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A review by the_escapist
The Deep by Nick Cutter
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was here for the deep ocean setting, claustrophobia, and slowly losing sanity – that part was done really well. But a huge element features monstrous creations and really graphic gore, which I’m fairly indifferent about.
I thought the first half was great (tense, fast-paced, good with characters, nice balancing backstory with what's going on presently, slowly amping up dread...), the second half less so. It seemed to get slower and more samey. Or maybe it's just a taste thing because that type of horror just doesn't really capture my interest (I'm not squeamish or particularly bothered by it, it just doesn't really make me feel anything).
The ending wasn't bad, but I think it would've been far more effective if the last few chapters were cut.
Reading this taught me that I have a fairly high tolerance for terrible things happening to humans in fiction, but not animals.
For what it was aiming to be, this book did a pretty good job overall. But it didn't match my taste and what I wanted from it and I found the latter half considerably less intriguing and engrossing.
I thought the first half was great (tense, fast-paced, good with characters, nice balancing backstory with what's going on presently, slowly amping up dread...), the second half less so. It seemed to get slower and more samey. Or maybe it's just a taste thing because that type of horror just doesn't really capture my interest (I'm not squeamish or particularly bothered by it, it just doesn't really make me feel anything).
The ending wasn't bad, but I think it would've been far more effective if the last few chapters were cut.
Reading this taught me that I have a fairly high tolerance for terrible things happening to humans in fiction, but not animals.
For what it was aiming to be, this book did a pretty good job overall. But it didn't match my taste and what I wanted from it and I found the latter half considerably less intriguing and engrossing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis