Review & Giveaway: In Too Deep by Coert Voorhees

In Too Deep by Coert Voorhees

Publisher- Disney-Hyperion

Release- July 9th 2013

Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N/ Chapters

Annie Fleet, master scuba diver and history buff, knows she can’t fight her nerd status as a freshman at her Los Angeles private school. And she doesn’t care—except for the fact that her crush, Josh, thinks she’s more adorable than desirable. Annie is determined to set him straight on their school trip to Mexico. But her teacher has other plans: he needs Annie to help him find Cortez’s lost-long treasure.Suddenly, Annie finds herself scuba diving in pitch-black waters, jetting to Hawaii with Josh, and hunting for the priceless Golden Jaguar. But Annie and Josh aren’t the only ones lured by the possibility of finding the greatest treasure ever lost at sea. Someone else wants the gold—and needs Annie dead. In deeper danger than she ever imagined, can Annie get the boy and find the Jaguar, or is she in over her head?Critically-acclaimed author Coert Voorhees delivers breathtaking romance and non-stop action in his newest novel, the spirited and captivating In Too Deep.

My Thoughts:

When I was a little girl, I remember watching this movie about a bunch of kids who were trying to save their home town and goes off to look for the lost treasure of One-Eyed Willy. Since then, I've always considered myself a Goonie and continued to look for other stories like it, finding great titles such as; National Treasure, Pirates of the Caribbean and even Indiana Jones.  I've always enjoyed a good archaeologist or treasure hunting story, but yet to have found any in books for my preferred genre. In Too Deep is the first book I've read that has the treasure seeking story-line that I've been looking for and I'm glad to say that it's been well worth the wait. I had a lot of fun with this book!

Annie is such a wonderful character. When we first meet her, she seems shy and not very comfortable with her social setting. See, she goes to Pinedale Academy which is sort of school for teens with famous parents and Annie being a teachers kid doesn't exactly scream cool. And if her parental status wasn't enough she can't help going off about historical events and old buried treasure stories, and she even knows how to scuba dive since she was a little girl. On a school trip to Mexico for a disaster-relief program, Annie will discover that some of her 'non-cool' hobbies are about to pay off, in more ways then one, when her teacher needs her help to find the Golden Jaguar, the lost treasure of Cortez. Only things don't exactly plan out the way they were suppose to and Annie and Josh (her long time crush) find themselves on a journey of a lifetime discovering hidden secrets, dodging danger and tumbling into a romance they never thought possible.

I had so much fun with this story-line! Coert Voorhees is an amazing writing who made this adventure really standout in my mind. I loved every surprising twist and turn he gave us. I've read a lot of books that has us following the clues to solve the mystery, but it feels so much more thrilling to follow the clues to find the buried treasure. I also really love how Voorhees goes into vivid details about scuba diving. From learning the terminology, to diving, to being under the brilliant crushing ocean. The setting from ocean to land was rich and engaging. I also love the way he nails that feeling of sweet and unsure when it comes to first romance and being young. It was adorably and hilariously captured. 

I really enjoyed every single one of these characters, even the bad dudes, they were all strongly developed and played their parts well. The only one I was really conflicted with was the teacher, Mr. Alvarez. In all fairness he isn't all bad, but I really question his morals since he was willing to put teenagers in harms way to gain his fortune. Tsk! 

Gracia and Mimi were the feisty and sassy best friends who connected with the more comical level of the story which I found refreshing, well placed and very amusing.

I love Annie's awkward voice. I like that she stayed true to herself and doesn't try to dumb-herself down to impress anyone. I like that when she comes out of her shell, she's a witty and sarcastic person who can stand-up for herself when her confidence is at it's best, but most of all, I love her enthusiasm about the things she's most passionate about. 

Josh is a wonderfully flawed character who isn't as smooth as he thinks he is. He may not always do or say the right thing but he's got a good heart and genuinely cares for Annie. Some of their moments were really quite precious and equally frustrating but not in a bad way. Just a really sweet and clean summer romance that will make you smile.

All in all, I thought In Too Deep was the perfect summer escape. Lost relics, a bubbling romance and an exciting journey consumed with thrills and danger. How can I ask for more? It makes me want to explore the unknown and see what I can find, but one things for sure, this book turned out to be a real gem and I only hope that Voohees decides to write more stories about Scuba Girl and friends, looking for more long-lost treasure! Fun stuff!

Find the author:

Goodreads / Website                                  5 Snowflakes 

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