Deep Blue Secret (The Water Keepers #1) by Christie Anderson

Title: Deep Blue Secret

Author: Christie Anderson

Publish Date: July 29, 2011

Publisher: Self-published

Pages: 351

Other Books in the Series: Rogue Wave (The Water Keepers #2)

Buy the Book: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

California teen Sadie James thinks her life couldn't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she's rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won't even tell her his name. Each time the boy appears, Sadie's unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her, but as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day...why does Sadie need one? As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn't as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.

When I first began this story, I wasn't sure what I would think about it because it seemed like such an unassuming tale during the first chapter. But just as quickly as I set this idea in my head about how the book was going to turn out, it suddenly made my pulse race and my eyes were glued to the words. I was desperate to know more about this story and this is coming from a girl who wasn't confident in the idea that I would even mildly enjoy it. Ha! This book was a wonderful read. I really did like it once everything truly got going. 

Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson is the story of Sadie, a girl who believes her life is perfect and has the greatest people in her life. But suddenly her life just isn't so awesome anymore. Her life is spiked with depression, causing her to lose interest in everything she used to love at sporadic moments. She doesn't know what is causing this sudden loss of who she is and she is desperately trying to keep her life together before it falls apart completely. That is when a boy appears in her life with vibrant green eyes that seem to shine  and look familiar to her in a way she doesn't understand. What she does understand though is that whenever he is around, she feels safe and at peace like she might just be happy again. There is a catch with this strange boy; he refuses to get close to her. Everything about him is shrouded with secrets that he guards obsessively and she wants to know why. What is this boy's secret? Why is she suddenly facing such strong bouts of depression? How can she feel safe with someone that she hardly knows? It seems that her life might've just gotten more complicated.

The writing in this story is very relatable for me and the author seems to have mastered the talent of bringing a teenage voice to the story. This style, of course, has benefits and disadvantages but for me, I really enjoyed the story as it was written. I like the fact that it reminds me of the way some of the stories I've written sound and it reminds me a lot of some of my other favorite stories. The plot of the story is pretty amazing and well thought out. The world the author created is complex with its own history, way of life, foods, and work. I always love seeing how much work is put into the creation of a story and this just proves my point.

The lovely main character for this tale is Sadie, a friendly, loving, and protective girl who just wants to have a happy life. I love the fact that she is a romantic in a world of cynics. She has this desire to live a fairy tale and have her happily ever after. If anyone deserves it, it would be her and her mom, of course. She has a kind heart and a stubborn mind. Because of the kindness that seems to rule her actions, she has a hard time ever telling anyone no or pushing answers out of people. If I were to tag a title on her I would definitely say she is a pushover in the beginning. I didn't particularly love that quality but she grew up a lot in the story and somehow managed to gain some self confidence which gave her the power to just say no. One thing that I adore about her is the fact that she has never been kissed. I think that is another show of her romantic notions. She wants it to be with someone she loves, someone who loves her back, and she wants it to be perfect. You only get your first kiss once, right? She can't help but feel smitten towards the boy with the familiar green eyes and that leads to her being unable to get him out of her head even though she is certain he feels nothing towards her. Now, I've heard of this sort of thing before where the main character writes letters to some person who will never receive them as a venting process. I adore the fact that she is writing to the father she never knew and that she is open about everything she is feeling. Depressed or happy, she wants her father to be a part of her life even if he didn't want to be.

Her mom is definitely full of energy, something that I wish I could say was the same about me but I am more like Sadie in that way. She works as a nurse at the nearby hospital, working sometimes crazy hours and that leads to them spending sporadic amounts of time together. Determined to keep their relationship close, she and Sadie spend one night a week together doing girl stuff and reconnecting over random activities they plan. I admire her strength and willingness to sacrifice everything for her daughter. Her goal in life seems to be making sure her daughter is happy and has a good life. She still mourns the fact that Sadie's father doesn't take part in her life at all but instead of being upset that he left her alone, she continues to ache for his presence in her life. It's pretty hearbreaking. I think that she deserves a happily ever after, whether it is with the man who is Sadie's father or someone new. She is too awesome to be left alone for the rest of her life.

I'm going to put a name to the pretty boy with the green eyes because I really think that it is too hard to type that every time I mention him in this paragraph. Anyway, his name is Rayne. Just getting that out of the way before I dive into his character. He is assigned to protect Sadie and watch over her to make sure that no harm comes to her as she grows up. But there is a catch. He cannot be seen by her and forming an attachment with her is strictly forbidden by the people who are in charge of him. It is clear through the story that he is struggling to maintain a formal relationship with the beautiful main character but his sense of honor seems to cloud any chance of giving into their attraction. Which is frustrating, trust me. His job is that of a Water Keeper, meant to heal and aid people who have lost their way in life and bring them the happiness they seek through this thing called the Healing Water. When he began to feel something towards Sadie, he blamed it on the bond created through the continued use of the Healing Water and that their feelings aren't actually real. But he better see the light or else I'm going to write a really epic rant about him. 

I know, I know, there is a million other characters that I should and could discuss during this review but I think that this is enough for now. Go read it, my friends. It's definitely worth it.