Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’m doing my best to keep my reviews coming at a steady pace. I’m also realizing that I might have to rearrange my bookshelves yet again. Every year or so, I like to switch up how my bookshelves look. They aren’t super cute or aesthetic by any means but they are set up just the way I like them for now. I might organize by color next time for my standalone books but we will see how much effort I feel like putting into re-organizing everything. Now, enough of that. Let’s talk about The Deep by Alma Katsu.

Content Warning: Death of a Child, Distressing Imagery, Some Violence, Sexual Content

In 1912, a young Irish woman named Annie Hebbley was hired as a stewardess aboard the HMHS Titanic. Despite the glamor of the remarkable ship, something sinister is attacking the guests. Annie and a few others try to investigate what’s happening but tragedy strikes. Annie manages to survive the sinking of the Titanic and retreats to an asylum. Four years later, Annie’s friend and fellow survivor, Violet Jessop, offers her a position as a nurse on board the Titanic‘s sister ship, the Britannic, which has been converted to a hospital ship in the wake of World War One. While on the ship, Annie crosses paths with Mark Fletcher whom she had met on the Titanic. The two are forced to relive the tragedy they had survived and confront the demons that have come back to haunt them from their pasts.

Maybe some of you reading this review have or had some sort of fascination with the sinking of the Titanic and, if so, then this book is for you. The Deep is a rich mixture of drama, suspense, mystery, and horror. This is a bit of a slow burn but even the parts that don’t really touch on the supernatural elements are still interesting. Once the novel picks up pace, it becomes difficult to put down. Every character is well fleshed-out and the subplots blend seamlessly. This novel utilizes a mix of real-life figures and characters created for this book. I did some light research because I was curious and it seems Alma Katsu did keep true to history. This was a very fun and compelling read. I am absolutely going to recommend this, especially if you want a unique historical fiction novel.