Breaking Point

Especially if you fit the category of nerdiness. And that's exactly what it is like for Paul when he first enters Gate, the exclusive school for rich kids. But he gets to go there free because his mother works in the office. At first, school for him is total hell - from coke getting sprayed into his locker to a group of jocks mooning him in the hall. His only friend is the odd and homely Binky, a girl with no friends herself. But then he meets Charlie Good, a very popular, charismatic boy who drags Paul out of the world of nerdiness and into the world of the popular. Paul is mesmerized by Charlie and is so needy for love and acceptance that he will do whatever it takes...even if it means planting a bomb in the school. Overall, this was a very good book. There were a few disturbing scenes in the book and I wish Paul had more balls to stand up to Charlie and realize that Binky was a true friend, but Alex Flinn's amazing, funny writing style more than makes up for it. She is an excellent writer and I loved her book, Breathing Underwater, which takes us into the mind of an abuser - quite a delicious twist, if you ask me. She is good at creating anti-heroes that we can relate to in one way or another. I look forward to her next endeavor. I hope she joins the ranks of Chris Crutcher and other popular authors of the YA genre. She is extraordinary!

The book Breaking Point is a book for those who love the exciting lives of teenagers. It is about a boy, Paul Richmond, who is new to a school where he doesn't fit in. He sees the "popular" kid Charlie Good and wants to be just like him. Charlie is a tennis player at Gate and is well liked by everyone. Charlie and his friends see Paul and decided to allow him to hang out with them. Now, Paul is a "cool" kid who treats his mom really badly. His life at home is terrible and is falling apart. Suddenly, stealing, cheating, drugs, and drinking aren't enough for Paul. Charlie and his friends find out Paul is good with computers and use this to their advantage. Will Paul go to the edge to fit in?

The son of an ambitous military man, Paul Richmond never had a chance to develop friendships or put down roots. When his parents divorce, Paul and his devastated mother move yet again, this time to a run down apartment complex in Miami. The only things Paul's mom takes with her is a collection of "Royal Doulton figurines and me-the junk Dad hadn't wanted."Homeschooling isn't an option anymore. Paul must attend the private, elite school where his mom works as a secretary. Still stinging from his father's rejection, he tries to fit into a school where flagrant affluence is a constant reminder of what he doesn't have. And being the new geek in school, hebecomes a target for abuse.What would you do for acceptance?Enter Charlie Good, big man on campus, who takes Paul under his wing. The small favors Charlie asks of Paul are well-worth what is given in return, but as the story unfolds, the reader sees what Paul doesn't want to see. That Charlie Good is a master manipulator, willing to go to any length to get what he wants.A chilling, realistic story. Highly recommended.

I've read several young adult novels that deal with school violence and this is really the first one that I feel truly delves into the mind of one of the perpetrators in a realistic way. Paul Richmond could be someone we know, he could be us. Flinn has the courage to remind us that violence doesn't happen in a vacuum, that all of us have a Breaking Point and that many times, our smaller cruelties may be pushing someone else to their Breaking Point. As we follow Paul through his downward spiral we are forced to look at these issues in our own homes and classrooms and wonder, who we know, who is at the edge, who is ready to break. This is a must read for kids and for teachers, too.

How much can one kid suffer before he lashes out? And who will be there when he finally breaks? Read Alex Flinn's Breaking Point to learn the truth about Paul Richmond, one of "those kids"---you know, the kind you see profiled on CNN after the latest school disaster. Flinn shows us Paul *before* the disaster, when he is still a shy, likable kid longing for a friend. Is it Paul's fault that the friend he finds is so very evil? Flinn explores this question and more in this entertaining and insightful page-turner.