You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

72 reviews

arviarnar's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

speechless 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

theaceofpages's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I have read some of Mira Gant's books before (not recorded on here) and I found this was the same blend of attention-grabbing tension and questioning why I like this book. The writing is addictive, but at the same time it doesn't particularly stand out. I don't mean that in a bad way though. It was a fun read, which is what really matters.

The crew of the Atargatis disappeared near the Mariana  Trench. Seven years later, a second ship is sent out to try to find out what happened. The footage says mermaids but the world doubts this is true - particularly since the ship was sent by an entertainment company. Unfortunately for everyone involved, they are real. And they are hungry. The ship soon finds itself under attack by creatures from the deep, who seem determined to drag everyone on board under the waves.

Overall I loved this book. It was more than a little creepy and had a great tone. I imagine it would be even worse if you are already afraid of the sea and what lives down there. It was a little repetitive at points though (certain details being repeated more frequently than necessary) and, unfortunately, while not a bad one, I found the ending a little bit disappointing and rushed, Especially after the long build up. As a biologist, I also loved the scientific aspects of this book. I'd love to know what the scietists are up to. (although I take offense at the fact that security members think we can't take care of ourselves. Maybe a hoard of mermaids is a little different, but field biologists are definitely not soft). But at points the science is questionable. Or a wrong term is used. Probably not noticeable to non-scientists though. The example which sticks with me most (because of its simplicity) was the use of the word necropsy - a dissection with the intent to find the cause of death - rather than dissection. Small things though and probably wouldn't be picked up by most.  

If you want a book about vicious mermaids killing people who can't get away, this is the book for you. It features a diverse cast, where the diversity simply is and the people are allowed to just be people. It did take a bit of time to get into, but it definitely starts getting tense when the mermaids emerge.

Some notes on some of the content warnings:
  • Death, gore, blood, etc:
    A lot of people and mermaids are killed.
  • Grief:
    Surrounding deaths caused by the mermaids
  • Animal death:
    Both on page and described by two hunters on the ship. Don't want to give more details because of spoilers.
  • Confinement:
    To various degrees - areas ranging in size from ship to pipe.
  • Medical trauma:
    A character gets poisoned by an unknown mermaid-related venom and has terrible side effects, which they are treated for. There is also a dissection.
     
  • Chronic illness:
    A character has nerve damage he has to take injections for (pain management)
  • Drug use:
    Cannabis is allowed on the ship. Weed infused chocolate balls are used to teat pain.
  • Biphobia:
    An off hand comment, which is later clarified. The character has heard it before though.
  • Ableism:
    A deaf character gets upset at so few people being able to use sign language.  It seems most characters didn't even know she would be there (one person mentions having seen the manifest beforehand and someone else replies it would have been nice if the rest of them had). Unintentional, but is taken as ableism by the character, who gets upset).
  • Drowning

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

winglesswarrior's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

wyabook234's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sashajust4you's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I absolutely loved the tension in this book, until we got to the ending.
Tory finds out what's coming for them, they turn on the lights, and WHABAM we're two days further and we're being saved. The heck?


Preferably, I would have liked more time to digest that, but other than that I had a wonderful read. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

obscurepages's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

HOLY SHT. This is one of the wildest rides I've ever been on.

This part horror, part science fiction is a masterpiece. It takes you on a damned journey to find the truth about about a ship and the creatures that attacked it. But it also takes you on a journey to know more about people, about humans, our environment, and both the known and unknown history and mysteries of our world. 

This was just so so good. Atmospheric, poetic, dark, gritty. Also I loved the diversity in the cast. 

Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire is a blessing in literature 🤧

Find me elsewhere: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/obscure.pages/">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lxndrnae">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/">Blog</a>

Marking this book as part of reading challenge: <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/de133357-4196-421b-8d50-0445bfec4ec3/">#ReadQueerly2023</a>.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

beccaand's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

adelin's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

weird_but_fucking_beautiful's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I first thought this story would be as mindless to read as watching a B horror movie; something along the lines of the Creature from the Black Lagoon per se. I was pleasantly surprised at the heft this story carried. The setting, steeped in both myth and science, takes place upon a cruise ship like fortress full of scientists sitting in the middle of the Mariana Trench. The majority are in the narrative as context and have no bearing on the story. The search for physical proof of the existence of the mermaids who took out the crew of another ship a few years prior is what drives the plot. I found a few parts of the narrative to be dull, but maybe I’m just impatient.  The mermaids or sirens were as fascinating as they were horrifying. I wish the author would’ve delved deeper into the mermaid’s perspective. I found it fascinating to perceive the situation through their thought processes. It definitely less demonized them. The ending felt a little rushed. There was the final reveal which I would’ve liked to have explored a little more and then the quick wrap up. Solid 4 stars.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jessicastaylor's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really, really good book. It focuses on the horror aspect of mermaids/sirens and that was a fun spin to see on things. My only real complaint was that it ended really fast. It all got wrapped up in almost a chapter at the end, and then that was it. I know it was quite a long book already, but the ending just felt rushed to me. That said, I still loved it. The rep was fantastic, the storyline was engaging, the writing style was immaculate. Highly recommend! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings