Breathing Underwater

by Alex Flinn

Overview

Don’t miss this timely contemporary young adult novel from Alex Flinn, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beastly, about a teenage boy’s struggle to break free from the cycle of abuse.

“Gripping.” —Publishers Weekly

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 and anger 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 he can confide in, the only person who understands him. But when Nick’s anger and jealousy overtake him, things begin to spiral out of control and Nick realizes that he’s more his father’s son than he wants to be.

Now Nick must confront his inner demons to stop the history of violence from repeating itself.

Winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Award

An ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults

An International Reading Association Young Adult Choices List Pick

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age Pick

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064472579
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	81,579
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.68(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Alex Flinn loves fairy tales and is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Beastly, a spin on Beauty and the Beast that was named a VOYA Editor’s Choice and an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Beastly is now a major motion picture starring Vanessa Hudgens. Alex also wrote A Kiss in Time, a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty; Cloaked, a humorous fairy-tale mash-up; Bewitching, a reimagining of fairy-tale favorites, including Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, and The Little Mermaid, all told by Kendra, the witch from Beastly; Towering, a darkly romantic take on Rapunzel; and Mirrored, a fresh spin on Snow White. Her other books for teens include Breathing Underwater, Breaking Point, Nothing to Lose, Fade to Black, and Diva. She lives in Miami with her family. Visit her online at www.alexflinn.com.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

January 5

Justice Building, Miami, Florida

I've never been in a courthouse before. But then, I've never been in such deep shit before, either. The metal detector screams when I walk through, and a security woman tries to check my pockets. I pull away.

"These what you want?" I dangle my keys an inch from her nose, getting in her face. She backs off, scowling. I throw them into her yellow plastic basket and walk through again."You were supposed to give me those first," she says.

"Sorry." I'm not.

Behind me, my father flings in his keys. "You're always sorry, Nicholas, always forgetting." Then, he looks at the security woman, and his expression becomes a smile. "Miss, if you would please be so kind to tell me where is this courtroom?" He hands her the notice for my hearing.

She smiles too, taken in like everyone else by his Armani suit and Greek accent. "Second floor." She looks at me. "Restraining order, huh?"

"Trouble with his girlfriend." My father shakes his head. "He is sixteen."

I stare forward, remembering a day on the beach, Caitlin laughing, a white hibiscus in her hair. Was it only a month ago? God, how did we get here?

My father nudges me onto the escalator, and it bears me up, high above the white-tiled floors and the metal detector, far from the security woman's gaze. We reach the top, and he shoves me through a green door.

The courtroom smells like old books and sweat. Brown benches, like church pews, face the witness stand. On the front wall, gold letters read:

Miami-Dade County, Florida

We Who Labor Here Seek Only theTruth

Fine, if you know what the truth is. Caitlin sits with her mother in the center pew. Dressed in white, her blond hair loose, she looks like something from our mythology book, a nymph, maybe, pursued by a beast. Guess I'm the beast. I pass her.

"Why are you doing this, Cat?" I whisper. "I thought we had something special."Caitlin examines her knees, but I can tell her eyes are brimming. "Yeah, Nick. I thought so too."

"Then, why--?"

"You know why." She moves to the other side of her mother.

I must stand there a second too long, because my father shoves me forward. I take a seat in the fourth row. He leaves a gap between us, opens his briefcase, and removes a thick folder. Work. I try to catch his eye. "Do you think they'll--?"

His eyes narrow in annoyance. "Nicos, this is important." He gestures at the folder.I look away. From across the room, I feel Caitlin's mom staring and Caitlin trying not to. So I concentrate, really concentrate, on making my face a mask. I'm good at that. People at school--my ex-friends, even Tom, who used to be my best friend--see me how I want them to: Nick Andreas, sixteen-year-old rich kid, honor student, coolest guy around. All fake. Only Caitlin knew the truth about the warfare with my father. She knew how humiliating it was warming the bench in football all season.

Telling her that stuff was a mistake. It's easier to fake it. When you fake it for sixteen years, it becomes part of you, something you don't think about. Maybe that's why I can hold a smile when the judge--a female judge who's sure to take Caitlin's side--enters and Caitlin takes the witness stand. I grin like an idiot as the bailiff swears Caitlin in and a lawyer in a gray polyester skirt begins asking her questions.

"State your name," the polyester lawyer says.

"Caitlin Alyssa McCourt."

Polyester points to the paper she's holding. "Is this your statement, Miss McCourt?"

Caitlin nods. "You'll have to voice your answers for the record."

"Yes."

"Is it your testimony you were involved in a relationship with the respondent, Nicholas Andreas?" Yes. "Is he here today?" Yes. "Point him out, please."

