Coert Voorhees

Santi knows it is a mistake getting into the car with his friend, Eric, but he does it anyway and winds up in Juvie for a crime Eric committed. That is why he is on The Bear Canyon Wilderness Therapy Program trip into the Colorado Rockies. If he can just handle leader, Jerry's nightly therapy sessions and the four other fractured souls on the trip, he will be out of Juvie when he returns home. Things don't go as planned when heavy rains cause a mudslide that kills Jerry and two of the other campers. Victor, Amelia, and Santi are on their own, but Victor has plans that include more than just survival, putting them all at risk.
On the Free is divided into three parts. In the first part of the book, tells Santi's story from his perspective; every other chapter detailing his history prior to the trip. Once the mudslide occurs, the book switches to Victor's perspective and we find out in alternating chapters that he is on this trip in order to get revenge against his stepfather whose cabin lies in these woods. The final section belongs to Amelia and we discover that even though she served as Jerry's assistant, she has emotional issues of her own. On the Free tells the story of these three damaged souls and how their struggle for survival changes them. The ending of the book is a little abrupt leaving the reader feeling like the falling action and resolution at the end of the story are missing, but overall, this is a good story of physical and emotional survival.… (altro)

In Too Deep is the story of high school student, Annie Fleet. Annie is a shy girl who goes to Pinedale Academy with some of the most famous high school students in Los Angeles. Some are famous for their own acting careers. Some are famous because of parents who work in the entertainment industry. Annie is neither, but her father is a teacher at the school, so she is allowed to go there tuition free. After school, Annie works in her family's dive shop and gives lessons to inexperienced divers. Annie's grand crush is on Josh whose mother is a famous actress. Josh is unattainable until she saves his life when he panics during a diving lesson. Annie, Josh, and two other students from school take a trip to Mexico to help hurricane victims, but the trip turns into much more when their teacher tells them about the search for the Golden Jaguar and takes them diving for clues off the Mexican coast.
This is an exciting treasure hunting adventure mixed in with teen angst and high school crushes. Annie is a character that is easy to like and Josh lives up to her real-life expectations. Both characters grow and change in a good way as they work together to research the history of the Golden Jaguar and figure who they can trust. The ending moves very quickly with lots of technical information that makes it a little hard to follow, but the build up is well worth the effort. Overall, a very good story that is well written and researched.… (altro)

This story opens with an interesting high school play rehearsal scene. Actor David Ellison is the story's first-person narrator and the reader soon learns he hopes to do well on his upcoming audition to attend Julliard. Other characters are aptly introduced afterwards. His family -- parents and sister. His longtime girlfriend, Ellen. His schoolmates, beautiful co-star, Vanessa, and her brother, among others. The setting, Palo Alto CA, and its affluent surrounding community is significant, and its high school's rich-kid student body is likely reason for the book's title. What, in my opinion, keeps things moving forward and makes it interesting is how everything builds and carries through the middle parts as David realizes the hypocrisy (it only appears to be a perfect world) that surrounds him. Even the affluent have private woes. David struggles with his feelings between girlfriend, Ellen, and his co-star, Vanessa. And although he's been the star of every school year's play production, he worries that he's not good enough to make Julliard or to pursue an acting career. Any young adult grappling with a decision about what path in life to take can truly identify with David.

It's a story about finding one's self-worth and I couldn't help rooting for David right up to the surprising conclusion. For me, all the build-up to that is what made David's character and the book so special.… (altro)