Breathing Underwater (Breathing Underwater #1)

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Breathing Underwater (Breathing Underwater #1)

by Alex Flinn (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 3,797 ratings · 561 reviews

Like father, like son.

Intelligent, popular, handsome, and wealthy, sixteen-year-old Nick Andreas is pretty much perfect on the outside, at least. What no one knows not even his best friend is the terror that Nick faces every time he is alone with his father. Then he and Caitlin fall in love, and Nick thinks his problems are over. Caitlin is the one person who he can...more

Paperback, 263 pages

Published October 15th 2002 by HarperTeen (first published April 24th 2001)

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YA Violence & Abuse Novels

16th out of 304 books — 382 voters

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Best Teen Books About Real Problems

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May 13, 2008 Jlawton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-teen-reads

Breathing Underwater is a staple in my clasroom. This book is written so well that it becomes the hook for my non-reading students. I learned about the thought process of someone that abuses mentally and physically. I also learned about why someone might stay in an abusive relationship. I found myself having empathy for the main character even though he had made large mistakes.

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Jun 27, 2010 Kerry Cerra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

In this extraordinary novel by Alex Flinn, we experience a violent teen relationship from the point of view of the boy who beats his girlfriend. Nick is everyone’s friend and seemingly has a perfect life. What his friends don’t know is that his father is abusive. Before he knows it, Nick finds himself following in his dad’s footsteps as he becomes both verbally and physically abusive to his girlfriend Caitlin. When Caitlin’s parents file a restraining order against him, Nick is forced into a fam...more

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May 03, 2008 Brandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I know if I don't try to type out my feelings now, I will lose what I am thinking/feeling.

I don't want to say that I didn't like the book, but I have very few good things to say about it. Yes, it captured my interest and I read it quickly. I wasn't ever bored and anxiously waited to see how it ended. There were so many things that I didn't like though.

1. I don't like books that are written for YA that try to "capture" what it is really like in high school. I don't want my kids reading those kind...more I know if I don't try to type out my feelings now, I will lose what I am thinking/feeling.

I don't want to say that I didn't like the book, but I have very few good things to say about it. Yes, it captured my interest and I read it quickly. I wasn't ever bored and anxiously waited to see how it ended. There were so many things that I didn't like though.

1. I don't like books that are written for YA that try to "capture" what it is really like in high school. I don't want my kids reading those kind of books. Yes, this may be real life for some, but I hope it isn't real life for my kids. I want my kids to be hanging out with their friends from church, not having sex on the weekends. It seems like authors that try to write like this write about the minority of high school kids. I saw signs posted at the high school that we directed at that say "only 3% of high school students drink alcohol regularly" or something close to that. They are wanting the student body to understand that NOT everyone is doing it, so it bugs me when teen literature makes it seem like everyone does (meaning alcohol, sex, etc).

2. I understand from a friends review that the author was compelled to write this story after working with battered women and children. I can see that she is trying to get the message out there that says you are in control of your own actions and feelings. You need to own up to them and take responsiblity. I honestly don't see how this book is going to create change in young adults. The ending was very predictable. I knew as soon as the book started that he would have an ah-ha moment and suddenly be better or at least be on the road to better at the end. It seemed to "wrapped in a pretty package" to me and I think that high schoolers will see right through it. When I have felt the most compelled to change in my life, it has always been situations (weather listening to someone or even reading something) that the spirit was there. I don't think I ever once felt the spirit while reading this. I think there are more uplifting books on the market to get teens to understand the point the author was trying to make.

3. When I was teaching in Young Womens, a talk I came across from Susan Tanner said that we don't encourage our youth to obey the standards by showing them all the ways they could disobey. Meaning, we don't show them multiple examples of immodest clothing to get the point across to wear something modest. I feel that same way with this book, don't show us violence and anger to get us to not do it, or to get us to change our ways. I don't think the book focused enough on the 'message'. In fact, I didn't really even feel the message of the book until I read my friends review. Until then, I felt like this book was about a jerk who ended up realizing his errors and wanting to change. The problem is that when he wanted to change, the book was over. There was no time spent on the change. So this leaves readers who don't know how to change empty and just like every person who is caught in the abusive cycle... knowing they need to change but not knowing how. The kid in this book got lucky that he was sentenced to take this class. Not many people in real life are going to voluntarily take those type of classes.

