Books Like The Art of Not Breathing
Families who loved The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Families who loved The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with long-held family secrets or the lingering shadows of a childhood tragedy. It is particularly suited for families who have experienced loss and find that the initial 'stages of grief' have settled into a complex, quiet reality that no one quite knows how to talk about. The story follows sixteen-year-old Elsie as she seeks the truth about her twin brother's disappearance five years prior, using free-diving as both a physical challenge and a metaphor for diving into her own submerged memories. While the book is a mystery, its core is a realistic and secular exploration of guilt, parental neglect, and the way trauma can fracture a family. It is best for older teens due to its heavy themes and depictions of risk-taking behavior. Parents might choose this to validate a child's feeling that their family's 'normal' is actually quite painful, or to open a conversation about how different family members carry the same grief in different ways.
