Buy Now
Walker Books
On sale:
September 2009
Price:
$16.99
Format:
Hardcover
Size:
5.5 x 8.25 in
Pages:
320 pp
Ages:
14
Grades:
9-12
ISBN-13: 9780802798497
ISBN-10: 0802798497
Also Available
Breathless
By Jessica Warman
Book Description
A semi-autobiographical novel of love, secrets, and the ties that cut and bind
When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school, it doesn't take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She's smart, she's cute, and she's a swimming prodigy who has a first-class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don't know is that Katie is swimming away from the secrets of her past, and from the schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won't let her go. As Katie's star rises, Will descends deeper into insanity. And when he does the unthinkable, it's all Katie can do to keep her head above water. Largely based on the author's own experiences, Breathless is a stunning debut that explores illness and health, love and lust, friends and enemies, and the moneyed world of prep school with a deft, expert hand.
★"
Warman’s achingly realistic scenes and characters transcend cliché, and with rare, refreshing honesty and flashes of wry humor, she writes about the intimacy of boarding school, the anguish of family illness, finding a sense of self in sports and in life, and the small, mysterious, imperfect moments that add up to love in all its forms.”— Booklist, starred review
★“[Readers will] find the boarding-school experience enviable, the family situation poignant, and Katie a protagonist they’ll understand, support, and forgive.”— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
★“Warman treats Will’s schizophrenia with stark honesty as seen through his sister’s eyes. [T]his novel provides an important look at an extremely difficult illness and its effects on a family.”–School Library Journal, starred review
“Warman draws out Katie’s emotions and her complex life and family with immediacy. Readers who dive in will surface with more awareness of the devastating effects of mental illness.”—Kirkus Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AWARDS
Best Books for Young Adults (YALSA)
EXTRAS
A Conversation with Jessica Warman
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