Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Grace

Seventeen-year-old Nick seemed to have it all, but underneath the surface was an ugly truth. He had hit his girlfriend, Caitlin. Now, Caitlin and her family have brought him to court and the judge sentences him to a violence class, a restraining order, and to write in a notebook. As Nick writes in his notebook, recounting the times he spent with Caitlin and how his own father abused him, he realizes the truth of what he did to Caitlin and makes an effort to change.

Breathing Underwater is a realistic book that looks at an abusive relationship from the violent person's point of view. Even though I didn't like Nick because of the way he was toward Caitlin, I still sympathized with him as he discovered how much he had really hurt Caitlin. I was kind of annoyed at him not even realizing he was hurting Caitlin, but I guess he was blinded by his love and protection of her.