Books like Breathe by Cliff McNish
When Jack, a 12‑year‑old with asthma, and his mother move into a decaying farmhouse in the English countryside, he learns he can communicate with the lingering ghosts that haunt the property. As he navigates these spectral conversations, a tormented and malevolent spirit forms a dangerous bond with him, posing an imminent threat to his mother’s safety and his own well‑being. The story explores themes of grief, family resilience, and the unseen world that can shift when a young mind opens to communication beyond the living.
First publish date: 2006
Genre: Children's Fiction/Children's Fantasy
Authors: Cliff McNish
★
★
★
★
★
3.0 (1 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Breathe by Cliff McNish are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Breathe (23 similar books)
Two voices—Jules, whose father is restoring an abandoned house in Virginia, and a girl who once lived there—begin communicating across time, revealing a tragic past filled with danger, friendship, and the haunting pull of fate.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In a village surrounded by a fence that keeps the deadly Forest of Hands and Teeth at bay, Mary discovers that the truths she holds are fragile—and that the world beyond the fence may hold the key to her future.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A poignant, humor‑laden portrait of a drama teacher battling clinical depression after her lover’s death, set against a Scottish backdrop and the stark reality of psychiatric care.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After Ben’s girlfriend Marly dies, she returns with three other ghosts to haunt him through past, present, and future Valentine’s Days, forcing him to confront loss and love in a modern retelling of a classic tale.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After choking on a gummy bear, Charlotte Usher dies and becomes invisible, yet she continues to chase popularity in high school with deadpan wit and a fresh, satirical tone.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Fifteen-year-old Wyn and his friend Gareth dream of a girl named Wyn and join forces with Wyn's great‑grandmother to solve a mystery that connects their pasts in wartime Wales.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Suze, a teenage mediator who has grown accustomed to ghosts, finds love with deceased Jesse, a 19th‑century figure, and must decide whether to use her powers to change history and save him from death.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A young Scottish girl who can see the future finds her gift truly useful when mysterious ghosties appear in her town, forcing her to confront both the living and the dead.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Frances Foggarty, now in her fifties, recalls how her brother Tom, killed at nine, returns as a ghost after the funeral, guiding her through grief and the challenges of life with a tyrannical aunt and polio.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A simple explanation of how people, animals, and plants breathe.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When Tyler Johnson, a teenage African American, heads to a party, his twin brother Marvin follows to watch over him. The night spirals into a shooting and a tense police raid, leaving both family and community in abrupt grief.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a 12‑year‑old sister vanishes in Vermont, her older brother grows up convinced a predator took her, but a mysterious phone call from her voice in a later life forces him and his girlfriend to uncover what truly happened.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A courageous princess teams up with a wandering ghost to seek a magic needle that can stitch him back into life, blending adventure, mystery, and the wonder of fantasy.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Twelve‑year‑old Belladonna Johnson lives with her parents’ ghosts in northern England and teams up with a classmate to discover why ghosts worldwide have vanished.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A spirited twelve‑year‑old in Dublin confronts her grandmother’s impending death and is drawn into a mysterious adventure when a stranger brings a message for Gran.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In the third book of the Burn for Burn trilogy, Lillia, Kat, and Mary confront the consequences of their New Year's Eve encounter, navigating friendship, grief, and supernatural challenges on a school island.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A chilling collection of ghost tales that follows a boy who is invited to sit at a mysterious thirteenth chair, where each guest shares a haunting story of death, revenge, and the supernatural.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Emma Thomas hides bruises and secrets in affluent Weslyn, Connecticut, where appearances rule. Facing child abuse and unspeakable cruelty, she discovers a transformative love that forces her to confront her worth and hidden pain.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Fear by Natasha PrestonThe Dead House by Dawson Leery
The Call by Peader Ó Guilín
The Dark Game by Martha Brockenbrough
The Gift by Louise Wise
The Last Breath by Kimberly S. M. Currey
Breathless by Elle Cosimano
Toxic by Andrew Fukuda
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!