Title: Into the Drowning Deep
Series: Yes (Rolling in the Deep #1)
Author: Mira Grant
Published Date: November 14th, 2017
Publisher: Orbit
Source: I bought it
# of Pages: 440
Format: Physical Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Days to Read: 8
Rating: 3.75 / 5 stars
My review on Goodreads: Here
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Goodreads Synopsis
Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.
Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.
Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.
My Thoughts
I really did enjoy this book over-all and am glad I read it! For awhile though I thought it was going to be a new favorite, and...not quite, but I still enjoyed reading it.
I fell in love with many of the characters, and some that I hated it was a "love to hate you" thing, particularly with Michi and Jacques, a married couple that hunt animals for sport and take a lot of joy in killing things for, in my honest opinion, no good reason. Don't get me wrong, I understand for food or self-defense, but for sport? I don't get it, and I don't want to. However they were recruited for the ship to find mermaids, after what happened to the Atargatis, because they are such good killers and in order to keep people alive on this mission that is necessary. Even though I hated both of them I thought they were cute together! I even sort of liked Michi by the end of it, for other reasons.
I fell in love with Heather, Holly and Hallie (Heather and Holly, I believe, being twin sisters, and Hallie their older sister), though I did often have to stop and figure out who was who because their names are so similar. Anyway I also loved Olivia and Tory.
I loved how all the characters were flawed, different, and had their reasons that even if I didn't agree with them I could understand them. I also loved the diversity and how that all was handled. The twin sisters Heather and Holly are deaf and use ASL. Tory is bisexual and as a fellow bisexual person I LOVED the rep in here, it's said on the page and how it's handled, I loved it! Olivia is Autistic and while her sexuality isn't stated does say she's only into girls. Mr. Blackwell has pain in his leg from something that had happened before and has trouble walking.
The plot/pacing, I can see how it's slow but I ate it up! It's filled with getting to know the characters or talking about the environment and stuff. I loved it so much!
My main issue was the ending. It felt like it was building up to something big the entire book, and then it just...fell flat. The ending didn't seem, to me, to fit the rest of the book. It lacked a punch and seemed to be scared to "go there" in a sense. It's an adult fantasy novel (though I don't see any reason why teens can't read it, I think it's just adult because the characters are adults) but felt, in several aspects, like it's written for teens. Which didn't bother me at all...until the ending that was like "That...that's it?" instead of making more of an impact and sending a stronger message (imho).
If it sounds interesting I would recommend it, I loved the writing, the messages, the killer mermaids, the science, the characters, it had me crying and made me think and I don't regret reading it! You don't *have* to read the prequel first though I would recommend the prequel, as I loved it even more than Into the Drowning Deep and am glad I read it first, even though again, you don't have to you won't be confused if you don't.
Quotes
"The problem with trying to define nature is that nature is bigger than we are, and nature doesn't care whether we know how to define it. Nature does what nature wants."
"If my crime is refusing to be silent, then i'm happy to be a criminal"
"It was an unfamiliar weight. There were probably people in the world who found carrying a gun to be comforting, even necessary to their peace of mind. He wasn't sure he wanted to meet any of them."
"I'm not a reporter. I'm a propaganda machine, and i've never written my own script." -Olivia Sanderson
"I can run in four-inch heels. Are we done playing 'who has the bigger dick'?"
"Science is not a matter of belief. Science does not care whether you believe in it or not. Science will continue to do what science will do, free from morality, free from ethical concerns, and most of all, free from the petty worry that is will not be believed. Belief has shaped the history of human accomplishment-we believe we can, and so we do-but belief has never changed the natural world. The mountain does not vanish because we believe it should. The unicorn does not appear because we believe it will. The mermaid does not car whether or not we believe in it's existence. Somewhere far from here, the mermaid continues to do what it has always done: it continues to thrive. And it waits for us to realize that belief is, in the end, irrelevant."
""Men are weak," said Jacques dismissively. "Nothing which wants to survive should keep its genitals on the outside of its body."" (Jacques is a man himself, and in context I just loved this)
