thereistime's review against another edition
5.0
*I recieved this book free via Goodreads First Reads*
I loved this book, not so much for the plot, which was good and had some really great twists, but for the world building and depth of the characters.
The new New-York, mostly buried under the ocean, felt so real to me, like it was actually what New-York was now. There was obviously a lot of thought behind the 'disaster' that left New-York drowned, and the description was so clear that I had no trouble seeing exactly what the author wanted me to.
Every single character in this book had a story, they were all three-dimensional and felt like real people, even the characters that only showed up for a page or two. It's rare that you find a book that has so much thought put into the world and the people inhabiting it.
The actual story wasn't as amazing as the world, though I still enjoyed it and found myself desperate to know 'whodunit'.
Overall an absolutely fantastic read.
I loved this book, not so much for the plot, which was good and had some really great twists, but for the world building and depth of the characters.
The new New-York, mostly buried under the ocean, felt so real to me, like it was actually what New-York was now. There was obviously a lot of thought behind the 'disaster' that left New-York drowned, and the description was so clear that I had no trouble seeing exactly what the author wanted me to.
Every single character in this book had a story, they were all three-dimensional and felt like real people, even the characters that only showed up for a page or two. It's rare that you find a book that has so much thought put into the world and the people inhabiting it.
The actual story wasn't as amazing as the world, though I still enjoyed it and found myself desperate to know 'whodunit'.
Overall an absolutely fantastic read.
dom_madz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
daynpitseleh's review
4.0
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for mystery novels and post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels. Put them both together and I'm sold. Depth is a real winner for me, with its noir themes, strong female characters, and a detailed dystopian world (really fantastic world-building). It reminded me a bit of The Last Policeman trilogy, which I also loved. I look forward to reading more by the author.
I'm a sucker for mystery novels and post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels. Put them both together and I'm sold. Depth is a real winner for me, with its noir themes, strong female characters, and a detailed dystopian world (really fantastic world-building). It reminded me a bit of The Last Policeman trilogy, which I also loved. I look forward to reading more by the author.
imzadirose's review
3.0
3.5 stars really. The best thing about this book was the setting. In a futuristic NY where there had been major flooding all over. NYers learned to live above the water, buildings with 24 floors and up are used, then they have a series of boardwalks on the water, water taxis and so on. It was a really neat world. The story itself was ok, a mystery of sorts with a lot of different things going on. The characters were ok, not completely likable, but pretty real. Definitely worth the read, though I wish I had read a physical book, instead of listening to the audiobook.
The narrator was HORRID. I looked her up on audible and I can't believe she's done 50 audiobooks. She gave some info at the end of the book in her normal voice, and was fine, if she had done that, without those horrible inflections, it might have been ok. Instead she raised and lowered her voice all the time, it was really realy really annoying. One of the worse narrators I've ever listened to. Luckily, she seems to mainly do girlie crap, so I'll keep clear of those audiobooks with her.
Shame that the book was tainted by the audio. Might have given it a 4 otherwise, but maybe not. Not sure.
The narrator was HORRID. I looked her up on audible and I can't believe she's done 50 audiobooks. She gave some info at the end of the book in her normal voice, and was fine, if she had done that, without those horrible inflections, it might have been ok. Instead she raised and lowered her voice all the time, it was really realy really annoying. One of the worse narrators I've ever listened to. Luckily, she seems to mainly do girlie crap, so I'll keep clear of those audiobooks with her.
Shame that the book was tainted by the audio. Might have given it a 4 otherwise, but maybe not. Not sure.
drasticjo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
chigangrel's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and Regan arts forever ago, during a time when I over-requested and found myself swamped with too many books and not enough time! But better late than never, right? And I'm glad I finally got around to it because this was probably one of my better asks-- I loved this book.
I guess I'll start with why I wanted to read Depth in the first place. For whatever reason the idea of underwater drama, sunken cities, oceans taking over, etc has always appealed to me. There's something so inherently terrifying and nerve-wracking about a force as powerful as water. I've also got a big love for sci-fi, especially when it's "near future", not that Depth is really near-future. It's more that it's clearly set in the future but it's still familiar; it feels close, like something that's just around the corner. I think that helps it feel more realistic but still exciting and different.
In the world of Depth the ice caps melted decades ago flooding most of the world, leaving only the inner land of continents dry. This slowed some technology progress, sped up other fields, and caused some major upheavals in politics and culture. The future U.S. portrayed in Rosen's book would've seemed incredibly outlandish and impossible to me had I read this when I first got it back in 2015 but now... a super conservative, repressed nation rule by a strict Biblical moral code doesn't seem so impossible now. But the story takes place in future New York City, half-flooded and separated enough from the conservative mainland that the rules are more lax and the criminal underworld more bold. It's a fun setting for what's essentially a hardboiled detective novel featuring mysterious fog-cloaked dames, stolen art, underhanded threats, and a few murders. The half-sunken city is a character in itself, a constant threat to Simone and her PI business as well at the source of the case we follow her along on throughout the novel.
Rosen's world-building is probably my favorite part of the novel, but the characters are fascinating as well. The lead, Simone, is a detective straight out of an old black and white movie, trenchcoat, hat, cigarette and all. I thought the trope would be tiresome but it actually came off as charming and strangely fitting to the setting. Her friends and enemies are just as interesting and Rosen gives us just enough about them to make them memorable and grow our interest without losing the pace of the plot. Everyone serves a purpose in solving the case, which actually reminded me of the sort of characters you'd read in an Agatha Christie novel.
The writing was also great. Each character had their own voice, and Rosen gave us enough details without bogging us down. I didn't feel like the mystery's solve came out of nowhere, which is a problem too many mystery novels have in my opinion and is something I always want to acknowledge when done well! Overall Depth hit all the right notes for me. Fascinating world, likable characters, engaging story, good writing... loved it!
eta: So I went and checked out other reviews after posting my own and was surprised to see a lot of comment about info dumps... I honestly didn't even notice this happening at the time but looking back and I can see how that may be true. I'm not going to edit what I wrote above but I will add that the narration may drag for some folks but personally I devoured it quickly and happily. There bumps weren't big enough to slog me down but if you're not as into the story as I was then they may be enough to stop you from continuing. So I suppose that's something to take into consideration.
I guess I'll start with why I wanted to read Depth in the first place. For whatever reason the idea of underwater drama, sunken cities, oceans taking over, etc has always appealed to me. There's something so inherently terrifying and nerve-wracking about a force as powerful as water. I've also got a big love for sci-fi, especially when it's "near future", not that Depth is really near-future. It's more that it's clearly set in the future but it's still familiar; it feels close, like something that's just around the corner. I think that helps it feel more realistic but still exciting and different.
In the world of Depth the ice caps melted decades ago flooding most of the world, leaving only the inner land of continents dry. This slowed some technology progress, sped up other fields, and caused some major upheavals in politics and culture. The future U.S. portrayed in Rosen's book would've seemed incredibly outlandish and impossible to me had I read this when I first got it back in 2015 but now... a super conservative, repressed nation rule by a strict Biblical moral code doesn't seem so impossible now. But the story takes place in future New York City, half-flooded and separated enough from the conservative mainland that the rules are more lax and the criminal underworld more bold. It's a fun setting for what's essentially a hardboiled detective novel featuring mysterious fog-cloaked dames, stolen art, underhanded threats, and a few murders. The half-sunken city is a character in itself, a constant threat to Simone and her PI business as well at the source of the case we follow her along on throughout the novel.
Rosen's world-building is probably my favorite part of the novel, but the characters are fascinating as well. The lead, Simone, is a detective straight out of an old black and white movie, trenchcoat, hat, cigarette and all. I thought the trope would be tiresome but it actually came off as charming and strangely fitting to the setting. Her friends and enemies are just as interesting and Rosen gives us just enough about them to make them memorable and grow our interest without losing the pace of the plot. Everyone serves a purpose in solving the case, which actually reminded me of the sort of characters you'd read in an Agatha Christie novel.
The writing was also great. Each character had their own voice, and Rosen gave us enough details without bogging us down. I didn't feel like the mystery's solve came out of nowhere, which is a problem too many mystery novels have in my opinion and is something I always want to acknowledge when done well! Overall Depth hit all the right notes for me. Fascinating world, likable characters, engaging story, good writing... loved it!
eta: So I went and checked out other reviews after posting my own and was surprised to see a lot of comment about info dumps... I honestly didn't even notice this happening at the time but looking back and I can see how that may be true. I'm not going to edit what I wrote above but I will add that the narration may drag for some folks but personally I devoured it quickly and happily. There bumps weren't big enough to slog me down but if you're not as into the story as I was then they may be enough to stop you from continuing. So I suppose that's something to take into consideration.
skippen's review against another edition
2.0
A run-of-the-mill mystery with a unique setting. If the post ice-caps melted world (everyone live in-land) or up on the 21st floor or higher in New York, was not in this book, it would have been completely forgettable. The mystery, is forgettable and predictable with a resolution that you can see coming a mile away (maybe not whodunit, but the final resolution).
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
A flooded New York isn't a new idea, certainly. And anyone familiar with the city knows it will flood when the sea levels rise. Rosen's taken on a post flood New York is rather upbeat compared to the dystopian gang-run, illness rampant New York of The Ward by Jordana Frankel. That's not to say it's a utopia in the modern sense but New York has taken its isolation from the mainland in stride and rebranded itself as a safe-haven from the hyper conservative, xenophobic, homophobic, and misogynistic regime that is the remains of the mainland United States.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comments_09/depth.html
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comments_09/depth.html
pritch_13's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
peterseanesq's review against another edition
5.0
My Amazon review -
http://www.amazon.com/review/R19WN3S4K8ZXYF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
http://www.amazon.com/review/R19WN3S4K8ZXYF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm