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lattelibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Now this was a good and freaky book!
A group of deep-sea divers sign a contract to take footage of the sunken SS Arcadia, whose reasons for sinking are still theorized about. From the get-go, it seems that everything goes wrong. Unexperienced Aiden loses air quicker than he'd like. The ROVs malfunction. And there's still bodies, frozen in time, on the ship. Not to mention all of the torn wallpaper and messages on the wall...
There's an unexperienced diver, a diver with a strikingly bizarre and threatening journal, and hot-tempered digitizer. But even more, there's a pull down to the depths of the SS Arcadia. As unsafe and haunting as it is, our beloved characters can't help but to return.
Told in alternating perspectives from modern day to a countdown of when the ship originally sunk, Coates unravels for us the mystery of this sunken ship, but it certainly wasn't what I expected--which made it all the more fun.
A group of deep-sea divers sign a contract to take footage of the sunken SS Arcadia, whose reasons for sinking are still theorized about. From the get-go, it seems that everything goes wrong. Unexperienced Aiden loses air quicker than he'd like. The ROVs malfunction. And there's still bodies, frozen in time, on the ship. Not to mention all of the torn wallpaper and messages on the wall...
There's an unexperienced diver, a diver with a strikingly bizarre and threatening journal, and hot-tempered digitizer. But even more, there's a pull down to the depths of the SS Arcadia. As unsafe and haunting as it is, our beloved characters can't help but to return.
Told in alternating perspectives from modern day to a countdown of when the ship originally sunk, Coates unravels for us the mystery of this sunken ship, but it certainly wasn't what I expected--which made it all the more fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Confinement
afterplague's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
If you enjoy a slow burn with amazing, atmospheric tension, this is the book for you. Some elements in this novel are absolutely horrific, but many of the most disturbing moments are left to the imagination. I would’ve rated this 5 stars if not for the last 40 pages. I wish that those events had happened earlier in combination with one of the other dives, but ultimately I can’t deny that this book had me intrigued and shaking with anticipation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body horror and Murder
_readerfromtheblacklagoon_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Mental illness, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
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, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
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, Death, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
aetherkids's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
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: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
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...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: Body horror, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Suicide and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Murder
louisegraveyard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, and Murder
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: Body horror, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicide