Breaking Point (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I was a misfit..." (more)
Key Phrases: Big Chuck, David Blanco, Old Carlos (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Tripped in class, mooned in the hall, cola poured through the slats in his locker, spitballs stuck in his hair--how much more can Paul Richmond take at his super-snobby private school, expensive Gate-Bicknell Christian? Paul is there free because his mom works in the guidance office, but that fact makes him an instant outcast, his only friend a funny-looking, independent girl named Binky. Even worse off is David Blanco, whose mom is a cafeteria lady and whose father is the janitor. The jocks hound him unmercifully, even killing his dog. When Paul goes to David's house to offer sympathy, David rejects him angrily, saying "You'll be next." Binky, too, tries to explain the cruelty of the rich kids who surround them, but Paul yearns to be accepted anyway. So when cool, elegant, and charismatic Charlie Good asks for his help in computer lab, Paul is eager to comply, and later, when Charlie and his henchmen, Meat and St. John, come for him in the night for a game of mailbox baseball, Paul willingly does the bashing. Gradually he is accepted at school as part of Charlie's group, but for a price: having to hack into the school computers to change Charlie's D in biology. When David Blanco kills himself and the school simply ignores it, Paul is momentarily taken aback, especially when he learns that David had been Charlie's ally last year. But then Charlie reveals his real plan, for which everything else has been preliminary, and Paul has his last chance to say no.

Alex Flinn, whose Breathing Underwater earned high praise, does tribute to the great Robert Cormier in this dark and brilliant novel about the high price of acquiescence to evil. (Ages 14 and older) --Patty Campbell

From Publishers Weekly

Heavy-handed writing undermines Flinn's (Breathing Underwater) stated goal for her second novel, namely, to "stimulate discussion" among teens about why kids commit violent acts. When geeky ex-homeschooler Paul Richmond enrolls as a sophomore at an exclusive Miami private school, he is immediately targeted for harassment. Living in a shabby apartment with his needy, newly divorced mother (her job in the school office lowers Paul's tuition), Paul would feel miserable even if the jocks weren't calling him "faggot" and trashing his locker. Then popular Charlie Good suddenly befriends him outside of school, that is and Paul seems willing to do anything to stay in favor. First Paul vandalizes mailboxes, then he hacks into the school computer system to change Charlie's transcript. Charlie's hold on Paul intensifies until he persuades Paul to plant a bomb in the school. Characterizations are stock, and no one, particularly not the all-powerful Charlie, seems convincing. The boys' reasons for wanting to blow up the school remain murky, and many of Flinn's devices, like the school sermons that parallel the plot, are contrived. For a more developed treatment of similar themes, readers may appreciate Gail Giles's Shattering Glass, reviewed Feb. 11. Ages 13-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; 1st edition (May 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066238471
• ISBN-13: 978-0066238470
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,440,825 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Read, June 17, 2002

By A Customer

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Friends, December 9, 2005

By	Butch Shakowski "BuSha" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking Point (Paperback)

"Being popular isn't everything." If we all only believed this statement, I think life would be a whole lot easier for kids. This is the dream of every kid, "Being Popular," and "Being Cool." Some kids try so hard to fit in with the cool kids they forget about their old friends. Then when you don't fit in with the cool kids to treat you just like you did them. All of this just to be "Popular," its not worth it, people...trust me.

Paul and his mom just moved to a new city knowing no one. With his mom's new job at Gate High, Paul gets into the school without having money like the other kids. Gate is a rich, private school that happens to have nothing but jerks in it, according to Paul. With his dad out of his life and no friends to count on, Paul is lonely. Everything is going terrible for Paul until the most popular, athletic kid comes and knocks on his window at night. Charlie is the kids name and you can pretty much call him THE PERFECT CHILD. He is the kid that everyone wants to be and it leaves Paul astonished when he thinks he's becoming his friend. Now everything has taken a big U-turn in Paul's, not so great life and everything is going pretty good for him, or so he thinks. Is Charlie really his friend or is he using him, is the question that is popping up in Paul's mind. Paul is thrown for a ride on this crazy roller coaster, that you don't want to miss.

It's through the tragic death of David Blanco a kid that got picked on all the time at Gate, that Paul has to find out who his real friends are. David was pushed to the limit at Gate and committed suicide. Why would David do a think like this? Binky warns Paul about Charlie but of course Paul does not pay any attention to her. A weird mysterious note shows up in Paul's locker that says "Ask Charlie about David's dog." This makes Paul really confused and scared. Who left the note in the locker and why would Charlie kill David's dog, it just don't make since to Paul. Paul has to go through many things that Charlie asks but the last task is a little bit more extreme. Will Paul accept the challenge or go back to his normal lonely life.

Paul's desire to be cool and popular leads him into doing some wrong things. Paul is caught in the middle of a tough decision and doesn't know what to do. Will Paul's dream of being popular lead him to devastation? This decision that he has to make with not only effect him but it could hurt many others. What will happen, is Paul big enough to say "No" or will he give in and say "Yes?"

The lesson to be learned in this book is that no matter how cool you think it is, being popular isn't everything. You really have to find out who your true friends are and stick with them. No matter if you're in a big fight with your friends work it out because they could be the only ones that you have. Work it out and try to be there for each other when in need.

This book is great for everyone, no matter what age. This book is a boy; girl read which they would love. Out of all of the books that I have read I would have to say that this is the best one. If I had to choose to recommend this book to only one group of people I would recommend it to the kids who are just starting high school. It is a big transition and can scare many junior high kids. This is another reason this is such a great book because it has such a varied audience.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It always sucks being the new kid..., August 19, 2004

By	Dead Kennedys (Oz) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking Point (Paperback)

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!