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A review by chigangrel
Depth by Lev AC Rosen
5.0
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and Regan arts forever ago, during a time when I over-requested and found myself swamped with too many books and not enough time! But better late than never, right? And I'm glad I finally got around to it because this was probably one of my better asks-- I loved this book.
I guess I'll start with why I wanted to read Depth in the first place. For whatever reason the idea of underwater drama, sunken cities, oceans taking over, etc has always appealed to me. There's something so inherently terrifying and nerve-wracking about a force as powerful as water. I've also got a big love for sci-fi, especially when it's "near future", not that Depth is really near-future. It's more that it's clearly set in the future but it's still familiar; it feels close, like something that's just around the corner. I think that helps it feel more realistic but still exciting and different.
In the world of Depth the ice caps melted decades ago flooding most of the world, leaving only the inner land of continents dry. This slowed some technology progress, sped up other fields, and caused some major upheavals in politics and culture. The future U.S. portrayed in Rosen's book would've seemed incredibly outlandish and impossible to me had I read this when I first got it back in 2015 but now... a super conservative, repressed nation rule by a strict Biblical moral code doesn't seem so impossible now. But the story takes place in future New York City, half-flooded and separated enough from the conservative mainland that the rules are more lax and the criminal underworld more bold. It's a fun setting for what's essentially a hardboiled detective novel featuring mysterious fog-cloaked dames, stolen art, underhanded threats, and a few murders. The half-sunken city is a character in itself, a constant threat to Simone and her PI business as well at the source of the case we follow her along on throughout the novel.
Rosen's world-building is probably my favorite part of the novel, but the characters are fascinating as well. The lead, Simone, is a detective straight out of an old black and white movie, trenchcoat, hat, cigarette and all. I thought the trope would be tiresome but it actually came off as charming and strangely fitting to the setting. Her friends and enemies are just as interesting and Rosen gives us just enough about them to make them memorable and grow our interest without losing the pace of the plot. Everyone serves a purpose in solving the case, which actually reminded me of the sort of characters you'd read in an Agatha Christie novel.
The writing was also great. Each character had their own voice, and Rosen gave us enough details without bogging us down. I didn't feel like the mystery's solve came out of nowhere, which is a problem too many mystery novels have in my opinion and is something I always want to acknowledge when done well! Overall Depth hit all the right notes for me. Fascinating world, likable characters, engaging story, good writing... loved it!
eta: So I went and checked out other reviews after posting my own and was surprised to see a lot of comment about info dumps... I honestly didn't even notice this happening at the time but looking back and I can see how that may be true. I'm not going to edit what I wrote above but I will add that the narration may drag for some folks but personally I devoured it quickly and happily. There bumps weren't big enough to slog me down but if you're not as into the story as I was then they may be enough to stop you from continuing. So I suppose that's something to take into consideration.
I guess I'll start with why I wanted to read Depth in the first place. For whatever reason the idea of underwater drama, sunken cities, oceans taking over, etc has always appealed to me. There's something so inherently terrifying and nerve-wracking about a force as powerful as water. I've also got a big love for sci-fi, especially when it's "near future", not that Depth is really near-future. It's more that it's clearly set in the future but it's still familiar; it feels close, like something that's just around the corner. I think that helps it feel more realistic but still exciting and different.
In the world of Depth the ice caps melted decades ago flooding most of the world, leaving only the inner land of continents dry. This slowed some technology progress, sped up other fields, and caused some major upheavals in politics and culture. The future U.S. portrayed in Rosen's book would've seemed incredibly outlandish and impossible to me had I read this when I first got it back in 2015 but now... a super conservative, repressed nation rule by a strict Biblical moral code doesn't seem so impossible now. But the story takes place in future New York City, half-flooded and separated enough from the conservative mainland that the rules are more lax and the criminal underworld more bold. It's a fun setting for what's essentially a hardboiled detective novel featuring mysterious fog-cloaked dames, stolen art, underhanded threats, and a few murders. The half-sunken city is a character in itself, a constant threat to Simone and her PI business as well at the source of the case we follow her along on throughout the novel.
Rosen's world-building is probably my favorite part of the novel, but the characters are fascinating as well. The lead, Simone, is a detective straight out of an old black and white movie, trenchcoat, hat, cigarette and all. I thought the trope would be tiresome but it actually came off as charming and strangely fitting to the setting. Her friends and enemies are just as interesting and Rosen gives us just enough about them to make them memorable and grow our interest without losing the pace of the plot. Everyone serves a purpose in solving the case, which actually reminded me of the sort of characters you'd read in an Agatha Christie novel.
The writing was also great. Each character had their own voice, and Rosen gave us enough details without bogging us down. I didn't feel like the mystery's solve came out of nowhere, which is a problem too many mystery novels have in my opinion and is something I always want to acknowledge when done well! Overall Depth hit all the right notes for me. Fascinating world, likable characters, engaging story, good writing... loved it!
eta: So I went and checked out other reviews after posting my own and was surprised to see a lot of comment about info dumps... I honestly didn't even notice this happening at the time but looking back and I can see how that may be true. I'm not going to edit what I wrote above but I will add that the narration may drag for some folks but personally I devoured it quickly and happily. There bumps weren't big enough to slog me down but if you're not as into the story as I was then they may be enough to stop you from continuing. So I suppose that's something to take into consideration.