Breathless by Jennifer Niven

Claudine “Claude” Henry has it all planned out. In one week, she will graduate from high school and go on the road trip of a lifetime with her best friend Saz; one final trip before they go to different colleges and their friendship is changed forever. With the potential to hook up with her long-time crush Wyatt Jones, this summer is looking to be the best yet. That is, until her father drops the bombshell that he’s leaving Claude and her mother, dissolving their perfect trio and removing the floor from beneath her feet. To make matters worse, Claude learns that she and her mother are being exiled to a remote Georgia island where there is no phone service and no chance at the romance she was so desperately looking forward to. Grieving for her perfect summer and the fractures in her relationships caused by being forced to keep her parents’ separation a secret, Claude stubbornly decides that she will stay inside and read books until the summer is over. Then she meets Jeremiah Crew. Enigmatic and free-spirited, Jeremiah makes her feel like anything is possible. They both know what they have can only last for one summer, but with adventures to be found in every day and on every corner of the island, maybe one summer might just be enough.

Niven creates an island paradise, with an eccentric mix of characters that serve to accompany Claude on her journey to discovering that she is the one who gets to write her own story and that to do so, she must own her feelings and sit with each emotional wave that hits her, no matter how overpowering. Claude’s relationship with her mother is a highlight of the novel, demonstrating a healthy and empowering mother-daughter relationship in the face of adversity and challenging situations. While Claude’s coming of age journey is aimed at young adult readers, there is substantial triggering content in the novel with profound themes involving sexual references, descriptive sexual scenes, and sexual assault, as well as graphic descriptions and themes of suicide and death. It is also to be noted that there is content that would be triggering for readers recovering from or experiencing eating disorders. Themes of divorce and parental separation are also substantial within the novel. For these reasons, a reading age of 16 years is recommended.

Themes: Coming of Age, Love, Teenage Love, Divorce, Parental Separation, Sex, First Love, Relationships, Heartbreak.

Daniella Chiarolli