Pick this up if:
- You enjoy novels written in verse about important topics
- You want to see questioning sexual identity rep in a middle grade
- You need a pick-me-up and want to see librarians be the heroes they are
- You liked Alex Gino’s RICK or Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X
Review:
I’m usually not that emotionally invested when it comes to novels in verse, but let me tell you that Stevie’s story took my heart and ran with it from the very first page. Eleven-year old Stevie has been best friends with Andrew since they were toddlers and Stevie’s mom keeps on teasing that the two of them will get married someday. This is all fine and well but Stevie’s actually starting to have feelings for someone else – a girl at school that makes her stomach flutter. Obsessed with sea creatures and reading, Stevie wants to make a deep dive into research to find out if these feelings she’s having for another girl are “normal”.
I wish I could give Stevie a hug. She was such a relatable and sweet character and her struggles to figure out her sexual orientation (especially at that age) is so rarely showcased in middle grade fiction, which is why this was all the more important to me to read about! Stevie’s curiosity – both about the deep blue sea and feelings – was so fascinating to follow along and the pages just flew by with the way we got to look inside her head. I also adored the storyline of the kind and comforting librarian helping Stevie realise that it’s completely okay and normal to question your feelings and that the odds of falling in love with your friend shouldn’t be determined by their gender. The librarian made everything seem so effortless and showed how much power books can have in being available to others to guide them with their own experiences. It just showed how much support means to people that are part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum, especially younger ones who don’t know what they’re asking for yet.
I also loved how this story dealt with societal expectations in terms of gender – Stevie’s mother always kids about her daughter and Andrew ending up together, which is uncomfortable for Stevie and Andrew because while they like each other, they don’t particularly want to be together in a romantic way. Yet, Stevie can open up to Andrew and confide in him which was such a healthy portrayal of a supportive friendship. Stevie’s mother also has her own journey in this story and I thought it was beautifully done.
Showing how easy it can be to support and love your children unconditionally, The Deepest Breath reminds readers that it’s okay to question your identity and showcases that representation in literature matters – no matter your age or gender, this is an uplifting and comforting read that shouldn’t be missed!
The Deepest Breath is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up The Deepest Breath? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Stevie is eleven and loves reading and sea-creatures. She lives with her mum, and she’s been best friends with Andrew since forever. Stevie’s mum teases her that someday they’ll get married, but Stevie knows that won’t ever happen. There’s a girl at school that she likes more. A lot more. Actually, she’s a bit confused about how much she likes her. It’s nothing like the way she likes Andrew. It makes her fizz inside. That’s a new feeling, one she doesn’t understand. Stevie needs to find out if girls can like girls – love them, even – but it’s hard to get any information, and she’s too shy to ask out loud about it. But maybe she can find an answer in a book. With the help of a librarian, Stevie finds stories of girls loving girls, and builds up her courage to share the truth with her mum. Written in accessible verse `chapters’ and in a warm and reassuring style, The Deepest Breath will be of special relevance to young girls who are starting to realise that they are attracted to other girls, but it is also a story for any young reader with an open mind who wants to understand how people’s emotions affect their lives.
