❤ ...more

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May 03, 2020 Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) rated it really liked it

Shelves: mental-health, poc-main-character, contemporary, cover-envy, standalones, arcs, lgbtq

"But I'm starting to understand the power of individual moments. The joy that can be found when you're not too distracted by the faraway horizon to appreciate the beauty of where you're standing."
Breath Like Water is a beautiful, moving story about reaching for your dreams, discovering new ones, and finding people to support you along the way. Susannah Ramos was once a promising Olympic hopeful, but between an overbearing coach and an injured shoulder, she's worried her swimming care ...more

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May 25, 2020 Jen Ryland added it

I requested this because I'd enjoyed Anna Jarzab's multiverse YA, so requested a copy.

I was surprised (but happily) to get a bittersweet contemporary story about women in sports, mental health, family relationships, balancing relationships with goals and achievement, and more.

Susannah Ramos was a world champion swimmer as a tween, but as she grew a woman's body, her self-confidence and swimming began to falter. Susannah's swimming program hires Beth, a new female coach with new ideas about how I requested this because I'd enjoyed Anna Jarzab's multiverse YA, so requested a copy.

I was surprised (but happily) to get a bittersweet contemporary story about women in sports, mental health, family relationships, balancing relationships with goals and achievement, and more.

Susannah Ramos was a world champion swimmer as a tween, but as she grew a woman's body, her self-confidence and swimming began to falter. Susannah's swimming program hires Beth, a new female coach with new ideas about how Susannah might be able to embrace her new body and improve her times. At the same time, Susannah meets Harry, a fellow swimmer who seems to have some big issues of his own out of the pool.

There was a lot to love about this book. The structure is a countdown to the Olympic trials, so the gives the book most of its plot structure, as Susannah battles physical and metal setbacks to try to make the team. I wasn't a student athlete (I was on the swim team, but for only a few weeks. My sister did continue, so I used to know my way around a swim meet.)

I'll be honest: as a mom, I thought Harry was trouble, both for Susannah's swimming dreams and in general. When I found out about his struggles, I was a little bit more sympathetic. The book does raise issues of women as caregivers and how hard it can be to balance our empathy toward others with our own dreams and ambitions. I did like the way the book handled this aspect of the story.

I did think this book felt long at times (it was over 400 pages) and sometimes there were motivational speeches that felt a bit heavy-handed to me; I thought the messages were there without being over-emphasized.

Definitely recommend this to those who love books about sports and those who are looking for books about characters tacking mental health issues. If you have no interest in sports, then this might not be the book for you. And while there is romance in the book, it's not the main focus of the story.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram! ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Donna Hines rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, author-publisher-provided-books, netgalley-invited-author-pub-copy, blog-tour

First I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Harlequin Teen, Inkyard Press, Anna Jarzab, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC and this blog tour opportunity.
Anna Jarzab is a new YA author to me that I was introduced to via this request and I couldn't be happier to share my thoughts.
Our main character was a young Mexican female teen named Susannah who was going through growth spurts and changing into a woman's body.
As such, her talent in swimming also changed and soon DNF's became apparent with a c ...more

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Jun 16, 2020 Sarah rated it liked it

3.5/5 stars

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Jun 03, 2020 T. Rosado marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

DNF at 46%
Once the protagonist became involved with the love interest, the story started to lack authenticity. The conversations and actions of the characters suddenly became more mature than previously written and it didn’t correlate with their age or experience. Once I started to cringe and roll my eyes, I lost interest. It probably didn’t help that I finished one of the most authentic and relatable YA books immediately prior to this one.

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Aug 26, 2020 ♥ WishfulMiss ♥ rated it it was ok

I like watching the Olympic swim meets as much as the next person and angsty teen romance is kind of why I read this genre, lol! That being said, I enjoyed this one but I wasn't expecting the bittersweet ending. Or the grueling real life challenges of those Olympic hopefuls. It turned out to be a bit of a downer for me.

So although the beginning and the middle where great for reeling me in, keeping me interested and giving me characters to really root for, the end left me feeling deflated.

I'm no ...more

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Aug 17, 2020 Mirte rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-liked-it, read-in-2020, young-adult, contemporary

This is such a good book! Why aren’t more people reading/talking about this?

We follow the journey of young swimmer Susannah Ramos, whose dream and goal has always been to make the Olympic swimming team. As a young girl, she’s a real prodigy and well on her way to fulfill that dream. As a teenager though, Susannah’s body starts changing and she struggles to adjust in the water. A year prior to the Olympic team trials, she does everything it takes to get back in her best shape and become even fast This is such a good book! Why aren’t more people reading/talking about this?

We follow the journey of young swimmer Susannah Ramos, whose dream and goal has always been to make the Olympic swimming team. As a young girl, she’s a real prodigy and well on her way to fulfill that dream. As a teenager though, Susannah’s body starts changing and she struggles to adjust in the water. A year prior to the Olympic team trials, she does everything it takes to get back in her best shape and become even faster than she was before. A new coach – with an entirely different method – enters her life, as well as fellow swimmer Harry. Susannah’s life gets tilted upside down and does not entirely go as she had envisioned it would all these years.

So, I really enjoyed this book! I’ve never read anything that revolves around an athlete, and it was a fun and refreshing subject to read about. I liked seeing the extreme daily routine of elite athletes and all the sacrifices they have to make to achieve their goal. There’s so much pressure on these swimmers, and it is both mentally and physically very tough.

Susannah was actually a likable character to me, and her character development through the story was great. She’s always been focused on her swimming and making the Olympic team, so she has never had much time for friends or boyfriends. However, after meeting Harry, this changes and she needs to find a way to combine having a relationship with the swimming.

Harry is a great character. He has some issues and is mentally ill. I feel like the author really did a good job of explaining, and incorporating it in the story. I actually learned a lot from Harry’s character on mental illness and depression.

Other amazing characters are Susannah’s parents, who are super sweet and always support Susannah in anything she does. The same goes for her friend and teammate Amber. Her other friend Jessa, is a little less likable, but that’s because she is also really fixated on making it to the Olympics, but she gets pushed more by her parents. This leads to some tension between her and Susannah sometimes, and that might make people like Jessa less.

The writing style was okay; nothing very special, but good and easy to read.
The plot was really good and well-executed. It was refreshing and unpredictable. I even had to bite back my tears at some point. So, I recommend this book to everyone!!

Oh yeah, and this cover is absolutely stunning!! I mean, look at it??

Favorite quote: "How do you even begin to mourn the death of a dream?"

Trigger warnings: alcohol and substance abuse, self-harm, verbal abuse, depression, bipolar disease

Rating: 3.8/5 stars ...more

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May 08, 2020 Teresa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, netgalley, blog-tour

For full blog tour review, visit teresacrider.wordpress.com/2020/05/13...

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Anna Jarzab, Harlequin TEEN, and Inkyard Press for the opportunity to not only review Breath Like Water in exchange for an honest review, but to have been invited to be a part of the blog tour for this book!

First and foremost, I absolutely adored this book; Breath Like Water is a heart-wrenching page-turner that is impossible to put down.

One of the unique aspects of this book is that it is a For full blog tour review, visit teresacrider.wordpress.com/2020/05/13...

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Anna Jarzab, Harlequin TEEN, and Inkyard Press for the opportunity to not only review Breath Like Water in exchange for an honest review, but to have been invited to be a part of the blog tour for this book!

First and foremost, I absolutely adored this book; Breath Like Water is a heart-wrenching page-turner that is impossible to put down.

One of the unique aspects of this book is that it is a YA novel specifically revolving around the sport of swimming. Sports novels for a young adult audience feel very sparse, like there really aren’t that many out there, let alone ones about swimming, so that in itself already makes this book stand out.

The characters in the book feel like real people, dynamic, which really drives this tale home in the heart of the reader. Susannah can be selfish, but only one thing has ever driven her: swimming. She wants to qualify for the Olympics. That is all she has ever wanted or knows, with the loving support of her family. When she meets Harry and starts to fall in love with him, she must keep her feelings and a possible relationship at bay, or everything she has worked for in swimming might be jeopardized. But she’s only human, so she gives Harry a chance.

On top of that, the swimming coach she has, Dave, is a complete asshole and seems to try to dampen Susanna’s spirits any chance he gets. When new assistant coach Beth arrives on the scene, Susannah is skeptical at first, saying only Dave can get her to the Olympics. After working with Beth and Harry both, Susannah learns there are people in her life who might just be better for her when it comes to supporting her goals.

As Susannah and Harry test out their relationship, she worries that something strange might be going on with him, based on something she heard from one of his prior girlfriends. This won’t stop Susannah. For a sixteen-year-old girl, this love is more than just a crush, and Harry feels the same, and together they agree: “When you win, I win.” Despite what seems to be the most fated romance in the world, the forces of the universe threaten to tear the two apart.

One of the aspects I love about this book is the educational aspect of swimming and the Olympics. This is a fun way to learn about the sport. This book also explores bipolar disorder in an educational way, demonstrating to young readers how bipolar can affect someone’s life, and what the disorder looks like to those who may not know. What seems like a happy-go-lucky sort of book takes a dark twist as it explores many of the issues young people are faced with, and the way it is presented is deeply real.

This is just a phenomenal book that I would recommend to anyone, absolutely anyone. I am not an easy person to bring to tears when it comes to reading, but there were at least three chapters straight where I could hardly read through the tears. How many books can hit their reader in the pathos like that? ...more

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May 28, 2020 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it liked it · review of another edition

2.5 STARS

Susannah, a world champion swimmer at fourteen, dreams of making the Olympics, despite her years of struggling since. Dave, her harsh coach doesn’t think she has the skill. Beth, the new assistant coach sees something in Susannah and soon she’s on track for a comeback. For the first time she’s distracted by a boy with a complicated set of circumstances.

BREATH LIKE WATER is an uneven story of competition, self-esteem, first love, mental illness, family and friendship. Anna Jarzab checked ...more

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May 20, 2020 dani rated it really liked it

i was living for the concept, the sport and the passion. but, unfortunately, susannah wanted to be punched many, many, times. she was stubborn, selfish and unbearable. she, then, fixed her mistakes, however, she made them a LOT.
on the other hand, we have harry. harry was wonderful. he brought happiness whenever his character appeared. he was warm, kind and sensible. he transformed the book for me.
overall, i liked it and adored numerous things, yet susannah frustrated me which is why the book do ...more

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Jun 09, 2020 Theresa rated it it was amazing

I really really enjoyed this book! It seriously brought me back to my competitive swimming days, and I found myself on the edge of my seat with anxiety while reading the swim meet scenes, so many feelings I had for years while competing bubbles to the surface and I felt the characters anxiety and excitement. It was wild that reading those scenes brought back so many visceral memories of what it’s like stepping up to the block for a race. I highly highly recommend this book if you were ever a com ...more

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May 04, 2020 Janet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, gr-giveaways

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! Breath Like Water has a spot on my 2020 Top 10 list for sure. 💕 I have to admit, my connection to this book took me by surprise. Not that I expected to not enjoy it, I wouldn't have picked it up if it didn't sound interesting, but generally storylines centered around sports and competition don't hold the greatest appeal for me, so I always hope for something more in those books. But wow, not only did Breath Like Water, by Anna Jarzab, bring so much of that "more," but I actually loved all ...more

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May 22, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it

This book was terrific. It was a moving story of a girl who just wants to swim and reach the Olympics and finds out what is truly important in life.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Apr 09, 2020 Cait | GoodeyReads rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, romance, 2020, young-adult, contemporary

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own!

DEEP WATERS.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

I picked this up on a whim for a blog tour because the summary had easily pulled me in. Add in a beautiful cover and I had some raised expectations. I really did end up enjoying this book and loved the tough messages it talked about.

Harry and Susie were a great match. I liked both of their characters and the relationship between them. It was unique to most contemporaries I read that in thi ...more

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May 26, 2020 Bella rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, ebooks, net-galley, ya-books, books-read-in-2020, blog-tours

As a person whose only known swimming all her life and wanting to be in the olympics, Susannah fears her body is slowing her down as she gets older. She thinks about the championship she won at 14 years old and if she can reach her potential again. Swimming demands so much out of young people and she's scared to fail. Two people enter her life that will rearrange her life and career around. A coach that could help her reach that dream and a new fellow swimmer named Harry.

Susannah is such an amaz ...more

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Apr 22, 2020 Preethi rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, advance-reader-copies

I was expecting this book to be just a sports romance book, but it was actually much more than that. Both our main characters are swimmers, but they swim for very different reasons. Susannah wants to go to the Olympics, whereas her love interest Harry swims more for fun (and another reason which is technically a spoiler so you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is). They do fall in love quite quickly, but it didn’t feel like insta-love. Even after they become boyfriend and girlfriend t ...more

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May 08, 2020 Emily ~ breatheeasybooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtq, 5-star, young-adult, contemporary, mental-health, sports-and-sports-romance, arcs-and-earcs

LONG REVIEW AHEAD!

TW: depression, in depth discussion of bipolar disorder, past and present on page self harm, underage drinking, and verbal abuse from an authority figure

Positive content: race and sexuality diversity (Black and Mexican rep, gay and pansexual rep), supportive and present parents of both MC’s, sex positivity, therapy positivity

Wow! Just, wow. There was so much more to this book than I ever could’ve expected. I’m blown away by the tough subject matters and the way the author hand ...more

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About Anna Jarzab

Anna Jarzab

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Anna Jarzab is the author of All Unquiet Things, The Opposite of Hallelujah, Tandem, Tether, Red Dirt, and Breath Like Water. She lives in New York City and works in children's book publishing. Visit her online at www.annajarzab.com and connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @ajarzab. ...more