I was a fan of Alma Katsu’s The Hunger, and was excited to hear her next book would be another historical horror, set to the backdrop of the sinking of not one but two great ships—the RMS Titanic and her fleet mate the HMHS Britannic, both of which met tragic fates.

The novel first opens in 1916, as the Great War rages across Europe. For years, Annie Hebbley has been living in an asylum slowly regaining her lost memory. She now remembers her name, the fact that she used to serve as a maid on a passenger liner, and that the ship, Titanic, had struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Her doctors feel that Annie is now fully recovered, and should return to society and normal everyday life, starting with taking the position she has been offered as a nurse aboard the Britannic, newly refitted as a hospital ship to ferry injured British forces.

And so, Annie embarks on her new journey, quickly settling back into life on the ocean, despite her past traumatic experiences at sea and the fact that her nursing duties are so different than the work she used to do. The story then flashes back to 1912 aboard the Titanic, where Annie served as a cabin maid to the glamorous and wealthy passengers in first class. It is here where she meets and immediately becomes drawn to Mark Fletcher, despite him having a wife and child.

The rest of the novel alternates between these two timelines: the past, which gradually reveals the tumultuous events aboard the Titanic as Annie becomes increasingly embroiled in the Fletcher’s lives; as well as the present, which chronicles her confusion and despair as she chances to meet Mark again on the Britannic. Now a soldier, wounded and in the care of Annie, he had also survived the sinking four years ago but believed that his wife and baby had perished. Rather than sharing Annie’s joy at being reunited, however, Mark instead recoils in horror at the first sight of her, requesting a move to another ward. Deeply hurt, Annie seeks to repair their connection by telling Mark that his daughter had not in fact died that night. But being close to him now has also reawakened buried emotions and secrets, as well as memories that threaten her sanity.

I don’t know what I expected from The Deep, but the horror was most definitely lacking. Instead, the balance heavily favored historical drama, likely caused by the inordinate amount of time it took for this book to get off the ground. To be fair, a story like this needed a lot of setup, considering the two separate narratives that had to be established, and the author chose to unravel both these timelines in tandem which was probably the most efficient for storytelling. However, this decision presented its fair share of problems, not least of them the awkwardness of trying to give each thread the same amount of attention while ensuring the plot’s pace ran smoothly. Unfortunately, this balancing act was not entirely achieved, and whatever horror elements there were ended up slipping through the cracks as a result.

As much as I hate to say, but much of the first half of the book also felt like a waste of time in retrospect. Katsu featured many characters in the Titanic including the wealthy real estate developer and investor John Jacob Astor and his pregnant wife Madeleine, boxers David “Dai” Bowen and Leslie Williams, businessman Benjamin Guggenheim, fashion designer Lady Duff-Gordon and others—all of them real historical figures, but none of whom had really any impact on the overall story whatsoever. To tell the truth, it struck me an indulgence by the author, a way for her to show off her knowledge and research which I have no doubt was considerable, but ultimately unnecessary to the larger picture.

That being said, while The Deep had its flaws, it also had its high points. I absolutely loved the concept behind the book, especially the way it drew attention to the Britannic, which met the same watery fate as the Titanic but is perhaps not as well-known as her sister ship. I also enjoyed the sinking scenes but wish there had been more time spent on them, and that they had been written with greater gravitas. Description was light on the whole with this novel and it’s a shame because so much could have done with the atmosphere, from the luxury and decadence aboard Titanic to the more disturbing, creepier moments like when Annie’s unsettling memories return to haunt her. Generally speaking, the mood was largely absent, which I thought was the novel’s weakest point.

Considering how much I enjoyed The Hunger, it’s hard not to view The Deep as a disappointment. The premise behind it was good but perhaps a tad over ambitious. Building up two timelines at once while trying to inject as much history and horror elements into this awfully restrictive structure ended up causing a lot of balancing and pacing issues, and ultimately, it’s a format that didn’t quite work for me.

White Star Lines welcomes you aboard to this review! I’ve never read this author before, and I’m delighted to say I was pleasantly surprised. Especially when I realized this wasn’t YA like I thought when I grabbed it—don’t ask—and it’s been a while since I’ve read a good adult novel.

