Breathe and Count Back from Ten (book) by Natalia Sylvester
Bibliographic Information
Title: Breathe and Count Back from Ten
Author: Natalia Sylvester
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0358536864
Page Count: 352
Genre/Format
Fiction/Book
Reading Level/Interest Level
Grades 9+ (School Library Journal)
Awards
Pura Belpré Award Honor Book
Schneider Family Award Honor Book
Rise: A Feminist Book Project Honoree
20204-2025 Florida Teens Read title
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Verónica (Vero) lives in Florida with her parents and younger sister Dani. Her family immigrated from Peru when she was young, and her parents worry that their permanent resident status may be revoked at any time, so they urge the girls to be good girls and to never draw attention to themselves. Vero has hip dysplasia, which means she has had several surgeries throughout her childhood. She finds solace from her parent’s expectations and her physical limitations in the water, so when her favorite local theme park opens auditions for a spot on their underwater mermaid performance team, she dares to dream a bit further that she could be a mermaid. Her parents don’t approve of the mermaid career, though. With the help of her friends, and new love interest, Sam, though, she decides to try out. Everything collides when her secrets collide with secrets her parents have been keeping from her.
About the Author
Natalia Sylvester
Sylvester was born in Lima, Peru and came to the United States as a young child. She grew up in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. She went to The University of Miami where she received a BA in Creative Writing. She has been a Visiting Associate Professor at The University of Texas and a faculty member at the Mile-High MFA program at Regis University. She currently lives in South Florida. SHe has published books for kids, teens, and adults (Sylvester, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
As someone with chronic illnesses that manifest in physical disability form, I enjoyed this book. There were a lot of themes that teens will be able to relate to. Vero has the weight of her parents’ expectations on her shoulders, which include their immigration status and her parents’ ideas of chastity. Disabilities and chronic illnesses affect the person with the disability or illness, but they also affect their families, and her parents’ emotions about trying to give her everything they can while simultaneously protecting her from things feels real. Additionally, her sister Dani feels well developed as a sibling who lives in the shadow of someone who’s existence requires so much air in the room. Her romantic relationship with Sam doesn’t feel cliché as he is dealing with depression himself, and it’s nice to see how two teens who are both struggling can support each other. Lastly, bodily autonomy is explored through multiple spaces - sexual relationships, parental involvement, and medical decisions.
That young love feeling <3
Creative Use for a Library Program
Host a Disability and Chronic Disease talk where teens can speak about their chronic disease or disability and what it means to them and how it affects their daily life.
Speed-Round Talk
Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen who suffers from hip dysplasia, struggles to find herself in a world caught between her parent’s ideas of who she should be, who she wants to be, and the physical limitations of what her body allows her to be.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
I couldn’t find any documented challenges to this book as of writing. There was some consensual sexual innuendo.
Reason for Inclusion
This book centers on a minority protagonist who also suffers from a disability. Teens who suffer from other disabilities or chronic disease will find her struggle relatable even with vastly different disabilities. Teens who feel pulled between two cultures will also see themselves in the protagonist. Other teens will be able to use the sliding glass door to step into her shoes for a bit.
“Teens will be unable to put down this book filled with drama, hope, and family conflict, including great Latinx representation.”
Rebecca, A Clothes Horse (2016, February 1)
Bonus Information
Sylvester shares in the backmatter that the fictional place that Veronica wants to work at was based on a real place, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (and they have live mermaid shows) in case you are wondering!
References
Dominguez, A. (2022, September 2). Breathe and count back from ten [Review of Breathe and count back ten by Sylvester, N.]. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/review/breathe-and-count-back-from-ten
Hearn, C. @calebhearnmusic. (2022, August 23). Love story dancing GIF by Caleb Hearn [Gif]. Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/calebhearnmusic-love-romance-caleb-hearn-fls4uc0lN2zzKmfyQY
Rebecca, A Clothes Horse. (2016, February 1). February moodboard: Mermaids, water nymphs, & sea sirens. a clothes horse, finding quiet in the wild. http://www.aclotheshorse.co.uk/2016/02/february-moodboard-mermaids-water.html?utm_source=feedburner
Sylvester, N. (n.d.). About. Natalia Sylvester. Retrieved November 15, 2024 from https://www.nataliasylvester.com
Sylvester, N. (2022, May 10). Breathe and count back from ten. Clarion Books.
*Book COver Image is property of publisher, Clarion Books; taken from Amazon.