This kind of feels like a Nancy Drew mystery. With a darker edge and a more paranormal and sinister truth lurking beneath the surface. Avril is an extremely deep character, especially for one that is so young. But I guess that makes sense considering the trauma she went through with losing her mom. Not that she remembers much of it. Just that she went through it. She's an intriguing character that I immediately wanted to know more about.

It feels like the characters that live in Whisper Cove seem to know some secrets that they aren't willing to share. And that mystery was keeping me locked into the book. It feels like there is something mysterious and scary and I have a feeling it has to do with when night falls in Whisper Cove.

The writing style was impressive. I could absolutely picture each scene and the way the fog rolls in, tricking your eyes and playing with your mind. The draw of the ocean, and being somewhere unfamiliar. Cole is another character that was drawing me in. He's mysterious like his parents and the town of Whisper Cove, but it seems like while he knows more than what he's saying about the strange happenings, he may not be happy with what he knows. I definitely wanted to know more about him.
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High school drama student Avril Kendrick is returning to Whisper Cove, Connecticut for two reasons: she has won a spot in a prestigious theater camp run by a famous playwright, and it is where her mother drowned with Avril by her side, 12 years ago. Avril survived the icy water, but her mother did not. Avril has no memories of her life leading up to her mother's death and wants to learn about her mother and make sense of her death.
As Avril makes friends with some of the other students, immerses herself in the lead role of the play, and becomes close to the camp director's teenage son, she experiences strange occurrences, ghostly apparitions in the fog, sleepwalking, flashbacks and fainting. Realistically, a student at a summer camp exhibiting these disturbed behaviors would have had her parent called and been sent home. I liked Avril's friends Lex, Jude and Val.
The isolated coastal setting was eerie, chilling and dangerous. The author has a talent for haunting, atmospheric prose. The pacing was slow, yet the story ended abruptly without enough closure. Overall, an enjoyable YA paranormal mystery, but the execution could have been better. Thank you to BookishFirst for a copy to review. ( )

I really enjoyed reading Secrets So Deep. This was the first book I read by this author. I will definitely add her other book to my list. I like the camp atmosphere. And adding the theatrical theme was different and fun. It was interesting how the author worked the play into the plot. I thought I had some things figured out and I was close but there were a few twist thrown in. I like how the main character was trying to find out about her mother and things she did find. The friendships she made were good. This was a quick read. The memories and how they came about for Arvin were interesting to me. I love a mystery and this one kept me interested and wanting to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I would definitely recommend this book and author to mystery lovers if you are looking for a quick easy read. Can't wait to read more from this author. ( )

I was instantly spellbound by the book title SECRETS SO DEEP that spells mystery, dark, haunting and lots of secrets!! And I was completely mesmerized by the alluring book cover!!
When she was five, one summer night, Avril Vincent and her mother were drown at Whisper Cove theater; and unfortunately, only Avril survived. Since then, she was always haunted by bits and pieces of the memories and the ghost of her mother of that horrified tragic night.
Twelve years later, the now 17-year-old Avril Vincent returns to Whisper Cove to find the answer and the missing puzzle pieces to her mother untimely tragic death. Instead, she was drawn deeply into the ghostly twisty past full of dark secrets that was buried all over Whisper Cove.
When I turned the pages, I was fascinated by the theatrical world of Willa and her ensemble and chilled to the bone by Avril’s supernatural encounter at the same time.
SECRETS SO DEEP is enthralling, fascinating and spine-chilling, and will keep you up all night! Ginny Myers Sain indeed has the knack of spell-binding her readers with riveting twists and turns. ( )

I loved everything about "Secrets So Deep". It's a fabulous modern-day teen drama (with romance) steeped perfectly in all the classic gothic elements.

The main character of Avril is incredibly well-written. She's a young girl with no memories of her life before the age of five, and plenty of secrets she needs to uncover to truly understand herself. The author has made Avril very realistic; meeting her through these pages rings as true as meeting a real-life girl of her age.

Each of the secondary characters is also very detailed and unique. I felt like I really got to know Val, Lex, and Cole almost as well as Avril. I have young people this age in my life right now, and I can tell you that their dialog and actions ring very true. I appreciated that level of honesty and authenticity that is so often missing in books about young people.

The story itself is excellent! As Avril returns to the site of her childhood tragedy, everything she thought she knew about what happened is challenged. She talks to people who knew her mother back then, and spends time in the same places. Her memories begin to return, along with some eerie occurrences. I loved taking this journey with Avril, and piecing the past together along with her. Once everything was revealed, it all made perfect sense.

Added note: The setting of Crystal Cove (in Connecticut) is described so well that I could see and experience everything along with the characters. In fact, Crystal Cove is basically a character all by itself.

Second note: The story takes place at an exclusive theater camp. Instead of chapter numbers, the author chose to use acts and scenes to divide the narrative. I enjoyed the extra level of atmosphere provided by that decision.

Definitely 5 out of 5 chunks of perfect sharp cheddar! ( )