Submerged has been sitting on my shelf since I won it in a giveaway on a friend’s blog (thanks, Nancy!). While I loved the cover and thought the book sounded interesting, other things kept pulling me away but I finally picked it up last week when someone on my Facebook page recommended it again (thanks, Laura!).
The thing is, I’m romance-novelist phobic. Sure, I like romantic elements in any story, but if all the story is only romance, then…
I read for story. I want to be entertained. I want the book to be so good I don’t want to put it down. I want a story that will keep me guessing. Guess what? Submerged did all those things. There’s suspense, some history, a great setting, and characters that you wish existed in real life because they’re the sort you’d like to befriend.
The other thing that Submerged has is a message. The main character, Bailey Craig, made mistakes in high school. Hers were big and obvious and garnered her a reputation as “easy” in a small town of ~7000. So she leaves town to reinvent herself and finally finds peace: she accepts Jesus and gets to start life over with a clean slate. Isn’t Jesus wonderful?
But here’s the thing, just because we’ve been forgiven doesn’t mean that we’ve forgiven ourselves. Or that our past has no hold on us. When Bailey’s beloved aunt dies, she has to return to small town, Alaska and face her past. Have you ever noticed that sometimes God sends us through situations we’d do anything to avoid in order to set us free of the lies holding us in bondage? That’s just what happens to Bailey Craig.
And now I’m going to do a promo spot for a dear friend’s blog. 😀 Beth Steury believes strongly in abstinence until marriage. Her stories and her blog seek to encourage the non-married (primarily youth) to stay faithful to their future spouse even before they’ve met. Counter-culture, I know!!! And for those that have slipped, she offers a solution: renewed abstinence. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean that you need to compound it, like Bailey Craig did. So if this is a topic that interests you, or you know of someone that would benefit from it, please send them her way: http://bethsteury.wordpress.com/ where waiting matters because YOU matter. 
So tell me, what’s the best book you’ve read lately?
Lisa Gefrides 
Thanks for the plug, Lisa! I can’t wait to read Bailey’ story. I’m already rooting for her and I haven’t turned the first page yet. 🙂 I hope she learned the important lesson that a person’s past doesn’t have to make his/her future decisions. It’s never too late to make a decision to save further sexual experiences for marriage.
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Her issue in the book is more one of self-worth because of her past indiscretions. You’ll see. 😉
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It makes me chuckle that you postponed reading the book thinking it would be too much romance. I take one look at the cover and think, “all suspense, hardly any romance,” and so I postpone reading for the opposite reason. 😀
Best books I’ve read lately – Wool and The Healer’s Apprentice!
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There’s a romantic subplot that I enjoyed more than the main romantic plot. Which is good, because that couple is featured in the next book. 🙂
And you’re right, the cover does look survivalist. Perhaps I should have said I delayed reading it because there wasn’t a dragon flying over the mountain. 😀
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I LOVE the cover. I’m not much for romance, but the cover had me at first glance!
I’m rereading Enders Game in time for the movie. That’s an amazing book and I’m hoping the movie meets my expectations from the book!
Loraine
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I read Ender’s Game for the first time this summer and LOVED it. I’ve heard from a reliable source that the movie is good. I can’t wait to see it. Perhaps over the Thanksgiving holidays.
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