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A review by helliepad
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Horror novels are so nice. I have decided early on in my reading journey that science fiction was not to my taste but books like this make me question otherwise. What an amazing thriller! I have been scared since the beginning, and capsule stories like this always intrigued me (although the Melusine is, admittedly, a capsule in the sense that the Eiffel tower was considered a nail).
I love that the characters on that ship were human and had conflicting views and opinions and goals. I liked that there were deaf main characters, that there were scientists and bosses with chronic pain, that there were autistic main characters, and savage killers who loved deeply and truly, and that there were shades of horrible people to contrast the shades of horrible monsters. As much as the story is a horror from the start, and you go into reading it knowing people will not survive, the story itself doesn't lose respect for its characters and their goals. They did their jobs, they were eaten, or they were killed, or they survived, for a given definition of the word. They weren't mocked or humiliated by the narrative.
I almost gave it a 4.75 since the ending was so abrupt- the story goes from a jam-packed two days of action to skipping one day, after the rescue, and with vague sense as to what happened to the rest of the characters. I personally like getting closures while reading books, but I figured I could overlook it, as the rest of the book was so delightfully written and executed. Anyway, I can't wait to read more of Seanan McGuire's writing
I love that the characters on that ship were human and had conflicting views and opinions and goals. I liked that there were deaf main characters, that there were scientists and bosses with chronic pain, that there were autistic main characters, and savage killers who loved deeply and truly, and that there were shades of horrible people to contrast the shades of horrible monsters. As much as the story is a horror from the start, and you go into reading it knowing people will not survive, the story itself doesn't lose respect for its characters and their goals. They did their jobs, they were eaten, or they were killed, or they survived, for a given definition of the word. They weren't mocked or humiliated by the narrative.
I almost gave it a 4.75 since the ending was so abrupt- the story goes from a jam-packed two days of action to skipping one day, after the rescue, and with vague sense as to what happened to the rest of the characters. I personally like getting closures while reading books, but I figured I could overlook it, as the rest of the book was so delightfully written and executed. Anyway, I can't wait to read more of Seanan McGuire's writing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gore
Moderate: Death
Minor: Chronic illness, Biphobia, and Ableism