Caitlin's finger stretches toward me. I meet her eyes, try to make her remember all the good times. Bad move. Her tears, brimming before, spill out, unchecked. A tissue is offered. Polyester keeps going.

"Was the relationship a sexual one?"

Caitlin's hands twist in her lap. "Yes."

"Was the sex consensual?"

Cat says nothing, glancing at her mother. The question takes me by surprise. Does she mean to lie about that too, make it rape, what we did together? It wasn't. Polyester repeats the question, and Caitlin says, "I heard you. I was thinking." She looks at her mother again and wipes another tear. Her chin juts forward. Finally, she says, "Yes. It was consensual. Nick and I . . . I loved him."

In her seat two rows away, Mrs. McCourt shakes her head. Now, Caitlin stares forward.

"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.

Breathing Underwater. Copyright © by Alex Flinn. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

Reading Group Guide

Introduction

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 confide in. But when things start to spiral out of control, Nick must face the fact that he's gotten more from his father than green eyes and money.

Questions for Discussion

1. At the beginning of the book, Nick thinks of his abuse of Caitlin: "It was a slap ... one slap when she pushed me way too far. I never beat her up, would never really hurt her." Does Nick believe this? Why or why not?
   
   
2. Why does Judge Lehman make Nick keep a journal in addition to discussing the incidents in Mario's class? Would simply keeping the journal (or simply attending class) yield the same result?
   
   
3. Comparing himself to Tom, Nick says Tom is a great guy, "But we'd all be great guys if we had his life." How do a person's circumstances affect the type of person they are? Apply this to the characters in the book.
   
   
4. At the beginning of the story, Tom has abandoned his longstanding friendship with Nick because of Nick's conduct toward Caitlin. Was this right? What, if any, are our obligations to our friends?
   
   
5. Conversely, should Tom have reacted sooner to Nick's conduct? What is someone's obligation to stop conduct which endangers others? Have you ever had a friend who behaved in an unacceptable way? What, if anything, did you do?
   
   
6. Why did Nick wish toconceal his abuse at his father's hands? Would it have been to his benefit to tell someone? How could it have been to his detriment?
   
   
7. Nick says to Caitlin, "We're two of a kind," and she agrees. How are Nick and Caitlin similar? How are they different?
   
   
8. How are our perceptions of other characters in the book (Saint, Elsa, and Leo, particularly) colored by Nick's opinions? If the book was narrated by Caitlin, how would our opinions be different? What if it was narrated by Elsa?
   
   
9. Does Caitlin have any qualities which make her an easy target for someone like Nick? Conversely, are their qualities which make it easier for her to leave Nick (and stay away) in the end.
   
   
10. Would Nick have gone as far as Leo without help? Why or why not?
    
    
11. In what ways are the guys in Mario's Family Violence Class different from one another? In what ways are they the same? How would Nick's friendship with these guys differ from his friendship with Tom.
    
    
12. At the end of the book, Nick tells Caitlin, "I loved you so much" and she responds, "I can't believe that anymore." Did Nick truly love Caitlin? Why or why not? Does she really not believe him? What makes you think so or not think so?
    
    
13. Nick says of his father's gift of an expensive car, "It's the best he can do." What does he mean by this? Do you think Nick will ever have a relationship with his father? Is there anything Nick could do to improve the relationship? Should he? Should Caitlin's decision about her father be any different than Nick's?
    
    
14. In the final scene, Tom says, "I want things like they used to be" and Nick responds, "They aren't." In what ways do you think things will be different for Nick from now on? Would Nick, given a choice, want things "like they used to be" when he was with Caitlin?
    
    
15. What does the title phrase Breathing Underwater mean?

About the author

When Alex Flinn was five, her mother informed her that she would be "an author" when she grew up. Never one to follow instructions, Alex studied theater and opera and became a lawyer before finally writing her first novel, Breathing Underwater. Alex lives in Miami with her husband, Gene, and their daughters, Katie and Meredith.

Editorial Reviews

“The messages of teenage love turned dangerous are powerful, and this highly recommended book should be required reading for all teenagers.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“A quick and absorbing read. The situations and dialogue ring frighteningly true.” — ALA Booklist

“An open and honest portrayal of an all-too-common problem.” — School Library Journal

“Gripping.” — Publishers Weekly

“An outstanding first novel. An important book.” — KLIATT

“Flinn’s use of Nick as narrator is unusual and provocative, and there’s impact as well as insight in his long refusal to acknowledge his own culpability.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

An outstanding first novel. An important book.

KLIATT

A quick and absorbing read. The situations and dialogue ring frighteningly true.

