06 March 2018

Review: The Place Between Breaths

The Place Between Breaths
by An Na

Publisher: Atheneum
Publication Date: March 6, 2018

The PLACE BETWEEN BREATHS by An Na explores the impact of schizophrenia on a family. After her schizophrenic mother disappears and likely dies, Grace's father devotes himself to finding a cure for the disease. As an intern in her dad's lab, Grace works at her own personal dream of becoming a scientist, while juggling high school and her best friend's personal dilemma. Without the attention of her father and an absent mother, Grace slowly slips into her own world, succumbing to the disease herself.

I really wanted to like this book, and although it was beautifully written, I was definitely confused for most of it. There were abrupt time shifts back and forth without much explanation or background, and it took me a while to figure out what was happening. Plot lines were started and never finished, and big details were left out. However, the flashback scenes of Grace's childhood with her mother were incredible and raw, provoking real emotion. The book ended a bit abruptly, but it almost felt like all of the faults I found within the book were intentional, invoking the effects of schizophrenia itself. Still, this was a wonderful and quick read and I would highly recommend it!





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