A review by alsavini
The Deep by Nick Cutter
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"There are places on Earth where light is unwelcome. Light has no power down here. Darkness is king. Light flees the dark, or it gets devoured."
In October I try to only read horror books and this was a great way to kick off my spooky book season! The Deep starts off with a global pandemic called the gets. Its basically like a Alzheimer's but you also develop black spots and anyone can get it. There is a station, the Trieste, down at the bottom of the pacific ocean in the Mariana Trench (the deepest part of the ocean) where some of the most brilliant men on Earth are researching for a cure. Things go haywire and Luke, the veterinarian brother of Clayton, one of the scientists in the the Trieste, goes down to the station to see if he can help his brother. Let the horror begin.
I already have a fear of drowning, suffocation, and treading open water so I knew this one would crawl under my skin. Someone else described this book as The Abyss meets The Shining and that description couldnt be more perfect. At no point did I know what was going to happen next. Keep in mind they're 8 miles below the sea level. At any point if one thing were to go wrong the pressure is so immense they would be crushed in an instant. It's a hard no from me.
I guess Luke is technically the protagonist but I would argue the station itself is the main character, the way it comes alive during the story. The characters were okay but this is definitely a plot driven story.
I found myself holding my breath several times while reading. The concept was very unique. Perfect amount of psychological/body horror. The only issue I had with it is that there is animal cruelty/death that had me bawling like a baby. I dont like that in movies or books. The ending was interesting, like a horrible fever dream where I had no idea what was happening in the best way. Safe to say, if you're looking for a horror book to start your spooky book season off with, this is a great choice.
In October I try to only read horror books and this was a great way to kick off my spooky book season! The Deep starts off with a global pandemic called the gets. Its basically like a Alzheimer's but you also develop black spots and anyone can get it. There is a station, the Trieste, down at the bottom of the pacific ocean in the Mariana Trench (the deepest part of the ocean) where some of the most brilliant men on Earth are researching for a cure. Things go haywire and Luke, the veterinarian brother of Clayton, one of the scientists in the the Trieste, goes down to the station to see if he can help his brother. Let the horror begin.
I already have a fear of drowning, suffocation, and treading open water so I knew this one would crawl under my skin. Someone else described this book as The Abyss meets The Shining and that description couldnt be more perfect. At no point did I know what was going to happen next. Keep in mind they're 8 miles below the sea level. At any point if one thing were to go wrong the pressure is so immense they would be crushed in an instant. It's a hard no from me.
I guess Luke is technically the protagonist but I would argue the station itself is the main character, the way it comes alive during the story. The characters were okay but this is definitely a plot driven story.
I found myself holding my breath several times while reading. The concept was very unique. Perfect amount of psychological/body horror. The only issue I had with it is that there is animal cruelty/death that had me bawling like a baby. I dont like that in movies or books. The ending was interesting, like a horrible fever dream where I had no idea what was happening in the best way. Safe to say, if you're looking for a horror book to start your spooky book season off with, this is a great choice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, Murder, and Animal death