CW: Anxiety and intrusive thoughts

Told in verse, this book is tied up so neatly and exemplifies the feeling of developing your first crush. As eleven-year-old Stevie starts to experience fuzzy feelings for her friend, Chloe. The Deepest Breath is a book all children and queer people should read. It's a book I wish I had as a kid when I started developing feelings for girls and didn't have the words to match what I was feeling nor any adults to guide me and tell me it was okay. This is such a positive read and I loved the adult figures. Stevie also experiences anxiety. I loved being in her head as she thinks the worst of her social interactions by trying to predict what happens next and worries about her mother. It's such a real portrayal of being in the mind of an anxious person. Fortunately, her mother reassures her and lets her inquisitive daughter ask any questions she may have.