The Art of Not Breathing

Gr 8 Up—A strong debut novel that tells an intriguing tale of grief and recovery, with just enough romance and reality to appeal to a wide variety of readers. Set in a beachside Scottish town, this tale is about 16-year-old Elsie, who foggily remembers the day her twin brother, Eddie, disappeared. Elsie struggles to recall the event, but her family members refuse to discuss it. Instead, each disappears in their own way. Mum drinks, Dad leaves, and older brother Dillon develops anorexia. With no friends, haunted by memories of Eddie, and virtually a magnet for the town mean girl, Elsie also needs an escape. She skips school to visit a vacant boathouse and surreptitiously indulge in chocolate and cigarettes, until Tay appears. A little messy, a little odd, and totally mysterious, Tay introduces Elsie to free diving (underwater diving, minus breathing gear). Underwater and oxygen deprived, Elsie feels reunited with Eddie. Free diving instills in Elsie confidence and introduces friends and a burgeoning romance with Tay. But when Elsie makes a heartbreaking discovery, she attempts the ultimate free dive. This proves to be the jolt her family needs to begin healing. Alexander covers wide ground with teen issues without any heavy-handedness or didacticism.