Breathing Underwater by Alex FLinn

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn published in 2001 is a great book about some very sensitive and troubling issues, anger and anger management, dating violence, abuse, assault, and damaged and unhealthy relationships.  The book is about Nick a rich, handsome, intelligent, popular football player. He hides a difficult secret, the truth is that Nick’s dad hits him. In high school Nick meets the gorgeous and talented Catlin and they fall hard for each other.  Nick is very insecure, possessive, controlling, jealous and short tempered and has anger issues that on more then one occasion boils over into blind, mindless, primal rage, Nick hits Catlin pretty hard and ends up with a restraining order, no friends, living as an outcast in his high school, while taking a legally mandated violence intervention class.  He learns a lot from the class and especially from what happens to a friend of his in the class (murders his girlfriend, then commits suicide). He gains courage to change his life around and he confronts his father and does his best to heal his relationship with his best friend Tom. The book is written in the first person from Nicks perspective using two methods, as the novel switches between journal entries Nick is required to write to better learn from his past, and a moving current narrative about his life during the time of the violence intervention class.  I can’t wait to read the other book in the series. There is a great interview here with the author. The book is brilliant and explains a personally important topic. My grandfather on my mom’s side over time became an abusive alcoholic, and so his wife, my grandmother divorced him in a time divorce was still quite taboo. This is also important because I personally used to have considerable anger management issues, when I was in high school I would displace my anger from school or basketball practice onto my mom and my anger and frustration of my own failings, and botched efforts on other people to the point of punches, yelling and swearing. I still from time to time lash out at people and displace my feelings into hurtful words that I don’t mean. I know that my own anger is partially medicated away and has not been an issue for quite some time now, but I still worry about my anger. This book is a clear example of an important issue that is somewhat overlooked and not as obvious as other issues. Dating violence and abuse of all kinds is wrong, intolerable, and a completely unnecessary evil, that far too many people have to deal with. On top of the unforgivable and disgusting act of abuse I can't understand the blind forgiveness or the submissive mindset of people who don't fight back or leave and stay for years of abuse.  Anyway, Here is a very important website about teen dating violence.