4.5 stars. Absolutely love the continuation of the story, and following along with Lirael's adventures in the library is wonderful. The sections with Sam are far less interesting though, and the book suffers then.

Holding Her Breath is an intimate coming of age novel by Elimear Ryan. It interweaves the daily life of elite swimmer Beth Crowe as she makes her way through her first year of university, with history of her famous poet grandfather Ben Crowe who killed himself by downing before she was born. The story is so rich that at times I felt I was reading a true biography of a poet told through through the eyes of his granddaughter, searching to find more about him as well as herself. A deeply engaging novel that I'd recommend to anyone, a solid five star read.