Scan barcode
A review by leasockzoe
Deep Water by Emma Bamford
2.0
I had such high hopes for this story. Set at sea, semi-survivalist, intrigue from the beginning. But, unfortunately, this one was a miss for me.
At the beginning of the novel, a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the Indian Ocean. On the boat, they find an injured man and his disoriented and traumatized wife who confesses "we killed them". From there, we are taken back in time, through the accounts of Virginie, the wife, to the couples journey to and on a remote & idyllic island where they are docked with 5 other people. As everyone's lives become intertwined on the island, what the couple thought would be the trip of their dreams turns into a waking nightmare.
Like I always try to do with books I was not too wild about, I am going to start with the things I liked about the novel. First, the premise was super intriguing and I was eager to continue reading throughout the story to discover what would happen next. Additionally, I think that Emma Bamford is a talented writer and uses the English language to her advantage. I also appreciated the commentary on domestic abuse, but also had some issues with it.
Now, for the parts I didn't enjoy so much. I thought the pacing of this story was off. All of the plot happened within the first 10% & the last 10% of the novel, the rest in between honestly just felt like filler. The story went on and on with no real important events happening and then boom, everything happened all at once within the last 50 pages of the book. Additionally, I felt that there were some serious plot holes, or the point of many aspects just totally went over my head. For example, what was the point of making the island an former prison reform island? I was trying to search for some commentary on prison reform or something related but I missed it. I also was so constantly irritated by every single character within the story, especially Jake, I just found him to whiny and insufferable. Also, not to mention, her was emotionally abusive with no consequences. I found this irritating because there was no retribution for Virginie who was in a previously abusive relationship.
I don't want to be too harsh and continue rambling. I didn't think this book was horrible, but it just wasn't for me. I hope this finds its audience and works out for many people. Will be interested to see what Bamford releases in the future.
Thank you NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Emma Bamford for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
At the beginning of the novel, a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the Indian Ocean. On the boat, they find an injured man and his disoriented and traumatized wife who confesses "we killed them". From there, we are taken back in time, through the accounts of Virginie, the wife, to the couples journey to and on a remote & idyllic island where they are docked with 5 other people. As everyone's lives become intertwined on the island, what the couple thought would be the trip of their dreams turns into a waking nightmare.
Like I always try to do with books I was not too wild about, I am going to start with the things I liked about the novel. First, the premise was super intriguing and I was eager to continue reading throughout the story to discover what would happen next. Additionally, I think that Emma Bamford is a talented writer and uses the English language to her advantage. I also appreciated the commentary on domestic abuse, but also had some issues with it.
Now, for the parts I didn't enjoy so much. I thought the pacing of this story was off. All of the plot happened within the first 10% & the last 10% of the novel, the rest in between honestly just felt like filler. The story went on and on with no real important events happening and then boom, everything happened all at once within the last 50 pages of the book. Additionally, I felt that there were some serious plot holes, or the point of many aspects just totally went over my head. For example, what was the point of making the island an former prison reform island? I was trying to search for some commentary on prison reform or something related but I missed it. I also was so constantly irritated by every single character within the story, especially Jake, I just found him to whiny and insufferable. Also, not to mention, her was emotionally abusive with no consequences. I found this irritating because there was no retribution for Virginie who was in a previously abusive relationship.
I don't want to be too harsh and continue rambling. I didn't think this book was horrible, but it just wasn't for me. I hope this finds its audience and works out for many people. Will be interested to see what Bamford releases in the future.
Thank you NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Emma Bamford for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.