May 3, 2013

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan



Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Series: Breathe #1
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Library
ISBN: 9780062118714
Release Date: October 2, 2012

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Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe . . .The world is dead. The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?


When I began reading this book I thought here we go again with another typical ya dystopian book. The first third of the book was pretty unimpressive almost bordering on boring, but something happened half way through and I just got sucked into the book. By the end my mind was saying "I want more!"

Humans now live in a pod after The Switch. The earth's population was in crisis and scientists decided it would be a good idea to plow down all the earth's forests and trees it make way for more farmland. While doing so they depleted the earth's oxygen, so people were dropping dead all over the place.

The earth no longer habitable, humans now must live in pods, which are divided into three castes. The pod is supposed to protect them. There is no longer weather. No rain or snow, and always at an even perfect temperature. Only there are severe issues with the pod as the Premiums have everything while the Auxiliaries work their entire life to just get by.  Everyone is monitored to make sure they don't move too quickly so they don't use up extra oxygen. Equality between Premiums and Auxiliaries does not exist.

I really didn't like Bea at the start of the book. She just irritated me. She was jealous and whiny about how much prettier Alina was, and how Quinn won't notice her more than a friend. She did get better by the end of the novel, but she wasn't really my favourite. I think that might have been the problem with me and this book. I just didn't love any of the characters. They were either okay or the irked me. And Quinn, I just don't think he was strong of enough for a leading guy. He seemed weak willed and bland.

I will probably read the next book in the series and hopefully it will be a bit better.

My Rating: