THE DEEPEST BREATH

This brief yet moving audiobook written in verse features Stevie, an 11-year-old Irish girl who keeps her anxiety at bay by trying to learn absolutely everything. The one thing she most wants to know, however, she can't learn from her caring mom and doesn't know how to find in a book: Why does she get such a fizzy feeling around her friend Chloe? Narrator Heather O'Neill's lilting brogue and thoughtful pacing preserve the flow of the verse without sacrificing the confessional tone of Stevie's voice. Moreover, O'Neill imbues Stevie's naïveté with such poignant urgency that even the most jaded tween listeners will be hard-pressed not to root for her. A sweet coming-out story, narrated with sensitivity and tenderness. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]