I really liked this book. Both the mother's and son's voices felt very realistic. It is written in a way that takes you along on the same emotional roller-coaster that are described in its pages. I have some experience with mental illness, and also with alcoholism/AA, both through my husband's family. That made me recognize certain things in the book, like how Mark kept trying, failing, trying again, and how his mother always ended up being there for him, no matter how agonizing. I don't think you need to have any experience with mental illness/chemical abuse to enjoy this book, but I feel that it added depth to the whole reading experience.

I have always loved coming of age stories! I read a LOT of coming of age stories. This one, Holding My Breath, was great. I felt that I got to know all the characters very well, and they all seemed very real. Beth's narrative worked very well all the way through the book, it was really done in an entertaining and interesting way. It didn't matter at all that I really don't know much about Jewish culture or the time period the story took place in.However, this did not bother me at all, and I think that's a big part of why I liked this book so much. It was so easy to just feel like you were THERE with all the characters.

I normally don't read mystery books, but thought the description of this one sounded like it would be a little different, more fun, in a way.

I was also not prepared for how much of the book was about gay people/being gay/gay issues. I found that I had a hard time getting into the whole premise, and I really didn't like any of the people in there much either. I have nothing against gays, I just don't find it interesting to have a book go on about it that much. For some reason, the story never grabbed me and I just didn't care about the characters or their situation, which to me is an important part of whether I like a book or not. So I must say that overall I was disappointed by this book, even though it did have some fun moments now and then.