Breathing Underwater

By: Alex Flinn

Narrated by: Jon Cryer

Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Nick is one of the chosen few at his high school: intelligent, popular, wealthy. People think his life is pretty easy. Except for one thing. Nick has never told anyone about his father's violent temper.

When Nick meets Caitlin, he thinks that she is the answer to all his problems. Caitlin is everything Nick has ever wanted - beautiful, talented, and in love with him. But then it all changes. And Nick must face the fact that he's gotten more from his father than green eyes and money.

In a harrowing journey of self-discovery, Nick learns the truth about himself - and that the phrase "like father, like son" can carry terrifying possibilities.

©2001 Alexandra Flinn (P)2002 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"A gripping tale." (Publishers Weekly)

"Jon Cryer brilliantly captures the surly, sullen tone of 16-year-old Nick Andreas' first-person narration.... Cryer's pacing is spot-on as he rides the roller coaster of Nick's fury, passion, lust, and yearning.... Flinn's popular YA novel gains added depth and power through this superb audio production." (AudioFile)

"An open and honest portrayal of an all-too-common problem." (School Library Journal)

brutally honest

There are certain things and topics that paint horrible pictures...pictures we try hard to ignore, or pretend they don't exist. This book paints it with bold strokes and sheds a cleansing light on it. Bravo! I found myself on the receiving end, and this book was very insightful.

I love this book

This book feels as real as anything I've been through. What a great great book!!

My Class loves it!

I teach 10 grade English and selected this book for our short novel. The students love it! The good readers are ahead of the audio and the lower level readers are keeping up and want to borrow the audio after class! This says volumes about the book! Great read and excellent reader!

Amazing book - intense but great story

!! *** First off, this book details abuse in a romantic relationship (and touches on child abuse) - if this is something you've experienced or you're sensitive towards, I recommend you don't listen *** !!

So insightful, it gives a look into the mind of the abuser - how they think and how they rationalize their actions. It's got a little taste of that "rich kids in high-school" setting. Very little "dirty" moments - the scenes that may be deemed "dirty" have very little details (I'd rate it PG-13.) There is a moderate touch of romance, how he thinks of this girl, the things he says, etc. but it's easily displaced with his actions. There is wonderful character development and the book is so well-balanced - touching on his past and re-focusing the listener on his present. It never gets boring.

Also, Jon Cryer's voice is just perfect - his tone, pronunciation, make the book really easy to listen to and not at all boring. I really wish he narrated more books.

Good for High School

This is a good book for high school students. It teaches them what healthy relationships should look like and how to recognize the signs of abuse.

étonnante

I personally loved everything including the concluding chapter between Nick and Tom, narrating was on point as well.

Pretty good book

Read this initially in my freshman year english class. Loved it then and even went out of my way to purchase a book off my teacher as she bought them all her self. When she said no I was heartbroken and havent had the chance to read it again till now. Still as great of a read as I remember and hands down one of my favorite books ever. Highly suggest it.

Want To Read An Amazing Book Then Read This One

Would you listen to Breathing Underwater again? Why?

I would listen to Breathing Underwater again because its a good book and the audio it amazing.

Hard to hate

this is an incredible story that makes you both hate and sympathize for the main character.

It was so real. Amazing story.

It was so real. Amazing story. I loved how it described him and he thought.