The world of THE VANISHING DEEP is definitely intriguing - climatological disaster, caused largely at the hands of humans, has submerged the world under water. "Reefs" that float above the water joined all peoples of the world together and to survive, they fish or scavenge underwater cities for artifacts and objects.
Tempe is the only surviving member of her family after her older sister Elysea died drowning two years prior. In the interim, she's been diving to earn money to revive Elysea for 24 hours at the nearby island scientific complex of Palindromena. After a major score, Tempe can afford the treatment and once she revives her sister, she learns a shocking truth about their parents. Intersected is the story of Lor, a depressed worker at Palindromena who gets tangled up in the sisters' escape from the island.
I really wanted to like THE VANISHING DEEP but to put it bluntly, the plot is a hot mess. There are layers of secrets that could have been easily communicated, an unnecessary romance, incredibly questionable character choices - again communication is key - and some easily telegraphed plot events. Though Scholte tries to make the villain complex, they still come off very cartoonish and less than nuanced.
I do think THE VANISHING DEEP does a good job digging into characters' depression and demonstrating how it's hard to overcome guilt and trauma. The relationship between Tempe and Elysea is also well-done.
Thank you to BookishFirst for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tempe is the only surviving member of her family after her older sister Elysea died drowning two years prior. In the interim, she's been diving to earn money to revive Elysea for 24 hours at the nearby island scientific complex of Palindromena. After a major score, Tempe can afford the treatment and once she revives her sister, she learns a shocking truth about their parents. Intersected is the story of Lor, a depressed worker at Palindromena who gets tangled up in the sisters' escape from the island.
I really wanted to like THE VANISHING DEEP but to put it bluntly, the plot is a hot mess. There are layers of secrets that could have been easily communicated, an unnecessary romance, incredibly questionable character choices - again communication is key - and some easily telegraphed plot events. Though Scholte tries to make the villain complex, they still come off very cartoonish and less than nuanced.
I do think THE VANISHING DEEP does a good job digging into characters' depression and demonstrating how it's hard to overcome guilt and trauma. The relationship between Tempe and Elysea is also well-done.
Thank you to BookishFirst for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.