Book Review: Breathing Underwater by Julia Green

Summary (from blurb on cover)

'I dream about him night after night. He is everywhere on the island because this is a place where he was happy, and felt like he belonged...

Freya has come back to the remote island where her grandparents live, and where last summer he brother Joe died in a boating accident. but what really happened that night? Freya is not convinced that it was an accident and feels as if Joe's presence is still haunting her.

Perhaps, this summer, Freya will find a way to work out what happened, and pull herself and her family out of the sorrow that is threatening to overwhelm them. And perhaps Freya will discover that life- and love- is still vibrantly in the air.'

On first glance Breathing Underwater appears to be another feel good teenage summer romance with the sandy beach and clear aqua blue of the sea. In reality it has a lot more depth to it.

It is not the kind of book that has a complicated plot and any exciting twists and turns that jump out for your attention but it shines in its own particular way. Not much happens in the course of the book in an event way but that the end I could see a clear and dramatic change in Freya and the other characters around her which is what this book is all about.

The main character and voice of the story is Freya,a young fourteen girl old girl who is suffering with the grief of the loss of her older brother a year on from the accident. Coming back to the island where it happened has mixed feelings for her, she likes the way that she can feel her brother there and remember the times they spent together there but it also brings back the painful memories of what happened that summer and how he changed so suddenly.

Freya comes across as a quiet and fragile character at times and it was easy to sympathise with her. Despite this, she also has a strong and bright side that helps her to cope. As well as coping with her thoughts and feelings about Joe, she is growing up and finding her true self and dealing with insecurities, first love and the power and complications of friendship.

The way that she is portrayed and the book is written is beautiful, nothing is exaggerated and Freya's emotions were captured in a touching way that is often hard to convey in words.

I loved the island setting because it helped to lighten the book up and inject some summer fun into it, the descriptions of basking in the sun, sailing races, the clear blue of the sea, barbecues on the beach and star gazing with all the other children and teenagers at the campsite were wonderful.

I liked the way that the book had chapters of flashbacks to the summer before which helped me to get to know Joe's character and understand what happened better. Sometimes flashbacks ruin the effect of a story by cutting it up but these complimented the story and fitted hand in hand with the main narrative.

The only thing that I found a little unrealistic was a scene near the end when Freya feels Joe's spirit physically helping her and saving her life. However, this is such a small point and did not detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.

This is the second Julia Green book I have read and it turns out that this is her debut and I read her second book first unintentionally. I loved this one just as much and I can see how she has developed as an author in Drawing With Light. I can't wait to read more from her!

My favourite quote from the book: "Energy fizzes along every nerve and muscle in my body. I keep my breathing steady: in, out, long breaths that take the air deep inside, a flow along my blood . . . The water, deep and clean and cold, washes through my mind, cleansing me of thought, until that's all there is: water. Clear and open and free."

Verdict: Breathing Underwater explores teenage grief with sensitivity and poignancy with a message of inspiration as well as describing a sun soaked summer beautifully-fans of young adult books will find it a breath of fresh air.

Book Review: Drawing With Light by Julia Green



This cover is one of my favourites
out of the books that I have read this
year. Not only is it vibrant and pretty
but it looks just like I imagine
a photo that Emily would take (you will see
why if you read the book)

I don't think that I would ever have found this book to read if I hadn't been sent it by Bloomsbury so a big thankyou to them!

Summary

'I'm on the edge of something and I can hardly wait for it to unfold.'


Kat and Emily have grown up without their mother for almost as long as they can remember. And now Dad is with Cassy and they all muddle along together well enough - even though they are living in a cramped caravan while their new house is being renovated. Then Cassy and Dad tell them that Cassy is pregnant, and everything seems to shift. Emily feels a new urge to find her own mother. How could she have left them the way she did? Never writing to them? Not communicating with them? And as Emily begins her search, not knowing what she will find, she is at the same time embarking on a new relationship of her own, that of her romance with Seb. This is an evocative and finely drawn novel about family relationships, in particular that of mother and daughter, and the shifting emotions of a teenager trying to make sense of her family and her world.

My review and thoughts


The way that this book has been written is just so beautiful and truly convincing. After a few chapters I fell in love with the main character Emily, the narrator of the book. With all her struggles, Julia Green captured the voice of a teenage girl perfectly and made it one that is very easy to relate to. Emily could be quiet and a little awkward but at other times with her friends and family she is very loud, much like many other girls her age. Her feelings are very real and in depth, the way she bottles up her curiosity and pain about the mother she has never met, has to cope with living in a small vintage caravan with her Dad and step mum Cassy and her experience of first love is something that every teen girl can understand.


I loved her relationship with Seb, the handsome son of the builder of her Dad's dream house, it was wonderfully and sensitively written because it showed the anxieties as well as the magic of first love. The chemistry between the two of them jumped of the page and made my heart beat fast. You could tell that they really cared about each other and it was so touching and adorable. Seb was also the person who helped Emily with coming to terms with what has happened in her life and to do something about it and both of them helped each other develop in different ways.


Another aspect that I love about Emily is that she is a photographer, which gave the book its title as Emily says that taking the best photos is like 'drawing with light.' I imagine that the image on the cover us like one that she would take because of the careful set up of light, colour and angles that makes it so pretty.
 It is also a remark by her photography teacher at school that sparks a fresh curiosity and longing to fill the void in her heart of her mother so it is very important in the story. Photography becomes a way of capturing emotion for Emily and the description of the light and angles in the scenery in the photos is lovely, It made me realise that contemporaries can have just as much intricate description at appropriate places as in historical fiction, which has made me want to read more of its genre.


The plot of this book is one that has been used many times before but what makes this story different is the characters, who are just normal people who are made believable because of their flaws. It is not a pacy action book that gets the pages turning but I couldn't stop reading because I was attached to the characters and wanted to find out what would happen to them. It is really a coming of age story that deals with raw human emotions and growing up to find out who you are.


The only weak part of the book was the ending, which I felt was slightly rushed because the whole book is leading up to it and it is quite short. I liked the way it was resolved and was left satisfied but it could have been developed more.


Verdict: Drawing With Light is a beautifully written and poignant coming of age story with believable characters and vibrant and colourful descriptions. It is a light read but deals with heavy subjects, perfect for curling up with in the Autumn and Winter months when the story is set!

Teaser Tuesday: Drawing With Light by Julia Green

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along and have fun! Just do the following:

This is such a beautiful cover!

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

Share (preferably 2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

My teaser this week is from Drawing With Light by Julia Green (thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me this book for review) which I have been reading at and on the way to school:

'Whizzing down the lane under the trees  with their autumn leave all orange and red is amazing, like travelling through a tunnel of golden light. I stop at the beach tree near the gate to take some photos; the trunk and the branches are black silhouettes against a blaze of coppery leaves, the whole thing lit from behind by the sun, low in the sky.'

Look our for my review of Drawing With Light-coming soon!