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A review by jprex
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I wanted to love this one more than I did. To get this out of the way, I like Lukas as a MMC. The clipped personality that warms up in the right circumstances was well-rendered. I found the relationship between him and Scarlett believable and well-developed.
I had a harder time with Scarlett. She was frustrating for a multitude of understandable reasons, and I wanted to warm to her more than I did. On one hand, I found her unwillingness to really do quality introspection for so much of the story difficult to enjoy. On the other hand, I totally get that the type of personal development she was undergoing is slow and difficult, but that doesn't make it easier to engage with.
I can't speak to specifics regarding the physical relationship between Lukas and Scarlett because I don't know a lot about BDSM and/or whether this relationship is a good or bad example of that particular world. As an outsider, it neither added nor distracted from their relationship and my investment in it. I did really enjoy them together overall, and I especially appreciated the resolution of the third-act breakup. The evolution of their relationship was believable and I did want to see them together.
I suspect a large aspect of my ambivalence toward the story is a matter of feeling too far removed from college to appreciate some of the story beats that are specific to college life (gossip, parties, cliques). But I still enjoyed it overall, and I completely understand if it hit for others more than it did for me.
I had a harder time with Scarlett. She was frustrating for a multitude of understandable reasons, and I wanted to warm to her more than I did. On one hand, I found her unwillingness to really do quality introspection for so much of the story difficult to enjoy. On the other hand, I totally get that the type of personal development she was undergoing is slow and difficult, but that doesn't make it easier to engage with.
I can't speak to specifics regarding the physical relationship between Lukas and Scarlett because I don't know a lot about BDSM and/or whether this relationship is a good or bad example of that particular world. As an outsider, it neither added nor distracted from their relationship and my investment in it. I did really enjoy them together overall, and I especially appreciated the resolution of the third-act breakup. The evolution of their relationship was believable and I did want to see them together.
I suspect a large aspect of my ambivalence toward the story is a matter of feeling too far removed from college to appreciate some of the story beats that are specific to college life (gossip, parties, cliques). But I still enjoyed it overall, and I completely understand if it hit for others more than it did for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse