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Summary: Breathing Underwater
Review: Breathing Underwater, written by Alex Flinn, is an excellent book for high school students to read. The main character, Nick, seems to have the perfect life of a sixteen year old. He is smart, rich, popular, and has a beautiful girlfriend. When a fight with his girlfriend results in Nick's physically attacking her, he is ostracized at school. Consequently, he has to take anger management classes and write a daily journal. He realizes by the end of the book, how much he has to learn to cope with his problems. It is unique to read a story like this from a male point of view.
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Summary: Breathing Underwater - True life tale
Review: Breathing Underwater is an excellent read. I couldn't put it down. It is a good book for young adullt men and women alike. The main Character is a rich and popular boy who has some intense problems. He adds to these problems when he begins inflicting them onto his girlfriend. His Girlfriend, Caitlin, like many other young high school girls is naive and lets him by with way to much until it is to late and he can no longer control his actions. The ending is an interesting one that any reader will be hanging on every word waiting for. I most definately reccomend this book for anyone who even considers dating. It is true to life and very eyeopening. Enjoy....
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Summary: The voice and conflict in Breathing Underwater
Review: As I read Breathing Underwater, the voice of Nick was so clear...so "male" that I thought the author was a male. Imagine my surprise to discover Alex Flinn is a woman. By writing the novel in first-person point of view, we, the readers, get to see what is in the mind of Nick.
I recommend this book highly for teenagers, male and female. Nick is an obsessive, abusive person who takes his anger out on his girlfriend, Caitlin. I don't think he realizes how horrible he is to her until he sees how Leo, an acquaintance from anger-management class, treats his girlfriend. He can see what Leo does to his girlfriend and ask himself, "Did I do that to Caitlin?" Unfortunately, there are people like Nick who abuse their girlfriends. Maybe reading this novel will serve as a wake-up call for young boys in similar situations, and also for young girls like Caitlin, who is a girl with low self-esteem who puts up with Nick's abuse too long...until he savagely beats her.
I thought the author did well with incorporating internal and external conflicts in the book. Nick's major conflict is internal, in my opinion. He must stand up to his father, who physically abuses him, and control his anger. He cannot control his father and what his father did to him in the past, but he can control himself and he has to in order to break the cycle of violence and be different from his father.
Although the book was mostly dark, I think it had a hopeful ending. I won't ruin the ending by telling it. I can only suggest you read the book, if you haven't already.
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Summary: A Book for Both Males and Females
Review: Breathing Underwater is a wonderful book for both males and female in there mid to late teens. Breathing Underwater, show how a child abused at home may act out or show the effect of the abuse. In the book Nick acts and looks like a normal to above normal teenager. He has money, the right clothes, car, friends and his grades are all A's too. The only problem is no one knows what his home life is like, not even his best friend for the past 10 years. Then he meets Caitlin. Caitlin is a girl who Nick would not have noticed the year before. She was over weight and did not have the same friends. Caitlin's home life was not the best either, her mom and dad are divorced and her mom is mentally abusive to her. When Nick and Caitlin first start dating ever thing is great, but that does not last for long. Nick starts to control Caitlin. In order to control her he calls her names, tells her that she is fat, and that no one loves her like he does. Nick's best friend tries to talk to Nick about this but he will not listen to him and the one time that Caitlin tries to talk to Nick about it the abuse only get worse. Nick does not see that his treatment is wrong or why he should stop. Alex Flinn does a wonder job of giving the reader Nick's view of Caitlin and of the world around him. This is must read for any one in there mid to late teens.
Rating:
Summary: Breathing Underwater
Review: Breathing Underwater is the story of a handsome, popular 16 year old who appears to have it all. Nick Andreas has a beautiful girlfriend, a loaded father, and tons of friends. He is also the ideal student. Nick's personal life is another story. His father is rarely around. When he is home, he is usually drunk and abusive. Nick's mother is not in the picture. She took off when Nick was small. When Nick has an ordeal with his girlfriend, all his friends turn against him. He is sentenced to anger management classes, where he is forced to deal with all these issues that he has tried to keep buried.
This book seemed very realistic to me. I could see this happening at the high school I attended. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was one of those books that I HAD to finish before I could stop reading. This book shows that things aren't always what they appear. We all have troubles in our lives, some we prefer to conceal. I think many young adults can relate to this book.
Rating:
Summary: Breathing Underwater
Review: Nick and Caitlyn are teenagers in love. He is popular, and she wants to be. When they start dating, everything is wonderful, and they feel like nothing could ever keep them apart. Then the abuse starts. First, Nick is telling her what to wear and who she is allowed to talk to at school. The longer they are together, the worse it gets. Caitlyn always forgives Nick when he turns on the charm and convinces her that he is doing what is best for her because he loves her so much. Then he hits her, and it's over. She gets a restraining order and he starts anger management classes. It is there that he sees his true side for the first time.Alex Flinn takes you deep inside the mind of Nick and lets the reader see everthing through his eyes. This unique perspective makes this book so interesting that you won't be able to put it down. I highly reccommend this book for ALL teenagers and young adults!
