7.21k reviews for:

The Deep

Rivers Solomon

3.9 AVERAGE

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is an interesting novella. It's a reinterpretation of the song by clipping., which was itself an interpretation of the works of Drexciya. In short: it's an openly transformative work, and that alone caught my interest.

The Wajinru are a kind of merfolk descended from the ocean-born children of African slave women thrown overboard during the transatlantic passage. Their first leaders sought to protect them from the traumas of the past, electing one of their number to hold the history and the rest to live in the eternal, effervescent present. But for Yetu, the memories are too much. Drowning under the pain of centuries, she rejects her responsibility and flees to the surface. Struggling between the desire to bury the past, and the necessity of learning from it, Yetu's choices will change the future of the Wajinru forever.

There's been much written about generational trauma. History ties communities together, even when it's painful. But focusing only on that pain leads to stagnation, and burying it doesn't help either. I'm certainly not qualified to speak more on the subject, but I can say that Solomon has built upon Drexciya and clipping.'s work to create a thoughtful exploration of trauma, history, and community in a fantastical setting.

Useful Link:
"The Deep" by clipping. (YouTube)
challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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: Complicated
hmadara's profile picture

hmadara's review

4.0
challenging dark reflective fast-paced
hopeful inspiring lighthearted

This was a nice little quick listen. Very interesting world setting with the idea of slaves essentially evolving and adapting to the waters they were thrown into and becoming mermaids. I had started listening to this a a few days ago and wanted to actually sit down and physically read the chapters while listening to Daveed narrate the audiobook simultaneously so that I was seeing the names and new words and hearing them at the same time, and I’m glad I made that decision. 

I also loved the idea of having “historians” who were able to see the full history of a people so that their story wouldn’t go forgotten, especially after having recently read a book by a Native American author, and having the conversation with my book club about histories of people needing to be carried on, and acknowledging the efforts of those who choose to keep near-forgotten languages, histories & practices alive by imparting them into new generations.
adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Deep is a book that has stuck with me for years and years, and it is one of my favorite books of all time. That said, it is also one of the hardest books for me to go back and reread. The emotions I felt following Yetu were so vast and intricate I can't bring myself to feel that way again. This book is interwoven with themes of responsibility, freedom, redemption, revenge, and so much more. Solomon asks their readers, "What happens when the weight of knowing one's history is too much? What happens when pain causes us to behave in ways we wouldn't? What happens when we expect too much of young Black Women?" These questions turn in your mind as you follow Yetu when she frees herself from the responsibility of carrying the history of the dead slave women and magic that birthed their race. It was a brilliant exploration of history, of the weight of Black history, and how we can survive in times where it feels like everyone has forgotten.

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4.75 stars
mayareadsxo's profile picture

mayareadsxo's review

5.0
emotional informative reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense

A heartbreaking premise infused with hope and love - The Deep is a beautiful story about the descendants of pregnant women that were thrown overboard from slaver ships.  They have created their own world underwater, and one of them, Yetu, is the one who carries all the horrific memories with her.

Yetu is overwhelmed from remembering, and she goes back to the surface, to a world her people have forgotten - but a world that is needed if they are to survive. I felt for Yetu, carrying such a weight of knowledge and grief within her that makes her yearn for respite. 

There are tough topics here, but the writing and characters make it so worth it.
emotional reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes