In Too Deep by Amanda Grace
Publisher: Flux (February 8th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 228 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I never meant for anyone to get hurt. All I wanted to do that night was make a play for Carter Wellesley. His heartless rejection was mortifying, but people got the wrong idea when they saw me leaving his bedroom, crying. That's how rumors of rape started.
Now girls at school are pouring out their sympathy to me. Guys too. But not everyone's on my side. The school has become a war zone and the threats are getting scary. What began as poetic justice has morphed into something bigger--forcing me to make a terrible choice.
Review: Amanda Grace (aka Amanda Hubbard) really knows how to put a spin on contemporary themes. This is a quick read but as with Amanda's previous book But I Love Him, it is highly emotional and significant for teens.
Sam seemed like a typical teenage girl. She wasn't super popular, great with the guys, or someone people noticed often. She does have a fabulous best friend, Nick. She likes Nick and just wanted him to notice her as more than a friend. She takes a chance by going after a popular guy, Carter. She takes her chance at Carter's party and is horribly embarrassed when he not only turns her down, but says some mean comments as well. Since she's drunk she falls down, rips her shirt, looks a mess, and runs out of his room crying. A girl sees her and makes some assumptions for what went on in the bedroom. This one event causes a string of events that change a lot of lives.
I liked that Sam was relatable but I do think she made some bad decisions when it came to setting the record straight. She had some times early on where it seemed it would have been easier to tell the truth than to put up with what was going on around her. Plus, she wasn't exactly shy. She wasn't afraid to tell people off most of the time. If she would have been really shy I might have believed her more when she just seemed too afraid to tell the truth.
I loved how this story comes from a completely different perspective on a situation that, sadly, happens a lot. Usually the girl may be trying desperately to get people to believe her. Now, we see a group of teens that turn on a guy for the wrong reasons. Sam had all the support she could ever want from her peers.
One of her biggest supporters was Nick. Nick was wonderful. You could tell he had a deep love for Sam and that showed a lot with his actions. Sam didn't have a lot of affection at home and her dad was pretty much a jerk so I think Sam turned to Nick a lot to just feel the love she craved.
In Too Deep is a book with an important message for how rumors can get out of control. It is a great book for teens who may not feel the truth is worth telling. Rumors can drastically change lives and it may be impossible to get out of the cycle.
Recommended: Great book for teens and contemporary lovers. Quick read with a great message.
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