Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages

How to Breathe Underwater is a beautiful book taking you through self-discovery and realization. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It takes you through love and loss and what a thoughtful book it is.

This story is about Kate who is a state-championship winner in swimming. She has spent the last 10 years of her life swimming and competing to please her father, who is also her swim coach. But her father betrays her and her family. Kate moves to a new city with her mom. She tries to decide what swimming really means for her.

She realizes that while she loves swimming and water, she really hate competing. She was doing all of the competing to just please her father who made her work harder every time. Now that she doesn’t have to please him anymore, she quits swimming in her new school. She has to find a new path for her and she is trying to understand all the changes that occurred in her life after she moved to the new city.

I really loved the overall journey of Kate from her self-realization to achieving the things that actually mattered to her. She proved to be a strong character as the story progresses. She made mistakes like all teenagers do. But she was never afraid of consequences and was always ready to face them. Through all of her struggles, she learns to love and to open her heart.

Michael was the love interest of Kate who lived down the hall in her building. She hadn’t known at first that he had a girlfriend and she started liking him. But when she found out about his girlfriend, it was too late for her to retreat her feeling. Between swim classes and salsa lessons, she falls for him and so does he.

I totally shipped this couple and their romance was so adorable. Before they were romantically involved, they were friends and there were some quite cute moments in that friendship. Michael had a habit of smoking, because of her mother, but Kate helped her in quitting it. Both had their own problems to deal with and in this way, they found solace in each other’s company.

I loved all the side characters. They were very well developed.

I really liked how well [a:Vicky Skinner|15852604|Vicky Skinner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1502285951p2/15852604.jpg] has included so many heavy themes in this otherwise simple story. The issues are talked about as drama but in actual they never felt dramatic? Michael’s mom was in terrible condition because of smoking and he also was habitual to it. This shows how parents actions can make impressions on a child’s life. There are lots of teen-relevant issues shown like dealing with parents’ divorce, father-daughter relationship, falling for your friend’s guy, moving in new town and experiencing new love, and I think each of these things has perfectly been captured in the story.

Overall, this is a sweet and painful story of one girl’s quest to find herself and starting her life fresh. With so many important issues handled, Vicky Skinner has shown a story dealing with love and loss in its various forms. If you like reading contemporary with love, loss, drama and challenging relationships, then this book is for you. Kate would make you love her.