What makes this book shine is the historical accuracy. Like many, I have a soft spot for any and all things Titanic. Over 100 years later and it’s still a story that captures so much attention and interest. Katsu has a gift for drawing in a reader with her descriptions and prose. I felt every bump and sway of the boot, smelled the fresh paint and varnish, and saw every opulent detail of this grand ship. There aren’t many books that take place on a steamship either, so the setting felt fresh and jogged my own inspiration. It’s hardly a spoiler to say you know this book will end in tragedy, and although the scenes of the sinking were a bit rushed, it still felt real.

And while most of the book takes place aboard the Titanic in 1912, there is an interesting parallel that plays out aboard the Britanic in 1916. Again, this is hardly a spoiler to say that the sister ship of the Titanic, fitted out as a hospital ship for WWI, also sinks.

This promises to be a paranormal take on the Titanic, but I’m disappointed in the execution. While there were a few little moments throughout, they can hardly be called more than glimpses. The scene that had the most promise was of a séance, but it was short-lived and didn’t amount to much. I wanted spooky and I didn’t get it. The true paranormal aspect didn’t properly kick in until the end of the book, which always bums me out because it’s far too late.

I loved that the author incorporated as characters that are both fictional and real passengers of the Titanic. The Astors, W.T. Stead, Guggenheim, etc. Also, a shout out to Violet Jessop. What a fascinating life she had. Not only did she survive the sinking of the Titanic while working as a stewardess, she also worked as a nurse on the Britanic and survived that sinking. I adore how this story took the tiny note of her being given a baby in the lifeboat off the Titanic, and then losing her later, was built in this book.

This is a big cast of characters, from all walks of life, that tell us the story in 1912. From pregnant young Madeline Astor, to journalist with a scandal past W. T. Stead, to a pair of steerage travelling con-artist boxers, these point of views gave us a full glimpse into life aboard the Titanic and conditions in general in the 1910’s. While a few felt incomplete or lacking detail, they were still interesting to follow along with. Of all the characters, the ones with the most interesting backstories and husband and wife Mark and Caroline Fletcher. I wish it had been revealed a little sooner and smoother, but their history and how they came to be where they were on the ship was very intriguing and added a heavy dose of mystery.

Aside from Mark, Annie is the only person who shares what takes place in 1916 as well. And she was my least favourite character for the vast majority of the book. Why she is how she is makes sense at the end, but I have an immediate dislike of young women who are naïve and misread every action of an older man she fancies. Listening outside of his door in the middle of the night as he makes love with his wife, then believing that he is cheating on you with his wife will not endear you to me.

Overall, this was an intriguing book and a high-class historical fiction. I would absolutely be interested in reading more from Katsu in the future.

Who hasn't been a little haunted by the Titanic at one point or another? I remember when the movie came out, and I would walk slow circles in my house thinking about the boat, the passengers, the tragedy. I was so predictably morose, but it's one of those things from the past that will completely consume you. When the movie came out, we all got treated to news specials and documentaries. Everyone became a little obsessed. I feel like Alma Katsu took that feeling of dark enchantment that we all felt when revisiting the horrible story and really capitalized on it.

In The Deep, characters feel overcome and possessed. They do things they don't remember after and wake up in places they'd never been before. They say things that aren't normal for them and hurt people they're supposed to love. Is it the ship? Is it spirits from their dark pasts, or is it a deeper magic following them...stories from the old days of selkies and mermaids luring people to their deaths. This book is split between 1912 during Annie's time as a stewardess aboard the Titanic and 1916 during her time as a nurse in WWI aboard the Titanic's sister, the Britannic, when it too sinks. Annie is convinced both she and the passengers of the Titanic are being haunted, and she won't stop until she discovers the truth. Her search continues four years later aboard the Britannic when she runs into other Titanic survivors, but you realize pretty quickly that Annie is hiding a lot about herself. Can she be trusted? I can't give away more for fear of ruining it for you.

