Breathe and Count Back from Ten
Written by Natalia Sylvester
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.
Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability. The best form of rehabilitation is swimming, so she spends hours in the pool, but not just to strengthen her body.
Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks . . . and Verónica wants to audition. But her conservative Peruvian parents would never go for it. And they definitely would never let her be with Alex, her cute new neighbor.
She decides it’s time to seize control of her life, but her plans come crashing down when she learns her parents have been hiding the truth from her—the truth about her own body.
Primary ISBN: 9780358536864
Publication Date: May 2022
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older
Community Represented: Mexican/Mexican American, Peruvian/Peruvian American
Themes: Award Winner: Youth Media Awards 2023, Body Image, Coming of Age, Cross-Group Dating, Diverse Abilities: Physical, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Generational Differences, Immigrant: Economic, Mental Health, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Trauma & Healing
Setting: United States (Florida)
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
Click here for details about how we define our titles.
Engagement Projects & Resources:
Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.
Author Talk
https://www.youtube.com/live/jiHCBcTEuQs?feature=share