In Too Deep

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 Hernán Cortés'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