The Deep is so much fun on so many levels. Katsu has done her homework, and the historical details about both ships and the period of time they sailed are delightful to read for history nerds like me. And if you were a Titanic obsessive, you'll appreciate them too. But this book is also incredibly creepy! I wouldn't go so far as to freezer it, but there were moments I was absolutely sitting on the edge of my seat. It was a fast and exciting read with a lot of juicy tidbits to keep you hooked. The writing was excellent, the setting was excellent, and the spooks were excellent. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery/thrillers, historical fiction, spooky tales, and/or Titanic content. I can't wait for more of these historical horror twists from Katsu!

This is a ghost story. But not a story of just the spectrals that can haunt you in the night but the ghosts from your past, the ones that you cant let go that become a part of you. Annie survived one shipwreck, the RMS Titanic, only to find herself upon another doomed ship, the Britannic, where the spiritual presence has followed her throughout. Others like William Stead, Caroline Fletcher and Madeleine Astor also felt the presence while passengers on the RMS Titanic but none of them could have imagined its fate.

I was intrigued at the beginning of this story, extremely curious about how Annie’s fate and the fate of the two ships the Titanic and Britannic would intertwine. The question I found myself asking is what must it be like to move from one doomed ship to the next? As the story progressed and the idea of a spirit haunting the ship and almost declaring it’s fate made it even more intriguing. But the more I read the less interesting the story became. The characters lives were so inexplicably linked but the story itself was trying to pull them together in a way that felt extremely forced. The instances, though paranormal in nature, lost their terror because as hard as the author tried the connections never lose their forced quality.

This isn’t necessarily a story I would recommend. While the writing kept me reading I gave up on much of the plot halfway through.

Set aboard the Titanic and aboard her sister ship, the Britanic, Alma Katsu weaves a haunting tale of love, grief, crime and class. Buy your boarding pass now!

I am a fan of alternating timelines and THE DEEP utilized that format. It was sometimes a little jarring, (I mean this in the best of ways), because of how vividly it brought home the differences between the Titanic, (the luxurious ocean-liner catering to the best of the best), and the Britanic, which by 1916 had been converted into a hospital ship serving during WWI. Men facing sudden, life- changing amputations and injuries vs. the creme de la creme of society in their fancy suits and gowns. It's a sharp contrast.

The characters here are well drawn and there's nice variety too: Gay boxers/con-men, those that are obsessed with the spiritual world, degenerate gamblers and cheaters galore. In this way, the writing reminded me a lot of Edith Wharton's characters and settings, and also the characters of Charles Dickens. What a weird combination, right?

Behind all of these interesting characters lurks a bit of a mystery, and perhaps a supernatural one at that. A woman survives the sinking of the Titanic only to find herself on her sister ship a mere four years later. It's quite a different trip this time around but one is left wondering who was haunted here? The ships or the woman?

I'm not gonna lie, I went into this expecting a horror novel. I didn't get one. Turns out, that was okay because I got a fascinating historical fiction story instead. To be honest, as the tale progressed, I was more interested in the goings-on of both ships, than the lack of any real horror. (Other than the horrors of what happened on both of these boats.) To my unpracticed eye, the research seemed well done and like I said-the details of the daily lives of the passengers stole my heart and attention.

THE DEEP may not have been what I expected, but in the end, I think that made me love it all the more.

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this tale in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

3.5 stars.
Well... this was completely different than I imagined it to be! If you're expecting a fast-paced story full of haunting action then this won't be the book for you. It's not a flash thriller where horrifying incidents are constantly shoved in your face but it's the creeping kind of mystery that works its way under your skin and before you know it you're feeling goosebumps, your mind is racing to figure out when the next tragedy will occur, and you're on the edge of your seat full of anticipation and dread.

I wouldn't say it's a ghost story in the "traditional sense" but I'm also writing this from the perspective of someone who doesn't read ghost stories because I'm the Ultimate Chicken. There are rumours of hauntings on both ships and there are spirits and ghostly things like seances involved, but there aren't many "jumping" moments to shock or scare you. The more ghost element gets more "tangible" towards the end, and I really had to suspend my disbelief with it, but for most of the read the ghosts are of the ‘psychological, ghosts from the past that linger due to guilt’ variety.

I found the characters mostly unlikable and unreliable but I struggled with Annie Hebbley the most. I just couldn't empathise with her in any way and I found myself growing increasingly frustrated up until the end. All the characters were full of secrets and dubious pasts they were trying to escape, but many were also full of paranoia. I liked the gems that Katsu dropped about each character's past but I felt as if I never learned enough about them to fully care and I kept wanting more. I think the only character I liked and empathised with was Dai Bowen, and his was a character whose purpose was unclear other than for passing entertainment. I'm still confused as to why he got so much time in the story when it resulted in nothing significant. There were other interesting revelations and intersecting storylines that Katsu included but again they didn't bring anything important to the story so I don't know what the purpose was other than to have an 'oh' moment.

Katsu's writing is atmospheric and almost dreamlike. I think it leant the story a perfectly fitting surreal atmosphere that make you question whether the events were actually happening. The combination did make the story feel disjointed at times, especially as we went from one scene and character to another. But what Katsu did so well was to permeate the writing with a deep sense of foreboding and dread that slowly filled me up while reading and made me anxious to know what happens next right now. Katsu builds the tension and mystery up very well! I have to admit that while the explanation for the paranormal activities was interesting, I don't think that it gave the most satisfying ending after the build up. I found myself wanting more--more what I'm not sure, but just more!

You can tell a lot of research has gone into the historical setting though and I enjoyed the descriptions of the first-class passengers and the Titanic itself. It was easy to picture the grandeur and luxury of the space. It's (still) mind-boggling to think of how much was fit onto a ship and how huge it must've been. The historic sinking of both ships did not play a very big role in the story though and was used mostly as a backdrop for the setting. I did like the author's note mentioning Violet Jessop as the spark of inspiration for the novel I had no idea she was an actual person who survived both disasters, so I found that historical tidbit fascinating! Another historical bit I found interesting (and I don't know if I'm the only who didn't know this) but doctors used to prescribe doses of cocaine as medicine?! Wowzer.

Despite expecting something completely different I still enjoyed this read. It's a slow-paced historical fiction mystery that has a terrific build up full of anxiety and dread. The atmospheric writing really helps you immerse yourself in the old-time setting. The one really good thing for an Ultimate Chicken like me is that this didn't end up being as scary/spooky as I thought it'd be, so if you're just like me and have been hesitating to read this because you're not sure if you can handle it, you definitely can! I enjoyed the writing and I'm looking forward to reading more by Katsu in the future.

Title: The Deep
Author: Alma Katsu
Genre: Historical, psychological thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Titanic is haunted. Sudden deaths, mysterious disappearances, objects that aren’t where they’re supposed to be, and visions…something is plaguing the ship. Annie Hebley serves on the maiden voyage of the celebrated ship, assigned to care for Mark Fletcher and his family. Early in the voyage, Annie realizes something strange is going on with the Fletchers—but then disaster strikes.

Years later, Annie, having miraculously survived the Titanic’s sinking, finds herself working on its sister ship, The Britannic, a hospital ship during the war. Memories of that other fateful voyage haunt her, then she sees a wounded soldier on the verge of death—Mark Fletcher, whom she thought died years ago in the frigid waters around Titanic. Annie doesn’t know how he survived, and soon comes to believe he didn’t.

Whatever haunted The Titanic is now on board The Britannic. And it wants what it lost.

I found The Deep a little hard to follow, as there was so much disjointedness in both time periods. Annie was an unreliable narrator—but so was everyone else—so knowing what was really going on wasn’t easy. I’ve always been fascinated and saddened by stories of The Titanic, so that was part was wonderful, but some of the secondary characters here—the boxers—seemed…kind of pointless to the storyline.
Alma Katsu lives outside Washington, D.C. The Deep is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group/Putnam in exchange for an honest review.)

One of my favorite kinds of stories are fiction stories that take place in an historical setting. Something realistic that the author made their own with fictional elements. So, of course, I couldn't wait to read The Deep.

The fact that the author used real people in this book, helped me to connect to the story.

Annie Hebbley, who was a maid on the Titanic, is an enigma at first. All we know is that she's spent her time in an asylum since the sinking of the Titanic and seems to be suffering from something--either supernatural or not, we don't know right off.  Soon, Annie embarks on a journey on Titanic's sister-ship, the Britannic during WWI. She's there with fellow-Titanic survivor and friend, Violet Jessop.

