Just Breathe

Written by Cammie McGovern

Narrated by Caitlin Kelly and Josh Hurley

From the critically acclaimed author of Say What You Will and A Step Toward Falling comes a deeply emotional new novel, perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart and The Fault in Our Stars.

David Scheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis.

Jamie Turner is a quiet sophomore, struggling with depression.

The pair soon realizes that they’re able to be more themselves with each other than they can be with anyone else, and their unlikely friendship starts to turn into something so much more.

But neither Jamie nor David can bring themselves to reveal the secrets that weigh most heavily on their hearts—and their time for honesty may be running out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062972095

Cammie McGovern

Cammie McGovern is the author of Say What You Will as well as the adult novels Neighborhood Watch, Eye Contact, and The Art of Seeing. Cammie is also one of the founders of Whole Children, a resource center that runs after-school classes and programs for children with special needs. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with her husband and three children.

Reviews for Just Breathe

[Ana Cozlov · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This easily became my favorite book. The way Cammie portrayed the characters' feelings is beautiful and well done. This book is the best book I've read so far.

[cmobrien-320565 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good stuff. Cammie knows how to bring characters alive. The sensitive portrayals of people with CF and depression are eye-opening.

[lulu0917-526025 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just Breathe is a pretty well-written book. Though the inciting incident was a bit late, the other pinch points made up for that. There wasn’t much suspense, as expected, and the character development wasn’t the best. The thing that really touched me though, was the content itself. It was just this raw sweet bitterness that had you biting your nails and clawing at your hair. The exposition was good, we’re introduced to David and Jamie’s internal conflict; their desires, and fears. The opening was interesting, never before seen. It started off with an email from Jamie’s perspective, and by her response, we could tell she wasn’t a social person. As the book develops, David and Jamie’s anxiousness grows. David’s life at stake, and Jamie’s job and social life have been flipped upon its head. I liked the ending, but, I’m only confused about the several months being away from each other thing, it was kind of unrealistic, going months without talking to the person who saved your life. And, as much as the ending was amazing, we don’t get a hint about what David and Jamie’s next step is. We don’t know what happens at school in terms of their new relationship, like, she used to eat outside. Does she still do that? So, somethings were left hanging, but, overall it was a nice, craziness-filled book.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just the situation both Jamie and David are in at the start of this story would make it riveting, but the author keeps digging while slowly feeding readers more details about what life was like for each of them before they met. You start to appreciate just how determined these teens are to try going beyond the physical and emotional constraints placed upon them. In David's case, it's his failing lungs that also threaten to bring down other vital organs, not to mention his parents' 'just get better and you'll be off to college' mantra. For Jamie, it's the pitfall-strewn road back from depression and a suicidal episode, coupled with her painful awareness that her former friends are, at best tolerating her, and at worst are using her to make themselves feel better. Kudos for David's sister Eileen. She's appealing all the way through the story, no matter what she wears or does. What really struck me was what happened after their third trip from the hospital. I don't want to give anything away, but that whole part of the story was lights-out the way it was written. This is a truly rich and emotional story of illness, recovery and perseverance. It's an excellent choice for all school and public libraries.