Don't Forget to Breathe (Original)

Sara Waxelbaum

Book cover for Don't Forget to Breathe (Original)
Image for variant 9781335013903
Book cover for Don't Forget to Breathe (Original)
Image for variant 9781335013903

Don't Forget to Breathe (Original)

Don't Forget to Breathe (Original)

Sara Waxelbaum

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Description

"Earnest, evocative, and unapologetically tender. Don't Forget to Breathe is the sort of love story that wears its heart on its sleeve." - Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Imogen, Obviously

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Dugan and Nina LaCour, this tender, contemporary sapphic romance follows a dancer and a musician who find themselves on a collision course that could change their lives forever.

Zoe's always had a plan. Ballet has been her past, present, and future for so long that she's never even considered otherwise. It's been the escape she's always needed. Yet when senior year arrives, it arrives with a feeling of uncertainty she never expected--and a paralyzing fear about choosing the wrong future.

Hanna's rarely stayed in a place longer than a year. The greatest consistency she has is her piano playing, and her dad diving back into his Jewish faith every time her mom leaves on assignment. So when her senior year begins with yet another move to a new school, she's not planning on putting down roots--she's learned that hard way how that ends.

But when the girls' paths collide, everything they thought they knew is turned upside down. Their relationship could change them each forever--if they have the courage to let their worlds fall apart.

An honest, messy, and very real approach to first love that focuses keenly on the queer and neurodiverse experience, Don't Forget to Breathe proves the power of overcoming fear to be wildly, truly yourself.

Critical Reviews

"Earnest, evocative, and unapologetically tender. Don't Forget to Breathe is the sort of love story that wears its heart on its sleeve." - Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Imogen, Obviously

"Don't Forget to Breathe is a sweet, honest portrayal of falling in love for the first time, in all its beauty and messiness. A tenderly-crafted modern sapphic love story, layered with enthralling characters whose personalities are brimming with neurodivergent truths and real-life relatability. Zoe and Hanna's story will stay with you long after you've turned the last page."
- Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Way I Am Now

"In this self-aware will-they, won't-they romance, the leads navigate their complex feelings for each other, their dynamics with mutual friends, and their distinctly neurodivergent brains. Written from both girls' points of view, the hilarious and swoonworthy narrative is a joy to read... A poignant and humorous neuroqueer romance." -Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl:

"This book has everything your gay girl heart could want--field hockey, snapbacks, sundresses, horses, history nerds, a bloodhound named Julie Andrews, and the most delightfully snarky romance I've read this year. Shrum and Waxelbaum are at their chaotic best in their YA rom-com debut. Hilarious, heartfelt, and gay as hell, Margo Zimmerman doesn't just get the girl--she gets my whole freaking heart, too!" --New York Times bestselling author Ashley Poston

"Hilariously queer and queerly hilarious, Margo Zimmerman stands up there with my favorite sapphic YA rom-coms. Shrum and Waxelbaum are definitely a duo to watch!" --Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer and Home Field Advantage

"Brimming with heart and humor, Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl is a story about identity, first love, and the wonder that happens when you make room for the unexpected. This story is everything I love in a YA romance--funny, voicey, insightful, and heartwarming." --Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

"Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl and wins our hearts along the way. Shrum and Waxelbaum absolutely shine with this laugh out loud rom-com of queer joy!" --Jennifer Iacopelli, author of Break the Fall and Finding Her Edge

"Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl is fun and funny in the best rom-com ways. It makes you laugh at the idea of there being a right way to be queer, all the while loving the characters for still trying to find one." --L.C. Rosen, author of Camp

"Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl--and she stole my heart, too! I couldn't put it down. I'm obsessed with Margo and Abbie, the banter, the hilarious foray into queer culture, and the chemistry, wow! My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. A sapphic romcom that truly shines." --Jen Wilde, author of Queens of Geek and This Is the Way the World Ends

"[An] adorable, sex-positive, will-they, won't-they romance." --Kirkus Reviews

"[A] playful romance... Margo and Abbie's candid alternating narration positively depict myriad facets of neurodiversity and dating." --Publishers Weekly

"Shrum and Waxelbaum have created relatable narrators in Margo and Abbie. Their voices are casual and conversational, which makes this a fun read, and it's a joy to see more characters like this come to YA." --Booklist

"The prose in this latest collaboration by Shrum and Waxelbaum beats rhythmically across the page and is, in a word, splendid... A stunning sapphic romance that will settle between your ribs and linger in your heart." -Booklist

Publishing Information

Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub date: 2025-10-21
Length: 384 pages

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