After the suspiciously supernatural events that took place on the Titanic, Annie soon finds herself in another situation very similar. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll stop there with the summary.

First and foremost, I have to say that I legitimately enjoyed Ms. Katsu's writing. It was engaging and suspenseful in all the right places. There weren't any boring places that I felt the need to skip over; I was hooked through the whole story.

The only issue I had with this one is that I didn't fully engage with the characters. I've always been more engrossed in character-driven stories as opposed to plot-driven. And, unfortunately, for me, The Deep falls into the latter category. That doesn't take away from the quality of the story, however. Just the overall enjoyment for me, personally.

Because while I may not have enjoyed that cast of characters as much as I'd hoped, I was really very impressed with the way Ms. Katsu wove the fictional and realistic aspects of the narrative together.

Also, it wasn't predictable in the least. Which, is no easy task, in my mind. Most stories are pretty telling from the beginning and they don't leave much joy in the end when you get to the climax.

I've heard wonderful things about this author's other works, and I'm eager to read more!

*Review to be added to Amazon upon release!*

**The Deep is a haunting, compelling story of the Titanic and the Brittanic. It is overflowing with secrets and unpredictable characters and intriguing narrators, though unfortunately I didn't find myself overly enamored with many of the characters. The Deep is promising and doesn't quite live up to what I'd hoped, but still makes for a fun and extremely worthwhile read!**

The Deep is filled with components I love--it's set on a ship, there are hauntings, and it takes place during an interesting historical setting--and yet I still (even after having read it months ago) have some of the most conflicting feelings about this book. I really wanted to love it more than I did, and as much as I enjoyed many scenes and elements, I also found myself bored with a lot of this story and I had a really difficult time connecting to some of the characters.

I read and enjoyed Alma Katsu's The Hunger last year and despite occasionally feeling like there was too much going on, I had a great time with it and therefore was really excited to see what The Deep would bring. I loved the Titanic and Britannica overlapping storylines that helped to set the background and overall atmosphere of the story and how Katsu managed to develop the plot in such a way that things were crafted together overall in a very careful manner. I also really appreciated how much historical fact and inspiration went into creating this story, as it really created a vibrant backdrop for the events of this story and a certain level of authenticity that made it feel real.

One of my biggest issues--or perhaps disappointments?--was that this book wasn't half as spooky as it had been made to seem. The synopsis and cover made this book seem like the haunting components would play a big role in the story, and although they were importance and manifested in various ways, I never found myself feeling particularly spooked or thinking that this book was about a haunted ship. Something about the descriptions and the way the 'hauntings' were incorporated just felt lackluster and never really hit home for me. I can't tell if it's just me that has this problem or if others will also see the issues, but it was definitely a bit of a letdown.

The other main reason I couldn't fully get into this book was due to the characters. There are two main timelines, both of which feature Annie Hebbley as the main character (who is actually based off of a real woman), though we also get the POV of a few different characters as well. I think of my favorite POVs was of the boxer Leslie Williams, as I felt I connected most with his character and I found his entire storyline and personality the most compelling.

Katsu' pacing is definitely on the slower side in The Deep and I think that really made it more difficult for me to get into the story and maintain my interest. The Deep has a fairly strong start, but near the last third/quarter or so of the story is when I really started losing interest. A lot of this is because of my issues with the characters and their personalities, as mentioned above, and some of this is also simply because it started to just feel a bit messy near the end and I didn't really feel connected to anything that was happening.

The Deep didn't quite live up to what I'd hoped, but it still makes for a fun and extremely worthwhile read if you're interesting in the premise, topic, or historical period--overall, I've given it 3.5 stars!

Disclaimer: I was given a temporary eARC of this book by PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book but I had a hard time connecting with it. I think that this book just wasn't right for me but I think that someone that likes this genre will really enjoy it.

I have a bit of a fascination for the Titanic - I remember when it was finally find deep in the North Atlantic. I was immediately down to read The Deep by Alma Katsu, with the twist of a haunting on the ship. Along with the Titanic piece, the sinking of the Britannic is also looped in. There's a lot to like with Katsu's writing style and the fact that our lead character is based on a real person who survived both the Titanic and the Britannic, and the eerieness of the paranormal elements. It's not a quick read, but a deep dive into the twists and turns of the lives of the main character and supporting cast of characters. A fascinating read, very well written, although not for those who prefer a heavier dose of paranormal or a lighter read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The nitty-gritty: Alma Katsu's signature atmospheric prose elevates this eerie, domestic thriller set on the ill fated Titanic, with mixed results.

The Deep was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2020, and I’m sorry to say it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I was expecting a ghost story set aboard the Titanic, and that’s sort of what I got. But many of Alma Katsu’s “ghosts” are simply in the characters’ minds, or metaphorical “ghosts of the past.” The author excels at creating an eerie atmosphere, and her writing is beyond reproach, as lyrical and evocative as I’ve come to expect from her. But if you’re looking for a supernatural-heavy story, then you may want to look elsewhere. Instead, the story centers around a handful of complex characters whose lives are intertwined in some very interesting ways. This is more of a domestic drama that explores the way women's mental issues were treated during this time period, so if you enjoy intricate character studies, then you will most likely love this book.

The story follows a young girl named Annie Hebbley in alternating timelines. In 1916, we meet Annie, newly released from the Morninggate Asylum, as she has just been hired as a doctor’s assistant aboard the HMHS Britannic, the sister ship of the Titanic, which has been retrofitted as a hospital ship during the war. The story flashes back to the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912 and the ensuing disaster when the ship hits an iceberg and sinks. In this timeline, Annie joins the crew as a stewardess in first class, where she meets husband and wife Mark and Caroline Fletcher and their baby Ondine and immediately becomes embroiled in their lives.

Right away, strange things begin happening on the ship. Jewelry goes missing, and a young boy nearly jumps into the ocean after he “hears” voices calling to him. The boy is rescued, but later dies of unknown causes. One passenger, a pregnant woman named Maddie, is convinced that there is an evil spirit on board who wants to harm her unborn baby. And Caroline Fletcher suspects that Annie, who is helping them take care of Ondine, is somehow involved with her husband Mark. As tensions among the passengers rise, the ship makes its inevitable way towards disaster.

The Deep gets off to a slow start, and the first half is especially light on plot while Katsu sets the stage by introducing her characters and dropping lots of hints about their dubious pasts. Katsu is brilliant at setting up her mystery, but she’s very slow to show her final hand, so readers will have to be patient. First, there is the mystery of Mark, Caroline and Annie. How are they connected, and why does Annie think she’s met Mark before? Annie can’t seem to stay away from Mark and his baby daughter Ondine, but Caroline doesn’t want her anywhere near her husband and child. And what of the girl named Lillian, a seamstress who nearly died in a factory fire? How does she fit into the picture? Just about every character in this story has something shameful in their past that they want to hide or forget, and the author brings each one of these secrets to the surface.

The Titanic disaster itself is almost an afterthought and only takes up a chapter or two, although I have to admit that my favorite scenes happened during the sinking of the ship. These were small, almost insignificant moments, strangely enough, and didn’t really impact the overall story. But the drowning death of one character in particular—and I won’t tell you which one—nearly made me cry, it was so beautifully and horrifyingly written. The rest of the disaster reminded me a lot of the Titanic movie: panic as thousands of people try to jump into lifeboats, and the sheer terror as the ship starts to tilt and fill with water. You can tell the author did a lot of research for this book, and it really shows in these final, desperate scenes on board the ship.

A few of the characters just didn’t work for me at all, unfortunately. There is a rather drawn out side story about two famous boxers who are passengers on the ship named Leslie Williams and David “Dai” Bowen (both real life victims of the Titanic disaster). I just wasn’t that interested in their story. Les and Dai are secretly lovers and Dai is extremely jealous of Les and his good looks and easy way with women. In this story, they are portrayed as con men who enlist the services of a stewardess to break into the first class passengers’ rooms and scope out their possessions. I don’t know, I just couldn’t figure out why their story was given so much page time, because ultimately their characters weren’t that important.

Then there are the sections in 1916 aboard the Britannic. I understood what Katsu was trying to do: by jumping ahead in time and reuniting Annie and Mark, she gets to finally shed some light on the past and explain their very weird connection to each other. But since the Britannic is also famous for sinking, I think she wanted to mirror the events of the Titanic in order to bring her story full circle. Instead, the fate of the Britannic was completely underwhelming and felt slightly out of place.

What I did love, though, was Katsu's atmospheric writing and her ability to create a wonderful sense of time and place. You can tell a lot of research has gone into this book, and really, who isn’t fascinated by one of the biggest and most famous disasters in our history? I loved her descriptions of the first class passengers and their fancy clothes and jewelry—and their disdain for those in the lower classes of the ship. I could feel the chill in the air as Annie stands at the helm in the dark, shivering in the icy winds, and I too felt a little seasick when the waters were choppy and the ship listed from side to side. Katsu also nails the time period by focusing on some famous passengers. I particularly like W.T. Stead, a newspaperman and occultist who is convinced there is a vengeful spirit on board the ship. I also loved fashion designer Lucy Duff-Gordon, a hard-as-nails woman whose textile factory tragically burned down before the sailing of the Titanic, an event that ties into the lives of a few other characters. Even the mention of how cocaine was often prescribed for “women’s maladies” like headaches was simply fascinating.

Eventually we do get some actual supernatural events, but I almost felt as if they came too late. There’s a feeling of “is it real or not?” that carries through most of the story, a device that allows the reader to make up their own mind about what’s happening. I think I would have preferred to leave it there, and perhaps that’s one reason I finished this book with a feeling of dissatisfaction. As a domestic mystery, The Deep works really well, but as a ghost story? Not so much. I’m sad to be rating this book as low as I did, but I’ll never lose faith in Alma Katsu’s abilities as a writer, and I look forward to her next book.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

A winding tale of mystery, forbidden love, and paranormal hauntings, The Deep will keep you up at night, guaranteed. Taking the reader back to 1912 when the Titanic sank and then to 1916 when her sister, the Brittanic, did the same, you'll feel like you're there in the action, praying for safety and feeling horrified as you witness all the lives that are lost. My first introduction to Titanic was, of course, watching the movie with Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio. I loved that movie, even though I know that was just one theoretical story among many true stories of the tragedy. I am drawn to stories of people who were lost and people who survived, so this was naturally a book I would want to read. But it is so much more than historical fiction; it is a horror story to be told at night, when the wind howls and the icy cold sends shivers down your spine.

It's 1916, four years after the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, killing over 1000 people and forever changing those who survived. Annie Hebbley has been in an asylum, unable, or perhaps unwilling, to face the reality of life after trauma. She is not thought to be insane but rather afraid, and so is eventually released and finds herself once again on a ship - this time, the Brittanic. There she sees a face she hasn't seen in four years, one she loves and fears at the same time. She begins to remember her time on the Titannic, and Annie isn't sure what is real and what is a dream. One thing is for sure though - not all on the Titannic was what it seemed and eventually the truth will come to light.

I went into this expecting a lot of different genres meshed into one book, and that's essentially what the reader gets, which can be somewhat confusing. We met many characters, see the story told from multiple perspectives, and some make more sense than others. If I didn't know any better, I would suspect the Titannic to have been a transport for the mentally insane, since so many of the characters seemed to have completely lost their minds by the time the ship sank. We see the paranormal in a ghost haunting passengers, with fatal consequences. There is also love, though it is saddening. Two boxers who love each other during a time when their love was not accepted.
A woman who married for money and prestige, but at 18, seems too young to have made such a momentous decision. And there's our main character, Annie, and a married man named Mark.
Knowing that Annie is reunited with the young man she knew, I was expecting some romance in the story, but I didn't expect it to be so dark and toxic. For truly, this book teaches at least one lesson in life - love can be the most disastrous thing of all.

Read with the lights on. And get ready for a wild ride that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.

The Deep by Alma Katsu is a paranormal historical fiction novel about mysterious ghostly events happening to passengers on the Titanic, including famous ones such as Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim. I hesitate to write more about the plot to avoid revealing any spoilers.

Historical fiction is a favorite genre. I love a good ghost story. I'm fascinated by the Titanic. This was a no-brainer, I had to read this book! I was intrigued by the mysterious ghostly content and bringing in real-life characters, but felt a bit deflated by the ending after the tension-filled middle portion of the book. Overall, I would still recommend it to those who like the subject matter. It's a creative take on the Titanic disaster.

I received an advanced reader copy from Net Galley.

I'll admit that I'm a sucker for anything Titanic related, so I was immediately drawn in by the sound of The Deep by Alma Katsu with the ship being haunted. Combine that with the sinking of the Britannic and I fully expected to love this. Unfortunately it never quite lived up to my expectations. There's a lot to like with Katsu's writing style and the fact that our lead character is based on a real person who survived both the Titanic and the Britannic, and the eerieness of the paranormal elements, but I found myself wanting more from the novel. I think I was looking for more horror and paranormal. Plus, maybe it was just me but overall I would have preferred the entire story to be set on the Titanic rather than continuing on to the Britannic.

Can't make it through this one. There is just something about the writing I just can't connect to, and it doesn't feel authentically historical. The concept is interesting.

“The Titanic” was called the ship of dreams, but tragedy soon follows her glorious maiden voyage. Four years later, a nurse aboard the fated ship’s twin Britannic, is afraid that something evil may have followed her from the famously doomed vessel. Katzu puts a new spin on the dark history of Titanic’s tragedy, making us wonder if the ship was truly doomed from the start.
If you looked Katzu's The Hunger, and enjoy a different spin on otherwise historical fiction, you'll surely enjoy this book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fantasy novel about the Titanic and Britanica that contains supernatural elements. Fun read.

The Deep by Alma Katsu is a historical fiction novel set on the Titanic and Britannic ships.

Annie Hebbly is a strange young woman who tends to have strange things happen to her. Scorned by a lover, she flees her home to find a new life for herself. Working as a stewardess on the Titanic, she’s surrounded by the glitz and glamour of the swells. But misfortune makes its presence known around every corner on the illustrious ship. Is the Titanic haunted?

Disaster strikes the Titanic but several people survive, Annie included.

Years later, Annie finds herself working on the Britannic ship as a nurse. She’s reunited with Mark, a man she fancied herself in love with on the Titanic, but their reunion doesn’t go as planned. Not only that, but the terror of sunken ships might not yet be over.

I thought The Deep by Alma Katsu was a ton of fun! It was the perfect blend of historical fiction and supernatural.

I loved that the book was set on both the Titanic and Brittanic ships. The story bounced back and forth between Annie’s time on the Titanic and her time on the Britannic. Her experiences on both ships helped shape the story and pushed the book to its ultimate conclusion. I didn’t know too much about the Titanic disaster prior to reading The Deep, but reading this book has ignited a curiosity in me to learn more! Since reading the book, I’ve been voraciously consuming material on the Titanic.

Annie was a great protagonist. Since the book starts with her in a mental institution, I was constantly trying to figure out if she was an unreliable narrator, even though she seemed to be in her right mind. I enjoyed the uncertainty.

The book’s ending was completely unexpected. As a rule, I’m terrible at guessing book endings, but I don’t think I would have been able to guess this one. I loved the twist.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a dash of the supernatural, look no further than The Deep by Alma Katsu.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was just okay. I feel like there were too many perspectives of characters, which made it hard to connect to any of them. It was also harder to distinguish exactly who our main protagonist was. There were a few character perspectives that I didn’t see the reason for, necessarily. I understand they played a role in the story for other characters, but I didn’t see a reason for needing their thoughts, or what happened to them.

Another big issue for me, and this is probably a personal thing, me being somewhat of a Titanic enthusiast, I did not care for the perspectives of well-known names. I didn’t care for the story line to directly affect real named characters, as I felt it disrespectful. This being a fictional story, not a true story, or based on any truth at all, besides them being passengers on the ship, and the sinking of it, and a possible general belief of the occult in that time period (this I don’t know if it is true or not), I felt it was disrespectful to assume and create these stories about real people that dealt with this ordeal, or even died a horrible death during this event. Maybe we just are far enough removed, there hasn’t been enough years, for me to be comfortable with it. There are still direct descendants to some of these named characters, and I couldn’t imagine someone reading about “their grandmother or grandfather” in a role like this that isn’t true. I feel like the author should have used fictitiously named characters, even if they may be based upon real characters, for her book.