Middle School

Based on the author’s scuba diving experience, Deep Water is a case of “what if”. What if you were scuba diving and your boat got lost?  What would you do?  How would you handle it?  Watt Key asks the question.. will you Sink or Survive?

Julie and her dad run a scuba diving business in Alabama. They have an important client and his son to take on a dive, but dad falls ill once they are out on the water.  This means that Julie has to take over the dive, but things go downhill.

Almost before Julie and the divers know it they find themselves in major trouble. What will happen?  (sorry, can’t tell you or I’d have to issue a spoiler alert).

I found the characters well developed, though the character of Dad seemed a bit weak in the defining.  I enjoyed the story, it seemed quite plausible.  The characters were interesting, and a depth was shown that I didn’t expect. I disliked the stereotypical use of sharks, but otherwise found the book interesting to read and informative (never thought about sea lice before) or the difference in colour between deep ocean water and coastal water.  It’s good to learn while reading good fiction is it not?

My thoughts.

Do I think your middle schooler would like this book?   If they like adventure and seeing people do better than expected.. then YES!   If they like learning what happens in hard scenarios with some science behind it.. then YES! If they want to see hope and smart thinking in action… then YES!   If they want everything to turn out well for everyone at the end… perhaps not. It’s not all sunshine and roses.  Hard adventures are sometimes like that.  It was a good read and I’m glad I was introduced to this author….now to see if my lad will enjoy it!

Deep Water: Sink ... or Survive. Watt Key Farrar Straus Giroux Softcover, 265 pages, middle school Adventure, coming of age, divorce, Character Reviewed for: Raincoast Books. Where to Find: Amazon Link.

Knock Out is a really cool book. Seriously.  I really, really, enjoyed this book.   It’s all poetry, about a lad with a serious medical condition, who gets into boxing and finds himself feeling alive.  A VERY well written book that I found myself immersed into and eagerly devouring the pages of.

I was talking with my contact at Raincoast Books about how much I enjoyed this book, but how every time I tried to get my lad interested in it, his eyes would glaze over.  🙂   So as much as it’s poetry, written for guys, my lad just wouldn’t go for it.  🙂

I am thinking though, that if you read it to a group of guys, without doing the, “it’s really cool poetry you just might like” spiel… you might get them hooked and wanting to listen to more.   I’m not sure.  It’s just a suspicion based on the quality of the poetry and writing found within the pages.

I read these lines to my hubby

"If you lived in a tent
under someone's armpit
that would be
a one hundred percent accurate match
for this locker room."

 I hooted!  He grinned and then shook his head.  

I loved the conversations back and forth with his brother.   It brought me back to the days when I didn’t know the words to say to my mother so I would write her notes telling her what was going on in my life.  It’s a book full of a real boy with all the hurts and sorrows and joy that come with being a boy whose been ill.  With a family hit with divorce and learning to be who you are, and learning to be who you will be.   There’s so much hope by the end of the tale…. I just know it will all turn out okay.

Easy to read, I found the thoughts easily flowed from one section to the next.  I found myself wanting to keep reading because it was funny and interesting.  Interspersed among the lines were word pictures that just added to the flow, giving breaks in the lines of poetry and adding humour, as well as showing heart. 

It’s a touching and fun, boy-oriented book that some girls might like too as there is just enough mom and friendship/relationship stuff in it to add that extra touch.  Watching Levi mature in the few pages of this book made my heart smile.  

What do I think?

Get this book….if only for yourself as an adult… you’ll find yourself delighted, amused, saddened, and understanding of the fears a child has who has been really sick and needs to mind his health. If you can get your boy child to pick it up and read it, or not hyper analyze it when you read portions of the text to him, you just may have your boy discovering poetry isn’t such a bad thing after all.  🙂  

Knock Out K.A.Holt Chronicle Kids Hardcover, middle school, poetry, boys, coming of age, pages 244, for ages 10+ Reviewed for Raincoast Books. Where to find? Amazon Link.