Review of Deceptive Calm

[Kelly Renaud]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper is a great read that, as the name indicates, will lull you into a calm place only to find out, along with the characters, that is not the case at all. The book starts with a group of high school students in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1968. We meet Trisha, Vanessa, Barry, and Sister Rosalie, who all become vital characters in the story. The students encounter vicious racism, and while not unscathed, they manage to escape and continue their lives while finishing high school and going on to college. The story spans decades, through the trials and tribulations of life. After assuming a new identity with the help of her best friend Trisha, Vanessa finally realizes her professional dreams and believes she has also found happiness in her personal life. She quickly finds out just how wrong she is after she finally puts her past love aside and moves forward with someone new. The story comes full circle, and she finds that her past can also be her present and future, giving her what she wanted all along.

I enjoyed the book and how authentic the characters felt. I found myself rooting for them at times, sad for them at times and angry at others at times, which helps make a story great. I also feel like the author does a nice job of weaving history into the story throughout by having the girls share the knowledge they had learned early in life from Sister Rosalie. They use the historical knowledge in various situations, which I feel adds interest to the book.

I did not find any real negatives about the book, giving it four stars. I deducted one star due to its slight predictability. Overall, I feel like the author did a nice job of having well-developed characters that cause the reader to root for either their success and happiness or their downfall. The world the book is set in felt real and authentic. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys the genre, and it would make a good book that will keep them entertained while also teaching them a little something.

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Deceptive Calm
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