Thank you NetGalley for this eARC of the Daughter of the Deep audiobook!

Rick Riordan has done it again. Daughter of the Deep has a compelling storyline, a protagonist thrust into impossible situations, and a reimagining of stories we thought we knew. Riordan’s consistent focus on representation- both from a racial and neuro diversity standpoint- continues to be on point. I love that middle grades readers of all sorts of backgrounds will be able to see themselves in this story! It’s definitely one I’ll recommend.

This book was a pleasant, middle grades listen. It was not what I expected because I was for some reason expecting mermaids. I was pleasantly surprised when it was not. It is different from the Rick Riordan that I was used to, but it kept me engaged. The narrator was fantastic and the music made the audiobook so much better.

A well-paced book with a creative narrator that draws the listener into the story. This is another great reimagining of a well-known classic story brought to the present. I look forward to possible additions to this series!

First of all, I really loved the story. Ana Dakkar was a likable character who really grew throughout the story. She made some really tough decisions with grace. The supporting characters are engaging. And I have to say, I really appreciate an author who does not ignore the fact that roughly half of the population gets periods on a regular basis. And Ester, who is autistic, is accepted for who she is without being expected to change. There was the perfect amount of suspense woven in with a great deal of humor.

The audiobook enhanced the story. The narrator did a great job of voicing the characters. At first, I was not sure how I felt about the music added in parts, but it grew on me. In the parts about piano or organ music, it definitely enhanced the story.

Thank you to the Disney Audiobooks and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the Disney audio and NetGalley for the electronic audio copy of this book. This book is inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I enjoyed Rick’s adaptation of the classic as well as the diverse cast of characters that is one of his hallmarks. However, I have to say that I prefer Rick’s mythology series more. Would love to see Irish/Celtic mythology series (or even a stand-alone). He did give us a tease in the Cursed Carnival anthology after all.

Honestly great audiobook. The narrator is the same narrator who does the Aru Shah books, but I really like her voice. I just kept getting the characters confused at first. The production quality of the audiobook is impressive. It adds background music in especially tense or exciting parts of the book.

As for the plot itself? Rick Riordan really can't go wrong for me. Even if I know what the formula is going to be before I start, I always end up immensely entertained by the end of the book. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea isn't exactly the most exciting source material for me, but I love the cast of characters that Riordan has created here. When I got done with the book, I immediately wanted to read the second book. I guess I will return to the days of desperately wanting to read something new from Rick Riordan.

Great Book 4/5 stars

For readers of Rick Riordan, they know and understand his storytelling capabilities. He is a master of weaving the mythological into modern day for a young audience. "Daughter of the Deep" is his most recent attempt at this genre. It posits the idea of "What if Jules Verne novels were retellings of actual, true events of real people with real journeys, real battles, and real technologies?" The characters of this story are the descendants of these "historical figures," and they are split into different factions who are fighting a war that the rest of the world doesn't even know exists. While the technologies are real, are protected, and have been hidden away, so are the characters in the old stories, and they have been shaping societies for more than a century. It is a great premise, but unfortunately, much of the story ended up feeling more like political ideology and environmental propaganda. As a side note in a story, there is nothing wrong with type of approach, but when it seems to drum on chapter after chapter with each new character explaining why they are right and just in doing things this particular way, it gets taxing on the reader.

If the reader loves new Rick Riordan books, they should be all means give this one a chance, but if the reader is just thinking of testing the waters of his writing, they should stick to his tried and true "Olympians" books.

I LOVE THIS BOOK WITH ALL OF MY HEART!!!

Plots and pretty covers are why I add books to my tbr, but there are two things that really make or break a book for me: characters and narration. Rick Riordan is, in my opinion, the master of both. He imbues even the saddest story lines with humor and hope. All of the characters in Daughter of the Deep– Ana, Ester, Nelinha, Dev, Gem, Luca, Ophelia, Jupiter, Socrates, and everyone else whose names I can’t remember right now- feel like real people. They make choices, good ones and bad ones, and they have to live with the consequences of those choices. I also love how the world building is worked into this story. Riordan takes the world we know and changes it just enough that I totally believe there’s a cold fusion powered submarine crossing the Pacific right now. Truly, I love this book, and if there’s one thing you take away from this review, let it be this: GO GET YOURSELF A COPY RIGHT NOW AND START READING! You’ll love it, too.

WHAT I SAID ON GOODREADS
so far this is like a mashup of Percy Jackson and Gallagher Girls, aka my FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME! so yeah, I’m loving this 💜💜💜
Action! Aventure! Explosions!
it’s taken me over a hundred pages to put together the words for why I love Ester and this story so much. it’s because Ester is allowed to just BE autistic. she talks in CAPS LOCK when she gets excited or emotional, and she doesn’t make eye contact, and she has a support dog, but she also has friends. she isn’t bullied, she’s respected. no one is trying to ~fix~ her. it’s refreshing and I fucking love it. <3
nope. nope nope nope nope nope.
WOW. AMAZING. PERFECT. LOVELY.

