Review of "Into the Deep" by Lauryn April

Into the Deep

Lauryn April

Publication Date: August 10, 2012

Kindle Edition

Summary:

     Ivy Daniels is an average teen until the day she nearly drowns. After her accident she develops a new ability. Is she going crazy, did her accident cause brain damage, or is her ability actually real? Because of her new found ability Ivy "overhears" someones really dark thoughts. Ivy will have to use her ability as well as depend on others around her to help solve the mystery. If she doesn't figure out who the dangerous "voice" belongs to in time, her whole school could blow up with everyone in it.

Review:

     Into the Deep is the debut novel from author, Lauryn April. Into the Deep is one of those books that I found myself getting lost in. The main character, Ivy, is quite likable, easy to relate to, and I was able to get caught up in her life as she dealt with her new ability. Another aspect I enjoyed about Into the Deep were the sensory details, they weren't overwhelming but they did allow me to feel as though I could envision the scene being described. 

     One of my favorite parts of this novel were the characters. Ivy is a bit quiet and tends to be a follower. But after nearly drowning she begins to change. I liked the way that Ivy grew and developed as a character throughout the story. Her new found ability allowed her to discover who she wanted to be as well as who she wanted to be friends with. She was able to see past peoples exteriors to see what they were truly like. She soon learns that people are not always as the appear. Ivy also struggles to control what she can do. Sometimes her ability becomes overwhelming and at times she learns things she doesn't want to know. Ivy's distress made her seem more believable as a character. She just didn't accept what she could do. She fought it and then tried to learn to control it.

     Another character in Into the Deep is Brant. He is the type of guy who can be found smoking or skipping class, he's not known as being dependable. But as Ivy is coming to find out people aren't always as they appear. I liked Brant. He has a sad back-story and is completely misunderstood by most of his classmates. But we see that there is more to him than everyone thought. I found Brant to be very likable and I couldn't wait to read about him.

     Into the Deep has all of the things I look for in a novel a great story that's easy to get caught up in. Enjoyable characters that I can root for. It also has a little mystery, some paranormal aspects, and a touch of romance. I especially liked the epilogue and was quite satisfied with the ending of this novel. I felt as though everything was wrapped up quite nicely and I wasn't left with any lingering questions. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from author, Lauryn April. 

Cover:

     I really really like this cover. It's eye catching and relates to what the book is about. I love the way the bubbles are streaming from the girls mouth as well as the way her her hair is floating up. It's not filled with a ton of graphics. It has just enough detail to make me want to pick this book up to see what this book is all  about. Very stunning!! 

Swoon Thursdays(43)

The ladies at YA Bound have created a hot and fun new meme called SWOON #YABound. If you want to join in here's what you need to do.

All you need to do is pick up the book you are currently reading or just finished reading. Find what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding and your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Then shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag  #YABound, post in the comments, or grab the awesome button from YA Bound (above) and share it on your blog!

My Swoon this week is from Into the Deep by Lauryn April. I went with the extended version, it was just so good.

"I brought my lips back up to his, soft at first then I dove back into the way he was making me feel. His hands traveled down to the hem of my shirt and slowly one hand trailed up under the back of my top. The other hung there loosely with his thumb looped in the waistband of my jeans. I felt his rough, calloused palm on my fevered skin; his touch, the feeling of his skin on mine, sent shivers through me. He backed me up then, stepping slowly and moving me with him until he had me firmly pushed up against the wall. His hand twisted around, sliding across my back and moved to linger on the waist line of my jeans. The tips of his fingers lightly grazed the skin of my belly." SWOON#YABound

What did you think? If you have a Swoon leave a link so I can check out what made you Swoon this week.

Teaser Tuesday (23)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading. Anyone can join in. Here's what you need to do.

♥Grab your current read.

♥Open to a random page.

♥Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

♥Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)

♥Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here are my  teasers for the week. I haven't read too much of this book yet but I hope to finish it today!

"I hit the water and for a moment everything slowed. It was as if time had been written on a piece of elastic and was stretched until every number, every minute, was pulled wide and contorted."

"I could hear my own sharp intake of breath. I could feel the rush of humid air past my skin. Then the cold water encased me, sucked me in and dragged me down. My hair swarmed out around my face. Like glowing strands of amber backlit by the moon, they spiraled into my view."

Lauryn April, Into the Deep, Kindle Edition (Prologue) 

Ivy Daniels is a high school junior still learning who she is. After almost drowning, Ivy finds herself with an ability she doesn’t want, an ability to uncover secrets which quickly begins to redefine what she thinks about the people around her as well as herself. Because of this ability, Ivy becomes the one thing that stands between an angry teen and the death of every student on campus. The only problem is she doesn’t know who wants everyone dead. Will she figure out whose secret is that they’re planning to blow up her school, or will she fail to find him in time?

Through her search to do the right thing, Ivy discovers that knowing the thoughts and secrets of those around her may just tear her apart. (summary from Goodreads)

What do you think? Feel free to leave a link to your teaser's:)