I am thrilled to be hosting the next stop on the Knee Deep Blog Tour! After reading my review, don't forget to click the banner to check out other stops along the tour! Thanks go out to Tribute Books for allowing me to be part of this tour!
Knee Deep by Jolene Perry
Published: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
Synopsis:
Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.
Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.
Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.
About the Author:
Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She
graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in
political science and French, which she used to teach math to
middle schoolers.After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.
She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.
Review:
Knee Deep was one of those books that I found myself talking aloud to the characters.
I really liked Ronnie and it infuriated me when she made choices that I didn't agree with. She was a little different in her style and she didn't come across as one of those simpering Bella clones. She is strong, although she doesn't know it, and it's that lack of knowledge that has her making excuses for Shawn.
When the story opens it is very clear that Ronnie and Shawn are in love and that they have one of those ideal high school romances. They've always known each other and even better they always knew they belonged together. This was what made Ronnie's choices so believable. She doesn't want to accept that the boy she once knew was completely changed.
Luke and Shawn both come across as typical guys. Luke is a player and even though he is in love with Ronnie, he doesn't sit around home moping. He dates and has friends outside of her. When he finds out what is happening between Ronnie and Shawn, he tries to help her in a way that won't push her away. I wish he'd done more, but again, I could understand why he didn't. Shawn was an interesting character. I liked him in the beginning, and even up to about the half way point I had some sympathy for him, but by the end I was just disgusted.
I thought the ending was really strong. Everyone around Ronnie has to deal with the abuse and outcomes, and although I wanted more satisfaction for her, the response she got from Shawn was probably as close to real as it gets.
