zenzi2read's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Confinement
omega's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
beepsies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Death
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
harpoonholly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Audiobook read by Abby Craden. She's a fine reader, though sometimes her pacing took away from the story rather than added to it. But, she handled each character's personalities well and their individual moments of fear, anxiety, despair, and joy.
I've been looking for a deep sea horror that is both "deep sea" and "horror" and From Below nails it. It's atmospheric in its description of the SS Arcadia, it is the sublime underneath, making the wider ocean seem like a safe haven in comparison. Coates takes what is often thought of as a Lovecraftian subgenre (to both horror and the gothic) and deviates from the weirdist (weirdism sub-subgenre) norm.
I've been looking for a deep sea horror that is both "deep sea" and "horror" and From Below nails it. It's atmospheric in its description of the SS Arcadia, it is the sublime underneath, making the wider ocean seem like a safe haven in comparison. Coates takes what is often thought of as a Lovecraftian subgenre (to both horror and the gothic) and deviates from the weirdist (weirdism sub-subgenre) norm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
There might be more horror/gothic ambience in reading the text directly, letting the readers' imaginations to get away with them. The audiobook was enjoyable, but had a kimd of impersonal, voyeuristic vibe. Of course, I couldn't stop listening till I was through, so maybe not...silverheartbookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Confinement, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Murder
jkpiowa's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A tense, scary underwater exploration story. Kept me guessing until the reveal, and even then the tension never let up. The best Darcy Coates I've read yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide
lindsbal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I don't often read horror but, I love period and dual timeline books. This book was such a thrilling read and I loved how the narrative jumped between the modern day shipwreck exploration story and the days leading up to the ship sinking in the 1920s. A lot of suspense was created from knowing that the ship was going to sink but not how it was going to happen. The chapters are short and often leave you with a cliffhanger as they whip you back and fourth between the two timelines.
I'm not a diver, but the descriptions of the mechanics of a dive this deep felt plausible and it seemed like Darcy had done a lot of research into how an expedition like this would work.
My only criticism is wishing the book would have followed more than one character in the 1920s. We get to know one of the crew members but I would have loved a passenger perspective as well. (Even if it would have come at the expense of the fast pace.) There were five divers plus two people aboard the ship in the modern day timeline so it felt a bit unbalanced with the 1920's narrative where we primarily followed one person.
Overall highly recommend this one!
I'm not a diver, but the descriptions of the mechanics of a dive this deep felt plausible and it seemed like Darcy had done a lot of research into how an expedition like this would work.
My only criticism is wishing the book would have followed more than one character in the 1920s. We get to know one of the crew members but I would have loved a passenger perspective as well. (Even if it would have come at the expense of the fast pace.) There were five divers plus two people aboard the ship in the modern day timeline so it felt a bit unbalanced with the 1920's narrative where we primarily followed one person.
Overall highly recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, and Confinement
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic and Suicide
Minor: Murder
kimberlyswalters's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
paperback_whiplash's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
"From Below" follows two timelines. 60 years ago on the last voyage of SS Arcadia and the present-day scuba diving crew filming the documentary of the shipwreck. Both timelines are equally captivating and eerie.
The book was a little slow in the middle and could have been a bit shorter. One of the divers made a horrible (so, so incredibly stupid) decision towards the end that made me rooting for their death. It was so unnecessary and made the ending drag. It felt like the climax could have been earlier in the previous scuba diving trip. There a multiple dives down to the wreck and it felt like one too many.
It did itch that scratch of haunted ghost ship vibes that are sometimes hard to find.
3.25
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
infinite_helix's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was the PERFECT summer spooky read!! It takes until like halfway for the pace to pick up but once it gets going it DOES NOT STOP. I had to put the book down multiple times so I wouldn’t scare myself too bad to sleep 😂😂 It is very rare that I’m Edge Of My Seat over a horror book, but this had me gasping out loud, racing heartbeat, eyes darting over the page to get to the next line and everything
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide