Overall: 🐢🐢🐢
Storyline:
Writing Style:
Character Development:
Enjoyment:
“We are all, men and women, creatures of desires both good and bad. But everything has a price, and the price of indulging in that which is bad for us is often guilt; and too much guilt results in a sickness of the mind. We have poisoned our conscience, and something poisoned will need treatment one day – or it will rot.”
The Deep by Alma Katsu
The Story:
Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic.
This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner’s illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers – including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher – are convinced that something sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes.
Years later, Annie, having survived that fateful night, has attempted to put her life back together. Working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, newly refitted as a hospital ship, she happens across an unconscious Mark, now a soldier fighting in World War I. At first, Annie is thrilled and relieved to learn that he too survived the sinking, but soon, Mark’s presence awakens deep-buried feelings and secrets, forcing her to reckon with the demons of her past – as they both discover that the terror may not yet be over.
Key Elements:
Thriller, Historical Fiction, Titanic, Sea, Ships, Paranormal, Britannic, Horror, Nurse, Stewardship, Haunting, Lost Love
Why This Rating?
Going into this book knowing the history of both the Titanic and Britannic sinking really helped set the mood for the story. I am always up for a great retelling and for these to tragic sailing events a retelling is always wanted! I mean, most of the hopeless romantics out there love the retelling of this exact historic event in the move The Titanic. I think most of them watch it for to sob moment when our dear Leonardo floats off into the icy waters after saving his love. (I won’t go into the whole “He could have lived to” argument this time. Just know, I agree with you guys!) This retelling isn’t the classic romantic story from the silver screen, we’re diving into a thrilling paranormal event full of psychological twists, obsessive and controlling individuals, and a hint of hauntings occurring.
The dramatic irony in this story it is amazing. I had no clue we would be getting dates as we were traveling with the passengers aboard the Titanic and the Britannic. But as you are reading every once in a while a day pops up leading one day closer to the fateful ending. The days are literally ticking down for the passengers. And, in the perfect way of the dramatic irony, all we (the audience) can do is hold on, watching the people live their lives knowing April 15th, 1912 is almost here. For anyone who isn’t as familiar with the dates of both ship’s sinking: The Titanic set off from port to travel across the Atlantic on April 10, 1912 and sunk April 15th after striking an iceberg. The Britannic sunk on November 16, 1916 when crossing paths with a German water mine, exploding underneath the massive ship. She was setting out on her 6th voyage as a nursing ship for the ongoing war.
Now, was the story a GREAT read? ehh, I’d count it more in the enjoyable category. I liked the characters we were interacting with and Annie (the main POV) was always around the action so to speak. There was a slight ghostly atmosphere haunting the ship leaving such an eerie feel as people walked around, gave me chills. The writing was the part the made it fall in ranks for me. I understand some stories require the audience to take a jump back through memories for explanations and such; however, the entire story bounces between Annie’s time on the Titanic and her time on the Britannic. There is no true reasoning as to why we have a need for jumping around time. The transition points are just randomly spaced around. Yes, they add a little suspense to the events. But I feel like there could have been better connections between the past and present moments or reasonings as to why the are jumping around. Spark of memory from a smell or seeing someone, similar interactions occurring, even walking around the ship since the Britannic was practically a replica of its’ sister ship. Or when writing we could have started out on the Titanic and progressed forward in time like normal (with the quick flashbacks we would expect from character backgrounds). The eerie, spooky feeling and thrilling moments would stick around just the same, we would just get a bit more streamline of time.
This is definitely a story for those people who also find Titanic a fascinating event and want to have a story of what might have been happening on board. Also a great book for thrill readers and anyone who just loves being free out in the sea. There is plenty of paranormal events occurring that it makes you want to take a second look around the hallways and keep a candle burning for a little bit of light.
There were are few things that I’ve learned from this story: That I NEVER want to get into a pool at night with another person. I will ALWAYS be sure I know where the life vests are on a boat – even though I know how to swim. And I NEED to double check my personal belongings when out on a trip just in case my items show up somewhere suspicious.
Time to get lost in the next story!
