Breathless

Jennifer Niven

Sep 2020 · Sold by Knopf Books for Young Readers

About this ebook

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places comes a compulsively readable novel about a teen girl determined to write her own story--sex, heartbreak, family dramas, and all.

"A coming-of-age story that will make your heart ache." —PopSugar

With high school coming to an end, Claudine Henry is focused on four things: sex, starting college, becoming a famous writer, and... sex. But when her parents announce they're splitting up, her entire world begins to fall apart. The epic road trip she planned with her best friend is cancelled, and she finds herself stuck on a remote island off the coast of Georgia with her mom - an island with no WiFi, no cell service and no friends.

Until she meets the free spirited, mysterious, and beautiful Jeremiah. He infuriates and intrigues her. Their chemistry takes her by surprise, and when Claude decides he should be her first, she tells herself it's just sex. Exactly what she wanted, right? They both know that what they have can't last forever, but maybe the time they have can be enough.

"Romantic and sexy." —Judy Blume, acclaimed author of Forever

Ratings and reviews

2025, and most scared of the globe since 1986. So, not a teen. Not the market. Not a romance reader. I read this out of one curiosity. Why was it banned? It is a beautiful book of beautiful people. Everything is right, deep, caring. Every anger is underlined with understanding. Every crime with guilt. Every victim... forgiving is too small a word for it. (books are better than comments.) It is hope and advice. I can accept that the beautiful honesty about carnality scares parents. It's possible that a young woman will crave the experience in the book and make the wrong compromise. There are few Miahs - l certainly never was. But it is also certain that they will be exposed through less healthy sources. And more sadly, it seems the book may be being targeted because one character is gay. However, I will tell my daughters that a friend suggested they read it.

Good

About the author

Jennifer Niven is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe, as well as the popular Velva Jean series. She is also the author of several non-fiction books, including Ada Blackjack, The Aqua-Net Diaries, and The Ice Master, which was named a top non-fiction book by Entertainment Weekly. Her New York Times bestseller All the Bright Places is soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning. Although she grew up in Indiana, she now lives with her fiancé and literary cats in Los Angeles, which remains her favorite place to wander.