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Breathless
Breathless
Author: Lurlene McDaniel
This moving and charged novel by Lurlene McDaniel, the bestselling author of inspirational fiction for young adults, presents ethical as well as moral dilemmas and explores the harsh reality of making a choice that, once made, can never be undone. —   — Travis Morrison knows how good his life is. He’s a champion diver and one of the m...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780440240167
ISBN-10: 0440240166
Publication Date: 9/14/2010
Pages: 176
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 5/5 Stars.
 3

5 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
Read All 2 Book Reviews of "Breathless"

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Cindy84 avatar reviewed Breathless on + 118 more book reviews
My Thoughts: WOW! Another one of those books that leaves me at the end, with a what next? Who did it? My mouth literally dropped open. From start to finish this book was pretty awesome! I usually do not like where it switches between different people's thoughts, but this book, it actually worked!!! We meet Travis who is a diver. He is a athlete! We meet his sister, his girlfriend, and his best friend. This story is told from each of their perspectives. Do we have a choice on the way we want to die? Should it be our choice? Do we have a say in it? From start to finish, this book is amazing. Travis gets in accident and from there on we learn his story!

Overall: Great Book! One I'd recommend you read this year. Of course its also under 200 pages but definitely worth reading. I read it in one sitting which I usually can not do anymore. This book addresses a tough choice. And the last few pages will leave you with a what the heck just happened expression on your face!
GeniusJen avatar reviewed Breathless on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Cancer is terrible, but when it strikes a young, active body, it seems especially horrific. That's the case with high school student Travis Morrison. One minute he's a vibrant, healthy teen, and the next he's struck down by the devastating disease.

One sunny afternoon at the lake, Travis, two friends, Cooper and Darla, and sister Emily are enjoying a picnic and a swim. Travis tears up a rocky path beside the lake, thinking he'll show off a bit by making a high dive from a nearby cliff. Since he's a champion platform diver, it should be a breeze.

Just short of the edge he is struck by a sharp pain in his upper thigh, but he's not about to let that stop him. His friends watch as he begins his dive. When he hits the water, he hears his leg crack, and the pain he feels is incredible. Cooper shouts for the girls to call the hospital and bring the car as he carries Travis from the lake.

How does a healthy, in-shape champion diver break his leg doing a simple dive in the local lake? Multiple examinations and medical tests later, doctors announce that Travis has bone cancer, and a tumor in his upper thigh weakened the bone, causing the break.

That announcement changes life for everyone.

Lurlene McDaniel tackles the subject of euthanasia in her latest novel BREATHLESS. Using Travis, his best friend Cooper, girlfriend Darla, and his sister Emily, McDaniel explores the emotional and ethical issues of this sensitive subject from a variety of view points.

To say this novel is a real page-turner is an understatement. I truly could not put it down, and it has been on my mind ever since I finished the final page.


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