It’s been awhile since I’ve posted for Recommend It Monday. I meant to post this last week, but my grandfather had passed away and last Monday was his funeral. So, I’m posting it for this week instead.
The Deepest Blue is a YA novel that deals with grief and loss. I’m not sure if reading this before my grandfather’s funeral was the best thing for me to do, but I was able to very easily connect with all of the emotion in the book. The narrator is Mike, a fifteen year old who lived with his father and had an absent mother. The book explores what happens to him once his father dies. As far as believability goes, Justesen convinced me I was listening to a teen boy and experiencing his world through his eyes. He’s impulsive, he makes mistakes, and he can be rather myopic when it comes to dealing with the loss of his father. In short, he’s a teenager.
The plot is straightforward, and in this case, I think that’s a good thing. It allows you to focus on the emotion and the nuances without being distracted by sudden plot twists. In the end, the book is less about (in my opinion) what happens to Mike physically, such as where he will live, and more about his psychological transformation and feeling that pain. I’m not going to lie, there were tears from me. If you don’t at the very least get a little misty, you should have your heart looked at. It wasn’t an author contrivance, though. She really does a wonderful job of honestly looking at all of the emotions and putting them out there, warts and all.
What I like the most about this book is that it will appeal to any reader. I enjoyed it very much, and my son would also like it. Well, he would like it if I could manage to get him to read something more substantial than the back of a cereal box. I mean, I’m an author and I have a degree in English for crying out loud. It’s embarrassing.
This book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. If you grab a copy, be sure to let me know how you liked it.
Erindipity 
Thanks for the excellent comments! The timing of your reading was bad – or maybe it was perfect – so I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of your comments!
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Sounds interesting, Erin. I’m also looking for books for my daughter. Thanks for the tip.
Sorry to hear about your grandfather. My thoughts are with you.
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Thanks. I really enjoyed the book, so maybe your daughter will, too.
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[…] of you may recall the name from past interviews and book reviews. Kim’s book, The Deepest Blue, is set to launch, so she stopped by to tell us a little […]
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