“Jus Breathe” by B. Lynn Carter

Jus Breathe

B. Lynn Carter
Liminal Books (2022)
ISBN: 978-1958901038
Reviewed by Alaina Reschka for Reader Views (09/2026)

Jus Breathe by B. Lynn Carter is a touching character study of a young black woman and her journey through life and motherhood. Although the main character, Dawn, is African American and it is set during the 1960s, her struggles with family life, college, and romantic love make her relatable to many women and may have them self-reflect and aspire to uplift themselves through hard times.

For a character study to work, the protagonist needs to be interesting, and Dawn is just that. She’s logical yet emotional, passionate but insecure, anxious yet brave. With every self-reflection and anxious thought, she comes across as relatable and someone you want to root for. However, she’s not perfect, especially with her love life. Instead of leaving when things get dangerous or wrong like she did in her youth, she sticks around, believing if she pushes through it, it’ll all be okay. At first, I was confused and exasperated by her poor choices. But that’s the point. With the novel sticking to Dawn’s point of view, I see everything she experiences: her father’s hurtful words about her dark skin, her strained relationship with her mother, and the constant feeling that she would never breathe easy with someone. So, when she meets this man, Danny, who she bonds with and makes her feel at ease, she understandably wants to hang onto that. With all her troubles and anxieties that feel uncomfortably real, my heart went out to her, and I wanted to see her graduate, bond with her baby, and see herself as the beautiful black swan that others see her as. When an author can get a reader to empathize with a character and forget they are reading about a fictional character, that is strong writing.

The side characters are structured well, portrayed through unique phrases and conversations. For example, Dawn’s friend Lee describes Dawn’s rocky relationship as a yo-yo relationship, a phrase she made up when she went through the same thing. That particular phrase feels the most real because it sounds like something a group of friends would make up. One side character that has the most extensive backstory is Danny, Dawn’s lover. When he is first introduced, he comes off as suspicious yet mysterious. The author does a good job of adding good and bad qualities to better understand why Dawn falls for him. Yes, he is controlling and a dealer, but he can be sweet and does the job so he can help his mom with medical bills for his abusive father. He and Dawn bond over broken childhoods, they listen to records together, and they relax around each other. His motives and thought processes are warped, but it’s understandably warped based on his backstory. When I’m aggravated by him, it’s because he’s thoughtfully written that way.

My favorite aspects of the novel are the sensory descriptions and beautiful metaphors. When Dawn describes something, she uses all the senses, from the smell of smoke from her apartment building’s black halls to a character’s last breath being compared to autumn wind curling around Dawn. By using these senses, it helped me understand how Dawn feels and sees the world. One of the metaphors I personally love is music as a metaphor for peace and love. When Dawn was little, music played constantly in her and her grandma’s home, highlighting the family’s love. She describes how even when her parents have a light banter, their voices harmonize and come out beautiful because it’s out of love. With the way she describes how the music settles in the carpet even when it’s not playing, it paints a beautiful picture of a loving home. With how she sees music, and how she and her lover bond over records, it’s no wonder she falls for him and chases that feeling. 

The novel does a great job in keeping the 1960s setting consistent but does not feel alienating. The civil rights protests are mentioned and capture the emotions of empowerment and fear of the time through Dawn’s perspective. Dawn gets through school through a fairly new program for minority students. The most fun of the historical easter eggs are the music choices. Not only do they represent the music of the time, but they represent Dawn’s feelings. The history is there, but it’s not hammered in your face and doesn’t overshadow the main story; they enhance the story by reflecting Dawn’s thoughts and emotions back to the reader. Those that like subtle historical hints, especially music lovers, will enjoy this book.

The most prevalent parts of the book are the themes of racism and love. Besides the civil rights protests, it touches on racism through Dawn’s insecurity. Dawn’s dad left because he thought Dawn was too dark to be his. Ever since then, she has seen herself in two imaginary figures: a black ugly duckling, and a lighter-skinned pretty girl. Her constant battle between the two is a metaphor for her battling self-confidence. Every time the ugly duckling tries to keep Dawn in a bad relationship, believing she won’t find another because of how ‘ugly’ she is, my heart breaks for her. But eventually, the ugly duckling goes quiet. Why? Because of love. Love from her friends, her teachers, and, most important of all, for herself and her baby. This becomes prominent when there is a medical emergency and everyone that Dawn knows, from her friends to her doctor, is there for her, making her realize she does have a family through them. It shows that even in the darkest of times, love can help ease the pain.

Another thing that is easy is the novel’s flow. The chapters are short and their titles give a hint to their subject, setting the reader up for what’s to come. Although it’s over 300 pages, it feels like a fast read with how effortless and natural the flow is. There are moments where the author’s creative use of ellipses, which I believe is to build suspense, slows the story down. But because Dawn is so engaging and the prose so beautifully written, I wanted to keep reading and see Dawn have her moment in the sun and just breathe.

B. Lynn Carter’s Jus Breathe may be primarily for young black women, but the female protagonist’s strength and relatable insecurities, as well as the themes of love and identity, will touch any woman from any background. It gripped me with its beautiful prose, thoughtful and honest characters, and strong emotions and didn’t let me go until Dawn’s story officially ended. Take a deep breath and let the words embrace and warm you like Dawn’s favorite music.