Review: The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen

The Deepest Blue

By: Kim Williams Justesen

Pub. Date: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Tanglewood Press

Pages: 257

Source: Netgalley

Mike hasn’t spoken to his mother in years, and what few memories he has of her are painful. When Mike’s dad is killed in a car wreck, Mike wants to stay in his hometown and live with Maggie, his dad’s girlfriend, who has been like a mother to him for the last five years. But Mike’s mother reappears in his life and demands that he return to her custody and live on the other side of the country with a family he doesn't know. The law is on his mother’s side, and Mike will have to grow up quickly and take on the legal system to have the life he wants. This deeply moving story of a young teen's difficult family relationships reflects the reality of many children and teens with strong emotional ties to adults who have no legal rights in the instance of death or divorce.

 I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Tanglewood Press and Netgalley. 

The Deepest Blue is one of those heart breaking stories that will leave you with a whole bunch of different emotions. It's about loss, love, forgiveness and family. I went into this book thinking it was going to be very predictable, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I really enjoyed this story, despite the fact that it kept making me want to cry!

Mike is a normal teenage boy. He has friends, a girlfriend, and a great relationship with his dad and his dad's girlfriend. His mother left when he was younger, but Maggie filled the role as Mike's mother early on, and he never felt that he was without a mom. But then Mike's dad dies in a car accident. The author did such an amazing job with this. Though I have never experienced a death of a parent, I felt like I was living it right along with Mike. His pain was so real and raw, and to add insult to injury, his mother wants custody of him. Something that Mike will fight at all costs.

I really liked the character of Mike. In so many stories today, the main character deals with his pain through having sex with every girl he meets. I was happy that Mike wasn't like that. He dealt with his feelings in a much more realistic way. Mike is very relatable and easy to connect with.

I assumed that the story was going to start with the death of his father. But we got about five chapters showing Mike's relationship with his dad. His dad was so good and supportive and it made losing him so much worse for Mike and for the reader.

I really enjoyed The Deepest Blue and I highly recommend it!