A review by triple_m
The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish by Katya Apekina

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This was such a beautifully dark and disturbing book. Reading this book was like watching a car crash in slow motion. Painful, you can see what horrible thing is about to happen, and yet you can’t look away. Watching the two sisters deteriorate and deal with their mother’s (and their own) mental illness in such different ways was heartbreaking.

Lots of POVs but I think it would’ve been a little more concise if we just got the two sister’s POV.

Would’ve been a five-star if not for Amanda. She was annoying, but that’s fine since we wasn’t meant to be a likable character. Really, I just don’t know what point she served in the book. She was so fucking weird and unhinged and I guess she was there only to prove how famous their date was, since he got his very own psycho fan? And I don’t know why he let her around?

Speaking of the dad, it’s interesting to read a story about a creative genius who honestly sucks the souls out of loved ones to feel creative. Who knows how the mom would have fared if she never met him. Was she always struggling with mental health, or did it developed from being groomed and being in such an intense and toxic relationship?

The ending
It’s insinuated that their mom MIGHT be the person knocking on the door at the baby shower, but I’m 90% sure it’s not. I think the mom has accepted that her children’s lives are better without her in it and has found peace with that. We know from the scene in the mental hospital that deep down their mom does love them and wants what is best for them, she’s just so mentally ill she cannot provide that herself.
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