I honestly was unable to finish this audiobook, which was unfortunate. The constant layering of background music throughout the novel was incredibly distracting. It really interfered with my ability to follow the story, but also made it difficult for me to connect with the characters or the feel of the story. I do not recommend this type of style for audiobooks.

A good book with a good narrator. Rick Riordan never fails to impress! This book was very enjoyable with an interesting plot. I have never read a book based off 20000 leagues and it was well done!

What an adventure! I love the detailed world and the rich history. The cast of characters were delightful and really made the book stand out. The heart of this book is family and grief; the author does a wonderful job exploring those themes and letting them resonate throughout the story. My only issue is that these so-called kids don't feel like kids more like mini adults.

The narrator was great and the music enhanced the mood and tension of the story. An awesome audiobook experience.

I hate, hate, hate being read to. It's so slow (even on 1.5 speed), and my comprehension while listening is absymal. I can't remember names, and had a lot of trouble with some of the unfamiliar words and phrases. The name of the Harding-Pencroft ship was the Butternut-- that was all I could discern. Pretty sure I'm wrong. I didn't take notes because I couldn't listen and write at the same time.

So, here ya go. What happens when I try to review a book WHICH I ENJOYED when I have listened to it.

Ana Dakkar and her older brother Dev are students at the Harding-Pencroft academy situated on the coast of California. They like to hang out and dive together early in the mornings, meeting a dolphin the call Socrates occasionally. They only have each other, since their scientist parents where killed in an accident. There's something off on one particular morning, but Ana ignores the warning signs. When she and her freshman class are boarding the bus with an older, out of shape teacher as their chaperone, they see something in the water, and see the entire school collapse into the ocean. They are all stunned and shocked, but their teacher lets them know that a competing school, the Land Institute, has been plotting against them for years. It's all connected to Captain Nemo, aka Prince Dakkar, who is a distant ancestor of Ana's. Her brother was meant to take his place and secure their legacy, but now it falls to Ana. Along with her classmates, they head toward Lincoln Base, where they find that the Nautilus still exists. Nemo died in the submarine and sat underwater for 150 years, so there has been a LOT of renovation that has needed to occur. The ship is in surprisingly good condition, and is somewhat sentient. Ana must work with the ship, the people who man the base, and her classmates to fend off attacks by the Land Institute, solve the mysteries of Nemo and her parents, and figure out a way to proceeed after such a terrible tragedy. While I watched an interview with Riordan that indicated this would be a stand alone, it definitely seems like the first book in a series.
Strengths: Ana is of Indian descent, and is shown communicating in an Indian language. Her classmates span a wide variety of ethnicities and abilities, with her roomate being depicted as being on the Autism Spectrum with an assistance dog to help with her anxiety. One character is Church of the Latter Day Saints. One of the adults on the base is Italian. There is even an orangutan who communicates with sign language and is shown realistically; he doesn't speak, but does have an affinity for the Great British Baking Show. The students learn lots of different languages. There is a ton of action and adventure, and a really well developed back story and connection to Verne's characters. I liked that there wasn't quite as much traveling around and meeting other characters as there is in most of Riordan's other books.
Weaknesses: While the diversity was nice, it slowed down the story quite a bit, and felt a tiny bit forced.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and it was interesting to see Riordan vary from his standard Percy Jackson style formula. Could have used a little more of his trademark humor, but I get why that would be hard after Ana has suffered such a tremendous loss.

Fans of Rick Riordan's previous books will read this title no matter the plot, but I'll add some information. This book has the plot elements you expect from Riordan: super smart teens who are endlessly competent in all aspects of life, strong friendships, and ballistics. Best suited for early young adult readers, roughly 12-15 years old.

Only a couple of instances in the story that irked me. One, it was hinted at, or at least not clearly explained, how a dog was going to eat on the submarine when everything produced was vegan. Two, the MC menstrual cycle was brought up but the way it was dealt with seemed tone-deaf and propagating the negative ideas that periods are expected to be painful. IIRC, this is the first time menstruation was mentioned in one of Riordan's books. Three, as a parent the idea of teens killing each other is hard to be comfortable with even in fiction. I have a teen and I guess it's hitting a little too close to home. All in all, not deal breakers.

As Daughter of the Deep is based on Jules Verne, it would be helpful and enhancing your experience if you knew the work of Jules Verne but it isn't necessary. It might, for inquisitive readers, spurn them to pick up the classic.

Audiobook was well narrated, but there are musical clips during intense scenes and some chapter transitions that I thought were more distracting than exciting. Specifically during fighting scenes I thought the music eclipsed the narration making it hard to hear what was going on. What would have been a god addition would have been sound effects to enhance the storyline, especially submarine sounds.

Super fun! Rick Riordan is such and excellent writer. This book has it all - great adventure, suspense, mystery, amazing friendships, a twist I absolutely didn't see coming, and a great ending! I love all the representation as well - Riordan has a real talent for writing all kinds of diverse characters and making them all truly believable real people. While this is listed as a stand-alone novel, the ending does leave it open enough to have sequels, and I hope that will be the case! I'd love to see more adventures with this great cast of characters. Highly Recommended!

I just don’t think you can go wrong with a Rick Riordan novel in your hand. This new tale set in the world of Jules Verne was just as adventurous, fun, and dramatic as Riordan’s previous escapades. The author really takes the time to research his focus (Verne) and implements so many great details into these new and modern stories. The characters are relatable and flushed out to become a real person, rather than just a stereotype in a story. I hope this story continues on and we get to learn more about Ana and the gang and all of the adventures on the Nautilus.

The audio for this book was robotic and deadpan. It did take away from the story at times, but I did enjoy the dramatic music that accompanied the reading at times.

Stellar audiobook production. I particularly liked the dramatic music overlaid during key scenes. I enjoyed the imaginative adaptation of Ten thousand Leagues. Riordan is a master of this craft.

I love this story! It fills several boxes for me!
1. The main character is 14/15 - We NEED more characters for this age group to read!!
2. She experiences getting her period during the course of the book - thank you for being realistic!!! How many books have I read that just act like this isn't a part of life?

I love the Oceanography focus, I think many readers will enjoy this part of the book!
The technology is pretty cool as well.

Great narrator for the audio book.

I love this new Rick Riordan book. To my knowledge, this is the first series he’s written with a female, Ana, as the main protagonist, which I love. There has been a series featuring a brother/sister duo, but none with a female character as the pivot point. The story is based on Jules Verne’s writings, which is another new and interesting twist for an RR series. The story follows Ana, a student at a high school specializing in all things aquatic, and how she and her team of fellow students navigate the destruction of their school by a rival institution and their subsequent pursuit. In true RR form, there is an ensemble cast of interesting characters, which have progressively gotten more diverse with regard to race, gender identity, and neuro-divergence with each new series. As one not afraid to mention the elephant in the room, RR doesn’t hesitate to have the protagonist talk about her period, the complications it causes, and how she deals with it to normalize and de-stigmatize what is frequently treated as a source of shame for women and girls. There is action, battles, lots of near-death moments, sassy teens, funny quips, betrayal, and all the other things that keep middle-grade readers in their seats. I can’t wait to see where the subsequent titles in the series go.
The narration was mostly good, with great animation of all the characters. The one thing I think the narrator missed was the comedic delivery of the humorous bits, which are a big part of a RR story. If you aren’t familiar with his humor and listening for it with bated breath, you would miss many of the comedic additions.

Rick Riordan has another hit on his hands! The audiobook is clearly a ten. With musical sound effects to raise the suspense, the book is perfectly fast paced. Sondeela Nankani is such a talented narrator. Her voices are clearly recognizable. Her pacing is spot on.

With STEM a clear trend in education, the link to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Jukes Verne adds to the attraction of this title. A strong female main character unafraid to speak about her period is timely. Riordan’s typically diverse cast of characters is another bonus. Students expect to see themselves clearly represented. Thanks Mr. Riordan for never disappointing your readers.

My one criticism is the mispronunciation of several nautical terms. I will not take away a star, just hope the producers can fix that. Sailors and water lovers may be distracted which would take their attention away from the excellent story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this alc in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely give a nook 5 stars but it was a pleasure to do so for Daughter of the Deep!! This book has so much to love!l and I can’t wait to get it on my classroom shelf.

Despite the fact that I frequently recommend Rick Riordan‘s novels for my students, I had actually never read any of his stories until now. His brand of adventure is perfect for middle school boys, who traditionally have a lot less choices of books that have high interest to them. Middle school boys and I do not have the same taste in books, usually. Thus, my recommendations versus my actual reading. I was so happy to see Daughter of the Deep pop up in NetGalley! It offered me the chance to read an author about whom I have long been curious, and explore a genre that is sorely lacking in choices… Female action heroines.

The story is fun and exciting. The settings are believable, yet completely unbelievable! The references to other literature are fantastic and made me want to go back and read some of the classics that I missed, or reread to find nuances that I might have missed the first time. I’m really looking forward to the moment when one of my students reads this, and then asks about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or another Jules Verne. I think for some of my kids, they’re going to forget about Hogwarts and hope for an opportunity to attend HP instead!

I recently read a book that included lots of diversity and its characters. But I felt like they were all included as part of a checklist the author was working from to prove how “woke” she was. It felt disingenuous. Daughters of the Deep is the opposite. Here is a wholly diverse cast of characters that felt like it just organically happened. That’s the sign of a gifted author. The females are strong and smart and powerful. The preteens, tweens, and tweens act (mostly) age-appropriately and the adults are given supporting, yet important roles.

I usually hate books that are clearly setting up a future series. They frequently feel like a big advertisement, and I feel like a sucker because I get to the end and whether I liked the book or not I am obligated to read the next if I want to know what happens. In this case, I kept hoping that the end would give me some closure, but also make it clear that a sequel would be forthcoming. And I wasn’t disappointed. That said … when can we go back to sea??

[Side note: I am definitely going to use excerpts from the book when teaching creative writing… my mantra of “shell, don’t tell “is often perplexing to students. However, some of the descriptions in this book make that different crystal clear. There is an introduction to a character in chapter 26 that is so fantastic, I think I’m going to print it and hang it on my wall!]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinions.