Eleanor Perrault doesn't know if there's a right way to react to being suddenly orphaned at sixteen, but it's definitely not the way that she's been doing it. It's been two months since her parents died and despite her autism normally causing her to be even more emotionally volatile than most of her peers, she still hasn't even managed to cry over them yet. On top of trying to learn how to grieve properly, Eleanor's juggling starting a new semester in a new town with an aunt who seems eternally disappointed in her and a cousin who's randomly decided to start hating her. And a crush on the incredibly pretty president of her new school's QSA. How to Breathe Ash is a contemporary YA Cinderella retelling following Eleanor through anonymous chat rooms, elaborate dances, and learning the right way to not be alright.