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_marjolaine_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Incest and Rape
stardustvein's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
chemicallykat's review against another edition
1.75
I'm an absolute sucker for the deep sea. Anything set on the sea floor is automatically on my tbr regardless of genre or quality. If anyone has any recs... let me know!!
Sections of this bored me and other sections seemed like they were just there for shock value.
This was creepy, dark, and graphic. The beginning was slow but introduced some neat concepts. The middle lost me a bit. I wanted to know what was going on and I was not getting answers! The way this book is written is confusing. Half the time I couldn't figure out what was real and what wasn't.
The writing wasn't to my preference - some scenes felt unnecessary, and the characters and dialogue drove me nuts.
The author tends to make a lot of comparisons, "it looked like a glob of partially set Jell-O" and sometimes these came back-to-back and felt redundant. If you say something is colorless, you don't also have to make a comparison to something colorless in the next line.
The way the main character kept describing his mom weirded me out. Every time she was mentioned, even in passing, he'd make a comment to remind us his mom was fat. In general, character descriptions and characterization were sorely lacking. Characters seemed like they were only there for the plot. There's no development and I could not tell you a single thing about any of them beyond factual things like "scientist" or "father."
Beyond that, the plot was THIN. Chapters are repetitive and everything was predictable. Throwing in a "magical" element felt like a lazy way to skip explaining anything properly, and quite frankly, I don't get it.
The child SA was so unnecessary and didn't add a single thing - so why was it included? There are a million other things that could have been included instead. It didn't add to the creepy/horror factor the book was developing and felt like shock-value because it's thrown in and never dealt with properly.In general, the sexual stuff seemed like it could have been cut. At multiple points there's a paragraph or two detailing how hard a man's dick is. What was the relevance? Am I missing something?
I was intrigued by the mysteries of "the Gets" and the ambrosia, but I don't feel like any of that was wrapped up or handled properly. Instead, this became an intentionally confusing gorefest that had a... weird ending that very much didn't satisfy me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Murder
shetland_pone's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was really good and terrifying until somewhere close to the end where it crossed the line into so absurd it's literally hilarious. Like I don't even know what to say. At some point, maybe around 75%, I've honestly forgotten, it just started to go off the rails.
- Clayton's hand falling off like a lizard's tail and groping Luke.
- That moment when the scientist guy described his raging boner and mentioned how even his kinky ex couldn't make him that hard.
- The hand then sprouting another 7 hands and then spider scuttling over to a keypad and opening a door.
- Pretty much everything involving the bees.
- Clayton having an Einstein poster to cover up the hole.
- Luke dragging Clayton's unconscious body through a tunnel while being chased by a giant maggot with the heads of his mother, ex-wife, and missing son.
- Toy basically being flattened by the research station and 8 miles worth of water, except slowly.
- The two dogs being fused together and sucked through a supernatural sparkly goo hole while Luke cried his eyes out.
I literally just laughed at these moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
noelle1121005's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, and Blood
graveyardreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
versmonesprit's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
0.25
To ask whether The Deep is plot or character driven is to assume it’s driven at all. Instead, “Nick Cutter”s masterpiece of garbage runs in place, and at best, goes in circles.
And to say I hate this book with a passion is still not enough to convey my animosity towards it.
For one thing, it’s about 10 times longer than it should have been. It tries to be too many things, none of which Craig Davidson is skilled enough to write well, but by the end it becomes clear it tried to be eldritch horror the most. The reason Lovecraft’s stories (yes he was a horrendous person, but he was a horrendous person who wrote well) work is because he doesn’t try to drag them out. Some are longer, sure, but the madness works because the pace is right, and the creatures feel dreadful because - you guessed it - the pace is right. This sort of cosmic horror does not work as a novel.
And it surely doesn’t work at all in the hands of someone as unskilled as Davidson. It didn’t even seem like he had any idea what the story would involve and where it’d go: there was too much going on, far too much back story, far too much info-dump and exposure for the actual story to even be compelling. The story, the narration, the characters literally went around in circles, had the same conversations, did the same things, and kept pausing the main story to build back stories which quickly became enraging.
Then there’s the chapter structure. They’re far too short, because Davidson cuts the action randomly to separate it into multiple chapters. It makes no sense. This too becomes enraging immediately.
My favourite part about this “Sci-fi” is how factually wrong the simplest things are: the largest insect our vet MC has ever seen is a thumb-length mantis, which is actually small for mantises; a tree’s leaves are likened to veins; there’s a 15 hour difference between Guam and Iowa but somehow in the book it’s late afternoon in Guam when it’s 5 am in Iowa; Davidson alleges only mentally ill boys have TMHA in their sweat; cancer is called a pathogen… Don’t involve scientific facts in your book if you’re not going to get them right! You don’t have to root your book in the real world; and if you can’t, don’t force it! We’d have been fine without all these details too!
The first part of the book is dedicated to exploring a pandemic that Davidson made up. This is not only annoying as it prevents the book from getting to the actual plot; it’s also hilarious to read after having been in a pandemic, because we’ve all seen people (hell, whole countries) do not take it remotely serious enough. Anyway, if you think this sickness must be crucial to the story since so much space is given to it, NO. Not at all. It’s just one of the elements Davidson threw in because he wanted to write too many stories at once.
The characters are atrocious, the back story tangents are too often not to be angry at them, the narration is choppy (here’s an actual quote: “The gas station had been empty. The pumps were shut off. The door to the convenience store was open. The aisles were shadowy in the late afternoon.”), and for all this, the book isn’t even atmospheric! You would think that a book set under the ocean would have some waterlogged atmosphere… you would be wrong, because Davidson keeps describing this setting through allusions to space and caves, completely destroying the chance to create a unique atmosphere.
I was going to say something nice about one chapter, but my issues with Davidson took a more serious turn so I’m not giving him any credit for anything. It’s been a while since I was this genuinely creeped out by a man. I’m not exaggerating. Instead of saying “a child’s giggle” like any non-creep would say, Davidson says “a prepubescent giggle.” If this isn’t enough to paint a perverted picture of the author, he also likens the way a dog rounds a corner to the movements of a “showgirl.” And no, the book isn’t a first person narration, so these are not the sick impressions of a perverted character.
And no, it’s not even over. The sheer amount of needless, gratuitous cruelty and violence against animals in this book is repulsive. No one who doesn’t revel in such imagery would write these scenes. This is beyond the cheap trick of books and movies killing off dogs when they know they can’t create tension through good writing; these are indulgent descriptions of animal abuse.
I’d love to write a better review, or at least tie it up, but thinking this much about the book has once again given me a headache out of fury. This is one of the most boring books I’ve ever made myself suffer through.
Oh and — there are extensive descriptions of a myriapod.
And to say I hate this book with a passion is still not enough to convey my animosity towards it.
For one thing, it’s about 10 times longer than it should have been. It tries to be too many things, none of which Craig Davidson is skilled enough to write well, but by the end it becomes clear it tried to be eldritch horror the most. The reason Lovecraft’s stories (yes he was a horrendous person, but he was a horrendous person who wrote well) work is because he doesn’t try to drag them out. Some are longer, sure, but the madness works because the pace is right, and the creatures feel dreadful because - you guessed it - the pace is right. This sort of cosmic horror does not work as a novel.
And it surely doesn’t work at all in the hands of someone as unskilled as Davidson. It didn’t even seem like he had any idea what the story would involve and where it’d go: there was too much going on, far too much back story, far too much info-dump and exposure for the actual story to even be compelling. The story, the narration, the characters literally went around in circles, had the same conversations, did the same things, and kept pausing the main story to build back stories which quickly became enraging.
Then there’s the chapter structure. They’re far too short, because Davidson cuts the action randomly to separate it into multiple chapters. It makes no sense. This too becomes enraging immediately.
My favourite part about this “Sci-fi” is how factually wrong the simplest things are: the largest insect our vet MC has ever seen is a thumb-length mantis, which is actually small for mantises; a tree’s leaves are likened to veins; there’s a 15 hour difference between Guam and Iowa but somehow in the book it’s late afternoon in Guam when it’s 5 am in Iowa; Davidson alleges only mentally ill boys have TMHA in their sweat; cancer is called a pathogen… Don’t involve scientific facts in your book if you’re not going to get them right! You don’t have to root your book in the real world; and if you can’t, don’t force it! We’d have been fine without all these details too!
The first part of the book is dedicated to exploring a pandemic that Davidson made up. This is not only annoying as it prevents the book from getting to the actual plot; it’s also hilarious to read after having been in a pandemic, because we’ve all seen people (hell, whole countries) do not take it remotely serious enough. Anyway, if you think this sickness must be crucial to the story since so much space is given to it, NO. Not at all. It’s just one of the elements Davidson threw in because he wanted to write too many stories at once.
The characters are atrocious, the back story tangents are too often not to be angry at them, the narration is choppy (here’s an actual quote: “The gas station had been empty. The pumps were shut off. The door to the convenience store was open. The aisles were shadowy in the late afternoon.”), and for all this, the book isn’t even atmospheric! You would think that a book set under the ocean would have some waterlogged atmosphere… you would be wrong, because Davidson keeps describing this setting through allusions to space and caves, completely destroying the chance to create a unique atmosphere.
I was going to say something nice about one chapter, but my issues with Davidson took a more serious turn so I’m not giving him any credit for anything. It’s been a while since I was this genuinely creeped out by a man. I’m not exaggerating. Instead of saying “a child’s giggle” like any non-creep would say, Davidson says “a prepubescent giggle.” If this isn’t enough to paint a perverted picture of the author, he also likens the way a dog rounds a corner to the movements of a “showgirl.” And no, the book isn’t a first person narration, so these are not the sick impressions of a perverted character.
And no, it’s not even over. The sheer amount of needless, gratuitous cruelty and violence against animals in this book is repulsive. No one who doesn’t revel in such imagery would write these scenes. This is beyond the cheap trick of books and movies killing off dogs when they know they can’t create tension through good writing; these are indulgent descriptions of animal abuse.
I’d love to write a better review, or at least tie it up, but thinking this much about the book has once again given me a headache out of fury. This is one of the most boring books I’ve ever made myself suffer through.
Oh and — there are extensive descriptions of a myriapod.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
kkalicky94's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape
tormlen's review against another edition
dark
tense
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
I have lots of mixed feelings on this one. First, READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE YOU READ THIS IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE. I will say that the trigger warnings prepared me for much, but not how borderline hatefully this author writes fat people. I hated the character of the mother, Bethany. She felt evil and two dimensional, a monster, not a flawed human. It does not help that the author uses her size to illustrate her monstrosity every chance he gets. I got so sick of hearing about "her bulk." We get it; she's fat! It doesn't make her any more or less of a monster. That's all in her actions. The story of how she gains her weight also doesn't feel believable to me, and I feel like the choice of porridge was intended to just make it feel even grosser. It would have been nice to have a foil for her, a fat person who is actually likable. Granted, that would mean having more than one likable human character in the book.
That aside, parts of this book moved fast, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the setting. The story was engaging. I actually don't mind that the 'gets is abandoned once they board the Trieste. The disease is part of the bait. Some of the imagery in this book is very creepy and strong. However, be prepared as they can also be pretty disturbing.
The weakest part of this book is probably the characters. Other than Luke, everyone feels pretty flat. Despite this flatness, Al is actually the only human character I liked. Of course, the dog is also endearing, but that's kind of a cop out. What happens to the dog was horribly sad. I almost cried.
I know a lot of people love this book, and I can partially understand why. The scare factor is really high, the writing (when not fat-shaming) is decent, and the story was really engaging. I actually did not guess the ending, so that's cool. I would be willing to read more by this author, especially if he can actually write diverse body types in a way that does not feel demonizing.
That aside, parts of this book moved fast, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the setting. The story was engaging. I actually don't mind that the 'gets is abandoned once they board the Trieste. The disease is part of the bait. Some of the imagery in this book is very creepy and strong. However, be prepared as they can also be pretty disturbing.
The weakest part of this book is probably the characters. Other than Luke, everyone feels pretty flat. Despite this flatness, Al is actually the only human character I liked. Of course, the dog is also endearing, but that's kind of a cop out. What happens to the dog was horribly sad. I almost cried.
I know a lot of people love this book, and I can partially understand why. The scare factor is really high, the writing (when not fat-shaming) is decent, and the story was really engaging. I actually did not guess the ending, so that's cool. I would be willing to read more by this author, especially if he can actually write diverse body types in a way that does not feel demonizing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Incest, and Rape
Minor: Eating disorder
The eating disorder is implied and horribly written. While the character's behavior pattern could be symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder, it's never explicitly said and feels extremely unrealistic. I would be shocked if the author actually researched Binge Eating Disorder much at all.dromedaryreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, even though I have some issues with the plot. Many things that are brought up such as the fig men and the 'gets aren't really carried much throughout the story and I feel like I would forget about those parts until they were thrown back in.
That being said, I still very much liked this book. The amount of background given on the main character alone made it worth the read, and I do love how so much of the things casually mentioned about his childhood are circled back to and become bigger, more important things.
That being said, I still very much liked this book. The amount of background given on the main character alone made it worth the read, and I do love how so much of the things casually mentioned about his childhood are circled back to and become bigger, more important things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Torture