Breathe Deep & Swim ~Book Review~

Breathe Deep & Swim

By: Jenna Marcus

Cleanliness (See “About” for scale): 4/5 (Moderate cursing, Topics to consider: death, COVID-19, & racism.)

4 Stars

Breathe Deep & Swim is the bittersweet tale of loss, forgiveness, adventure, and brotherly love. At 150 pages, it is a fairly short book, yet it still manages to completely capture the story. Although the book starts in the midst of turmoil, the author still does a decent amount of world-building. I felt like I got to know the characters through their struggles. There is a nice mixture of staying in the present storyline but also dipping back into the past in order to show the reader more about the character’s lives. The small twists within the story are a bit predictable but still enjoyable.

The one part that I didn’t enjoy as much was the obvious agenda being pushed (especially in the beginning) surrounding COVID. Although I agreed with the sentiments, I felt part of it was talked about a bit too much and wasn’t necessary for the story. It was intriguing to read a book set in the current day, however!

I also wish a little more character-building had been done surrounding the dad. Some was explained, but their [SPOILER ALERT] detached reaction to his death in the first few pages seemed a little… too detached? By the end, my feelings about their father were thrown for a loop.

Altogether this is an interesting book which broaches sensitive topics in an intriguing story of family love and loss.

~I was sent a free copy of this book from the author for an honest review~