Breathing

In Herbsman's debut novel, 15-year-old Savannah Brown is contending with a strict but loving mother as well as frequent, serious asthma attacks, something she inherited from her long-absent father, Trip (""he tripped right on out of our lives when I was barely out of diapers""). Savannah, who needs constant medical care and attention, begins a relationship with an older boy from out of town, and her mother is more than a little protective. Only after Jackson proves that he is a responsible and caring boyfriend does Savannah's mother begin to let go. Told in the first person and thick with Southern vernacular, the novel offers a snapshot of Savannah's quickly-changing life. Displaying maturity and independence, as well as faith in the strength of her new relationship with Jackson, Savannah decides to attend a prestigious college program for promising high school seniors. While some of the story remains underdeveloped, such as the clairvoyance that Savannah occasionally alludes to possessing, the cast of characters holds the story together, and the people in Savannah's life are warm and real. Ages 12-up.