Honestly, this book was disappointing. The character development was certainly not up to par. The few supporting characters were distressingly weak, and MIKE--Mike is the typical teenage stereotype. I mean, I know he lost his dad, but that gives the author no reason to totally demolish the character and his personality in a quick succession of fits of anger and moodiness. It seemed so rushed. Half the book seemed to be a quick sprint toward the subject that the author REALLY wanted to write about--a courtroom melodrama that everyone saw coming. And the ending—tied up in sloppy bows, tons of plot lines left unresolved, and a predictable “The End”. Sure, it was a solid book technically speaking--good vocab, descriptive writing, sound structure—but it just didn’t work that way I felt it should have. Potential abounds—but I felt that Justesen could have done better for herself and the characters she wrote about in this book.
“I watch the white car pull away from the mortuary, signal, and merge onto the main road….....Maggie softly cries. I am completely numb.”
I would recommend this book for ages ten and up, as it only has mild expletives and one sexual situation. Everything else stays in check pretty well.
Alone and afraid, will Mike to be able to fight for his right to stay where he believes he belongs—or will his mother finally get her way and rip him from everything he’s ever known? The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justeten is the only way to find out!
