Book Review: Breathe

Goodreads summary:

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?

My review:

Breathe was a good dystopian book, but not the best.  It is not as brilliant and mindblowing as Divergent, Delirium, Wither, or Under the Never Sky, a few of my favorite dystopian books.  Nonetheless, it is an original, unique addition to the dystopian genre.

Why is it unique?  Well, there's no insta-love or the dreaded love triangle.  Thank youuu Sarah Crossan for writing a normal, sweet romance that I really enjoyed.  It was such a refreshing change from the usual predictability of YA romances!

Also, the idea is so original.  I love the world of Breathe.  The idea of all those trees being cut down and running out of oxygen is so realistic, and honestly it's a future I can imagine happening to us.  It definitely stands out from all the other dystopians out there.

I liked all three main characters.  Alina was tough, smart, and full of spirit; yet she also had a vulnerable side.  Quinn was slightly annoying at first, but his character really grew through the story and I felt so bad for what he suffered.  Bea was strong, not physically but mentally, which I admired.  Let me stop here for a second and point out how many heroines there are lately in YA fiction who are physically strong and never afraid and can take down anyone in a fight.  Bea was a great exception to that; I think it's important for our heroines to be strong mentally and not just physically.  She's also so compassionate and sweet that you can't help sympathizing with her!

The plot was fantastic as well.  It's nice to read a dystopian where we get a bit of backstory and explanation of how the world became that way.  The story moved pretty quickly and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.  I especially liked the villain.  In some strange way he reminded me of Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games, lol.  Except he was a lot more evil and twisted!

Honestly, I can't think of anything negative about Breathe.  It's a good story, but for some reason, I just didn't completely connect with it.  It's not that it was predictable, I just wasn't crazy about it.  Perhaps I've read too many dystopians lately and have become jaded.  But if you are new to the dystopian genre, I'd recommend starting with Breathe, and if you have read lots of dystopians, Breathe might just be a breath of fresh air for you (I couldn't resist saying that).  Looking forward to the sequel!

My rating:  8 out of 10

~ The Bookworm