Deep Water by Watt Key

Deep Water by Watt Key

From Watt Key, the author of the acclaimed Alabama Moon, comes a thrilling middle grade survival story about a scuba dive gone wrong and two enemies who must unite to survive.

It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down.

So after her father falls ill, twelve-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat. When the clients, a reckless boy Julie's age and his equally foolhardy father, disregard Julie's instructions during the dive, she quickly realizes she's in over her head.

And once she surfaces, things only get worse: One of the clients is in serious condition, and their dive boat has vanished--along with Julie's father, the only person who knows their whereabouts. It's only a matter of time before they die of hypothermia, unless they become shark bait first. Though Julie may not like her clients, it's up to her to save them all.

Praise for Deep Water:

"Key offers plenty of nail-biting suspense in this survival tale about a deep-sea dive off the Alabama coast that goes horribly wrong . . . The story meticulously details the steps that quick-thinking Julie takes to stay alive. Julie's troubled family history and her changing relationship with Shane are also examined, intensifying the book's emotional impact." --Publishers Weekly

"A nail-biting survival tale." --Kirkus Reviews

"Readers hungry for an epic tale of grueling odds will also find lessons in bravery, resourcefulness, and practical survival advice." --Booklist

Watt Key is an award-winning southern fiction author who writes under the pen name Albert Watkins Key, Jr. He grew up in southern Alabama and now resides there with his wife and family. Watt spent most of his time hunting and fishing in Alabama's forests, which served as the inspiration for his first novel, Alabama Moon, which was released to critical acclaim in 2006. Alabama Moon took home the E.B. White Award in 2007. The book won the White Read-Aloud Award, was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time, and has been translated into seven languages.