A review by chalkletters
The Deep by Rivers Solomon

challenging sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Many years ago, after Twilight and Blood and Chocolate ushered YA paranormal romance through its vampire and werewolf phases, somebody in publishing promised me that mermaids would be next. As far as I’m aware, mermaids never hit those heights, but I was very excited to read The Deep, eve thoughts the focus of the novel was on more serious matters than romance.

The Deep’s creatures call themselves wajinru, rather than mermaids, and their origin is the pregnant slaves thrown overboard during the crossings of transatlantic slave ships. They are their own kind of fantasy creature, with their own history, culture and traditions, rather than drawing from existing mermaid folklore. Their struggle to deal with the traumatic memories of their species is obviously a metaphor for handling intergenerational trauma, and different characters deal with it in very different ways: by getting angry, by divorcing themselves from the history, by trying to protect others.

Fittingly, the narrative isn’t strictly linear. While Rivers Solomon writes mostly from Yetu’s perspective, her role as historian means the reader also experiences other lives. Zoti’s memories of the discovery and foundation of wajinru society, and their first encounter with humans, are particularly compelling. Yetu’s conversations with Oori, another human, were similarly well executed.

As is often the case with novellas, the story feels a little unbalanced. Yetu spends a lot of time thinking about the problem of the memories, which is all perfectly paced, and then the solution and ending all turn on a dime without really being given room to breathe. That said, it’s obvious from much earlier what the solution is likely to be, so it doesn’t feel out of place. While it would have been nice for Yetu to be able to brainstorm solutions, it’s thematically appropriate that she had to come to an answer on her own.

The Deep is a painful, hopeful book saying interesting things about truly important topics, and I would definitely recommend it.
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