So, to end, this book was fine for just reading. But to create change like I suspect the author was trying to do, I think it fails miserably. So folks, that is my initial gut reaction of this book. I am going to sleep on it, and I may change my mind tomorrow!!(less)

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May 07, 2008 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens and adults

Recommended to Annette by: Tambre

Shelves: ya

It makes me sad that a book about teenage violence has become required reading for all freshman at North High,(where my kids attend). On the other hand, I'm glad that someone took the time to write a book about such a serious and much needed topic. I'm sure that the author wrote it thinking that if she could make a difference in even one person's life it would be well worth it. I feel that if the reading of this book is accompanied with a great deal of classroom discussion it could prove to be v...more It makes me sad that a book about teenage violence has become required reading for all freshman at North High,(where my kids attend). On the other hand, I'm glad that someone took the time to write a book about such a serious and much needed topic. I'm sure that the author wrote it thinking that if she could make a difference in even one person's life it would be well worth it. I feel that if the reading of this book is accompanied with a great deal of classroom discussion it could prove to be very helpful to kids who are prone to violence or kids who are victims of violence.

This is not your typical book about abuse because it's from the abuser's point of view. It takes you on a journey inside the mind of Nick Andreas a 16 year old, who grows up in an upper-class neighborhood in Miami FL. Once you get to know him you start to feel sorry for him because of his relationship with his father and his inability to recognize the seriousness of his situation. Because he refuses to see the obvious (that he needs professional help)he continues to make bad choices. Only when his life completely spins out of control does he finally have an "aha" moment and he starts to make the changes necessary to improve his life.

What impresses me the most about this book is how the author stresses the importance of accepting responsibility for your own actions. I think that was the main message of the book - to give hope to those who struggle with anger/violence, to let them know that there is a way to break the cycle of abuse and the first step to recovery is to stop blaming others for your problems and accept responsibility for your actions.

The author does capture the lifestyle of the average American teen which may be offensive to some, it's actually quite offensive to me personally, however, I understand that writers who write for YA's feel the need to portray high schoolers as realistically as possible. Alex Flinn may have gone a little too far with this though, the boys do use really crude language (this is what makes it a 3 star rather than a 4 or 5 star) Although, (as my daughter reminded me) if she were to make it truly realistic she would have to add a lot more 4-letter words. Obviously, the book was written especially for today's teens and therefore is much more appealing to that age group and less appealing to adults.

Interestingly, the author, Alex Flinn interned with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, (while in law school) trying several domestic violence cases. It was this experience, along with serving as a volunteer and mentor at the Inn Transition facility for battered women and their children that led her to write this book.

Incidentally, Alex Flinn recently came to visit some of the Com. Arts classes here at North High School. She came and visited my daughter's Creative Writing Class.(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 TinasBookReviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fast simple read that was gripping, shocking and honest.

Was this really challenged to be banned from a school? This is exactly the type of book that teen girls should be reading......yes he's hot, yes he's popular and sexy, but he's mean, he's controlling and he hits you, this is not a romantic relationship you want to be in.

Even though the entire book is from the abusers POV and Flinn gave us hope for his character by the end, she made her girl SMART and able to do the right thing once the da...more

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Feb 16, 2008 Loz Cook rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Loz by: Adolescent fiction Class

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2009 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed breathing underwater. I enjoyed it because it was in the boys perspective and he is the one who abuses his girlfriend Caitlin. Both in dreamland and breathing underwater Rogerson and Nick abuse their girlfriends because they get abused by their fathers (that's not a good excuse as to why they did it). I couldn't put this book down when I started reading it. I don't know what I'd do if I was in an abusive relationship, it's not fair to have to go through that. At first I thought...more

