Breath

I can't really relate to risk taking. I'm a big chicken. I also have no real interest in surfing, so when people began recommending this book to me I wondered what all the fuss was about. I now understand the hype. This book is fabulous! It's so powerful, with vivid descriptions and an intensity that grips you. Reading some of the passages about surfing Old Smoky and other storm swells, I was simultaneously afraid to turn the page, in case exhilaration turned to tragedy, and hungry for more. For a few fleeting moments I even envied the adrenalin junkies for that sense of euphoria that taking an extreme risk can generate. If you survive that is, and sadly not everyone in this book does survive the risks they take. I highly recommend this book. It thoroughly deserves the praise it has received.

The first of Tim Winton's books I could thoroughly enjoy without the dark side making it too tragic. I loved loved love his writing style. Just had to stop and re-read some sections because they were so beautifully written. This will be one of my favourite books forever.

Great read for teenable boys in one with surfing and travelling to Australia. You can hear the surf, feel the crackle of the Australian bush and the awkwardness of adolescence. Another Winton special.