Jennifer Hubbard- Try Not to Breathe

3.5 stars

"I don't know what to do with you. You have every reason to be happy, everything to live for."

As Ryan can't seem to catch a break between school bullies and his parents, he is released from a mental hospital after a suicidal attempt. He may be released, but the suicidal thoughts and depressive behavior continue on.

As Ryan is sent home to recover, he is faced with more bullies, the overbearing question of why he was gone for so long and what he believes to be the constant torture of his parent's worries.

Then Nicki comes along. A younger girl who is anything but simple.

The rebellious duo face their hardships together as they fight to speak to Nicki's dead father and find Ryan's true reason for survival.

The beginning of Try Not To Breathe was great but then I fell out of the books flow. I felt as if it railed in and out behind the books meaning and I started to forget the actual plot of the story.

I've fallen in love with self-help books that speak of mental health but this book just did not do it for me.

I felt as if it as like any other book where love tries saves the broken person. But in this story, I felt the story carried more into Nicki's life and made me feel as if Ryan wasn't be fully disclosed as if his full character.

An aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was how connected Ryan, Jake and Val. Three friends that kept in contact after they were released from the mental hospital. I found it realistic and unique that one of the friends came back into the dark thoughts and became suicidal again. This is just one instant in the book out of several that I found to be unique.

Overall, good book but not my favourite.