The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora

How do you face your fears when everything is terrifying?

Fifteen-year-old Brynn can’t stop thinking about death. Her intrusive thoughts and severe anxiety leave her feeling helpless—and hopeless. So after her mom interprets one of Brynn’s blog posts as a suicide note, she takes extreme measures, confiscating Brynn’s phone, blocking her Internet access, and banishing her to stay with her father who lives “off the grid” on a houseboat in the Florida mangroves. Isolated from her online friends—her only friends—Brynn resigns herself to a summer of mind-numbing boredom and loneliness… until Skylar appears.

Skylar is everything Brynn isn’t—sultry, athletic, and confident. Yet Brynn feels at home around this fearless girl who pushes her to try new things and makes her belly flutter with nerves that have nothing to do with anxiety. When Brynn discovers that Skylar is trapped in the bayou and can’t tell her why, she resolves to free her new crush from the dark waters, even if it means confronting all of her worst fears.

ARC Reviews:

The gorgeous cover is what really catched my eye on this book, but The Immeasurable Depth of You is so raw and timely on the story side. Perfect for YA readers and also for your summer reading list!

The Immeasurable Depth of You will be out on Tuesday! March 7, 2023.

Many thanks to @netgalley, the publisher and @mariamorawrites for my ARC of The Immeasurable Depth of You! 🙏

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This book was not bad, it simply wasn't great.

The so-called mystery surrounding Skyler - i.e. why she was tied to the bayou, and what her situation was, was pretty clear from very early on. Still, I pressed on, and it seemed like there was going to be a solid twist around the middle. And then there wasn't. It was what you presumed in the begging of the book.

Finally, the ending was rather abrupt, and a little too neatly tied up.

Again, this was not a bad book. I would certainly not discourage anyone from reading it. It was well written, the characterization was good.... the pacing was decent... it's just the plot was kind of predictable.

If you want something that you don't have to really think about hard, or that you can put away for awhile and come back to easily, it's a good book for that.

3.5 stars. I’m not really sure what my thoughts about this book are. It’s mostly just about the main character’s anxiety and how it affects her. The mystery ended up not being much of a mystery and the romance wasn’t really a romance. I was questioning some of the choices made by Brynn but then again, anxiety can really mess with your head. I have firsthand knowledge and can very much relate.

I gotta say, I felt bad for the dog having to live on a houseboat. They never once mentioned taking her on a walk.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

thank you to Peach tree Teen for letting me read this early!


I absolutely loved this. a coming of age story about mental health and suicide which was done in such a way that i think those who have mental health issues would find comfort it in like i did. its very rare that you find a book that literally voices what its like inside your head.

I really related to Brynn on so many levels and highly recommend this book.

Wow. I didn’t expect this story to hit so deep. It was touching and really hit home with how we see Brynn navigating her mental health and adjusting as a teen to her life and the cards she’s been dealt. It’s easy to initially brush her off as an entitled kid that doesn’t know how much she has but as we delve deep into her world we see as she wrestles with her thoughts and emotions. When she meets Skylar we see another side of Brynn and her loneliness. Their connection is insightful and heartbreaking but also shows the healing that can come from hard situations. The flow of the story felt natural and I loved seeing her come together with parents as a family. I also like how every character grew throughout the experience. It was a really good story that had difficult moments but came together to tell an important story.


Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I wasn't really sure what I was expecting when I started to read this book but it helped me get out of my reading slump. I am thankful that I got this ARC. I really liked the story overall and how it was written. I think that some things could have been expanded on more with the characters but it was good overall. There were times when I really understood the main character and her emotions and there were other times when she did stuff that was so frustrating to me but it really went well with how her character was supposed to be.

This book did an incredible job of capturing the growing pains that happen during teen years. The writing and characters feel sincere (the character dynamics are what really made the story worth reading). I loved the incorporation of Brynn's attempt to cope with her struggles online. I know people who have grown up using sites like Tumblr will 1000% relate to her being so open when writing on her blog.

The one issue I did have with this book is the pacing...it's pretty slow. Especially at the beginning. This feeling is definitely a personal preference. As I tried to push through the longer passages where nothing substantial happened, I noticed how much work the author had put into making sure the reader felt immersed in the setting. If you're the kind of reader that enjoys having a good feel of the setting I'd say this is definitely for you. If you're looking for something with a ton of plot-driven moments, look elsewhere.

This was such a riveting story. I was constantly thinking about it and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
This author grabs you from the start and pulls you in right to the end.
The setting -Florida- made perfect sense and was a huge part of the story. The remoteness added to the dramatic effect.
I loved how Brynn couldn’t get off the course she made for herself. She had to follow to the end, regardless of consequences.
I would definitely read more by this author.
Enjoy!

The Immeasurable Depth of you knows a number of heavy themes such as addiction, mental health and suicide. In addition, this book has an LGBTI + theme, so that many readers can identify with one of the characters. How are all these themes incorporated in this book?

The main character Brynn is obsessed with death. After one of her blog posts looks like a suicide note she is forced to go offline and go spend the summer with her father. This seems to be a disaster until she meets Skylar, the girl in the water. Soon she finds out Skylar is trapped and she must save her. But doing this means facing her fears.

The themes all come together really well in this story. I had some trouble with understanding Brynns thoughts in the beginning, but once I got to know her I really liked her character. Even though this book has a lot of heavy themes, it doesn’t have to much emotional weight. This book is a decent read, which I enjoyed reading. However it didn’t really stood out to me as special or memorable. Therefore I give this book a 3 star rating.

DNF

Honestly, I was making myself finish this book because I hate not finishing but after Brynn kissed Skylar (after multiple times of hearing how Skylar is only attracted to males) and faced no consequences for it, I got icked out too hard. Especially since it was laughed off with no discussion about how it wasn't okay. Overall, this book was a let down. I thought maybe it would turn around and just be a messy teenager exploring herself and how she connects with the world but no.

Thank you, NetGalley and Peachtree for the E-arc!
This book kept me on my toes the entire time. However, I wouldn't go into this looking for queer rep or romance, as that isn't a huge part of the story. The exploration of sexuality isn't done in the best way but I enjoyed the portal of family and mental health issues that can be related to the family. This book does a good job of portraying Brynn as she is, a young child who is struggling.

In a world where the youth is bombarded with ideas of how they should look, this book serves as a reminder that those voices are wrong. Readers will find something relatable in the main character, making it easier for the powerful message of the book to hit home.

A beautiful story set in sunny Florida with a shocking twist.
It's not often that authors dare to discuss sensitive topics in young adult novels and do it so well. “The Immeasurable Depth of You” is a relatable and sad story that will surely capture the hearts of many readers. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

It was nice having a book deal with more than just depression in regards to mental illness, even though it deals with that too. The plot was a little thin and I liked the adults more than the teens. Not much romance though even though she is bisexual. Feels like it should have been a little longer but a quick read.

I have really, really complicated feelings about this book. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics—including on-the-page panic attacks, intrusive and repetitive thoughts, and more. Despite being an average-length novel and very accessible in its language, I really struggled to get through this one because of how overwhelming it was at times.

Relatedly, the pacing off this book felt a little off to me. I felt like I was slogging through the first half of the book for ages, trying to understand the “mystery” and relationship between Brynn and Skylar, and then I breezed through the second half of the novel in no time. The book relies heavily on the setting of the bayou, but to be honest, it was only once we actually get to leave the bayou that I feel like the plot picks up steam.

The plot which, frankly, is pretty shallow. The book tries to really emphasize the mysterious aspects of the situation and lean into the paranormal/not-quite-magical realism, but it’s a very straightforward parallel to Brynn’s mental health struggles. This feels like less of a summertime mystery/thriller and more like a character exploration, which is fine, but definitely not accurate to what the book is promoting itself as—or even what the book seems to consider itself to be. With Brynn as our narrator, there’s a big emphasis on her friendship with Skylar and how important their relationship is, but as a reader I didn’t necessarily feel the same way. Sure, a big component to their relationship was Brynn’s crush on Skylar, but so much of the plot revolved around Brynn doing desperate and increasingly more reckless things to “help Skylar,” but I’m left feeling like I know next to nothing about the girl. (Which, yes, is probably intentional given the themes and resolution of the book—but I’m always going to feel frustrated by characters that feel more like plot devices that only exist to further the protagonist’s development rather than actualized characters with their own goals and agency.)

I also want to note that, while I liked the exploration of Brynn’s bisexuality and the frank descriptions of her crushes and sexuality, I was uncomfortable with how she treated Skylar at points. [SPOILER WARNING: She kisses Skylar at one point—without asking, after Skylar has repeatedly mentioned being exclusively attracted to boys—and while Brynn feels guilty about it pretty quickly afterwards, it’s not really given much weight. Skylar even laughs and says that it’s fine, and Brynn mentions the kiss and how “special” it was again at the end of the novel. I was frustrated that Brynn faces no repercussions for kissing Skylar without consent; it felt like another way that Skylar’s agency was deemed null and void in the book, since Brynn directly doing something to her to express attraction that she explicitly said she wouldn’t reciprocate is brushed off as “sweet” and “special.”] This book felt like it was marketed as being, at the very least, sapphic romance adjacent, when it definitely isn’t. While Brynn and Skylar’s relationship is more complicated than “just friends,” I feel like there should be some balance in acknowledging Brynn’s attraction towards Skylar as well as how Skylar looks for (platonic) companionship in Brynn.

