Book review: The Depths
By: Nicole Lesperance
Rating: 🦄🦄🦄
Published: September 2022

I'm thankful for this advanced digital copy even though I'm reviewing it now a year and a half after publication. I apologize for that. I'm going into my back stash and trying to catch up.

💻From GR: "A tropical island full of secrets. Two Victorian ghosts, trapped for eternity. And a seventeen-year-old girl determined not to be next.
Eulalie Island should be a paradise, but to Addie Spencer, it's more like a prison.
Forced to tag along to the remote island on her mother's honeymoon, Addie isn't thrilled about being trapped there for two weeks. The island is stunning, with its secluded beaches and forests full of white flowers. But there's something eerie and unsettling about the place.
After Addie meets an enigmatic boy on the beach, all the flowers start turning pink. The island loves you, he tells her. But she can't stop sleepwalking at night, the birds keep calling her name, and there's a strange little girl in the woods who wants to play hide-and-seek. When Addie learns about two sisters who died on the island centuries ago, she wonders if there's more to this place, things only she can see.
Beneath its gorgeous surface, Eulalie Island is hiding dark, tangled secrets. And if Addie doesn't unravel them soon, the island might never let her go."

💬My thoughts: Let me start with the good. This book was an easy read. I read it in 2 days. And I enjoyed the friendship between Addie and Billy. It was an enjoyable YA ghost story/living island story/mystery.
Now, with that being said, I felt like it lacked depth (ironically, considering the name). The characters were pretty static. And it was a bit too predictable for my taste (as I figured out a big part early on). The Ghosts were pretty interesting, but also exactly what you'd expect. I wanted more...like maybe it was a first draft, not a final edit....I don't know. It was decent, I just don't think it was for me.

#thedepths #netgalley #bookreview #ya #yabooks #ghoststory #mystery #bookstagram

I really enjoyed this book! The island was delightfully creepy and the backstory was given in chunks that kept me turning the pages. The ghosts were a combination of heartbreaking and terrifying. I would love to read another horror book by this author. I also enjoyed learning about a sport I knew nothing about!

This was just okay, to be honest. A better adult comp to this book is Bloom by Delilah S Dawson, which also plays into the horror elements with flowers

I loved this book. Set after a diving accident the main character has to tag along with her mom and new step dad on their honeymoon to a remote island that is just very strange. She’s seeing ghosts and being talked to by strange plants in the foresty jungle. Twists and turns and honestly just a good time

This is quite a fascinating, complex, story. A wounded girl meets an equally wounded boy, both of them able to see and interact with ghosts on an island that's alive in its own way. The longer Addie is there, the more enmeshed with the island and its ghosts she becomes. The twists and turns in the story make it come alive and keeps the reader guessing until the end. An epilogue helps put things in perspective. A pretty good book!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one yet. I might come back and change my rating later.

Part of me liked it but I was also bored at times.

A fun, gothic type read. Great story line and easily likable characters read it fairly quickly and was engrossed in it.

This was an addicting book. I could not put it down. Everything was well plotted and thought out, and the twists and turns made sense. I was captivated by Lesperance's writing.

This was such a great read. Super haunting and immersive, I really liked the beautiful writing. I felt completely mesmerized. This is perfect for lovers of House of Hollows and Mexican Gothic. The story and the characters were enticing, the creepy vibes just kept me hooked!

i really liked this one! lesperance surely crafts a haunting island full of secrets with this one. her descriptive imagery was unmatched and i could vividly picture everything in my mind. i did guess one of the main twists but it didnt take away from the atmosphere or story.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. The setting was spectacular. Creepy as hell and so atmospheric! I loooooved every aspect of the horror. And the whole gothic island thing? SO GOOD. On a personal note, I also really enjoyed the diving element, since I've done a lot of research on divers. It was all written so well. Nicole Lesperance is brilliant. LOVE!!!!

Did the cover of this book completely draw me in before I even read what it was about? Yes. Then to read the description that her mother forces her to tag along on a honeymoon that she doesn't want to go on, plus its a thriller? It was definitely giving, I know what you did last summer vibes. Although it is nothing like the movie it kept my attention all the same. I loved that she met with a boy who was able to connect with her and learning about the island and ghosts.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Took me awhile to get into this story. I normally don't have problems with slow paced books but this one just wasn't it. I expected fast paced gothic story line, one out of two is good. The atmosphere was written very well and it helped this book out a lot.

2.5

Very atmospheric ghost story but a little abstract and confusing for my pea brain

I know it was a super engaging quick read but honestly I read it months ago in one sitting and I remember zero details

*thank you to Penguin Randomhouse for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this story! We follow Addie whose mom is remarried and takes her on their honeymoon to keep her close. Addie was a competitive deep sea diver but after an accident that left her dead for more than a few minutes and now lungs that need healing, she’s forced to stay close with her new family instead of going to the training abroad with friends. On an island that is more than meets the eye, Addie runs into some trouble that might just kill her again.

I absolutely loved the way the island was a part of the story and the horror elements, the breathtaking moments both from beauty and from fear that our characters were in danger, there was this wonderful balance through it all. Highly recommend this young adult horror thriller for those who enjoy the genre along with some ghosties!.

This book has the most stunning cover I have seen in quite a long time. And it perfectly matched the story which is sometimes lacking in other books now.

But, unfortunately that is where the like of this one ends. I just couldn’t get into this one. I had high hopes especially seeing all the rave reviews all over bookstagram.

I just didn’t connect on any level at all with this read.

Thank you Netgalley for this read.

This book was so unique! I absolutely LOVED the atmospheric setting – Eulalie Island was fantastic! It’s creepy and unsettling and I never knew what was going to happen next. I adore dark and disturbing and this book definitely delivered on both points. The author brought the island to life in vivid detail! The descriptions made things so easy to picture without being too descriptive. Eulalie Island felt like a real place. This would make an awesome movie!

I found a certain twist to be predictable, but I still enjoyed the journey! [spoilers removed] I was gobbling up pages waiting for that reveal!

The pacing is quite fast because the mystery aspect keeps you wanting more, making this a quick and easy read. I read it in almost one sitting because I wanted to know the truth about the island and what really happened!

Despite the fabulous and disturbing setting, I didn’t connect to the characters like I’d hoped to. The characters fell kinda flat for me, which is why this book didn’t get a 5 star rating from me. I would definitely still recommend this book, though!

There is just enough realness and oddness combined in this one. I thought Addie’s back story was interesting and it helped to make sense of why the island would love her. The continued description of the sisters and their appearance as Addie sees them was enough to make me gag, but it added to the idea that something sinister was afoot. What was difficult for me was that I didn’t really love any of the characters, and I think it’s necessary to love Addie and Billy for this to work completely. This is definitely one that fantasy and horror readers would enjoy!

Spending two weeks on a private island for her mom's honeymoon is not what Addie envisioned for the summer...especially not after she died during a diving accident. She might've come back but her mind is still meters under the ocean, stuck on why she didn't go anywhere but the void during the minutes she was dead. With the flowers changing colors and the birds trilling her name distracting her from her misery, Addie starts to accept that there must be something magical about the island...but she's increasingly certain something sinister lurks behind the pretty facade.

This book was a delightfully terrifying ride! The horror descriptions were icky and viscerally disturbing in the most beautiful and satisfying way. I was screaming at Addie on more than one occasion for not putting things together as soon as I did, and the tension was built so well that I was sweating! I loved Addie's character and her unique, pragmatic morbidity. The rest of the cast of characters were equal parts charming and disturbing, and there were so many fascinating dynamics. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, I loved it and highly recommend it!

Through the lush greenery and vibrant flowers, a tropical oasis awaits—filled with scenic landscapes, sandy beaches, and enchanting caves. But what lurks beneath the beauty and allure of the island?

After a traumatic event that left her on the brink of death, Addie’s family takes her on a getaway to a lush and remote jungle-ridden island. But when mysterious and unsettling encounters start occurring, Addie realizes the island is hiding dark, haunted secrets beneath its depths.

This was a WILD and adventurous mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat through all the shocking unveils, ghostly discoveries, and heart-pounding moments. I loved how the story had an eerie, atmospheric tone and a deceiving, fickle setting that made readers second-guess everything.

Overall, if you want a tropical mystery escape with a little bit of a Lost TV show vibe and story, definitely keep this new thriller in mind!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*