Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
The first Wajinru were created when slavers threw pregnant African women overboard like so much damaged goods. The women drowned, their babies transformed in the womb and were born able to breathe underwater.
Generations later, the Wajinru possess a collective memory that spans generations of trauma, enabling them to stay rooted in their history. But in every generation, one 'historian' is tasked with sealing the terrible memories within themselves and only sharing them with the others once a year. This allows the Wajinru to thrive as a free people, unshackled from their past.
Yetu is the current historian, but she's very young and sensitive. Holding the memories, with no way of sharing the pain, is torture for her, and eventually, she breaks; she'd rather lose all of her people's history than bear it any longer. So she abandons her responsibilities, leaving the Wajinru to a sudden onslaught of trauma.
Later, the wounded and broken Yetu meets a human woman who has already lost everything and everybody, but cannot understand how anybody could choose to not honour their history, painful or not.
»The Deep« explores themes of black identity, (re)memory, trauma, and the legacy of slavery. It draws on a range of literary and cultural traditions to create a unique, compelling story that is both inventive and thought-provoking.
Yetu is a nuanced and sympathetic protagonist, whose complexities draw the reader into her struggles. The other characters are equally well-written. Solomon's descriptive prose creates rich, immersive images of the oceanic world that the Wajinru inhabit, as well as their culture.
Overall, »The Deep« is a highly original and deeply moving work of fiction that pushes the boundaries of genre and form while also engaging with important social and cultural issues. The novella has been rightfully praised for its imaginative world-building, lyrical prose, and thought-provoking ideas.
In 2020, it was a finalist for the »Hugo Award« for »Best Novella«, and won the »Lambda Literary Award for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror«.
Generations later, the Wajinru possess a collective memory that spans generations of trauma, enabling them to stay rooted in their history. But in every generation, one 'historian' is tasked with sealing the terrible memories within themselves and only sharing them with the others once a year. This allows the Wajinru to thrive as a free people, unshackled from their past.
Yetu is the current historian, but she's very young and sensitive. Holding the memories, with no way of sharing the pain, is torture for her, and eventually, she breaks; she'd rather lose all of her people's history than bear it any longer. So she abandons her responsibilities, leaving the Wajinru to a sudden onslaught of trauma.
Later, the wounded and broken Yetu meets a human woman who has already lost everything and everybody, but cannot understand how anybody could choose to not honour their history, painful or not.
»The Deep« explores themes of black identity, (re)memory, trauma, and the legacy of slavery. It draws on a range of literary and cultural traditions to create a unique, compelling story that is both inventive and thought-provoking.
Yetu is a nuanced and sympathetic protagonist, whose complexities draw the reader into her struggles. The other characters are equally well-written. Solomon's descriptive prose creates rich, immersive images of the oceanic world that the Wajinru inhabit, as well as their culture.
Overall, »The Deep« is a highly original and deeply moving work of fiction that pushes the boundaries of genre and form while also engaging with important social and cultural issues. The novella has been rightfully praised for its imaginative world-building, lyrical prose, and thought-provoking ideas.
In 2020, it was a finalist for the »Hugo Award« for »Best Novella«, and won the »Lambda Literary Award for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror«.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-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
Really loved this, and Rivers Solomon continues to write in a way that moves and shatters me.
But just feel like this would have benefited from being a full length novel over a novella.
But just feel like this would have benefited from being a full length novel over a novella.
fast-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love the idea of this novel. Written and inspired by a song by clipping (comprised of Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipps) about the descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners, it tells the story of how these babies became ocean dwelling mermaids. One of these mermaids is the memory-keeper of the entire community and holds the pain of the past but decides to leave to find herself.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The most interesting and original premise I’ve read in a while! Stylistically it reminded me a little bit of How to Lose the Time War and The Fifth Season. The world, characters, and deeper questions raised in The Deep will stay with me for a while.
emotional
reflective
sad
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes