The Vanishing Deep
-
-
3.8 • 8 Ratings
-
-
- $5.99
-
- $5.99
Publisher Description
Bestselling author Astrid Scholte, returns with a thrilling adventure in which the dead can be revived...for a price.
Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.
But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Five years before the start of this fast-paced ecological thriller, 17-year-old Tempest "Tempe" Alerin's scientist parents were lost in a storm, and her beloved older sister, Elysea, drowned three years later. Tempe, who has survived by diving, scavenging her planet's now-underwater Old World cities for goods to sell, believes that Elysea knew what really happened to their parents and may even have been responsible. After a lucky break, she can finally pay Palindromena scientists to resurrect Elysea for 24 hours. Doing a favor for a friend, Lor, 19, supervises Elysea during her revival, giving chase when Tempe smuggles Elysea off the island after revelations suggest that their parents might be alive. Though Lor races to catch them before the breach is discovered, he finds himself sympathizing with their plight. Scholte (Four Dead Queens) builds palpable suspense through Lor and Tempe's alternating narratives while offering timely commentary on sustainability and responsible stewardship of land and sea. The sisters' connection, especially with the shadow of Elysea's impending second death hanging over them, adds a poignant urgency. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Interesting and Well Written
I really liked this book quite a bit. It was an interesting universe that was created and the story was well-written. I thought the characters were decently developed, the relationships and backstories were really solid.
The issue I had was the ending. I just didn't feel like there was a huge payoff the way it was written. It could have gone two ways, a happily ever after, or a sad loss. It looked like it was going to go one way, and sort of moved back and forth between the two options throughout the final act which made for good suspense and kept me engaged. However, there was a point where the book should have ended, and it kept going, keeping the back and forth after there was no point in continuing. There was potential payoff, but we never got it. There were some loose ends that only really made sense if this was going to be a series, but I'm not sure the story lends itself to that.
A favorite read of 2020!!!
This YA Post-Apocalyptic Thriller was AMAZING!!! I couldn’t put it down!!!
It takes place in a world of almost all water. The old world is under the ocean. The world building in this book is so well done, I could picture everything so clearly in my mind.
Tempe (or Tempest) is my FAVORITE character, and she is just sooo much!!! There is so much depth to this 17 (almost 18) year old. She was fearless and determined, but she also had faults and so much anger. She and her sister, Elysea, lost their parents at a young age and then 3 years later Tempe lost Elysea. But she works at diving for notes (or money) for 2 years, so that she can go to Palindromena where the dead could be revived for a price. But only for 24 hrs. This is where she meets Lor. Lor is a favorite character for me too. He has been hiding from the world for two years because he feels at fault for his best friend’s death. He is a complicated character, like Tempe, and he is so kind and caring.
The adventure, along with many dangers, that they end up on is life-changing.
This is definitely a favorite read for 2020!! I won it on Bookish First and I’m so glad I did. You definitely need to read this book!!! Five glowing coral stars!!
A great idea
This is going to be a very different review for me. I have very strong mixed feelings about this book, and I don’t know how to pinpoint it exactly. The book has extremely odd pacing. I want to call it action packed, but it wasn’t exactly action packed. The first like 90 pages are world building and background story, which is fine, but in a stand alone, with this much world building, it felt like a lot. And there were a lot of details we got in odd moments. Let’s dive into it
Wins:
-it was very unique. I liked the world. I appreciate just how different it is from every other story being told. I guess my big thing is that it’s very... unrealistic, but the explanation made sense in the context.
-Lor was a great main character. There was an air of mystery and some good foreshadowing in his point of view that I really liked. He was interesting. I liked Raylan as well, but at the end of the book I had to sit there and question him as a character because he ended up being quite the selfish character . Ely was cute. I wish we could’ve had her point of view throughout it
-the plot was cool. The fact that you could revive a family member for 24 hours, and where it went from there is something I haven’t read before, so I was curious the entire time where it was going
-it was very good detailing, I could see very everything and picture every detail, so props to Astrid for that.
Opportunities: (there are a lot)
-insta love. From literally the first time these two characters met they were instantly all in for each other in a way other characters interactions made it seem like too much. In YA novels, I’m just over the insta love side of it, that may be a me problem.
-again, the pacing. It went from very slow world building right into the action, and then would randomly let up to give the insta love time to show. I didn’t enjoy that.
-theres a scene with a character, who yeah she is slightly relevant to the plot, but her reveal isn’t relevant at all, it’s just kind of thrown in there, and then some of the world building that isn’t mentioned previously has to be explained. It threw off the whole story, and overall she was just a very... weird character with a weird reveal.
-BIG reveals. All throughout the novel. The first time it’s interesting, the next time it’s good, not so much after the 9th big reveal at the end of a 420 page standalone novel.
-the random Remorans. Another thing that wasn’t explained until they were just a big reveal. And then randomly showed up again to give the book conflict. I’m literally cringing just thinking about them.
-the ending. The ending was so rushed. It felt like she was just trying to get there really quick. It wasn’t my favorite, and it’s probably closer to my least favorite endings. It left something wanted.
To recap, I think my chief complaint is that this is a standalone, and it felt like a standalone that should’ve been a duology. The ending leaves something to be wanted, it doesn’t feel complete, and the characters interactions and relationships felt forced in the worst show don’t tell type of writing. I’m not going to sit here and slam Astrid Scholte, but it felt like a Disney novel that wanted more depth to it. I didn’t finish Four Dead Queens by her, but I do plan on giving her one last chance. Hopefully with time her writing gets the depth she’s trying to give her. Her concepts and world building are great, as is her detailing. This was a great concept that was executed in a just okay type of way.