Scan barcode
melsshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I FLEW through this brick of a book.
I loved the world that the author created and the intricate details and science included regarding the mermaids. There are a full cast of characters - some you will like, some you will hate, and some that you’ll see yourself in. Rich world, story, and characters means I really have nothing but positive remarks which is rare.
While I didn’t like the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire, I will absolutely be going through her back list horror titles as Mira Grant.
Highly recommend the audio version; the narrator did a fantastic job distinguishing the many voices of the crew.
I loved the world that the author created and the intricate details and science included regarding the mermaids. There are a full cast of characters - some you will like, some you will hate, and some that you’ll see yourself in. Rich world, story, and characters means I really have nothing but positive remarks which is rare.
While I didn’t like the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire, I will absolutely be going through her back list horror titles as Mira Grant.
Highly recommend the audio version; the narrator did a fantastic job distinguishing the many voices of the crew.
dembury's review against another edition
5.0
Whoa.
Okay.
Wasn't expecting that many blood-thirsty, screaming, eerily intelligent mermaids but now that I've read about them- I WANT MORE.
Grant's writing is impeccable in this novel, just as dark and unsettling as the waters of the Marianas Trench and all the creatures residing in its depths. I was quickly drawn into the story and didn't want to stop reading until I found out what was going on. Each chapter kept building and building so wonderfully upon the last, creating a chilling atmosphere and this heavy sense of dread that permeated the entire second half of the novel. I'm fairly picky about what kinds of horror I like, but "Into the Drowning Deep" hit all the right marks for me.
There's also a fantastically diverse range of characters and having them all pushed into one ship just set the scene perfectly for the ensuing chaos and conflicts. I loved seeing each of their goals and attitudes play against one another, but Oliva was by far my favorite of them all! She was such an underrated, nerdy badass and I would love to see her in a future book.
My single complaint is that the ending felt a teeny bit too rushed to be 100% satisfying. I wish it had been just a tad more drawn out- maybe 2 more chapters?
Other than that, I would highly recommend this novel to horror fans, or anyone looking for an intense, mysterious read that dives into the realm of oceanic folklore.
Okay.
Wasn't expecting that many blood-thirsty, screaming, eerily intelligent mermaids but now that I've read about them- I WANT MORE.
Grant's writing is impeccable in this novel, just as dark and unsettling as the waters of the Marianas Trench and all the creatures residing in its depths. I was quickly drawn into the story and didn't want to stop reading until I found out what was going on. Each chapter kept building and building so wonderfully upon the last, creating a chilling atmosphere and this heavy sense of dread that permeated the entire second half of the novel. I'm fairly picky about what kinds of horror I like, but "Into the Drowning Deep" hit all the right marks for me.
There's also a fantastically diverse range of characters and having them all pushed into one ship just set the scene perfectly for the ensuing chaos and conflicts. I loved seeing each of their goals and attitudes play against one another, but Oliva was by far my favorite of them all! She was such an underrated, nerdy badass and I would love to see her in a future book.
My single complaint is that the ending felt a teeny bit too rushed to be 100% satisfying. I wish it had been just a tad more drawn out- maybe 2 more chapters?
Other than that, I would highly recommend this novel to horror fans, or anyone looking for an intense, mysterious read that dives into the realm of oceanic folklore.
mia_lm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hexadonis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Reminded me of Stephen King’s writing style; I don’t need the life story and history of every character that appears PLEASE! Way too slow then way too fast and flop ending.
houseratss's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I like the premise of this novel, but was disappointed by the execution. I found I didn't really get drawn into the novel, I believe this was due to the writing style. It felt like Mira Grant was over explaining things and that she was telling not showing in a lot of her writing (which can serve a purpose but I feel didn't work here). Grant would often describe a character as having a certain personality, rather than showing the characters personality through their interactions and choices. The characters themselves also felt like stereotypes and archetypes rather than fleshed out individuals. They felt very one note.
I also didn't really like how the point of view changed at random. One paragraph would be from one characters point of view and then next paragraph from another. Grant would also occasionally change point of view mid paragraph, which I found rather distracting and took me out of the story. I didn't find it suspenseful or thrilling.
I also didn't really like how the point of view changed at random. One paragraph would be from one characters point of view and then next paragraph from another. Grant would also occasionally change point of view mid paragraph, which I found rather distracting and took me out of the story. I didn't find it suspenseful or thrilling.
captainsneakers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A cross between a B horror movie and a pseudo science exploration. Pacing was sluggish and characters were one dimensional. Interesting read, but not particularly fun or scary.
I don't know if I'd read more of this series or not. The Meg did it better.
I don't know if I'd read more of this series or not. The Meg did it better.
chantaal's review against another edition
4.0
This surprised me! I love Seanan McGuire but I'm not familiar with her Mira Grant work that much. At first I was thrown by the writing, but once I realized this was moving along in a similar vein to other sci-thriller classics like Michael Crichton's work, everything clicked and I had a great time.
The omniscient view points, the random side characters getting a few pages of screen time before their inevitable gory deaths, the larger focus on only a few characters, everyone being either dumb or too heroic for no reason or terrible people - yeah, it all worked for me.
The omniscient view points, the random side characters getting a few pages of screen time before their inevitable gory deaths, the larger focus on only a few characters, everyone being either dumb or too heroic for no reason or terrible people - yeah, it all worked for me.
melissalabelle's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 ⭐️
This was SO MUCH FUN. The combination of science and mythology was really cool. Lots of great representation. Sufficiently horrifying. A couple of the characters seemed stereotypical but otherwise it was a great read.
This was SO MUCH FUN. The combination of science and mythology was really cool. Lots of great representation. Sufficiently horrifying. A couple of the characters seemed stereotypical but otherwise it was a great read.
ametakinetos's review against another edition
3.0
Conceptually, this book is absolutely genius. I think mermaids are terribly underused in the sci-fi/fantasy sphere, and the scientific aspects were tremendously well-researched. It truly felt like these creatures could exist in reality. The entertainment industry's presence made certain plot devices more believable and provided a cinematic vibe to the entire story.
However...the large cast of characters and their alternating POVs made it difficult to become attached emotionally. Their narratives were redundant in their revelations at times and switched so frequently that I didn't develop connections to any of them. While many had compelling motivations and histories that I would've happily focused on for the entirety (Tory, Dr. Toth, and the Wilson sisters come immediately to mind), throwing them all together left me disappointed. The drawn-out style negated the horror elements until I didn't care anymore beyond discovering the next mermaid anatomical factoid.
Execution is a tricky thing.
Spoiler
AKA sirens, in this caseHowever...the large cast of characters and their alternating POVs made it difficult to become attached emotionally. Their narratives were redundant in their revelations at times and switched so frequently that I didn't develop connections to any of them. While many had compelling motivations and histories that I would've happily focused on for the entirety (Tory, Dr. Toth, and the Wilson sisters come immediately to mind), throwing them all together left me disappointed. The drawn-out style negated the horror elements until I didn't care anymore beyond discovering the next mermaid anatomical factoid.
Execution is a tricky thing.
hannahhbic's review against another edition
5.0
LET MIRA GRANT WRITE HORROR MOVIES!!! This book reads like a horror movie 100% and it’s fun and spooky. There’s gore and death and it’s just slightly too adult to give to teens, unfortunately. There is a bit of adorable sapphic romance but it’s not the focus and should not have been anyways. Deaf characters are allowed to exist and do their jobs and there’s also a character on the autism spectrum who is allowed to exist and do her job as well. The Deaf characters do experience ableism unfortunately. In general this book is a wild ride that will stick with me. Don’t go near the water.