What do you think?
Rate this book
The Deep Well
In this tense, atmospheric novel where shadows flit across each page, Laura Creedle unfolds a story about legends, paranoia, and the horror that hides just below the surface. A must-read for fans of Rory Power and Cheryl Isaacs!
When April Fischer was five, the voice from the well told her to fly.
Ever since April survived the strange and brutal massacre at the Copperton mine twelve years ago, she has been in the spotlight. At first, as the subject of internet urban legend. Then, as a horror movie inspiration. And most frighteningly, as the darling of a cult that believes that on her seventeenth birthday she will come into universe-altering power.
April has unanswered questions about what really went down at the mine—most of all, what happened to her father, the foreman on the drill site, who disappeared on that day. Until the week before her birthday, when she is given a collection of documents and the words He’s alive.
As April uncovers more about her childhood at the mine, the cultists’ beliefs don’t feel as impossible as she once thought, and she begins to hope that she truly can bring her father back. But even though she never wants to go near the edge of the open-pit mine again, there are forces in Copperton who want to see her fail . . . or watch her fly.
When April Fischer was five, the voice from the well told her to fly.
Ever since April survived the strange and brutal massacre at the Copperton mine twelve years ago, she has been in the spotlight. At first, as the subject of internet urban legend. Then, as a horror movie inspiration. And most frighteningly, as the darling of a cult that believes that on her seventeenth birthday she will come into universe-altering power.
April has unanswered questions about what really went down at the mine—most of all, what happened to her father, the foreman on the drill site, who disappeared on that day. Until the week before her birthday, when she is given a collection of documents and the words He’s alive.
As April uncovers more about her childhood at the mine, the cultists’ beliefs don’t feel as impossible as she once thought, and she begins to hope that she truly can bring her father back. But even though she never wants to go near the edge of the open-pit mine again, there are forces in Copperton who want to see her fail . . . or watch her fly.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published September 2, 2025
3 people are currently reading
6230 people want to read
About the author
Laura Creedle
6 books101 followersLaura Creedle is ADHD, dyslexic and neuro-divergent. She writes young adult novels and blogs at http://adhd-writer.com. She lives in Austin, Texas in an urban forest with her husband and son, a cat who thinks he's a dog, and a tiny dog who acts like a cat. Also, a half dozen raccoons who have burrowed into her attic. Unless she plays NPR on a radio in the attic, because as everyone knows, raccoons hate low key pleasant liberalism.
Like most people in Austin, Laura plays guitar. She also owns more than one pair of cowboy boots. Neither of these is a requirement, but they help.
When not writing, Laura volunteers with a kindergarten pre-literacy program at a local school.
Like most people in Austin, Laura plays guitar. She also owns more than one pair of cowboy boots. Neither of these is a requirement, but they help.
When not writing, Laura volunteers with a kindergarten pre-literacy program at a local school.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 2, 2025
ARC for review. To be published September 2, 2025.
1.4 stars
When April Fischer was five years old there was a huge disaster at the Copperton mine in New Mexico where her father worked as foreman, an explosion then a gun battle. Her mother told her her father was killed that day, along with eighteen others but April isn’t so sure. Somehow (and this is not clear to me, either it’s not said or I somehow missed it) there has always been this story that April, “the Bicycle Girl” found a portal that day at the time of the explosion and was told to fly?!?! And April may have some memory of being told to fly?!? This became an Internet rumor, then a horror movie, so April has always been a pariah in town, and only has one friend, Grace. But at one point had other friends. All of this is a muddled mess and makes no sense.
And now (or for a long time, I don’t know) there’s a cult built up around this belief in the portal and the cult also believes that on April’s 17th birthday she will obtain some unknown power (from whom and why is not clear at all. This is a terrible cult.). In advance of her 17th, April’s Aunt Silvia gives her some documents that she tells April will help her find her father. Will they? Is he still alive? And what will happen on April’s birthday?
So, as you might have gleaned, this is a mess. And it would have been worse, except about 3/4 of the way through there’s a section that sort of explains a bit of the above…otherwise I don’t think I would even know as much as I do. And then, who is parenting April and her younger sister? Her mother is sick a lot with fibromyalgia, but, lady, listen, YOUR SIXTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS THE BAIT FOR AN ACTUAL CULT. Imma need you to get outta the bed and, I don’t know, maybe do something? Like, for starters, MOVE AWAY?!?! April would be better off being raised by the actual Bigfoot than you.
I know this is YA, but young adults deserve an actual story that makes sense and explains things, not just something where a bunch of ideas are thrown out there with no real attempt to link them into a story. The author has the tense, moody feel down, but, ugh. Im sorry to report it’s not recommended for anyone. There are the makings of a decent story somewhere in here, it just needed to be written.
1.4 stars
When April Fischer was five years old there was a huge disaster at the Copperton mine in New Mexico where her father worked as foreman, an explosion then a gun battle. Her mother told her her father was killed that day, along with eighteen others but April isn’t so sure. Somehow (and this is not clear to me, either it’s not said or I somehow missed it) there has always been this story that April, “the Bicycle Girl” found a portal that day at the time of the explosion and was told to fly?!?! And April may have some memory of being told to fly?!? This became an Internet rumor, then a horror movie, so April has always been a pariah in town, and only has one friend, Grace. But at one point had other friends. All of this is a muddled mess and makes no sense.
And now (or for a long time, I don’t know) there’s a cult built up around this belief in the portal and the cult also believes that on April’s 17th birthday she will obtain some unknown power (from whom and why is not clear at all. This is a terrible cult.). In advance of her 17th, April’s Aunt Silvia gives her some documents that she tells April will help her find her father. Will they? Is he still alive? And what will happen on April’s birthday?
So, as you might have gleaned, this is a mess. And it would have been worse, except about 3/4 of the way through there’s a section that sort of explains a bit of the above…otherwise I don’t think I would even know as much as I do. And then, who is parenting April and her younger sister? Her mother is sick a lot with fibromyalgia, but, lady, listen, YOUR SIXTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS THE BAIT FOR AN ACTUAL CULT. Imma need you to get outta the bed and, I don’t know, maybe do something? Like, for starters, MOVE AWAY?!?! April would be better off being raised by the actual Bigfoot than you.
I know this is YA, but young adults deserve an actual story that makes sense and explains things, not just something where a bunch of ideas are thrown out there with no real attempt to link them into a story. The author has the tense, moody feel down, but, ugh. Im sorry to report it’s not recommended for anyone. There are the makings of a decent story somewhere in here, it just needed to be written.
August 14, 2025
Okay, first thing I want to mention is... I thought this was going to be sci-fi horror from that cover. But if you look closer you see it's not some weird space scene on her head, it's a mining camp thing. So I went into this entirely blind since I requested it based on the horror tag and the space-esque cover. Am I glad I went in blind? Yes. Otherwise, this might not have been a book I would have picked up and I actually enjoyed it. The ending left room for a possible sequel, I think so I'd definitely pick that up. Oh, I also didn’t realize it was YA. So I suck on all counts 🤣
January 1, 2026
In The Deep Well, the protagonist, April (aka Bicycle Girl) has been living with the consequences of an event she may or may not have played a part in when she was a little girl. Near a deep hole where her dad works as a miner, she starts to hear voices that tell her to fly into in. When the mine collapses later that day, resulting in the death of 19 people including her father, the town looks to her as a scapegoat. Things get out of hand in town (so much so that there's a cult devoted to the lore surrounding her and the future she will bring) to the point that she can't leave her house without being bullied, followed, or antagonized. When she gets news that her father may still be alive, she starts to investigate what really happened that day and search for any sign of her father.
This one started out with so much promise--the mystery of the event, the lore of the cult, the voices in the pit--what more could a reader ask for in a psychological thriller?! Unfortunately for me, essential parts of the world building came too late in the novel and read very convoluted and melodramatic to me. The characters on the whole aren't well-developed. Zack, the lead boy crush, is the stereotypical football player who has the hots for the "weird" girl in town. But there isn't any chemistry between the two of them, and there is no reason I could find that they liked each other beyond perhaps mild physical attraction. Many characters felt used mostly as plot devices, which made the excitement of guessing the truth or the real perpetrators for events in the book difficult--there were times when I suspected characters were going to be in on something because they felt underdeveloped to the point that I felt like they must be hiding something. My biggest issue was with the mom, who while sick, doesn't seem to be parenting her high-school- and middle-school-aged children. April is being followed by a cult and being accosted by paparazzi (which makes no sense--what news is she possibly capable of producing as a high school student??), so most people would consider at least moving to a different town to try to get away from all that. April acts more like the parent here, picking her sister up from school often and interacting with her way more than her own mother. She's left alone so much that she's able to make some pretty bold and difficult plot moves that should seemingly be impossible for a middle schooler.
There's promise in this book's idea that, with some more character development and smarter decisions about choices those characters should and are capable of making, could have been so much more.
This one started out with so much promise--the mystery of the event, the lore of the cult, the voices in the pit--what more could a reader ask for in a psychological thriller?! Unfortunately for me, essential parts of the world building came too late in the novel and read very convoluted and melodramatic to me. The characters on the whole aren't well-developed. Zack, the lead boy crush, is the stereotypical football player who has the hots for the "weird" girl in town. But there isn't any chemistry between the two of them, and there is no reason I could find that they liked each other beyond perhaps mild physical attraction. Many characters felt used mostly as plot devices, which made the excitement of guessing the truth or the real perpetrators for events in the book difficult--there were times when I suspected characters were going to be in on something because they felt underdeveloped to the point that I felt like they must be hiding something. My biggest issue was with the mom, who while sick, doesn't seem to be parenting her high-school- and middle-school-aged children. April is being followed by a cult and being accosted by paparazzi (which makes no sense--what news is she possibly capable of producing as a high school student??), so most people would consider at least moving to a different town to try to get away from all that. April acts more like the parent here, picking her sister up from school often and interacting with her way more than her own mother. She's left alone so much that she's able to make some pretty bold and difficult plot moves that should seemingly be impossible for a middle schooler.
There's promise in this book's idea that, with some more character development and smarter decisions about choices those characters should and are capable of making, could have been so much more.
March 25, 2026
First, Creedle has a writing style that just works for me. I said similar in my review of the ARC for her new book The Girl in Green. Something about the way she develops tension draws me in and itches that part of my brain so I have to scratch it and keep going.
This book is good, but it’s SO clear how much Creedle has evolved as an author from this to her upcoming book. The layers to the narrative blend together much better in The Girl in Green and for the second time recently, I feel that I’m doing a disservice to the author by reading a newer work first.
This is still a good book and another one I just couldn’t put down once I started it and really got into it. Creedle is very good at developing strong female leads with a supporting female cast and a single male support figure. Definitely her comfort lineup of characters but one she manages well.
Would recommend this book for sure. 3.5⭐️
This book is good, but it’s SO clear how much Creedle has evolved as an author from this to her upcoming book. The layers to the narrative blend together much better in The Girl in Green and for the second time recently, I feel that I’m doing a disservice to the author by reading a newer work first.
This is still a good book and another one I just couldn’t put down once I started it and really got into it. Creedle is very good at developing strong female leads with a supporting female cast and a single male support figure. Definitely her comfort lineup of characters but one she manages well.
Would recommend this book for sure. 3.5⭐️
Read
August 31, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Deep Well by Laura Creedle is a third person-POV YA horror. At five-years-old, April biked down to see her dad at the mine he worked at. That same day, nineteen people were dead, including him, the owner disappeared, and because April mentioned hearing a voice, she became known as The Bicycle Girl, summoner of demons and bringer of the apocalypse. Even April isn’t sure what will happen on the day she turns seventeen. When her aunt gives her a stack of documents about the mine and the people there, April starts to research every clue she can to find out what happened and what part she plays in all this.
This is such a unique and interesting take on the creepy child trope. I can genuinely say that I have never read something quite like this where the lead doesn’t even know for sure themselves if they are responsible for what happened and if there was a portal or not. To top it all, she has to evade cultists who are obsessed with her, an ex-friend who doxed her family, and live with the legacy of a horror movie inspired by what happened that made her out to be directly responsible who’s delighted by murder.
Like a lot of horror these days, the story both provides non-supernatural answers while also leaving a question mark that something supernatural is indeed going on. I have my own theory for what might have been the cause of all the deaths that would explain pretty much everything, but I have no confirmation for certain details that would tell me if I’m right or wrong. I don’t have an issue with this because this does feel like a fairly standard aspect of the genre, at least in YA, and that bit of mystery helps to keep the chills going.
April has a lot of very complicated relationships within the story. Her younger sister Jules never got to meet their father as she hadn’t been born yet and she’s never really known a life without people being obsessed with April or afraid of her. Their mother is chronically ill and never remarried and is somewhat distant from April, though it appears to be neither of their faults. On top of that, April has a budding romance with her childhood friend Zach but he’ll also need to deal with the fact that she is Bicycle Girl as long as they are together. The people closest to April, such as her friend Grace, do treat her as a person and not a freak, but in those instances, April treats herself like a freak. It’s heartbreaking to see how she pushes people away even though she so clearly misses being close to people.
I would recommend this to fans of YA horror who want to wonder if the events are supernatural or not and readers of horror who want a twist on the creepy child trope
The Deep Well by Laura Creedle is a third person-POV YA horror. At five-years-old, April biked down to see her dad at the mine he worked at. That same day, nineteen people were dead, including him, the owner disappeared, and because April mentioned hearing a voice, she became known as The Bicycle Girl, summoner of demons and bringer of the apocalypse. Even April isn’t sure what will happen on the day she turns seventeen. When her aunt gives her a stack of documents about the mine and the people there, April starts to research every clue she can to find out what happened and what part she plays in all this.
This is such a unique and interesting take on the creepy child trope. I can genuinely say that I have never read something quite like this where the lead doesn’t even know for sure themselves if they are responsible for what happened and if there was a portal or not. To top it all, she has to evade cultists who are obsessed with her, an ex-friend who doxed her family, and live with the legacy of a horror movie inspired by what happened that made her out to be directly responsible who’s delighted by murder.
Like a lot of horror these days, the story both provides non-supernatural answers while also leaving a question mark that something supernatural is indeed going on. I have my own theory for what might have been the cause of all the deaths that would explain pretty much everything, but I have no confirmation for certain details that would tell me if I’m right or wrong. I don’t have an issue with this because this does feel like a fairly standard aspect of the genre, at least in YA, and that bit of mystery helps to keep the chills going.
April has a lot of very complicated relationships within the story. Her younger sister Jules never got to meet their father as she hadn’t been born yet and she’s never really known a life without people being obsessed with April or afraid of her. Their mother is chronically ill and never remarried and is somewhat distant from April, though it appears to be neither of their faults. On top of that, April has a budding romance with her childhood friend Zach but he’ll also need to deal with the fact that she is Bicycle Girl as long as they are together. The people closest to April, such as her friend Grace, do treat her as a person and not a freak, but in those instances, April treats herself like a freak. It’s heartbreaking to see how she pushes people away even though she so clearly misses being close to people.
I would recommend this to fans of YA horror who want to wonder if the events are supernatural or not and readers of horror who want a twist on the creepy child trope
October 21, 2025
a decent book! it had a good amount of mystery and thrills for a teen lit!
it didnt like jump out at me very much with the story or the mystery but it wasnt too bad. just don't try to read into the plot too much and enjoy the ride instead.
it didnt like jump out at me very much with the story or the mystery but it wasnt too bad. just don't try to read into the plot too much and enjoy the ride instead.
September 20, 2025
Note: We read this book as an advanced review copy (ARC) given to our parent companies, everafterbooks.uk and theubergroup.org.
The coolest thing I noticed about the young adult horror novel The Deep Well is how the main character (April) struggles to find meaning in her suffering, while the rest of the world uses that suffering to fuel their curiosity and fantasies (moderate spoilers follow).
Five-year-old April Fischer lives with her parents at the site of an old mine, where an eccentric billionaire is drilling a hole to the center of the earth. April doesn’t know or care why they’re drilling this hole and spends her afternoons like many children do, eating ice cream and riding her bicycle. Until one day she hears a voice in her head that says, “time to fly.” A voice so convincing that April starts riding towards the edge of the deep pit at the center of the mine, certain that she’ll take off into the air.
April’s father grabs her off the back of her bike at the last second, saving her life. Unfortunately for her, she’s not the only one who's been hearing voices. April’s memories of what happens next are fragmented and confusing, and the facts that emerge don’t help much — an explosion, the mining crew massacred, and no signs of her father or the billionaire. They seem to have vanished into thin air.
Fast-forward a dozen years. Word gets out about the voices and the massacre, and April’s identity is revealed. Message boards, videos, podcasts and everything else speculate about what really happened, and whether April’s some kind of demon from hell. Disaster tourists stalk her, cultists try to kidnap her, and a low-budget movie version of her story makes everything worse. In short, it seems like the entire world has made up their mind about April and what happened, except April.
Even April’s family does this. April’s mother sees nothing but her own shame, for reasons she won’t explain. Her aunt hides in a cabin near the site of the massacre, convinced that April’s father is lost in an alternate dimension and can somehow be rescued. And April’s younger sister — who wasn’t even alive when all this happened — is sure the voices are a hoax, and April is an innocent victim.
But April? She remembers the voices and can still hear them whenever she’s near the mine. And there’s so much she can’t recall — what exactly happened that day, how she managed to escape, and even her father’s face. Therapists excuse these as the side effects of trauma, assigning even more significance to April’s experiences that she never asked for.
All April wants is a normal existence where everyone around her doesn’t seem to know her better than she knows herself. She can’t escape her past, however, and eventually the facts come looking for her. Evidence of other tragedies at the mine, with disturbingly similar patterns. Forensics and scientific theories that suggest that April’s aunt isn’t so crazy, after all.
Faced with all this and the world’s accumulated judgement, it would be hard for me to stay sane, and it certainly isn’t easy for April. But April doesn’t give up, and survives by exercising what Viktor Frankl referred to as “the last of the human freedoms” — she creates her own meaning, and goes her own way.
When all is said and done, I doubt that April will ever lead a normal life, but she does learn a lot more about the truth. And with that knowledge, April and her family find some peace in a world that will probably never leave them alone. Because in The Deep Well, we can’t run away from the experiences that haunt us — we can only dig deeper.
The coolest thing I noticed about the young adult horror novel The Deep Well is how the main character (April) struggles to find meaning in her suffering, while the rest of the world uses that suffering to fuel their curiosity and fantasies (moderate spoilers follow).
Five-year-old April Fischer lives with her parents at the site of an old mine, where an eccentric billionaire is drilling a hole to the center of the earth. April doesn’t know or care why they’re drilling this hole and spends her afternoons like many children do, eating ice cream and riding her bicycle. Until one day she hears a voice in her head that says, “time to fly.” A voice so convincing that April starts riding towards the edge of the deep pit at the center of the mine, certain that she’ll take off into the air.
April’s father grabs her off the back of her bike at the last second, saving her life. Unfortunately for her, she’s not the only one who's been hearing voices. April’s memories of what happens next are fragmented and confusing, and the facts that emerge don’t help much — an explosion, the mining crew massacred, and no signs of her father or the billionaire. They seem to have vanished into thin air.
Fast-forward a dozen years. Word gets out about the voices and the massacre, and April’s identity is revealed. Message boards, videos, podcasts and everything else speculate about what really happened, and whether April’s some kind of demon from hell. Disaster tourists stalk her, cultists try to kidnap her, and a low-budget movie version of her story makes everything worse. In short, it seems like the entire world has made up their mind about April and what happened, except April.
Even April’s family does this. April’s mother sees nothing but her own shame, for reasons she won’t explain. Her aunt hides in a cabin near the site of the massacre, convinced that April’s father is lost in an alternate dimension and can somehow be rescued. And April’s younger sister — who wasn’t even alive when all this happened — is sure the voices are a hoax, and April is an innocent victim.
But April? She remembers the voices and can still hear them whenever she’s near the mine. And there’s so much she can’t recall — what exactly happened that day, how she managed to escape, and even her father’s face. Therapists excuse these as the side effects of trauma, assigning even more significance to April’s experiences that she never asked for.
All April wants is a normal existence where everyone around her doesn’t seem to know her better than she knows herself. She can’t escape her past, however, and eventually the facts come looking for her. Evidence of other tragedies at the mine, with disturbingly similar patterns. Forensics and scientific theories that suggest that April’s aunt isn’t so crazy, after all.
Faced with all this and the world’s accumulated judgement, it would be hard for me to stay sane, and it certainly isn’t easy for April. But April doesn’t give up, and survives by exercising what Viktor Frankl referred to as “the last of the human freedoms” — she creates her own meaning, and goes her own way.
When all is said and done, I doubt that April will ever lead a normal life, but she does learn a lot more about the truth. And with that knowledge, April and her family find some peace in a world that will probably never leave them alone. Because in The Deep Well, we can’t run away from the experiences that haunt us — we can only dig deeper.
September 30, 2025
The Deep Well is a fast-paced intriguing read packed full of mystery. Once I picked this one up, it was hard to put down, I just needed to KNOW. Creedle does an excellent job weaving in so many elements - adolescent bullying, a cult, a budding romance, religious fervor, family bonds, supernatural elements, the list goes on.
April, or "Bicycle Girl", is such an interesting narrator for this story, and following along on her journey to her 17th birthday, the great culmination of the "portal opening" that the cultists anticipate, is an unique perspective that I'm not sure I've encountered before.
I recommend this one to anyone who's interested in a quick young adult read full of mystery and sprinkled with the metaphysical, supernatural, some violence, and the bonds that hold us together.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
April, or "Bicycle Girl", is such an interesting narrator for this story, and following along on her journey to her 17th birthday, the great culmination of the "portal opening" that the cultists anticipate, is an unique perspective that I'm not sure I've encountered before.
I recommend this one to anyone who's interested in a quick young adult read full of mystery and sprinkled with the metaphysical, supernatural, some violence, and the bonds that hold us together.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
September 8, 2025
Creepy cults, a haunted mine, an unreliable narrator, and a town obsessed with a girl who survived something unspeakable. April is being watched, and with her 17th birthday coming up, things are about to get even creepier.
It’s fast paced, incredibly atmospheric, and full of 'what is going on here!' moments. There’s a sprinkle of romance, strong sister love, and a constant feeling that something dark is waiting for you.
It’s fast paced, incredibly atmospheric, and full of 'what is going on here!' moments. There’s a sprinkle of romance, strong sister love, and a constant feeling that something dark is waiting for you.
December 25, 2025
3/5
Let me start off with AMAZING concept, but I found that as it got to the climax it goes pretty hectic and a lot of things happened at once where it was kind of hard to keep everything straight. I had to reread it a few times to really understand what was going on.
Let me start off with AMAZING concept, but I found that as it got to the climax it goes pretty hectic and a lot of things happened at once where it was kind of hard to keep everything straight. I had to reread it a few times to really understand what was going on.
May 1, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE DEEP WELL by Laura Creedle
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins (Quill Tree Books) for the earc (Sept 2)
When April was five, she survived a massacre at Copperton mine. Now, 12 years later, members of the Deep Well cult believe April will get some kind of power. April is wracked with questions: what happened to her father? Until...one day she is given documents and the words He's alive, so she investigates. As she uncovers more about the mine and the cultists, she begins to question everything.
THE DEEP WELL is a captivating thriller that mixes mystery with cult-like vibes at it's heart. Creedle manages to weave the story together in a way where new information seems to pop up, adding the the mystery and the moments that are constantly filled with action: the cultist following April, the voices, etc.
I sped through this book. There was something about it, and I just had to know if April's father, if the King, survived. It was intriguing in a way I honestly didn't expect, and I ended up quite liking the book.
I like how this turned into a dual-pov toward the end. It helped offer insight to different scenes, a certain character, etc. I also found most of the characters to be likeable---even some of the ones who were a little iffy.
Despite how much I liked the book, I feel like somethings weren't tied up as nicely. I don't want to go into it too much but it does have to do with what happened to [Redacted's] family member. Other than that, I liked the way the book flowed and how fast paced it was.
THE DEEP WELL by Laura Creedle
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins (Quill Tree Books) for the earc (Sept 2)
When April was five, she survived a massacre at Copperton mine. Now, 12 years later, members of the Deep Well cult believe April will get some kind of power. April is wracked with questions: what happened to her father? Until...one day she is given documents and the words He's alive, so she investigates. As she uncovers more about the mine and the cultists, she begins to question everything.
THE DEEP WELL is a captivating thriller that mixes mystery with cult-like vibes at it's heart. Creedle manages to weave the story together in a way where new information seems to pop up, adding the the mystery and the moments that are constantly filled with action: the cultist following April, the voices, etc.
I sped through this book. There was something about it, and I just had to know if April's father, if the King, survived. It was intriguing in a way I honestly didn't expect, and I ended up quite liking the book.
I like how this turned into a dual-pov toward the end. It helped offer insight to different scenes, a certain character, etc. I also found most of the characters to be likeable---even some of the ones who were a little iffy.
Despite how much I liked the book, I feel like somethings weren't tied up as nicely. I don't want to go into it too much but it does have to do with what happened to [Redacted's] family member. Other than that, I liked the way the book flowed and how fast paced it was.
January 30, 2026
Creepy goodness!
The Deep Well is a wholly original and unique story, sprung from the wildly creative mind of Laura Creedle, whose first novel, The Love Letters of Abelard & Lily, is highly acclaimed and one of my all-time faves.
The Deep Well will keep you on edge and always surprised by twists and turns one can never anticipate. The setting of the Ojo de Cristo mine and the deep bore hole, which might also be a portal to other dimensions, is like no other. And the protagonist April is a vulnerable teen who will tug at your heartstrings due to the crazy and extremely worrisome predicaments she finds herself in as well as her courage in facing down her fears. She must contend with dangerous cultists who stalk her while protecting her younger sister and trying to find out what happened to her father, who disappeared years ago. There is mystery, there is intrigue, there is humor, and there are touching moments from April’s family life.
This is young adult suspense that crosses over. Adults will love every minute of The Deep Well. I know that I did, and I give it a whole-hearted five stars.
The Deep Well is a wholly original and unique story, sprung from the wildly creative mind of Laura Creedle, whose first novel, The Love Letters of Abelard & Lily, is highly acclaimed and one of my all-time faves.
The Deep Well will keep you on edge and always surprised by twists and turns one can never anticipate. The setting of the Ojo de Cristo mine and the deep bore hole, which might also be a portal to other dimensions, is like no other. And the protagonist April is a vulnerable teen who will tug at your heartstrings due to the crazy and extremely worrisome predicaments she finds herself in as well as her courage in facing down her fears. She must contend with dangerous cultists who stalk her while protecting her younger sister and trying to find out what happened to her father, who disappeared years ago. There is mystery, there is intrigue, there is humor, and there are touching moments from April’s family life.
This is young adult suspense that crosses over. Adults will love every minute of The Deep Well. I know that I did, and I give it a whole-hearted five stars.
September 26, 2025
“The closer April got to the open-pit mine, the louder the voice became. And the voice said one thing, over and over. Time to fly.”
