Review: Great start to a series!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2013
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.Zoey is a young woman dealing with the handicap of a prosthetic limb.  She lost a leg in a shark attack when she was six.  Now, at the age of sixteen, she still has trouble with it and really hates it and the way people stare at her with pity.  On a field trip to the local aquarium, Zoey and her classmates notice the fish acting odd.  They seem to be following all of Zoey’s motions.  The dolphins even stop their show and stay by Zoey’s side, and the sharks all ram the glass enclosure trying to get at Zoey.  After the unusual happenings at the aquarium, Zoey sneaks out with her best friend, Charlotte, to attend a bonfire at one of the still open beaches.  The beaches are slowly being overtaken by the oceans and few are still accessible.  While at the bonfire, Zoey accidentally gets knocked down by a wave and transforms into a mermaid.  She finally feels whole with her tail.  Zoey learns that her dad is a mer king and she’s a princess.  She then decides to visit her father’s kingdom, but all is not well with the mer kingdoms.  There is an evil mermaid witch trying to destroy all humans, and Zoey is the only one that can stop her.I really enjoyed this book.  It was very well written and easy to read.  Into the Deep dealt with some very realistic issues in today’s society.  It dealt with the emotions that are associated with losing a limb and also with the environment.  I could definitely feel the frustration Zoey had with learning to cope with a prosthetic leg.  I could also feel her frustration with her mother, she held back information vital to Zoey’s life.  The reunion between Zoey and her father, Stavros was perfect.  This book even had a Cinderella feel to it with an evil stepmother and stepsister.  I loved the interactions between Zoey and Nerio, a palace guard.  I loved the push and pull of their feeling for each other.  Zoey was going to be friends with Nerio, no matter what anyone said.  I also enjoyed Xander and his easy going ways.  There were so many characters I fell in love with.  This is a perfect YA book.  I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Zoey’s adventures.