All Sam Marshall wants is for Nick Davis, her
best friend since forever, to notice her. She wants him to think of her
as more than a friend. So she dresses up in a mini-skirt and heels for a
party and tries to make Nick jealous by throwing herself at Carter Wellesley,
the most popular and most athletic boy at Mossy Rock High School.
Instead of welcoming her into his bedroom, Carter insults her and
sends her crying out into the hall. Sam has already had too much to
drink, so she doesn't think anything of it when Michelle Pattison asks her if
she's ok. When she gets to school, Sam doesn't know why people keep
staring and whispering about her. It's not until later that she discovers
that her classmates think that she was raped by Carter. She cannot
believe it, but she doesn't deny it, either. When she tells girls in her
class that nothing happened, they want her to pretend until the school year is
over. In her wildest dreams, she never thinks about how this
will affect Carter, his family, and Nick. And when she does think
about it, it's gone too far and she doesn't know how to get out of it. On
top of all this, her father, the chief of police in Mossy Rock, is still trying
to control her life. How can she gracefully get out of this terrible
situation, continue to have a relationship with Nick, and find a way to go
away to college?
In Too Deep is a fabulous read, filled with emotion and a girl's hopes
and dreams. Sam, the main character, has deep self-esteem issues.
She was been raised by a father who she thinks doesn't love or care about her.
Her mother is long-gone, and her father seems to care more about work and
controlling Sam's decisions than her well-being. Nick, who has been her
best friend forever, is liked by everyone. He has an on-again/off-again
relationship with a girl named Reyna, but is actually in love with Sam.
Both of the main characters were extremely well-developed and very
likable. Carter Wellesley, on the other hand, is the star athlete and
golden boy, but is also a jerk and a womanizer. It is all too easy for
people to believe that he raped Sam, and it spreads throughout the school and
the town like wildfire. However, I find it strange that her father, the
chief of police in an extremely small town, did not hear this rumor until it
was too late! He seemed to know everything else that was going on in his
daughter's life!
There were so many themes going on in this
novel--gossip, small-town life, where everyone knows everyone, budding
romance, underage drinking and partying, peer pressure, and
father-daughter relationships. The humiliation, embarrassment, and
rejection that Sam feels is real, as is the hopelessness and helplessness of
her situation that she unwittingly, and then just as willingly, creates.
This novel is a real page-turner! I recommend In Too
Deep for high school and public libraries!
**Note: The book reviewed was an advanced reader's copy received from Library Media Connection in exchange for an honest review.
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