Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe 

Author: Sarah Crossan
Series: Breathe, Book One
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Genre:Young Adult Dystopian
Format:Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Source: Mid-Columbia Libraries

Synopsis: 

The world has been completely destroyed. The only way of survival is to live in the Pods, run by Breathe, a company that manufactures oxygen rich air. Stepping outside without an air tank is suicide. Quinn, Bea, and Alina somehow manage to find themselves on a trip outside the Pod together. They have two days’ worth of air. What started out as a fun camping trip will turn into the adventure of a lifetime. Truths will be revealed and worlds will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back to the Pod? The bigger question posed is, will they want to?

My Review: 

Sarah Crossan examines a very current issue in Breathe. Our society continues to tear down trees and rain forests all over the world to build cities and houses. If we are not careful, we may end up living like the characters in this book. Trapped in a pod, forced to pay for oxygen, something that is a human right. I really liked that this book was focused on a current issue. It really made me stop and think about what I am doing to help save the environment. It was exciting, but also quite terrifying to read about what our future could look like if we don’t change the course that we are currently on.

This book has three main characters and switches between all three of their perspectives. I love when authors do this because I love hearing the different points of view that each character brings to the table. The three main characters all have very different backgrounds as well. I think this really opens the book up to wide audience. Readers will certainly be able to connect with at least one of the characters.

The first character, Quinn, is a Premium, meaning he is a privileged person in their society. He is of the highest social status. He is rich and can basically do anything he wants. While other people aren’t allowed to do things like exercise, because it uses too much oxygen, Quinn can just buy more oxygen. However, he isn’t stuck-up like most Premiums. He is very generous and down to earth. He kind of seems like a loner to me. He has one best friend, Bea, and only a few other acquaintances. However, he is certainly not perfect. He is very shallow in regards to women and flits from girl to girl just because they are pretty.

The second character, Bea, is an auxiliary. Her family can barely afford the oxygen they need to survive. She is trying desperately to become a part of Breathe so she can change her family’s status to Premium. She is best friends with Quinn, but wants more; only he is too shallow and dense to see it. Bea is a very sweet, kind-hearted individual who wants to help others. She wants to make a difference in the world and help her family at the same time.

The third character, Alina, is a member of the Resistance. Breathe calls them terrorists. She is very strong-willed and independent. She believes in and is passionate about her cause. She is beautiful and of course, immediately catches the eye of Quinn. I felt like Alina’s character was not developed as well as Bea and Quinn. I feel like I don’t really know much about Alina at all. I wish that the author would have delved into her character a bit more. I hope that in the next book we get to know her better.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The fact that the story is focused on a current issue made it very relatable to the readers. Not only did you get to enjoy a good story, you also get to think about a current issue and what we need to do to resolve that issue. The second book, Resist, is expected to be released October 8, 2013. I can’t wait to see where Sarah Crossan takes the next book, what the Resistance will do to save the world, and the part that Quinn, Bea, and Alina will play. 

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