Coming Up for Air

By: Nicole B. Tyndall

Narrated by: Phoebe Strole

For fans of Nina LaCour and The Spectacular Now, a powerful coming-of-age story about a girl with creative aspirations and the boy who charms his way into her life, centering on themes of addiction, loss, and the tumultuousness of first love--and how to find strength when everything falls apart.

Ever since her mom's cancer scare, Hadley hasn't been one for taking risks. And after seeing her sister go through one too many heartbreaks, she definitely has no interest in dating. Hadley just wants to keep her head down and enjoy the rest of high school with her friends, focusing on her photography and getting into the art school of her dreams.

Then enters Braden, star of the swim team and precisely the kind of person Hadley avoids, all bravado and charm and impulsivity. From their first moment together, they are perfect sparring partners, equally matched. And it's intoxicating. Braden sees her, really sees her, and Hadley decides it might be time to break all her rules.

Braden shows Hadley how to live again, and soon Hadley is happier than she'll ever admit out loud. But that's before her family is faced with devastating news, and Braden starts hiding a growing, dark secret. As it threatens to shatter everything they've built, Hadley must confront her own actions and determine if she has the strength to walk away.

Critic reviews

"I'll never stop thinking about these characters. A beautifully written and deeply felt debut about love and heartbreak--fans of Jennifer Niven will adore this book!" --Kerry Kletter, critically acclaimed author of The First Time She Drowned

"Powerful.... Perfectly captures the struggle to get back to a certain version of your favorite person who has become impossible to reach.” --Booklist, starred review

"An absorbing love story for the 21st century." --Kirkus Reviews

Beautiful, thoughtful, genuine

This is the book I wish I had when I was 17, but the story fed my 30something soul. It teaches how to choose to love yourself when the choice feels impossible. Hadley and her friends are who I would hope my children would be friends with in high school. As much as it is an anti romance, it feels like a love story to friendship and family. I appreciate the sensitivity with which difficult subject matter was handled, and the realistic descriptions of the accompanying emotions. Additionally, the performance was wonderful.