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Sep 30, 2007 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sadly, this book may be a work of fiction but in many ways it isn't. I know people in similar situations or even someone like Nick. It's not fun. It's sad to think growing up in a hostile home and not having the love from your parents that you need can mold you into a certain person who lashes out on the ones who care most about them (girlfriends/boyfriends and friends). It's a hard cycle to break and there's only two routes that it could end up at. I think this book could be very helpful for ce...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Laurel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-liked

When I started reading this book I was kind of iffy about it. I do not like fiction books and never really have. This book is fiction and I could defintiely see it happening in real life. While I was reading this book I just had to keep telling myself to relate it to someones life so it would seem realistic.
I would recomend this book to anyone, It goes threw so much. I could not relate to anything in this book but it could very well happen to someone in real life. Breathing Underwater was a very...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Breathing Underwater Andrew Broderick
Alex Flinn

I would give this book a four out of five stars. It was published by HarperCollins Publishing in 2006. It has 263 pages, of a fun to read kind of book. It’s a fiction, and the genre would probably be teenage life.
In Breathing Underwater, is an exaggerated version of teenage girlfriend boyfriend drama. It involves a pretty popular boy named Nick, and a girl who is starting to become popular because she’s dating him, named Caitlin. Nick has a rough l...more

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May 23, 2013 Izzy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My overall rating of the book Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is a 5 out of 5.

Everyone’s friend, a great athlete, good looking, and fairly privileged are all words to describe sixteen year old, Nick Andreas. Until he abuses his girlfriend. This story is about Nick and how he goes from being on top with a beautiful girlfriend, to being all alone and in deep doo-doo with the law and his anger management class. Nick goes through many struggles in this book, and you get to be with him, in all of...more My overall rating of the book Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is a 5 out of 5.

Everyone’s friend, a great athlete, good looking, and fairly privileged are all words to describe sixteen year old, Nick Andreas. Until he abuses his girlfriend. This story is about Nick and how he goes from being on top with a beautiful girlfriend, to being all alone and in deep doo-doo with the law and his anger management class. Nick goes through many struggles in this book, and you get to be with him, in all of his past and present journeys.

I thought that the best thing about this book was that it was an easy read. Not only was it an easy read, but it was an enjoyable book, and I did not want to set it down. I think that part of the reason I didn’t want to put it down was because of the way that it was written all from Nick’s point of view. It was also almost like I was reading two stories at once, because of the journal and how it told us about the past, and his relationship with Caitlin. I thought that Alex Flinn did a great job of showing the reader exactly what Nick’s thoughts were, throughout the entire book. While writing the journal, Flinn showed more of Nick’s memory, but also included many thought. While writing about his everyday life, Flinn would sneak in comments that Nick would either keep to himself, or even say aloud. These details helped me as a reader because they kept the book flowing and made it much more enjoyable for me.

The only thing that I would warn readers about would be the amount of swearing, and some violence. If either one of these two things are going to offend you, then I would advise thinking twice about reading Breathing Underwater.

If I were to suggest this book to a certain group of people, it would either be someone who has either witnessed an abusive relationship, or someone who has been in an abusive relationship themselves. Whether they were the abused, or the abuser. I think that this book would appeal to them because I think that any one of those three types of people would be able to relate to Nick, or relate to Nick and Caitlin’s relationship. They also might find this book appealing because it may just give them the courage to either speak up (if they are the one being abused) or try and get themselves help (if they are the one being abusive). (less)

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May 19, 2013 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My rating for Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn, I give a 5 out of 5 stars.

Nick Andreas is a comfortable suited child with money to go around, and a beautiful loving girlfriend named Caitlin who he thinks brings out the best in him. After living with his Dad for 16 years he picks up on the feelings he can’t even tell are there, and soon realizes he can hurt people who he thinks he loves. He soon realizes that money isn’t the only thing someone can lose.

In all of the book I loved the fact that...more My rating for Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn, I give a 5 out of 5 stars.

Nick Andreas is a comfortable suited child with money to go around, and a beautiful loving girlfriend named Caitlin who he thinks brings out the best in him. After living with his Dad for 16 years he picks up on the feelings he can’t even tell are there, and soon realizes he can hurt people who he thinks he loves. He soon realizes that money isn’t the only thing someone can lose.

In all of the book I loved the fact that the book was hard to put down, and made you want to keep on reading. It was from the beginning that you wanted to find out exactly what happened, and why he did what he did. I wanted to figure out why Nick did what he did, and to know it wasn’t just because he had anger issues, but because the past brought out the worst in him. I loved the fact that Nick wanted to prove people wrong, that he has changed for the better, and when no one would believe him. He kept giving them reasons, such as writing in his journal, writing a poem about his feelings, and taking a class with a role model. The book brought emotions in me personally I didn’t think I would feel towards things. Such as, hearing about Nick and Caitlin and knowing what was going on. I wanted to stop them, to let them know this isn’t worth it, you guys are a great couple.

Breathing Underwater is can be read by anyone person, who enjoys reading about, struggles in one’s life, romance, different perspectives, and troubled relationships. This book really focuses on overcoming the things the things that stand in someone’s way, and looking back on the past, and knowing how you can fix those things. During those times where you read about Nick’s past you would feel like you’re right next to him and Caitlin, Tom, or his Dad. Alex Flinn really gives the detail the book needs, to see exactly what is going on. This book could interest anybody who enjoys reading, or one of those readers that doesn’t enjoy a book unless it’s a book where you can’t put it down, because Breathing Underwater is one of those books. (less)

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May 16, 2013 Nixtjac rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, young-adult

My overall rating for Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is a 4 out of 5 stars.

Sixteen year old Nick Andreas had it all. He was a good student, he had great friends, and most important to him was his girlfriend Caitlin. But along the way he gets a restraining order, he loses all of his friends, and he loses his girlfriend. While taking classes on his anger problems, he may just find out how he got from point A to point B.

What I liked most about this book was the way Flinn showed us what it was l...more

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May 16, 2013 Hunter Nehls rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir

My overall rating of Breathing Underwater is a 5 out of 5 stars.

After Nick hits his girlfriend multiple times, he has to go to court because she wants to get a restraining order. Nick has to go to anger management classes, there is where he finds out what real life is like. In the anger management classes Nick meats a lot of people just like him, and finds out some stories also, and along the way realizes his mistakes.

What I like the most about Breathing Underwater is that Nick messes up, he me...more

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May 15, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

My rating for Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is 4 out of 5 stars.

Meeting the girl of his dreams Nick decides to ask her out. She says yes not knowing that Nick has a dark past with his dad, and resembles his dad’s behavior. After starting the perfect relationship it ends as it begins. Nick and his friend Tom just hanging out like good friends do.What I really like about this book is that it has really great messages and really pulls you in to the point where you don’t want to put it down. Fl...more

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May 15, 2013 Ian Hesse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, realalistic-fiction

I would rate Alex Finns book Breathing Underwater a 4 out of 5 stars

Nick lives at home with him dad and has ever since his mom left him. Ever since his mom left his dad. Nick now fight to keep control of himself but it’s not always easy to keep himself in check. Nick like most teens though make a mistake and ends up hitting his girlfriend Caitlin. He has been taken to court for a restraining order which is approved, he is also sentenced to anger management. Nick also has to wright in a journal t...more

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May 14, 2013 Timothy Mougey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My overall rating of Breathing Underwater By Alex Flinn is a four out of five stars
Nick Andreas is a sixteen year old kid a great football player and even a egghead. But thats what people see its not what his girlfriend sees when he hit her. And his father is a single parent that loves his child and provides a good life for him and even gives him a car for his birthday. But Nick sees a part of his father that he has never seen.
I feel the main strength of the piece is that Nick is an average gu...more

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May 09, 2013 Pleggmel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would rate Alex Flinn’s book Breathing Under Water a 4 out of 5 stars.
Breathing Underwater is about a Nick, a teenager, he gets abused by his dad a lot, so when he’s around his girlfriend Caitlin, he is very controlling. To one point he starts punching her until she’s on the ground crying and her face is all bloody. This book is not only about that though, after Caitlin puts a restraining order on Nick, Nick has to take a class to help with his anger. The class ends up very helpful and he und...more

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May 09, 2013 Girkinbra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anybody

My rating for Alex Flinn’s young adult novel Breathing Underwater is a 4 out of 5 stars.