ALA Booklist

Flinn’s use of Nick as narrator is unusual and provocative, and there’s impact as well as insight in his long refusal to acknowledge his own culpability.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

The messages of teenage love turned dangerous are powerful, and this highly recommended book should be required reading for all teenagers.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Flinn’s use of Nick as narrator is unusual and provocative, and there’s impact as well as insight in his long refusal to acknowledge his own culpability.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Flinn’s use of Nick as narrator is unusual and provocative, and there’s impact as well as insight in his long refusal to acknowledge his own culpability.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Jon Cryer brilliantly captures the surly, sullen tone of 16-year-old Nick Andreas's first-person narration, which begins the day he arrives at court, charged with physical violence against his girlfriend. Ordered to attend Mario Ortega's Family Violence class and to keep a journal, Nick resists the former, but finds increasing solace -- and a vehicle for telling his backstory -- in his journal. Anger burns beneath the surface of Nick's memories, his daily life, his relationship with his brutal father, and his longing for love. Cryer's pacing is spot-on as he rides the roller coaster of Nick's fury, passion, lust, and yearning. He is equally successful with the voices of the mixed ethnic/racial group in Mario's class and with Mr. Andreas's Greek accent. Flinn's popular YA novel gains added depth and power through this superb audio production.

AudioFile

In what PW called "a gripping tale," a 16-year-old, who is considered perfect by his classmates, suffers a turbulent home life with an abusive father, and he himself follows the pattern of violence. Ages 13-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Ever feel like you're breathing underwater, and you have to stop because you're gulping in too much fluid?" For 16-year-old Nick Andreas, these words from his violence counselor ring true. While his classmates think of him as rich, popular and perfect, they don't know the truth about his turbulent home life with an abusive father. As Flinn's first novel opens, Nick finds himself in court, facing a restraining order by his girlfriend, Caitlin. He is sentenced to six months of counseling and to write 500 words per week in a journal, explaining what happened from the day he met Caitlin to the present. Set in Miami and told in a split narrative, the novel juxtaposes Nick's journal entries about his past relationship with Caitlin alongside the current challenges of going back to school with his friends turned against him, his counseling sessions and life with his father. Gradually, he begins to recognize his own responsibility in how events played out ("Somehow, when I see it on paper, it becomes more real than when it's just in my head"). The correlation between Nick's controlling behavior and his father's abuse is subtle but effective. Caitlin's insecurity, borne of self-image problems due to a previous weight problem and her beautiful mother's badgering, is also credibly rendered. The ending scene with Nick's best friend rings a bit hollow, but as Nick's past comes to light, both the circumstances and his owning up to his actions carry heavy emotional weight in this gripping tale. Ages 13-up.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 9 Up-Nick, an upper-income, popular, straight-A high school student, not only copes with his father's verbal and physical abuse, but his own abusive behavior toward his girlfriend, Caitlin, in this novel by Alex Flinn (HarperCollins, 2001). After a court appearance, he must regularly attend group therapy sessions with members across the social strata, and keep a daily journal in order to stay out of jail. Through these experiences, his barriers and prejudices break down and he is able to begin his road to recovery on many levels. Narrator Jon Cryer brings Nick to life with his restrained anger, pain, and confusion. Listeners begin to understand the insidious logic Nick uses to justify the "slap" Caitlin "deserves," and how easily it can spiral out of control. Cryer's subtle vocal inflections with sarcasm and sense of timing, especially pauses, are superb; he allows us to hear the cruelty in a simple statement by virtue of its tone. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and one of the Hughes Brat Pack (Pretty in Pink), his acting skills span a wide range of roles. The voices of other characters, while integral to the story, are not memorable. This may have to do more with the story itself than the narrator's abilities to perform this task. The story never lets up; anger permeates it from beginning to end. Suitable for high school students, this could be a powerful tool when integrated with the curriculum.-Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MD Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Nick Andreas—16, rich, smart, popular—seems to have a perfect life, and when beautiful, talented Caitlin becomes his girlfriend, it looks to outsiders as though it can't get any better. After beating up Caitlin, however, Nick receives a restraining order to stay away from her and is sentenced to complete a family violence program, as well as to keep a journal that describes his relationship with her. First-novelist Flinn combines Nick's present-day life—attempts to win back his former girlfriend, anger-management meetings, and struggles to maintain self-control—with diary entries that reveal his controlling and abusive relationship with Caitlin, his own verbal and physical abuse by his father, and low self-esteem. With such important subject matter, particularly for young males, and research by the author, there's potential here; however, it fails to meet readers' expectations. Characters, stereotypical at times, are not fully developed, and the language is often contrived. Nick's anger appears out of nowhere when he begins to date Caitlin and subsides too quickly by the end. Although it shouldn't be used for bibliotherapy, it offers a lot to think about, and many teens will probably overlook its major flaws because of the format and real-world content. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews