Breathe by Sarah Crossan ARC Review

Title: Breathe

Author: Sarah Crossan

Published: October 2nd 2012 by Greenwillow

Book rating: 4 stars

Cover rating: 5 stars

Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.
Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.
Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.
Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.
And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

First off I want to think Epic Reads for sending me an ARC copy of Breathe in the mail! I didn't know it was coming and it's always fun to get surprise packages.  

I really, really liked this book. I really enjoy books about world disaster and crazy things happening that force people to find other ways to live whether it be natural disaster or zombies!! In this world all the trees have died and the oxygen levels have dropped to 6 percent. The solution created for this problem is a huge glass dome that people who were lucky enough to be chosen live in. Oxygen is pumped into the dome and the people have to pay taxes to breathe. There are three zones: Zone One being the Premiums/rich who can afford enough oxygen to exercise and any other activity that causes your body to consume more oxygen than usual, Zone Two is where the Breathe workers live and they're like the middle class, Zone Three is where the Auxillary/poor live. They're only allowed a certain amount of oxygen and if they use any more than they are given they're charged for it. If any of the civilians want to travel outside the pod they have to purchase air tanks and usually premiums are the only ones who can afford them. 

Breathe follows three main characters; Alina, Quinn, and Bea. Each of them play a different role in this book and I appreciate that. Alina is what most people call a RAT, she is part of the resistance and fights against the Pod Minister and the rest of the pod 'government' also known as Breathe. In the beginning we see she has a very feisty attitude and is sort of cut off and cold hearted in a sense. Her job is to get clippings from trees for the resistance without getting caught. When something goes wrong she must escape the pod and get back to The Grove aka RAT headquarters. Quinn and Bea were heading out for a camping trip outside the pod and it just so happened that Alina needed a way out of the pod at the same time. After they got out safely Alina told Quinn and Bea she didn't want them coming any farther with her. Of course they do and that starts the whole adventure along and a wonderful friendship that develops between the three MC's. Along the way to The Grove they meet a drifter, drifters are ex-breathe members who were thrown outside the pod by the Breathe organization. Her name is Maude Blue and when she was first introduced I didn't think she would become such a big part of this story but she did. It was really interesting to watch her role play out in this story and I'm excited to see what happens to her in the second book. Quinn being a premium is hated by anyone resistance because all premiums are stereotyped to be stuck up snobs who support the Pod Minister and believe in what they're doing. Bea is an Auxillary so she's not considered an equal to Quinn but that doesn't stop them from being bestfriends. Their friendship was one of my favorite aspects of this book, I love how it ended up growing and it gave true meaning to the saying "Sometimes two people have to fall apart to realize how much they need to be together." or however that saying goes. Like I said before I really enjoyed how we got to see a part of each world/perspective. I don't want to say too much about what happens on their adventure but it definitely doesn't lack action, a little romance, or heart breaking twists and turns. I highly recommend you all read this book and I can not wait for the second installment to this series!

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