BREATHING UNDERWATER

On a road trip from Knoxville to their former home in San Diego, 13-year-old shutterbug Olivia follows a secret plan to help her depressed 16-year-old sister, Ruth.

From the start, Olivia is an earnest narrator who effortlessly moves back and forth between the plotline and revealing and processing her emotions. She gives blow-by-blow descriptions that begin with packing for the upcoming RV trip with Eddie, her mom’s cousin, and his wife, Ellie, and ends at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. There, three years ago, the sisters buried a treasure box of memories captured in photographs by Olivia and song playlists by Ruth. Early on, readers learn that the girls’ professional parents will be flying to join their daughters at journey’s end for a family scuba-diving excursion. Accomplished photographer Olivia has an underwater camera while Ruth is devoted to her old-school iPod. The narration skillfully weaves into the story Olivia’s passion for photography, conversations and confrontations running a gamut of emotions, facts about depression, vivid descriptions of each tourist attraction they visit, and pop songs that complement the story (even connecting with the book’s title). Ellie and Eddie are highly supportive, encouraging both sisters in their personal and artistic growth. Olivia’s hypersensitivity may grate at times, but this is an honest portrayal of a child gradually internalizing what she knows intellectually about her fragile sister. Tween readers—especially girls with older sisters—will appreciate the depth of feeling on display.

A heartfelt, multifaceted treasure hunt.