Going Under - S. Walden

Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a "Fantasy Slut League," scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend's death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the "unsuspecting girls," and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret. 

This is not a just a romance story about high school kids.  This story deals with VERY serious issues, so if you are looking for a light and fluffy book, you may want to put this book to the side and wait for a time where you can give in to something a little heavier.   

Brooke Wright is not a perfect girl.  She’s made mistakes, and one that she can never take back has been haunting her since her best friend died.  She’s determined to be miserable because she can’t make up for the mistake she made, and she can’t forgive herself.  All she can do is try to get the justice she thinks is deserved.  That’s the plan anyway… 

As the pieces start falling into place and she finds out it’s more than just one guy, there is this secret club at her school where boys are given points based on the sex acts performed and the girl it happens with.  Everything starts clicking into place for Brooke, and becoming more dangerous.  

 

On the other hand, the guy she literally ran into at her best friend’s funeral not only attends the same school she has just transferred to, but is in some of her classes, and seems to have the same eyes for her that she has for him.  She tries to keep herself away, feeling undeserving because of mistakes she has made, and knowing she has a plan to stick to that involves another boy.  But she can’t seem to keep away from Ryan.  Although it always seems like we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop with Ryan, what we do know about him turns out to be pretty wonderful.  I certainly couldn’t blame her for falling for him and distracting herself from her not so stellar plan.       

Can Brooke have a separate part of her life just for her that includes this amazing guy and still seek the revenge she feels will free her by setting up this group of guys to take a hard fall? What will happen when her separate lives clash together and her world falls down around her? Definitely worth the read to find out!

 

I think S. Walden is a brave woman.  Not only does she tackle some tough subjects, but she pushes you right through them and makes you live them along with these character.  Even though there were parts I wanted to look away from, I kept pushing through cringing the whole time. It’s very real at times.    

While I did feel this story took a little while to get going, once it found its stride, I stayed interested.  I loved some of the other characters we were introduced to and was happy Brooke was able to maintain a previous friendship from her original school and make new friends too.   

Here are my only complaints… 1.  I wanted more Ryan! I felt like their relationship could have been explored a little more.  I mean, here is this guy she considers throwing away her plan for…give me a little bit more reason why.  Don’t get me wrong – Ryan is great! But I was left wanting a little bit more.  2.  The only other thing I wish is that we had more time at the end.  We jump years twice and I think I personally needed more of what was going on with the characters in that time period, especially at the very end.   

Otherwise, this book was a definite must read for me!