Crossing the Deep by Kelly Martin, Book Review

Blurb:

Sixteen year old Rachel Harker expects the church sponsored hiking trip in the Smoky Mountains to be short and painless. Four days later, injured and scared, Rachel prays to just make it home alive.

Asher Jenkins, fellow hiker and handsome skeptic who is only on the hike so he doesn’t have to go home and face his abusive ‘uncle’, finds Rachel in the woods and tries to get her back to Deep Creek Trail. A small hole hidden under the fall leaves causes her ankle to twist and forces Asher to leave her to get help. As night falls, he comes back, unable to find the right trail.

As hours stretch into days, an unexpected rainstorm bears down the mountain, flooding Deep Creek and cutting off their way home. Rachel puts all of her faith in God to save them. Asher thinks believing in God is a waste of time and does what he can to prove to Rachel that He doesn’t exist.


My Review:

It took me about a quarter of the book for me to really become pulled into the story. but once I was pulled in, I could not put it down!  When Rachel and Asher become lost and alone in the woods, the story becomes gripping and the emotion is so real I found myself feeling like I was there watching it all unfold.  This is a Christian YA novel, and the references to that are very prevalent.  There are some very real and painful issues that Rachel and Asher face and try to overcome while lost in the woods.  This definitely is not your typical Christian YA novel.  Crossing the Deep is full of pain, loss, over coming huge obstacles and ultimately learning to put your faith and trust in God.  Martin has written a novel unlike any I have read; one so gripping and emotional that I could not help but read until the very last page!


You can pick up your own copy of Crossing the Deep via Amazon.


Happy Reading!!!