Breathe Paperback – November 1, 2005

This book is very interesting if you are young trying to understand your sexuality. The main character Nafiq, was a young ambitious man with goals who tried to keep his sexual preference a secret. But when his secret got out, his life went out of control. With no help from his parents or best friends he had to try to figure his life back out. If you're looking for a novel that keeps you interested you should definitely buy this book. I could not put it down once I started reading it. I finished it in one sitting.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel "Breathe" by Blair R. Poole. I was so entrenched in reading the book that I finished it in one day. I couldn't put it down. Beginning with page one to the final page. The topics and issues highlighted in the book are commonplace in our society today - that is why many young men choose to hide who they really are - and in a sense suffocate by trying to be someone other than their true selves. They are not allowed to breathe because of prejudices and ignorance.

This book was a great story that I think a lot of gay and straight kids can read and relate to. It shows teenagers who are dealing with their acceptance of who they are, and teach the ones who often harass them for being different some guidance on how to make it through.

BLair R. Poole's book BREATHE is a page turner and could easily be made into a film or TV movie. He occassionally slips up with regards to his characters and I couldn't understand his tangent for describing the rainbow that is BLACK ("honesuckle"; "dark"; "caramel-colored"; "almond-colored"; "hazelnut"; "cocoa"; "light-skinned". Enough already!).The ending seemed hopelessly optimistic and "hollywood-driven" but all in all, despite its flaws, it is an interesting read about a subject matter seldom discussed in mainstream Black communities.

A good book for an early work. Had it been more of a novel than a novelette he would have had more time to flesh out the story and let us savor the characters and situations. I was not disappointed and would buy another book from this writer. He has talent.

I read the book in one day, it kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Overall i like the book, it was different and interesting, and easy to read... It was missing something dont know what it was, but something was lacking.

This novel literally stimulated me. It's the average coming out story, but the suspense had me hooked from the start. I wished the book could have been longer, and that the author would have got into the Nafiq character more, but I enjoyed it still. He says he is working on a sequel, hurry up, I'm waiting.

Book is a great read