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A review by arkwen452
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Immediate thoughts after reading The Deep; it's slightly a casual and emotionally charged review. I'll attempt to edit it later.
Yetu's story in the deep is visceral, and very compelling. The deep is about a civilization of beings that live in the depths of the ocean. They are descendants of slaves were thrown overboard during the slave trade. Pregnant slaves, who were sick or somehow became a burden to their captors who were tossed to the ocean. This society or community of these beings has evolved over the years, and they have accessibility in the ocean, two cents and feel vibrations in the water amongst themselves in the creatures around them but also this electric pulsing power.
They have this almost telepathic ability, when connecting to each other, during the remembrance ceremony, where the chosen historian of the community, for each generation shares with them memories of all those that have passed, and also the memories of their ancestors, who were thrown in to the ocean and lost to the creatures that dwell on the surface. While there are a few ways to interpret Yetu's pain and the way in which she suffers with the weight of being a historian, and not having a choice in the matter versus the the weight of the importance of preserving their history in their ancestors history really captivates the readers.
I was interested in reading this book for the Trans Rights Readathon 2024, but also just for the concept in and of itself. I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about the narrative, considering it's another book tied to slavery; and as a black American, there is so much more than slavery when it comes to our history and our culture. But it's also not a thing that we can fully escape from and when it comes to this book, I did not feel that , the source of their existence was the anchor to the story that I thought it was going to be.
Yes, this community is involved form of those thrown overboard, but they are so much more than that. And the mess one of the messages in the story really just comes from , the perseverance and preservation of their community you continue to thrive and flourish. I think that the deep is a book for all readers, because there are some for all the readers to really draw from when it comes to be struggle of identity purpose the feeling of longing, the feeling of wanting to be connected to others or to another being. There is this feeling of wanting a freedom to be oneself and only oneself without having to hide.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended.
Yetu's story in the deep is visceral, and very compelling. The deep is about a civilization of beings that live in the depths of the ocean. They are descendants of slaves were thrown overboard during the slave trade. Pregnant slaves, who were sick or somehow became a burden to their captors who were tossed to the ocean. This society or community of these beings has evolved over the years, and they have accessibility in the ocean, two cents and feel vibrations in the water amongst themselves in the creatures around them but also this electric pulsing power.
They have this almost telepathic ability, when connecting to each other, during the remembrance ceremony, where the chosen historian of the community, for each generation shares with them memories of all those that have passed, and also the memories of their ancestors, who were thrown in to the ocean and lost to the creatures that dwell on the surface. While there are a few ways to interpret Yetu's pain and the way in which she suffers with the weight of being a historian, and not having a choice in the matter versus the the weight of the importance of preserving their history in their ancestors history really captivates the readers.
I was interested in reading this book for the Trans Rights Readathon 2024, but also just for the concept in and of itself. I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about the narrative, considering it's another book tied to slavery; and as a black American, there is so much more than slavery when it comes to our history and our culture. But it's also not a thing that we can fully escape from and when it comes to this book, I did not feel that , the source of their existence was the anchor to the story that I thought it was going to be.
Yes, this community is involved form of those thrown overboard, but they are so much more than that. And the mess one of the messages in the story really just comes from , the perseverance and preservation of their community you continue to thrive and flourish. I think that the deep is a book for all readers, because there are some for all the readers to really draw from when it comes to be struggle of identity purpose the feeling of longing, the feeling of wanting to be connected to others or to another being. There is this feeling of wanting a freedom to be oneself and only oneself without having to hide.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Violence, Slavery, and Pregnancy