Despite all of my complicated feelings on Brynn and Skylar’s relationship—which should be the real heart of the novel—I think the strengths of this book come out in Brynn’s relationships with the adults in her life. I loved how she reevaluated her relationships with both of her parents as well as her complicated feelings around their divorce. I loved how she connected with other community members—even if it was often during the aforementioned increasingly reckless adventures. (Honestly, I constantly found myself shocked at just how often Brynn would lie in order to sneak away for her missions, and I was often even more shocked at how few repercussions she found in these instances as well. Usually her misadventures would result in an emotional heart-to-heart with her father, and then the next day she’d already wake up planning another lie and another way to sneak out. [SPOILER WARNING: Sure, she finally gets a concussion at the end of the novel, but even then she gets a heart-to-heart in the hospital and a cool haircut. AND THEN SHE STILL IMMEDIATELY SNEAKS OFF TO MEET WITH SKYLAR’S MOM AT THE DOCK. I know it’s way too complicated to explain the whole Skylar situation to her dad and that she’d even tried early in the novel, but wow she was relentless in lying/sneaking out/etc.] I recognize that the rinse-and-repeat cycle of the novel is just how the plot could advance, but it did make me realize how thin the plot was in comparison to the heavier topics and character work in the novel.

Overall, The Immeasurable Depth of You is a unique addition to the current YA landscape. It’s atmospheric and heavy but I appreciated the themes it sought to explore, even if the delivery left me a little unsatisfied. While I can imagine many teenagers who will find comfort in recognizing Brynn’s thought patterns and behaviors, I still want to heavily recommend being mindful of the warnings on this book before suggesting this to anyone.

DNF

TW: depression, anxiety, grief, suicidal thoughts, death

"I made a promise. A promise even rage couldn't shatter."

The premise of "The Immeasurable Depth of You" seemed so intriguing, but I was ultimately let down. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, the story just did not pull me in and was too slow for my liking. As much as I wanted to connect with the characters, I couldn't. They did not feel like they were fully fleshed out. This novel will definitely appeal to readers, but I was not one of them.

I adore this book and had a hard time putting it down.

Let's talk representation. Brynn is pansexual, possibly somewhere on the ace spectrum (while she does get crushes, she seems to recoil at the thought of intimacy with someone) and she has a multitude of mental health issues (disability representation). Her best friend is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

Brynn's journey gives a lot of insight in what it means to have a mental illness and how every day you have to battle the same demons to be able to function. Brynn has intrusive thoughts and is obsessed with death which does nothing for her anxiety disorder.

She's a relatable, loveable character who is insanely stubborn and has the tendency to scare the crap out of her parents with her impulsive and sometimes dangerous actions. It's both hilarious and cringeworthy and she managed to often raise my own anxiety levels. And oh boy the secondhand embarresement when she decided to go meet Skylar's parents, while lying to her dad about her whereabouts.

The story revolves around a teenage girl named Brynn who is shipped off to live with her dad after her mom saw a concerning post she wrote on her blog. They banned her phone and internet access so what else is there to do but befriend a local ghost and try to figure out what happened to her.

I feel like the genre of this book comes closer to magic realism and coming of age rather than mystery. While the synopsis did intrigue me in the first place, I was definitely pleasantly surprised it also had those elements because I enjoy those genres. I think this is one of the rare books, especially aimed at teens, that does such a good job on actually capturing how paralyzing anxiety and intrusive thoughts can be without glossing over or romanticizing anything. I’m always in awe when someone manages to put certain experiences into words which I feel like the author did so well when it came to Brynn’s’ introspection. It was really relatable and it hit close to home.

I’m giving it 4/5 mostly because it was a bit of a slow start for me and I had a hard time getting into it. Some of that might be due the fact I had different set of expectations based on the tags and the synopsis but I wasn’t disappointed with the way it turned out, it just doesn’t really fit into a mystery or a thriller category because it takes from overall message of the book. I do think it was very refreshing and a beautiful read tho.

I had some of these experiences as a kid. Oh man, READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for the ARC.

3.75 ⭐️

When I first opened The Immeasurable Depth of You, I wasn’t in a good headspace so I closed it and came back to it later. And I’m so glad I did. This book was raw and real, and discussed the effects of grief and mental health in a wonderful way.

Brynn is fifteen and trying to figure out herself and manage her debilitating anxiety disorder. When I was fifteen, I was going through the same thing and I wish this book had been out then for me. I felt so seen in the way anxiety was depicted and how you want the best for everyone but yourself, even if that thought is irrational.

I truly enjoyed reading Brynn’s story and seeing how she navigated being a child of divorce, grieving someone she’d never met, and learning how to live in the moment even when it’s scary.