Reviews

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

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jae_28's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

I honestly don’t know how to rate this book because it made me feel so many things. It’s devastatingly profound and complex, and I was stunned and lost through so much of it lol. Reading this felt like sitting underwater for its entirety. This heaviness weighed on me because of that, along with the contents of the story. My mind’s been coaxing me to write something involving merpeople and this was insightful and inspiring. I definitely plan on rereading this multiple times and researching the supplement materials that brought about the story’s origin. Maybe then I'll be able to give it a proper rating. I recommend reading this physically (do not go audio) and take your time with it. That's what I should've done lol.

issyt's review

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dark emotional

4.0

a brilliant novella about the importance of history, no matter how painful

adearajean's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A quick read/listen. Parts felt underdeveloped. It focused on the atmosphere/history instead of plot and there were times I wanted more but worth a listen.

Content Warnings

booksamongstfriends's review

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4.0

Short. Poignant. Beautiful & Dark. This slim read has no limit in depth.

A fantastical journey in the power of history, connection, a community. One that will wash over you and sink you in thought.
As we are currently in a time where access to history is being limited and restricted, this felt all the more personal and valuable to take in.

Deep in the sea, this book follows the Wajinru peoples, mainly Yetu, a historian. She alone is a keeper of her people’s truths, memories, and past lives. The past lives of the descendants of the enslaved African pregnant woman thrown to the seas by slave owners during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Yet like Yetu, we understand that history is painful, overwhelming, even heavy. And she no longer wants to carry this weight. Fleeing to the surface, we follow Yetu and unfold on a path of revelation and remembrance.

What is person without their past? What are a peoples without their history? Does it take a village to keep a history alive? Should remembering be a choice…. Solomon addresses all of these questions in his own way throughout this powerful book supplying mythos, beauty, love, and hope to the dark experiences of the middle passage.

mosbookcorner's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A compelling story that feels like a character study of someone trying to come to terms with the painful history of their ancestors, the weight of carrying it around alone, and the desire to know themselves and rebuild their individual relationships with others. It kept me intrigued an engaged, wanting to know more about the characters and their personal story. Definitely recommended!