CITATION: Flinn, A. (2002). Breathing underwater. New York: Harper Tempest.IDENTIFYING #: ISBN 0064472574
CLASSIFICATION: FICTION
GENRE: REALISTIC FICTION
CALL #: FIC FLINN
RECOMMENDED AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: YOUNG ADULT
RATING: 5
Annotation: Bitter about his forced membership in an Anger Management group--he only slapped his girlfriend--a slap, not a hit, 16 year-old Nick chronicles the events that led to the restraining order against him, his Anger Management counseling, and a court-assigned journal.
Summary: High school sophomore, Nick Andreas, had it all-money, popularity, and Caitlin, the hot girlfriend who worshipped him--and he wasn't going to let any of it get away. But it did. Nick knows he may have lost control once--or twice--but that was only when people were way out of line with him. That doesn't make him a criminal. That doesn't mean he deserved to lose his girlfriend. It doesn't mean he deserved to lose his best friend. And it doesn't mean he needs "Anger Management", or needs to write a stupid journal. After all, everyone gets angry and "loses it" once in a while, right? And it's not as if he would ever really hurt Caitlin. All he's ever wanted to do is protect her and be everything to her, like she is for him. If he can just make her understand that, Nick knows everything will be okay again.
Notes: This insightful story will appeal to teen boys and girls alike. The characters are realistic and multi-layered and the story helps us understand the cycle of violence. All of the abusers have good and likable qualities, and almost everyone in the story struggles with seeing the truth about themselves. The novel makes no excuses for abusers, but does help us understand some of the thinking behind violent behavior. Also, if you've ever known a victim of dating/domestic violence and thought, "Oh, why doesn't she/he just leave the situation", this novel shows how hard that very necessary decision can be.
