Book Review- Breathe, Annie, Breathe

I finished reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally on Saturday on the plane ride to Denver.

From Goodreads:

From the bestselling author of Catching Jordan comes a brand new contemporary YA you won't forget.

The finish line is only the beginning...

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can't escape the guilt that if she hadn't broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she's at war with her body, her mind-and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms...and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

I have recently gotten into running big time (within the last 3 years) and ran my first marathon this past January.  So I was both really excited and apprehensive to read this book.  I was worried that the author hadn't done her research and would just be guessing and what the life of a runner is like.  Luckily I had nothing to worry about!

For example--upset stomach during running and right after running (although not to the extent that Annie did), different types of water holders (Camelback, fanny belt, hand held), the pain of speedwork, blisters, chafing, Runners Knee (although lots of people continue to still run), the sticky mess of gels, that its bad to take ibuprofen while running, and the hilarity and difficulty of trying to drink out of a cup while running.  The only thing I didn't agree with is that that Color Me Rad is a fun run and fun runs don't base your bib numbers off the time they think you will finish by.  But I loved reading all of these little nuances that I just didn't know about or get until I was a runner!

I loved Annie.  I loved her personality.  And I loved Jeremiah.  His weakness was adrenaline but there could be worse things.  I loved how he was around Annie.

And I just loved the feelings I got while reading the book.  I remember the excitement of the beginning of college and I felt it in this book.  And I still get that butterflies-in-my-stomach excitement feeling at the beginning of every race and I could so feel it in this book.  And I loved how it ended--with a little note that she had signed up for a marathon.  Racing is addicting.  Once you start running races, you just keep adding more and more onto your schedule.  (I would have liked to read about how her marathon actually went though).

I know I keep saying it--the word loved.  but that's how I felt about this book.  I just absolutely loved the combo of a YA book combined with running combined with romance combined with the heartbreak and sadness of losing someone you love.

I gave this book a rating of 5/5!

Breathe, Annie, Breathe will be released tomorrow, July 15, 2014.

*FTC Disclosure: I borrowed this book from a friend.