Waiting on Wednesday: Try Not to Breathe and Irises

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and features books that we just can't wait to get our hands on!

This week's picks are, of course, psychology-related to fit with Psychtember!


Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard

From Goodreads:

"Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again."

You don't get too many novels dealing with someone who's post-suicidal and just recently been released from a mental health facility, so that's already making this one stand out. Plus it's got a male teen protagonist!


Irises by Francisco X. Stork

"TWO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

THREE YOUNG MEN: Then three men sway their lives: Kate's boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much-needed stability. Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

ONE AGONIZING CHOICE: Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darknesses in their sudden freedom. But it's Mama's life that might divide them for good -- the question of *if* she lives, and what's worth living for."


I haven't yet read Stork's Marcelo in the Real World, but I've heard some good things about it! However I think I'll really be able to identify with this one, since I have an older sister :) I'm interested to see how the mother's "permanent vegetative state" is handled, as well as the relationships. And the cover is pretty!

What books are you waiting for?