Sophie Hardcastle

Oh, my goodness, was this book slow! There were a number of times I wanted to give up, but I also hoped it would improve. Unfortunately, it didn't.

The main protagonist, Grace, annoyed me from the start. She was too passive for my liking and was constantly comparing herself to either her twin, Ben, or her best friend, Mia. I also wasn't impressed with how she dealt with the tragic event that shattered her world., even though I did sympathise with her debilitating pain and loss. Her self-destruction included smoking, drug use, school truancy and blatant rudeness which, for me, make Grace very unlikeable.

Then there were her parents. They could easily have won the Worst Parents of the Year award. I was disgusted with their behaviour, especially towards Grace. It was hard to believe that Ben was their son. He was so sweet and down-to-earth, and had a wonderful relationship with his sister. The way he treated Mia and the fact he was a great cook also made him extremely appealing.

Despite a very slow plot, I did like that "Breathing Under Water" was set in Australia and the author's descriptions of the ocean were delightful, but the story never really won me over.… (meer)