Plot: Teenager Ryan once tried to take his life. A year later, his only friends are from the mental institution where he recovered. Everyone at school avoids him and his mother hovers constantly. Ryan's only escape is to stand underneath the waterfall by his house - the exhilerating pounding of the water reminds him that he's alive. Then Ryan meets Nicki, who starts asking him questions he doesn't want to answer, bringing up haunting memories of the past.
Comments: I have to admit that I really didn't like Nicki. She's boisterous, bossy, and rash. On the other hand, Ryan is quiet, stoic, and blank. They contrast like a watercolor painting to a black and white photograph. Nicki pushes Ryan to talk about his suicide attempt and his depression - though really, this is probably good for Ryan. But I sided with Ryan when it seemed she was using him for her own purposes.
I thought Ryan was a sort of plain character. The whole point of him was that he kept his emotions shut away, but in showing this, Hubbard made it difficult for the readers to understand or sympathize with him. And perhaps that is the point. I still liked him. He was solid and confused in a way that makes sense. He felt real.
I was bugged by the romance between Ryan and Nicki. I don't understand why they couldn't have just been friends. A book about teenagers growing to know each other doesn't have to end with them together, and it felt kind of forced with these two. And why is the cover a picture of teenagers kissing? That's not the focus of the story.
This story is more about accepting the past and learning to live. Appreciating life and what it offers. Letting go and moving on. Friendship. That's why I liked this book.
Rating: I rate Try Not to Breathe a seven out of ten.
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