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Summary: There is always time to change
Review: Breathing Underwater is an excellent book by Alex Flinn. He shares the story of a young boy, Nick, who is popular and well liked at his high school. One day he meets this beautiful girl, Catlin, and becomes protective of her. He tells her things that are not true to hurt her and try to control her. His dad hits him and this is how he feels you deal with things in your life. Before Nick knows it, he has slapped Catlin and lost all his friends at school. Nick tries to find himself. A judge makes him attend a support group and he doesn't feel there is any hope for him. Will he be able to change his life? Read the book to find out. It is a very easy read. I didn't want to put it down. I could relate to this book from a past experience I had with a boyfriend. I wish I would have had this book to read when I was going through it. If you know anyone in a verbally or physically abusive relationship, please recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Mildly Formulaic, Yet Engrossing Nonetheless
Review: When Nick is brought into court by his ex-girlfriend, Caitlyn, for his abusive behavior (which results in "more than just a slap"), he thinks he can smile and talk his way out of it to the judge. Unfortunately, the judge thinks she has seen too many kids like Nick and grants Caitlyn the restraining order that she requests, as well as assigning Nick to an anger-management group for men who abuse women, and asks him to keep a journal reflecting on what he has done. What few people know is that Nick only does what has been to him by his father, to whom Nick is always a disappointment. The story consists of Nick's journal through which we learn about the beginnings of his relationship, how he spends most of his time with his "perfect" friend, Tom, who encourages him to find a girlfriend. Caitlyn is the product of a summer weight-loss camp and an overbearing, superficial mother. Nick is drawn to Caitlyn and she is flattered. Yet the more he loves her, the more he feels the need to keep control over her, whether it be through insults, isolation, and finally, intimidation and abuse. Interspersed with the journal entries are tales of how Nick is treated, essentially ostracized by his peers, while he watches others rally around Caitlyn, whom he still desires to reunite with. The novel also takes us inside the group counselling which Nick receives. One cannot help but laugh at the stereotypical participants: the reformed group-leader, the Southern hick, the "tough" African American, the seasoned old police officer, and Mr. Cool who is determined to fake his way through therapy. We are taken through the denial of all the men as they insist how they have been wronged, and are dragged right into the vortex of what causes certain men to become violent. I read this book in roughly three days. Although it is at times formulaic, it is one-of-a-kind and a good resource for teenagers curious about the subject of domestic violence. One cannot help but feel that Nick is a good person even as he becomes more and more tyrannical towards Caitlyn. While the portrayals of violence by no-means minimize abuse, they are not so graphic as to frighten away teenagers, even at the brutal finale of Caitlyn and Nick's relationship. It is also intriguing the way the author shows that not all men are abusive: Nicos' friend, Tom, for example, frequently approaches his friend about what he feels is his growing cruelty towards Caitlyn. Readers are granted a view of a healthier and more respectful relationship between Tom and his girlfriend, Liana. A highly-recommended, important Young Adult book.
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Summary: Breathing Underwater
Review: Breathing Underwater is an excellent book for teenagers. It helps them understand what is right and wrong in terms of relationships. It could also be very helpful in knowing and admitting when there is something that just isn't quite right. Nick is one individual student at Key Biscayne High School who would be considered to be very lucky. He is smart, rich, popular and has a beautiful girlfriend. Caitlyn is the girl that Nick thinks will help solve all of his problems. Nick is the type of boy that Caitlyn had always dreamed of being with. She goes from the "not so cool" crowd to the "cool" crowd by a simple change in her appearance. She and Nick are in love. They are together every waking moment and share their deepest secrets. Suddenly, their lives don't seem so perfect anymore. Caitlyn finds herself getting physically and verbally abused. She just can't bring herself to say no. She takes him back over and over. Finally, she's had enough and Nick is devastated. Nick finds himself stuck with a restraining order and is forced to go to counseling. He is required to keep a journal where he states his thoughts and feelings about the situation. As his life starts to change, he starts to realize that he is just the person that he thought he would never turn out to be...his father.
Rating:
Summary: Breathing Underwater
Review: Breathing Underwater is an excellent book for teenagers. It lets the reader know all the wrong and right things that could happen in a relationship. It can also be a helpful guide when knowing and admitting that there is something not quite right. Nick is one of the fortunate individuals at Key Biscayne High School. He is smart, rich, popular, and has a beautiful girlfriend. Caitlyn thinks that Nick is everything she ever wanted in a guy. She goes from the "not so cool crowd" to the "cool" crowd all because of changes in her appearance. They are both really happy and they have everything that they ever wanted in a relationship. Suddenly, things change and Nick becomes physically and verbally abusive. Caitlyn finds herself forgiving him over and over again. Finally, she says enough is enough; Nick is devastated and he finds himself stuck with a restraing order. He forced to go to counseling, but still denys the fact that he has a problem. He also has to write a journal where he realizes that he isn't so perfect after all. He realizes things that he never saw about himself before...like how he had become his father.
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