I purchased THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN right after Oprah recommended it, but just got around to reading it last week. I thought the entire book was too contrived and I had a hard time plowing through it, even though I was determined to finish it to see what happened. I thought some characters, like Pat, were not sufficiently developed, while others, like Candy, were over-developed. The character I felt the most empathy for was Vincent, who never had a chance once Ben was taken. He and Kerry had to make it on their own, and where was spineless Pat? Anyway, sometimes I read Oprah's choices and sometimes I don't. This is one time I wish I hadn't.