by Janyre Tromp
(Kregel Publications)

There was nothing I could do to help the paramedics or my dad, and I couldn't face what I'd done...I'd wanted to be the hero...the one to save the city from a rash of burglariesto be famous for breaking the story. But none of that mattered. Not anymore. I'd disobeyed my dad and almost killed my best friend in the process.

Audrey Barringer really does try to be a "good kid." But with a bratty, overly perfect little sister and a brain-twisting burglary case that points to her best friend's family, there's no way this firecracker is going to stay out of trouble. That Sinking Feeling not only explores the fascinating underwater world as Audrey and her best friend, Max, dive for clues, it also shows what it means to be a good friend and one of God's children. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

My thoughts:  Ashley was originally supposed to be the "reviewer" of  this  book.  But, she just couldn't seem to get "into" it.  So, I decided to pick it up and give it a try.  I did find it a  bit "slow" at first and can see why the first chapter or so didn't hold her interest.  But, goodness, once I got a bit further into the story, I was quickly sucked into the msytery and suspense that was going on in the pages of this book;  so much so that I couldn't wait to get to the end!  There is an awful lot of excitement packed into the 121 pages of this book. 

I would probably up the recommended age group for this one~ maybe switch it from "Tween" to "Teen".  The main characters in the book, Audrey and Max, are 13 and 14 years old, respectively;  I feel kids of that same age group could more easily relate to these characters than younger children could. 

Something very refreshing about this book was the fact that, though Audrey and Max are best friends, there is no romantic innuendo whatsoever.  They are just that~ FRIENDS.  That's unusual.  It's so hard to find books for teens where  boy-girl relationships are portrayed as platonic.  So, I must commend the author for the relationship that she has created  between these two characters!  And, although the book is written in the first person (Audrey's), Max is a strong enough character that this book would  be interesting to boys as well as girls.

That Sinking Feeling is the first in a series called Blue Water Mysteries.  I don't believe any of the other books have been published yet.  At a price of $5.99, this book is worth adding to your library.  You can purchase it directly from the publisher, or at Amazon.com or Christianbook.com (check here first~ I just noticed CBD sells it for $4.99!)

*Oh, I should also add.......now that Ashley knows that I read the book and enjoyed it, she'll definitely read it too!  Maybe you'll even see a review for it on her blog one of  these days.

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Dec. 11, 2007 - looks good

Posted by ClagettsFLStyle

I'm always looking for good books for my girls to read. There so hard to find. Neither of my girls like reading ANYTHING that has boyfriend stuff or romance in it.. PTL... so it's hard finding good books. Thanks for the review. I'll have to check this out.

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Dec. 13, 2007 - Great review

Posted by SuzyScribbles

Nice review, Heidi. I have this book, too, and wrote a review for her on amazon a couple of years ago.
Yes, I keep wondering when the other books of the Blue Water series will be published, too.

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