Breathe
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Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH -- School Library Journal, 2/22/2008
Breathe (unabr.). 6 CDs. 7 hrs. Bolinda Audio. 2007. ISBN 978-92133-443-6. $48.
Gr 9 Up–Undine appears to be a normal Tasmanian teenager juggling the demands of school exams, parties, a boyfriend, parental advice, and the unrequited love of Trout, but she has uncontrollable magic powers. However, the girl made a promise to her mother not to use the magic until after high school graduation. Prospero, her father, disagrees and believes stifling the magic is dangerous. In Undine (HarperTeen, 2006), Trout experienced first-hand Undine’s magic. In this sequel (HarperTeen, 2007) by Penni Russon, Trout is eager to learn more about this magic and its connection to the Chaos Theory. He searches the Internet and meets a “morally neutral” Max. In a craftily plotted mix of twists and turns, all three discover more about the magic than they had believed possible. Undine ultimately gives herself up to the magic’s power and sacrifices her life for Max’s, but an unexpected twist leaves listeners pondering the magic’s power of resurrection. Listeners will be spellbound from the beginning to the end in this captivating tale of intrigue, love, and magic. Melissa Eccleston does a flawless job as narrator, and although she limits herself with voice variations, her tones and emotions are pitch-perfect. Listeners will eagerly await the final book in this trilogy.
