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A review by solspringsreads
The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you to Peachtree and NetGalley for a free advanced copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.


I have really, really complicated feelings about this book. First off, as many other readers have said: please take the trigger warnings and notes on this book seriously. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics—including on-the-page panic attacks, intrusive and repetitive thoughts, and more. Despite being an average-length novel and very accessible in its language, I really struggled to get through this one because of how overwhelming it was at times.

Relatedly, the pacing off this book felt a little off to me. I felt like I was slogging through the first half of the book for ages, trying to understand the “mystery” and relationship between Brynn and Skylar, and then I breezed through the second half of the novel in no time. The book relies heavily on the setting of the bayou, but to be honest, it was only once we actually get to leave the bayou that I feel like the plot picks up steam.

The plot which, frankly, is pretty shallow. The book tries to really emphasize the mysterious aspects of the situation and lean into the paranormal/not-quite-magical realism, but it’s a very straightforward parallel to Brynn’s mental health struggles. This feels like less of a summertime mystery/thriller and more like a character exploration, which is fine, but definitely not accurate to what the book is promoting itself as—or even what the book seems to consider itself to be. With Brynn as our narrator, there’s a big emphasis on her friendship with Skylar and how important their relationship is, but as a reader I didn’t necessarily feel the same way. Sure, a big component to their relationship was Brynn’s crush on Skylar, but so much of the plot revolved around Brynn doing desperate and increasingly more reckless things to “help Skylar,” but I’m left feeling like I know next to nothing about the girl. (Which, yes, is probably intentional given the themes and resolution of the book—but I’m always going to feel frustrated by characters that feel more like plot devices that only exist to further the protagonist’s development rather than actualized characters with their own goals and agency.)

I also want to note that, while I liked the exploration of Brynn’s bisexuality and the frank descriptions of her crushes and sexuality, I was uncomfortable with how she treated Skylar at points.
She kisses Skylar at one point—without asking, after Skylar has repeatedly mentioned being exclusively attracted to boys—and while Brynn feels guilty about it pretty quickly afterwards, it’s not really given much weight. Skylar even laughs and says that it’s fine, and Brynn mentions the kiss and how “special” it was again at the end of the novel. I was frustrated that Brynn faces no repercussions for kissing Skylar without consent; it felt like another way that Skylar’s agency was deemed null and void in the book, since Brynn directly doing something to her to express attraction that she explicitly said she wouldn’t reciprocate is brushed off as “sweet” and “special.”
This book felt like it was marketed as being, at the very least, sapphic romance adjacent, when it definitely isn’t. While Brynn and Skylar’s relationship is more complicated than “just friends,” I feel like there should be some balance in acknowledging Brynn’s attraction towards Skylar as well as how Skylar looks for (platonic) companionship in Brynn.

Despite all of my complicated feelings on Brynn and Skylar’s relationship—which should be the real heart of the novel—I think the strengths of this book come out in Brynn’s relationships with the adults in her life. I loved how she reevaluated her relationships with both of her parents as well as her complicated feelings around their divorce. I loved how she connected with other community members—even if it was often during the aforementioned increasingly reckless adventures. (Honestly, I constantly found myself shocked at just how often Brynn would lie in order to sneak away for her missions, and I was often even more shocked at how few repercussions she found in these instances as well. Usually her misadventures would result in an emotional heart-to-heart with her father, and then the next day she’d already wake up planning another lie and another way to sneak out.
Sure, she finally gets a concussion at the end of the novel, but even then she gets a heart-to-heart in the hospital and a cool haircut. AND THEN SHE STILL IMMEDIATELY SNEAKS OFF TO MEET WITH SKYLAR’S MOM AT THE DOCK. I know it’s way too complicated to explain the whole Skylar situation to her dad and that she’d even tried early in the novel, but wow she was relentless in lying/sneaking out/etc.
I recognize that the rinse-and-repeat cycle of the novel is just how the plot could advance, but it did make me realize how thin the plot was in comparison to the heavier topics and character work in the novel.

Overall, The Immeasurable Depth of You is a unique addition to the current YA landscape. It’s atmospheric and heavy but I appreciated the themes it sought to explore, even if the delivery left me a little unsatisfied. While I can imagine many teenagers who will find comfort in recognizing Brynn’s thought patterns and behaviors, I still want to heavily recommend being mindful of the warnings on this book before suggesting this to anyone.
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