While in a relationship Nick Andreas has a problem. That problem is his anger issues. His anger issues have led to a wide variety of problems. From losing friends and his mind he now realizes he needs help. He will go onto a journey that will be a roller coaster like ride.

What I really like about this book is that this book is a fast read. I really was confused if I felt bad for Nick or not. I understand what...more

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May 08, 2013 Becicjoh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I give Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn, 3 stars out of 5.

In Breathing Underwater Nick Andreas has a restraining order on him. This book follows how he learns to become a better person and how he deals with the fact that because his father hits him thats why he hit his girlfriend.

I really enjoyed how Nick had to fill out a journal which allows the reader the opportunity to read about the events that lead up to the angermanigment classes and what happens in real time also. I felt that this styl...more

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May 06, 2013 Baxtejon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Breathing Underwater Book Review
My rating for the fictional book, Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is a four out of five stars.

This book is about Nick Andreas, a sixteen-year-old cool kid who has his life all figured out, or so his friends think. The book starts out with Nick on trial for hitting his girlfriend and and he recounts the events leading up to the incident in a court ordered journal that he must write in every week. He is also required to go to an anger management class and learns...more Breathing Underwater Book Review
My rating for the fictional book, Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is a four out of five stars.

This book is about Nick Andreas, a sixteen-year-old cool kid who has his life all figured out, or so his friends think. The book starts out with Nick on trial for hitting his girlfriend and and he recounts the events leading up to the incident in a court ordered journal that he must write in every week. He is also required to go to an anger management class and learns more about himself than he knew was possible.

Flinn manages to get nearly every part about this book right but if I had to choose one thing that I found as a strength it would be the way that the story is structured. By this, I mean that there are parts in the book that are in a flashback in Nick’s journal and there are parts in the present. I think how the author handled these parts was intricate. For example, there are parts in the book where Nick is talking in his class about something, then he would write about it later in his journal and explain the situation with more detail. This made the book an emotional roller coaster to read because there would be parts when he is remembering laughing and making jokes with his friends then all of a sudden he is back in his current life, which is considerably harder for him. In most ways, making the mood switch so frequently was what made it so much more interesting to read than other books.
Since this book’s main topic is domestic violence, there are some parts that are hard to read due to there being some rather unpleasant situations that Nick finds himself in. It was clear that these parts were necessary to the plot so it was not a huge problem for me to read it.

I think that the audience that would enjoy this book the most would be individuals who have had or are currently going through a rough patch involving trouble with parents or relationships. I think this because there are many instances of the the main character in these situations. However, I haven't had any of these problems and I still consider this to be among the best books I have read. The writing and plot are so amazing that I think that anyone who likes reading would find a lot of enjoyment from this book.(less)

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May 05, 2013 emily_oriley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a bit of a tough read. There are parts when you feel sorry for Nick and the way he's being treated by his peers then it goes more into his relationship with Caitlin and you hate him. I think it was a very bold choice for Flinn to write a story from the eyes of the abuser instead of the victim -an abuser who truly believe he's done nothing wrong. Of course you delve deeper into the story and inside Nick's character and you start feeling sorry again before you start to hate him again...more

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May 01, 2013 Pagejul rated it 5 of 5 stars

My overall review for Alex Flinn’s novel Breathing Underwater is 5 out of 5 stars.

Nick Andreas is a typical teenager on the outside. On the inside he is anything but. Nick has anger management problems. And when he hits his girlfriend; he ends up in anger management classes because she now has a restraining order against him. He has to write all of his feelings while he was with Caitlinn in a journal. Flinn tells the story between a present and past timing in Nick’s life.

What I really loved abo...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I give Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn 5 out of 5 stars.

Nick Andreas was a charming, popular athlete that seemed to have it all at the beginning of Sophomore year, but was practically the most hated person in the school by the end. To his friends Nick had everything, a cool car, an amazing girlfriend and talent. Soon the brutal truth comes forward after Cat, Nicks former girlfriend, takes him to court for abuse. He is sent to anger management classes and soon realizes his life is far from per...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Lyndsey Rushby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Breathing Underwater begins with Nick going to court. His ex-girlfriend Caitlin is taking the stand against him, accusing him of hitting her, and after being found guilty, he is sentenced to family violence classes and must write 500 words a week in a journal. Flinn wastes no time in getting right to it in this book. Nick comes across as an arrogant, full of himself teenager who doesn’t want to admit that he has done something wrong which is why he ends up having to write a journal. To begin wit...more Breathing Underwater begins with Nick going to court. His ex-girlfriend Caitlin is taking the stand against him, accusing him of hitting her, and after being found guilty, he is sentenced to family violence classes and must write 500 words a week in a journal. Flinn wastes no time in getting right to it in this book. Nick comes across as an arrogant, full of himself teenager who doesn’t want to admit that he has done something wrong which is why he ends up having to write a journal. To begin with, I didn’t like Nick at all and I wasn’t sure that I was ever going to considering what his attitude in general was like.

However, Breathing Underwater is narrated through Nick’s voice and through the use of his journal which means we get to understand the events in both the present and the past. I really enjoyed the way Flinn told the story as it meant that my opinions about Nick constantly changed. Although not a reason for hitting someone, we get to see how Nick’s home life affects him and his decisions. His father is a violent man and Nick never blames him for his own actions although he does begin to realise that certain genes are hereditary.

Reading Nick’s journal entries made it possible to see how he went from being completely in love with Caitlin, worshipping her, to being verbally and physically abuse towards her. He beings to get possessive, not wanting her to be friends with certain people, not wanting her to dress in particular clothes and pretty much wanting her to do everything he says. We get to see just how horrible Nick is to Caitlin and how he never sees what he is doing to her. Even when friends tell him he’s being horrible to her, he shrugs it off and ignores them.

These journal entries are mixed in with Nick’s time at his violence classes. The teacher there, Mario, was a fantastic character and one who spoke a lot of sense. Along with Nick, there are plenty of other guys in the class and over time, they have to learn to differences between right and wrong and to accept the way that they have behaved. The whole moral of this novel is to take responsibility for your actions and Flinn expresses that strongly. The classes and the journal take Nick out of his old situation and force him to look at what went wrong and what he could do to change his life.

Overall, Breathing Underwater is a pretty emotional book and one which is quite hard to stomach at times. However, I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to more from Alex Flinn. (less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Sara Titus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-fiction

My rating for Alex Flinn’s book Breathing Underwater is 4 stars out of 5.
In this book it tells how nick deals with a major break up and what he tries to do to get her back. It tells what they did in their relationship and how and why things ended.

The strength in this book is how Nick has to write in a journal. I like how that is in a different font and color so the reader knows that it is a journal entry. I think this works well for the book because it separates how Nick is narrating the book...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Lori Kircher rated it 1 of 5 stars

I hated the book. I didn't like how Nick thought it was okay to abuse Caitlin, and Caitlin just stood there and let him abuse her. I think this book is sexist. The message of this book is that it's okay for women to be abused as long as your boyfriend buys you something afterward and tells you he's sorry. Plus, women have no use other than just pleasing her man, and cooking in the kitchen. No, just no. Nick needs to find some new hobbies other than Caitlin. He's so protective of her, it's abusiv...more

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Dec 08, 2012 GW rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow, I found this book to be really dark and deep. It's actually quite perturbing and disturbing, but creepily realistic.

I've read Alex Flinn's Beastly, and I found there to be quite a few similarities. Nick Andreas is now an outcast, and he's put into a sort-of therapy group/classes. This occurred in Beastly as well, but with a paranormal aspect involved. "Intelligent, popular, handsome, and wealthy, sixteen-year-old Nick Andreas..." and meet "...Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, wit...more Wow, I found this book to be really dark and deep. It's actually quite perturbing and disturbing, but creepily realistic.

