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A review by roksyreads
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
“The trouble with discovery is that it goes two ways. For you to find something, that thing must also find you.”
Victoria “Tory” Stewart joins a scientific voyage in search of her sister who was lost at sea in a maritime tragedy. Following Tory and a culturally diverse cast of characters which places LGBTQIA+ women at the forefront of cutting-edge science and discovery, Into the Drowning Deep is intense and harrowing; a medium-fast paced horror/thriller which drew me in and would not let me go. This book definitely earned a solid 5 stars from me.
A particular strong point for Grant’s writing is the depth and clarity of the scientific elements which are integral to the narrative. I can provide no guarantee of the factual nature of the foundational science within the book, but it’s clear that a significant amount of research and thought has gone into the presentation of the science. The dialogue and prose are equally strong; I had only minor quibbles with one or two of the passages which felt somewhat forced.
Full disclosure: I have read very few works from horror as a genre. A handful, perhaps, in addition to novels with horror as a sub-genre. It’s not because I dislike horror, but simply because I haven’t found many stories which catch my interest. I have never been particularly interested in the genre in any format, mostly because I don’t tend to find anything fictitious scary no matter how deeply involved I am with the story. For me, it has to feel real - like it could genuinely happen to me - in order to get any sense of fear. This is probably why I found Disturbia more terrifying than any of the Silent Hill or Saw movies, particularly due to past experiences with a former neighbour (a story for another time).
I definitely do get a strong sense of realism from Into the Drowning Deep. I don’t particularly fear the sea, but I’m not entirely comfortable over deep water. For example, I’m not interested in cruises of any variety that go for more than a day because I am a firm believer that humans are land mammals that should remain on solid ground as much as possible. But there’s that element of the unknown that tugs at me. Whilst recent years have seen a number of advances which have allowed greater deep-sea exploration endeavours, it is simply so dark and foreboding a place that the majority of the deepest parts of the ocean remain a mystery. Grant makes full use of this knowledge (or lack-there-of), presenting a villain that is genuinely terrifying to consider - at least for a land mammal like myself.
Victoria “Tory” Stewart joins a scientific voyage in search of her sister who was lost at sea in a maritime tragedy. Following Tory and a culturally diverse cast of characters which places LGBTQIA+ women at the forefront of cutting-edge science and discovery, Into the Drowning Deep is intense and harrowing; a medium-fast paced horror/thriller which drew me in and would not let me go. This book definitely earned a solid 5 stars from me.
A particular strong point for Grant’s writing is the depth and clarity of the scientific elements which are integral to the narrative. I can provide no guarantee of the factual nature of the foundational science within the book, but it’s clear that a significant amount of research and thought has gone into the presentation of the science. The dialogue and prose are equally strong; I had only minor quibbles with one or two of the passages which felt somewhat forced.
Full disclosure: I have read very few works from horror as a genre. A handful, perhaps, in addition to novels with horror as a sub-genre. It’s not because I dislike horror, but simply because I haven’t found many stories which catch my interest. I have never been particularly interested in the genre in any format, mostly because I don’t tend to find anything fictitious scary no matter how deeply involved I am with the story. For me, it has to feel real - like it could genuinely happen to me - in order to get any sense of fear. This is probably why I found Disturbia more terrifying than any of the Silent Hill or Saw movies, particularly due to past experiences with a former neighbour (a story for another time).
I definitely do get a strong sense of realism from Into the Drowning Deep. I don’t particularly fear the sea, but I’m not entirely comfortable over deep water. For example, I’m not interested in cruises of any variety that go for more than a day because I am a firm believer that humans are land mammals that should remain on solid ground as much as possible. But there’s that element of the unknown that tugs at me. Whilst recent years have seen a number of advances which have allowed greater deep-sea exploration endeavours, it is simply so dark and foreboding a place that the majority of the deepest parts of the ocean remain a mystery. Grant makes full use of this knowledge (or lack-there-of), presenting a villain that is genuinely terrifying to consider - at least for a land mammal like myself.