Horn Book

Attending a court-ordered family violence program after hitting his girlfriend, Nick recalls, through journal entries, how his escalating need for control ruined his relationship with Caitlin. Nick's excessively macho narrative is better at capturing the smaller moments of verbal cruelty than the more outsized scenes of rage. The tone is sometimes heavy-handed, but presenting the story from the perspective of the abuser is intriguing.

Kirkus Reviews

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)

ALA Booklist (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2002)

Breathing Underwater is the moving and gripping story of teenager Nick's (who is charged with hitting his girlfriend) relationships, including that with an abusive father. Cryer's cool voice sends shivers down the spine as he ruthlessly rationalizes the characters' controlling attitudes and violent tempers. Make Lem onade is the first in a proposed trilogy about 14-year-old Verna LaVaughn, who baby-sits the children of a teenage mother and becomes involved in their problems. True Believer continues the powerful story of LaVaughn, who struggles with new emotions about friendship, romance, and ambition. Schoolwork is challenging, her mother has a new boyfriend, and Verna's love interest isn't reciprocated. Both titles are strengthened by Simms' stunning narration, which allows the hard realism of the plots to enter listeners' hearts. In the fantasy mystery Time Stops for No Mouse, mouse character Hermux is a watchmaker. When his attractive heartthrob mysteriously disappears, Hermux uses his subtle detective skills to extricate her from evil thieves, kidnappers, and industrial espionage agents. Scott's voice ranges between menacing, humorous, matter-of-fact, and gentle in his delightful narration.

Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

In what <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">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. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

<EMPHASIS TYPE=""BOLD"">Note: Additional reviews of children's books can be found in the Children's Religion section (p. 69).

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Key Biscayne High School and south Florida environs provide the affluent setting in which sophomore Nick and his friends carouse. Nick is rich, good looking, an athlete, a talented poet, in love with beautiful Caitlin-and he is an insecure, manipulative individual being raised by a violent and abusive father. The story opens as Caitlin is awarded the protection of a restraining order against Nick, and the plot unfolds along two streams. Regular font is "real time"-January 5th through September 2nd-while the "handwritten" font flashes back to reveal the stages by which Nick's first love twists inexorably into abuse. His former friends turn against him, he attends court-ordered group counseling sessions with a bunch of abusers he sees as losers, and his dad still beats him. The one member of the group he bonds with, Leo, withdraws when he is able to talk his girlfriend into dropping her charges. Nick gradually begins to perceive the vile depths to which he had fallen by observing Leo's obsessive behavior toward Neysa, which culminates when Leo murders her and commits suicide. Nick learns important lessons about being a man, responsibility, self-control, and trust. He successfully confronts his father and, in the final journal entry, begins his junior year by reestablishing contact with his former best friend. An open and honest portrayal of an all-too-common problem.-Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.