I've read Alex Flinn's Beastly, and I found there to be quite a few similarities. Nick Andreas is now an outcast, and he's put into a sort-of therapy group/classes. This occurred in Beastly as well, but with a paranormal aspect involved. "Intelligent, popular, handsome, and wealthy, sixteen-year-old Nick Andreas..." and meet "...Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. " Hmm, there's also the creepy aspect of both characters. So many other similarities as well.

Nick Andreas is the main character, and the story is told in his POV. His character is definitely flawed, and it was scary and shocking to read at times. Nick is an extremely controlling and possessive character. I almost stopped halfway through the book because I didn't want to read about him abusing his girlfriend - physically, verbally, and emotionally. This is not a happy or cheerful read, but I managed to finish this book. To be honest, when I first picked up this book, I thought it would have started to lead into how Nick gets a restraining order chronologically, but it doesn't. It starts off with him receiving the restraining order right off the bat. I thought it would probably be like a prologue or something, right? But no, it's not.

The flash backs/journal entries and time changes didn't work for me. I would get so lost at times, and it would be hard to decipher what was currently happening and what happened previously. The journal was a unique idea, and I wonder if the judge actually did read it.

There are so many issues discussed in this book, and it's so realistic.

One thing that didn't work for me was the ending. You'll see Cat's POV here. And I didn't even realize it was her POV until a couple paragraphs in, and the transition wasn't executed that well. It seems like this is a stand-alone book, but the ending leaves you hanging, wondering what happens next. It wasn't a concrete conclusion or ending, and it just didn't do it for me.
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Nov 20, 2012 Rachelmontoya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Main characters: Nick and Caitlin

POV: Nick

Setting: Present day

Lexile: 510L

Age group: Middle Grades

genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Summary: Nick is sitting in the courtroom. He can see Caitlin, but he can tell she does not want to meet his eyes. She is testifying against him. She says that he hit her, and Nick feels that it was "just" a slap. Nick goes back and forth telling the story about his relationship and first love with his first girlfriend Caitlin. He tells it from flashbacks and thr...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Breathing Underwater is written in the point of view of Nick, a 16 year old high school student who abuses his girlfriend, Caitlin, both mentally and physically. Nick portrays himself as having the perfect life. He’s good looking, popular, and an excellent athlete. However, what most people don’t know is that Nick’s father is abusive towards him. Along the way, Nick starts to pick up on his father’s bad habits. Nick had been emotionally abusive towards Caitlin throughout most of their relations...more Breathing Underwater is written in the point of view of Nick, a 16 year old high school student who abuses his girlfriend, Caitlin, both mentally and physically. Nick portrays himself as having the perfect life. He’s good looking, popular, and an excellent athlete. However, what most people don’t know is that Nick’s father is abusive towards him. Along the way, Nick starts to pick up on his father’s bad habits. Nick had been emotionally abusive towards Caitlin throughout most of their relationship. He would always tell her things that degraded her confidence. He told her she was ugly and a bad singer. Since these comments came from him, Caitlin believed it. He was also very controlling and even told her she couldn’t hang out with her best friend, Elsa, anymore. Things progressively got worse and one day after hitting her and almost killing her in a car ride, Caitlin broke up with Nick. When Caitlin’s parents found out about his abusive actions, they filed a restraining order and Nick was issued to attend a violence class. In the violence class, Nick is told to write in a journal where he discusses all of the struggles he’s dealt with since he hit Caitlin.
Breathing Underwater was an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It captured my attention from the very beginning and I found myself not wanting to put it down. While reading this book, it made me put myself in the positions of both characters. I could see Nick’s thought process throughout his and Caitlin’s relationship and it gave me a since of why some people are abusive. There were even times throughout the book where I felt empathy towards Nick and I hoped he would get the help he desperately needed. Through Caitlin, I got a since of why you would stay with someone abusive. It made me think of what I would do in her situation and how I would handle it.
I think Alex Flinn did a great job of putting the book in a teenager’s point of view. Being a teenager, I can say it does relate to what high school is really like. It’s sad to think that there are some people that act the way Nick does and I think it’s good to inform younger kids of what to look out for that may lead to abusive relationships. This book was one to choose from for summer reading and I think it’s a great book to get teenagers in high school to read.
I definitely enjoyed this book and I plan to read Diva, the second book Alex Flinn has written that is told from the point of view of Caitlin.
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About Alex Flinn

I was born in a log cabin in the Big Woods of . . . okay, maybe not. I was born on Long Island, New York. When I was five years old, my mom said that I should be an author. I guess I must have nodded or something because, from that point on, every poem I ever wrote in school was submitted to Highlights or Cricket magazine. I was collecting rejection slips at age seven!

I learned to read early. But...more I was born in a log cabin in the Big Woods of . . . okay, maybe not. I was born on Long Island, New York. When I was five years old, my mom said that I should be an author. I guess I must have nodded or something because, from that point on, every poem I ever wrote in school was submitted to Highlights or Cricket magazine. I was collecting rejection slips at age seven!

I learned to read early. But I compensated for this early proficiency by absolutely refusing to read the programmed readers required by the school system -- workbooks where you read the story, then answered the questions. When the other kids were on Book 20, I was on Book 1! My teacher, Mrs. Zeiser, told my mother, "Alexandra marches to her own drummer." I don't think that was supposed to be a good thing. Now, when my daughter, Katie, brings home FCAT prep materials where you are supposed to read a passage and answer questions, I want to ask the teacher, "Does she really need to do this? She can read!!!"

My family moved to Miami when I was in middle school. I had a really hard time making friends, so I spent a lot of time reading and writing then. But unlike Christopher Paolini or Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, I never finished writing a novel. That was also when I learned to be a keen observer. By high school, I'd made some friends and gotten involved in various "gifted and talented" performing arts programs. I studied opera in college (I'm a coloratura -- the really loud, high-pitched sopranos.) and then went to law school.

It was law school that probably helped with my first novel. Breathing Underwater deals with the serious and all-too-common problem of dating violence. I based the book on my experiences interning with the State Attorney's Office and volunteering with battered women. I thought this was a really important topic, as 27 percent of teenage girls surveyed have been hit by a boyfriend. I'm happy that the book is so popular, and if you are reading this bio because the book was assigned for school, I'm happy about that too.

I started writing an early (and laughable) version of Breathing Underwater in college (I was really bored on a car trip with my parents). I didn't get back to it until I had my first daughter, Katie. I'm self-taught. I went to the library and took out books on writing. Then, I read a lot of young-adult novels by writers I admired, particularly Richard Peck. Reading his books is like listening to Mozart -- you learn the right way to write a novel. Then, you fill in your own style. I actually got to meet Richard Peck in person at a workshop of the Key West Literary Seminar. Lots of writers have been really helpful to me, especially Richard and fellow YA author, Joyce Sweeney.

I think I write for young-adults because I never quite got over being one. In my mind, I am still 13-years-old, running laps on the athletic field, wearing this really baggy white gymsuit. I'm continually amazed at the idea that I have a checking account and a mortgage. So I try to write books that gymsuit girl might enjoy. It's a way of going back to being 13...knowing what I know now.
Right now, I live half a mile away from my old middle school, in Palmetto Bay, a suburb of Miami, with my husband, Gene, and daughters, Katie and Meredith. (less)

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Quotes from Breathing Underwater

“Anyone else feel like that? Like your life's a big act. Like you're trying to be a man when you're just a scared kid, trying to keep under control when you really want to scream, cry, maybe hit someone. Ever feel like you're breathing underwater, and you have to stop because you're gulping in too much fluid?” — 46 people liked it

“What happened December 12?” Polyester asks.

I look at the wall, my attention suddenly riveted by a palmetto bug, feelers writhing. I could kill it if I wanted.

He hit me.”

The bug slides to the floor.” — 6 people liked it

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