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nitzanschwarz's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book had the potential to be incredible, but the last 30 percent undid a lot of that.
Let's start with what I liked about it. I absolutely loved the writing and the atmosphere. With her words, Ernshaw crafts a town that is dreary yet alive. For better or worse. While reading, I could feel the veil of darkness, death, and hatred fall upon me as certainly as it did the town of Sparrow. The secrets and mysteries of Sparrow haunted me to solve them just as they did Bo.
I haven't read many YA novels for the last few years, mostly because many of those I tried felt excessively young to me in their writing. The curse of getting older, I guess. The Wicked Deep didn't have that problem. Not because it dealt with mature themes--though it certainly did--but because of how it was written.
But what problems did this novel have?
Well, for starters, the romance in this novel is very much an insta-love. It's among the better cases of this trite trope, but I still didn't like it. Our heroine, Penny, and her beu Bo have known each other for mere weeks. At first, it was okay because Ernshaw wasn't making them wax poetry about each other. She didn't (initially) make it, in her writing, into life-altering, all-consuming emotions, which is the worst part about insta-love in my mind. Yet.
By the end of these weeks, they speak of love, love strong enough tobreak a 200-year-old curse, to cure a vengeful spirit from her desire for revenge, to tether a boy to a bleak small town for life . And that's where this romance broke apart for me because I didn't believe that.
But there were worse things I didn't believe by the end of this book. In the spirit of full disclosure, I spoiled myself on a significant twist relatively early on, which gave me the pleasure of noticing many of the clues Ernshaw had woven in while reading. This part was highly enjoyable. However, I didn't really know how this twist was going to be written, and in the end, I don't think it was written well.
For this twist to work, this book needed to have been written in third person POV. But it wasn't, making it contrived.If Hazel had been our main character for the majority of our story, why is she pretending in her head to be someone else? It makes no sense that her thoughts would hide her identity just for the sake of a shocking reveal. It would make no sense for her to talk as Penny while being fully aware of being Hazal.
I had thought that perhaps we would find out that Penny and Hazel had merged three years ago, that she never returned to the sea when she was supposed to, and that Hazel was present—but certainly not at the helm the whole time—resulting in this beautiful mix of subconscious thoughts and clues throughout Penny's narrative. That would have been brilliant. But once the truth — that Hazal had been our MC almost all along — was revealed, everything suddenly felt so forced and contrived.
I guess Ernshaw tried to address it somewhat, but I'm sorry. No amount of "I tend to have a hard time separating myself from my host" nonsense could excuse this. Why weren't we seeing her freaking out upon learning she had killed his brother? Why was she talking about the Swan Sisters — about Hazal — not as her sisters and herself in her own mind? Why was she hiding the fact she had killed Penny's father... all in her own head! It simply doesn't make sense.
While this was my major qualm with the novel, I did have several smaller ones by the end that would've felt less critical if I hadn't been so disappointed by the twist. For example, for a book all about a cursed town that even ventures into the past's POV, we get shockingly little about the curse. How did it happen? Why did it manifest as it did? I mean, were the sisters forced to kill, which is what the story alluded to, and if so - why? Why does it break the way it did?
We also learn little about the sisters and their bond. We are told that they were very devoted to each other in life, but we see a completely different image of them in the present Sparrow. What led to this fracture between them? Many things are shallowly explored, if at all.
That said, I did enjoy this novel, and I am certainly interested in reading more from Ernshaw.
Let's start with what I liked about it. I absolutely loved the writing and the atmosphere. With her words, Ernshaw crafts a town that is dreary yet alive. For better or worse. While reading, I could feel the veil of darkness, death, and hatred fall upon me as certainly as it did the town of Sparrow. The secrets and mysteries of Sparrow haunted me to solve them just as they did Bo.
I haven't read many YA novels for the last few years, mostly because many of those I tried felt excessively young to me in their writing. The curse of getting older, I guess. The Wicked Deep didn't have that problem. Not because it dealt with mature themes--though it certainly did--but because of how it was written.
But what problems did this novel have?
Well, for starters, the romance in this novel is very much an insta-love. It's among the better cases of this trite trope, but I still didn't like it. Our heroine, Penny, and her beu Bo have known each other for mere weeks. At first, it was okay because Ernshaw wasn't making them wax poetry about each other. She didn't (initially) make it, in her writing, into life-altering, all-consuming emotions, which is the worst part about insta-love in my mind. Yet.
By the end of these weeks, they speak of love, love strong enough to
But there were worse things I didn't believe by the end of this book. In the spirit of full disclosure, I spoiled myself on a significant twist relatively early on, which gave me the pleasure of noticing many of the clues Ernshaw had woven in while reading. This part was highly enjoyable. However, I didn't really know how this twist was going to be written, and in the end, I don't think it was written well.
For this twist to work, this book needed to have been written in third person POV. But it wasn't, making it contrived.
I had thought that perhaps we would find out that Penny and Hazel had merged three years ago, that she never returned to the sea when she was supposed to, and that Hazel was present—but certainly not at the helm the whole time—resulting in this beautiful mix of subconscious thoughts and clues throughout Penny's narrative. That would have been brilliant.
I guess Ernshaw tried to address it somewhat, but I'm sorry. No amount of
While this was my major qualm with the novel, I did have several smaller ones by the end that would've felt less critical if I hadn't been so disappointed by the twist. For example, for a book all about a cursed town that even ventures into the past's POV, we get shockingly little about the curse. How did it happen? Why did it manifest as it did?
We also learn little about the sisters and their bond. We are told that they were very devoted to each other in life, but we see a completely different image of them in the present Sparrow. What led to this fracture between them? Many things are shallowly explored, if at all.
That said, I did enjoy this novel, and I am certainly interested in reading more from Ernshaw.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
theespressoedition's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Shea Ernshaw continues to amaze me with her creativity, intrigue, and ability to suck me into a story (so much so that I never want it to end).
After reading Winterwood last autumn, I decided that this year I would pick up her even more well-known novel, The Wicked Deep. I'm so glad I did. This book blew me away (though I'm not at all surprised by it)!
The moment I began to read, I felt as though I was in the story. I wasn't just reading words on a page, I was watching the Swan Sisters drown, I was hearing their spooky singing each year on the shore, and I was experiencing the fear of the townspeople and the awe of the tourists. It was fascinating!
As soon as I knew the underlying plot, I began to try and unravel the mystery. I was desperate to understand what happened and why, where Penny's father went, who Bo really is, and if there will be a happily-ever-after in this "spooky" story. A note on the spook factor: I'm someone who is scared by the tiniest things and even some fantasy novels are too much for my overactive imagination. However, despite the seemingly frightening content in this book, I was never uncomfortable or afraid. I would advise caution, however, if you're a more sensitive reader like myself. Just be aware that this does have a "horror" style story to it (though the whimsical, hauntingly beautiful writing gives it a less creepy feeling)!
I was very satisfied with the ending. While some may find it slightly frustrating, I enjoyed the way it was written. It felt as though it wrapped up all of the things that needed wrapping and while it wasn't all "perfect," it definitely gave me the right sense of closure.
I can honestly say that Shea has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read whatever comes next!
After reading Winterwood last autumn, I decided that this year I would pick up her even more well-known novel, The Wicked Deep. I'm so glad I did. This book blew me away (though I'm not at all surprised by it)!
The moment I began to read, I felt as though I was in the story. I wasn't just reading words on a page, I was watching the Swan Sisters drown, I was hearing their spooky singing each year on the shore, and I was experiencing the fear of the townspeople and the awe of the tourists. It was fascinating!
As soon as I knew the underlying plot, I began to try and unravel the mystery. I was desperate to understand what happened and why, where Penny's father went, who Bo really is, and if there will be a happily-ever-after in this "spooky" story. A note on the spook factor: I'm someone who is scared by the tiniest things and even some fantasy novels are too much for my overactive imagination. However, despite the seemingly frightening content in this book, I was never uncomfortable or afraid. I would advise caution, however, if you're a more sensitive reader like myself. Just be aware that this does have a "horror" style story to it (though the whimsical, hauntingly beautiful writing gives it a less creepy feeling)!
I was very satisfied with the ending. While some may find it slightly frustrating, I enjoyed the way it was written. It felt as though it wrapped up all of the things that needed wrapping and while it wasn't all "perfect," it definitely gave me the right sense of closure.
I can honestly say that Shea has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read whatever comes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content
drowningmaple_dove's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
CW: lynching, murder, drowning
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw takes place in a town called Sparrow, a town cursed two centuries ago by the three Swan sisters: sisters who were all lynched by accusations of witchcraft. Every summer, these sisters each take the body of one girl for revenge, luring boys by the water and drowning them.
The main character is Penny Talbot, and it doesn't take long before we meet a boy named Bo, arriving in Sparrow, having no idea what the hell he just got himself into.
The witch hunt starts, Penny has the ability to see what others cannot, and Penny must make a decision: save Bo, or herself.
Review:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I saw one thing coming from miles away, but this ending still mentally reeling. 🤯
I Liked:
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw takes place in a town called Sparrow, a town cursed two centuries ago by the three Swan sisters: sisters who were all lynched by accusations of witchcraft. Every summer, these sisters each take the body of one girl for revenge, luring boys by the water and drowning them.
The main character is Penny Talbot, and it doesn't take long before we meet a boy named Bo, arriving in Sparrow, having no idea what the hell he just got himself into.
The witch hunt starts, Penny has the ability to see what others cannot, and Penny must make a decision: save Bo, or herself.
Review:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I saw one thing coming from miles away, but this ending still mentally reeling. 🤯
I Liked:
- The dark, mysterious town vibe(s)
- How this book addresses that accusations of witchcraft were used to alienate and control people
This book almost immediately had me gripped, and I was tempted to just binge the entire book in one sitting.
I Didn't Like:
. . . The only things I can think of are things like are lack of action. Although, that's simply because that's not what this book is.
Final Comments:
Overall, I definitely think this was worth the read. Not a favorite, but a good read nonetheless.
As always, I highly encourage checking content warnings before reading a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide, Misogyny, and Infidelity
High school graduates drinking alcohol (graphic), Lynching (graphic), Drowning (graphic)manola's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
nisha_nee's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
This could've beena good--a great read even if only there weren't any romance between ANY of the Swan sisters and with any human being ever. These sisters who have been killing for around 200 years don't deserve any of that. Among the three, superficially one might find Hazel to be the least vicious sister, however when one looks closer, she's the most dangerous of them all. Because unlike her sisters Marguerite & Aurora, she has grand delusions of herself being the 'good' and 'heroic' one when in fact she's nothing but a two-faced, manipulative person who doesn't deserve any form of redemption, forgiveness or love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
elliekg's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Cursing
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Vomit
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