In Too Deep

May 15, 2013
A community-service trip to Mexico lands four teens in the middle of an expedition that could lead either to the discovery of priceless treasure or toward certain death. A scholarship student, self-professed history nerd and diving fanatic, Annie Fleet finds herself out of her depth with the other students from her elite private school. But when her history teacher, Mr. Alvarez, chaperones a trip to help hurricane victims, Annie signs up. In addition to her volunteer work, Annie hopes to find time for treasure hunting, diving and maybe even romance. Unfortunately her crush, Josh Rebstock, does not seem to share in her plans. Only days into the trip Alvarez reveals that the community service is just a cover. They are there to try and recover Cortes' priceless Golden Jaguar, an enormous, solid-gold statue stolen from the Aztecs and then lost--or possibly die trying. Detailed information about scuba diving and history showcase the author's research, but the convoluted plot is devoid of energy. Annie's infatuation with the narcissistic Josh focuses more on his dimples and his biceps than any true connection. Lacking both heart-pounding adventure and heart-racing romance, this trip to Mexico is a complete mess. X definitely does not mark the spot. (Fiction. 12 & up)

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September 1, 2013

Gr 7-10-Annie Fleet is more comfortable in the water with scuba gear on than she is talking to her peers at the private Los Angeles high school she attends, and she'd much rather study the history of shipwrecks than party with her classmates. The one thing that can pull Annie out of her waterlogged world is Josh, the charismatic son of a famous movie star. On a school trip to Mexico, things go horribly awry when Annie's teacher convinces her to go hunting for Hernan Cortes's rumored treasure lost at sea. Suddenly, Annie and Josh are inextricably linked to each other as they jet off to Hawaii, hunting for a priceless buried treasure. Voorhees has created a heroine who is not to be underestimated; sure, Annie wants the boy, but she's also smart, self-possessed, and incredibly witty. Most importantly, Annie and her friends are completely believable; Voorhees nails the teenage voice. The bad guys are stock characters who feel like something right out of a Scooby-Doo episode, but fans of Maureen Johnson and Sarah Mlynowski will immediately be attracted to self-effacing, relatable Annie. The plot, while requiring a suspension of disbelief, moves at a clip, ensuring that reluctant readers will stay hooked, and Voorhees never lets the story get too bogged down in historical details or scuba-diving jargon. A frothy and fun adventure.-Laura Lutz, Pratt Institute, New York City

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