A Mardi Gras love story sprinkled with voodoo magic, Knee Deep is a coming-of-age memoir about the power of love to transcend death and disaster

Named after a hurricane, Camille is the rebellious sixteen-year-old daughter of a New Orleans bar-owner who grows up in the shadow of Bourbon Street, raised on stories of hauntings, lusty encounters and voodoo magic. And even though her family loses their home in a hurricane, she counts herself among the lucky until she discovers that her eighteen-year-old neighbor whom she secretly loves goes missing in the storm.

In Camille’s own words:
This is the story of what happened to me on Fat Tuesday, how I ended up on the steps of St. Mary’s, the hem of my pirate’s petticoat soaked in somebody’s else’s blood. Although I know the story to be true, I don’t totally believe it myself. Like all good tales born out of the bayou, mine involves the dead, the living and the one trapped in the brackish waters between heaven and hell. It is the story of true love and true disaster, and at the end of it, I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is the harder to survive.

Camille’s story unfolds as a Mardi Gras memoir, one girl’s journey through the parties and the parades as her community comes together and rises up from the chaos following the devastating storm.

Praise for Knee Deep

“Knee Deep is a love letter to New Orleans that is written for young adults and new adults but will tug at the heartstrings of readers of all ages… Hoeffner’s ability to create a young adult novel, that is also an interracial romance, a historical fiction, and a paranormal thriller is astounding and creates a story that is unlike any other… Knee Deep is a literary storm of a novel wrapped in Mardi Gras beads and drenched in gumbo. If you are a lover of New Orleans like I am, then you will fall head over heels for this delightful novel!”

– Medium, awarded 5 out of 5 stars [read full review]

“I don’t even know where to start with describing the pure beauty of this book. It was exactly what I needed to read at this moment in time…The book shows one character’s incredible journey from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, losing something she loves whilst also gaining the strength and power to help herself heal and to assist others in need.”

– A Quintillion Words, awarded 5 out of 5 stars [read full review]

“This is the sort of story that once you start reading you won’t want to put down. Karol Hoeffner’s choice to tell this story from a first-person perspective allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in Camille’s experiences. No matter what is happening there is a level of realism that makes even the most fantastical seeming events entirely believable… You will be hooked from the very first page and might want to carve out a time to just sit down and read this entire book in one sitting.”

– Nerdy Girl Express [read full review]

“I really wanted to read this book when I read the blurb. It just sounded like a good read. I’ve also not read many books set in New Orleans which was also a selling point. This is a coming of age book which deals with first love, loss and a little bit of voodoo thrown in. I got quickly lost in the book and kept turning the pages. This is very well written and a great read. I look forward to seeing what else the author has to offer as this was pretty terrific.”

– The Book Lover’s Boudoir [read the full review]

“Hoeffner takes the gumbo of New Orleans’ people and culture and mixes them into something wonderfully unexpected. Her love for the city and her characters sings on every page.”

– David Clawson, author of My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen

“This is worth the read for the descriptions about Mardi Gras alone.”

-Nothing but Room [read the full review]

“Hoeffner nails the New Orleans vibe…”

– Game Vortex [read the full review]