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A review by kerrygetsliterary
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
What a cool book! I don't read many books in epistolary format, and when I do, I always love the experience.
I took notes while reading at the start, then promptly forgot about them as I was too engrossed in the story to remember to jot down any thoughts for a review. Oops. I did manage to mention that I loved the writing. The prose is excellent and the diction is lovely; it all flows nicely.
After that, I was hooked! I very much enjoyed reading all of the letters between E. and Henery, and between Sophy and Vyerin. Their characters were well developed, which I Imagine is not an easy task solely through letters. E. and Henery's romance was so wholesome and it made my heart swell reading their nerdy and adorable correspondence.
The concept of the Deep House was so cool and unique. It would be fascinating to be able to visit such an underwater dwelling. I relished in imagining this one-of-a-kind home, picturing the incredible views of the captivating and enigmatic ocean and its creatures. Even Sophy's missions sounded interesting, even though I would probably never join them out of fear.
I also appreciated the anxiety and agoraphobia representation in E. As a recovered panic disorder sufferer and agoraphobic, I could empathize with E. and her struggles.
And I loved that many characters were queer and it was just known and accepted. <3
The pacing can feel a bit slow, as there is a lot of world building and set up and attempting to figure out what happened to E. and Henery, but it's worth it to continue on and read to the end. I'm very much looking forward to book two!
I took notes while reading at the start, then promptly forgot about them as I was too engrossed in the story to remember to jot down any thoughts for a review. Oops. I did manage to mention that I loved the writing. The prose is excellent and the diction is lovely; it all flows nicely.
After that, I was hooked! I very much enjoyed reading all of the letters between E. and Henery, and between Sophy and Vyerin. Their characters were well developed, which I Imagine is not an easy task solely through letters. E. and Henery's romance was so wholesome and it made my heart swell reading their nerdy and adorable correspondence.
The concept of the Deep House was so cool and unique. It would be fascinating to be able to visit such an underwater dwelling. I relished in imagining this one-of-a-kind home, picturing the incredible views of the captivating and enigmatic ocean and its creatures. Even Sophy's missions sounded interesting, even though I would probably never join them out of fear.
I also appreciated the anxiety and agoraphobia representation in E. As a recovered panic disorder sufferer and agoraphobic, I could empathize with E. and her struggles.
And I loved that many characters were queer and it was just known and accepted. <3
The pacing can feel a bit slow, as there is a lot of world building and set up and attempting to figure out what happened to E. and Henery, but it's worth it to continue on and read to the end. I'm very much looking forward to book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Mental illness