Ever since the Ojo de Cristo mining massacre took nineteen lives, April Fischer has been Copperton’s pariah—the girl who heard a voice coming from the open-pit mine at five years old. April lost her father to this massacre, and the mining compound’s industrialist, Robert “King” Steenkampf, the man who supposedly drilled a hole to Hell, also disappeared. In the years after, April has become infamous, her traumatic past used as the source of a cheap horror flick, urban legends, and horror buff entertainment. What’s worse is that April also has to deal with the Deep Well cult, a group that believes when April turns seventeen, she’ll be the harbinger of end-times that opens a portal for Steenkampf’s return. But when April finds out her father may be alive, all she wants is to bring him back. To do so, she must uncover the truth behind the massacre, the mine, and her memories before time runs out.
Creedle’s fast-paced writing leads you down a dark pit of tension and intrigue from the very beginning. There are layers of mystery in the narrative, from the brutal mining massacre April witnessed but can’t remember, her dreams and memories bleeding together, to the fanatic cultists and their ritualistic beliefs, and the suspicious man who relentlessly follows her. People stalk her in town and on the internet, and the voice—the dark entity that started it all—wants her back, creating a claustrophobic, pleasantly disturbing feeling. Yet, the book wasn't without humor, and I found myself savoring these moments. The sweet, sisterly love between April and Jules really connected me to these characters and their plights. Creedle also creates depth in the narrative with contemporary elements. There’s a r/truewell Reddit thread and a social media presence looming over April. Some chapters begin with faux Wikipedia articles of the massacre, cult, and the mine’s history, and even a Hellhole! (the movie based on the massacre) Rotten Tomatoes critic review. These unique choices also deepen the story’s horror, situating it more firmly in our own reality. However, there were some things I wasn’t entirely on board with. A romance begins between April and Zach, the school’s athletic star, even though they have no chemistry whatsoever. Also, while I enjoyed the ending’s reveal, the voice April and others heard from the pit remains an unresolved enigma—potentially left unanswered for another book. Still, if you want a captivating thriller, this is a must-read!
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio and Quill Tree Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
Ever since the Ojo de Cristo mining massacre took nineteen lives, April Fischer has been Copperton’s pariah—the girl who heard a voice coming from the open-pit mine at five years old. April lost her father to this massacre, and the mining compound’s industrialist, Robert “King” Steenkampf, the man who supposedly drilled a hole to Hell, also disappeared. In the years after, April has become infamous, her traumatic past used as the source of a cheap horror flick, urban legends, and horror buff entertainment. What’s worse is that April also has to deal with the Deep Well cult, a group that believes when April turns seventeen, she’ll be the harbinger of end-times that opens a portal for Steenkampf’s return. But when April finds out her father may be alive, all she wants is to bring him back. To do so, she must uncover the truth behind the massacre, the mine, and her memories before time runs out.
Creedle’s fast-paced writing leads you down a dark pit of tension and intrigue from the very beginning. There are layers of mystery in the narrative, from the brutal mining massacre April witnessed but can’t remember, her dreams and memories bleeding together, to the fanatic cultists and their ritualistic beliefs, and the suspicious man who relentlessly follows her. People stalk her in town and on the internet, and the voice—the dark entity that started it all—wants her back, creating a claustrophobic, pleasantly disturbing feeling. Yet, the book wasn't without humor, and I found myself savoring these moments. The sweet, sisterly love between April and Jules really connected me to these characters and their plights. Creedle also creates depth in the narrative with contemporary elements. There’s a r/truewell Reddit thread and a social media presence looming over April. Some chapters begin with faux Wikipedia articles of the massacre, cult, and the mine’s history, and even a Hellhole! (the movie based on the massacre) Rotten Tomatoes critic review. These unique choices also deepen the story’s horror, situating it more firmly in our own reality. However, there were some things I wasn’t entirely on board with. A romance begins between April and Zach, the school’s athletic star, even though they have no chemistry whatsoever. Also, while I enjoyed the ending’s reveal, the voice April and others heard from the pit remains an unresolved enigma—potentially left unanswered for another book. Still, if you want a captivating thriller, this is a must-read!
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio and Quill Tree Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
March 24, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Quill Tree Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A haunting combination of psychological suspense, supernatural mystery, and creeping paranoia, “The Deep Well” by Laura Creedle is a fast-paced, atmospheric story that keeps you questioning what is real and what is imagined. With an unreliable narrator at its core, the story discusses themes of trauma, belief, and the human need for answers—no matter how terrifying they may be.
At the center of the novel is April Fischer, the lone survivor of a brutal massacre at the Copperton mine twelve years ago. Ever since that fateful day, she has been a subject of internet urban legends, horror movie inspirations, and, most disturbingly, the obsession of a cult that believes she holds the key to opening a portal to another dimension. With her seventeenth birthday approaching—a date the cult believes is vital to their prophecy—April is forced to confront the truth about the massacre, her father’s mysterious disappearance, and the voices that may or may not be real.
One of the book’s biggest strengths is its tense, eerie atmosphere. From the desolate drill site to the unsettling cult presence, every page is filled with an underlying sense of dread. As April digs deeper into the mystery of what happened at the mine, the lines between reality and delusion blur, making her an unreliable but deeply compelling narrator. You will find yourself questioning whether the supernatural elements are real or if April is succumbing to paranoia, especially as the tension continues to build as it gets closer to April’s birthday, and she learns more about what happened during the massacre and if there really is a portal to another dimension that requires human sacrifice.
Though there is some romance, the primary focus remains on the mystery and the psychological tension surrounding April’s unraveling grip on reality. Her relationship with her sister, Jules, is a highlight, adding a grounding emotional connection amidst the chaos. The pacing is brisk, making this a quick and engaging read, though some aspects—such as the details of the initial massacre—remain ambiguous even by the story’s end.
Creedle masterfully balances closure with an open-ended supernatural element, leaving you unsettled and pondering the events long after turning the final page. The book’s final moments suggest that the darkness of Copperton and the voices from the well may never truly leave April behind. Overall, this is a gripping and eerie thriller that lingers in the mind. “The Deep Well” is a must-read for fans of psychological horror and supernatural suspense.
A haunting combination of psychological suspense, supernatural mystery, and creeping paranoia, “The Deep Well” by Laura Creedle is a fast-paced, atmospheric story that keeps you questioning what is real and what is imagined. With an unreliable narrator at its core, the story discusses themes of trauma, belief, and the human need for answers—no matter how terrifying they may be.
At the center of the novel is April Fischer, the lone survivor of a brutal massacre at the Copperton mine twelve years ago. Ever since that fateful day, she has been a subject of internet urban legends, horror movie inspirations, and, most disturbingly, the obsession of a cult that believes she holds the key to opening a portal to another dimension. With her seventeenth birthday approaching—a date the cult believes is vital to their prophecy—April is forced to confront the truth about the massacre, her father’s mysterious disappearance, and the voices that may or may not be real.
One of the book’s biggest strengths is its tense, eerie atmosphere. From the desolate drill site to the unsettling cult presence, every page is filled with an underlying sense of dread. As April digs deeper into the mystery of what happened at the mine, the lines between reality and delusion blur, making her an unreliable but deeply compelling narrator. You will find yourself questioning whether the supernatural elements are real or if April is succumbing to paranoia, especially as the tension continues to build as it gets closer to April’s birthday, and she learns more about what happened during the massacre and if there really is a portal to another dimension that requires human sacrifice.
Though there is some romance, the primary focus remains on the mystery and the psychological tension surrounding April’s unraveling grip on reality. Her relationship with her sister, Jules, is a highlight, adding a grounding emotional connection amidst the chaos. The pacing is brisk, making this a quick and engaging read, though some aspects—such as the details of the initial massacre—remain ambiguous even by the story’s end.
Creedle masterfully balances closure with an open-ended supernatural element, leaving you unsettled and pondering the events long after turning the final page. The book’s final moments suggest that the darkness of Copperton and the voices from the well may never truly leave April behind. Overall, this is a gripping and eerie thriller that lingers in the mind. “The Deep Well” is a must-read for fans of psychological horror and supernatural suspense.
August 10, 2025
"Time to fly!"
4.00 / 5.00
At five years old, April narrowly escaped a massacre at the local open pit mine, earning her Urban Legend status as Bicycle Girl - the girl who opened a Portal to Hell. Sixteen bodies were identified and confirmed dead, but April’s dad, the mine’s foreman, was never one of them. Twelve years later, April is handed a stack of truth suggesting her father is still alive and only she can open the Portal to bring him back. But with the deadline drawing near, can April crack this mystery in time to save her dad? Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Teen / Quill Tree Books for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This was such a winning mystery thriller for me! I finished it in less than 24 hours, and I can definitely see my teenage self making my whole summer about this book. I wanted so badly to find out what had really happened to the individuals whose bodies were never found and find out if it really was because April had opened a magical Portal to another world. It was giving total Stranger Things vibes with the pit voice that had been calling to April since childhood. The way Creedle built layer on layer of anticipation toward the end was incredible. There was so much going on, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by plot or action, and I don’t feel like we were thrown anything that didn’t fit the overall narrative.
I have 2 big complaints about the story, but they contain major spoilers, so please reach out to me if you want more info.
This book had “Between Two Mysteries” by Mount Eerie stuck in my head! The song has layers of guitar and bells that remind me of ‘90s horror / mystery / thriller movies, which fits so perfectly with this book. While the lyrics don’t totally match the plot, I can still picture it playing in the background as April is driving to see her aunt, or as she makes her way to the mine.
Connect with me on Instagram (@bookmarks_and_backbeats) for more reviews, musical pairings, and all around good times!
4.00 / 5.00
At five years old, April narrowly escaped a massacre at the local open pit mine, earning her Urban Legend status as Bicycle Girl - the girl who opened a Portal to Hell. Sixteen bodies were identified and confirmed dead, but April’s dad, the mine’s foreman, was never one of them. Twelve years later, April is handed a stack of truth suggesting her father is still alive and only she can open the Portal to bring him back. But with the deadline drawing near, can April crack this mystery in time to save her dad? Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Teen / Quill Tree Books for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This was such a winning mystery thriller for me! I finished it in less than 24 hours, and I can definitely see my teenage self making my whole summer about this book. I wanted so badly to find out what had really happened to the individuals whose bodies were never found and find out if it really was because April had opened a magical Portal to another world. It was giving total Stranger Things vibes with the pit voice that had been calling to April since childhood. The way Creedle built layer on layer of anticipation toward the end was incredible. There was so much going on, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by plot or action, and I don’t feel like we were thrown anything that didn’t fit the overall narrative.
I have 2 big complaints about the story, but they contain major spoilers, so please reach out to me if you want more info.
This book had “Between Two Mysteries” by Mount Eerie stuck in my head! The song has layers of guitar and bells that remind me of ‘90s horror / mystery / thriller movies, which fits so perfectly with this book. While the lyrics don’t totally match the plot, I can still picture it playing in the background as April is driving to see her aunt, or as she makes her way to the mine.
Connect with me on Instagram (@bookmarks_and_backbeats) for more reviews, musical pairings, and all around good times!
October 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!
April doesn't remember much from her childhood foray into the mines—surviving a masacre that took the lives of so many—including her father. She can't escape her past, as everyone from armchair detectives and horror aficionados to a cult want something from her. Most worryingly, the aforementioned cult believe she'll destroy the world on her fast-approaching 17th birthday.
As the dawn of the possible apocalypse draws nearer, April receives a cache of information that claims her father is still alive. Willing to do whatever it takes to bring him home, she begins to worry the cult may not be that far off with their portents of doom. Knowledge is power and a curse.
What could have be an interesting take on the "cursed/evil child" trope, following the aforementioned child years later fell very flat. A disjointed narrative meant to evoke the phenomenon of trauma-induced memory blockages never hit the mark for me. Coupled with an insufferable protagonist—who actually is a fairly apt representation of teenage desires to simultaneously belong and stand out—made for an unpleasant reading experience.
I do think younger audiences may enjoy this a bit more I did, just based on how distinctly YA the text is. That being said they also deserve a coherent narrative. As a fan of cosmic/Eldritch horror and unreliable narrators, I wouldn't place the blame for any confusion solely on my head... this perhaps stems from too many variants across drafts merging together into one messy final. One more thorough pass through could iron this out.
April doesn't remember much from her childhood foray into the mines—surviving a masacre that took the lives of so many—including her father. She can't escape her past, as everyone from armchair detectives and horror aficionados to a cult want something from her. Most worryingly, the aforementioned cult believe she'll destroy the world on her fast-approaching 17th birthday.
As the dawn of the possible apocalypse draws nearer, April receives a cache of information that claims her father is still alive. Willing to do whatever it takes to bring him home, she begins to worry the cult may not be that far off with their portents of doom. Knowledge is power and a curse.
What could have be an interesting take on the "cursed/evil child" trope, following the aforementioned child years later fell very flat. A disjointed narrative meant to evoke the phenomenon of trauma-induced memory blockages never hit the mark for me. Coupled with an insufferable protagonist—who actually is a fairly apt representation of teenage desires to simultaneously belong and stand out—made for an unpleasant reading experience.
I do think younger audiences may enjoy this a bit more I did, just based on how distinctly YA the text is. That being said they also deserve a coherent narrative. As a fan of cosmic/Eldritch horror and unreliable narrators, I wouldn't place the blame for any confusion solely on my head... this perhaps stems from too many variants across drafts merging together into one messy final. One more thorough pass through could iron this out.
May 13, 2025
A fast paced taunt read with some smokes of violence occurring mostly off page. The plot is about a family that has a horror movie based upon a trauma that they and the town experienced. Told from April the Bicycle Girl, the one that rode away as a child. Who then has a cult form around the trauma happening again on her 17th birthday. It really gets the feeling of small town world for a girl dressed in black. I was expecting "Bicycle Girl" T shirts to appear as the noticing of cultists got bigger.
One of the main narrative appeals is that whenever conversation about the trauma begins, our narrator spaces out and doesn't listen so neither do we. That leaves us constantly wondering about the event which hurries the reader along because we have to know about the missing father and uncle. The other main appeal is the growth of the little sister who finally becomes a shared narrator in the action filled ending. There is some glossing over the events at the end but that does leave it open for the Voice to speak again.
The author Creedle tends to put you in the mind of a teenager with observations and inner dialogue. It works but leaves you wishing that her behavior was less high school thought process. The romance bounces around her but the story is only a week long so a kiss is all we get. Halfway through the novel I realized I had to finish it before putting it down. It really led up to her birthday and cultists are as scary as high schoolers. Overall, a fun read with an omnipresent evil lurking in the well as a family deals with unwanted notoriety and the anticipation of the Deep Well piercing the veil.
One of the main narrative appeals is that whenever conversation about the trauma begins, our narrator spaces out and doesn't listen so neither do we. That leaves us constantly wondering about the event which hurries the reader along because we have to know about the missing father and uncle. The other main appeal is the growth of the little sister who finally becomes a shared narrator in the action filled ending. There is some glossing over the events at the end but that does leave it open for the Voice to speak again.
The author Creedle tends to put you in the mind of a teenager with observations and inner dialogue. It works but leaves you wishing that her behavior was less high school thought process. The romance bounces around her but the story is only a week long so a kiss is all we get. Halfway through the novel I realized I had to finish it before putting it down. It really led up to her birthday and cultists are as scary as high schoolers. Overall, a fun read with an omnipresent evil lurking in the well as a family deals with unwanted notoriety and the anticipation of the Deep Well piercing the veil.
September 25, 2025
I really appreciated the psychology of this book, the way it kept me constantly uncertain and uneasy about how much was real and how much wasn't, whether April's thoughts could be trusted, and how it was all going to end. I liked how the story reached what seemed like a natural end while also leaving open some questions and ideas (sequel? or just nightmare fodder?). I liked the realistic sibling relationship and the complicated nature of Mom's presence and her illness. Mostly it was the human aspects that kept me hooked much more than the paranormal/spiritual/unnatural/whatever-you-call-it, but there was an eerie quality to it that worked well for the style of book. I should say: horror is not usually my preferred genre. I read (listened to) this because I have faith in Laura Creedle's excellent ability to capture a teenage voice and relationships and the way she manages to keep the story YA while respecting her readers enough to not oversimplify or talk down to them. This story is so very different from The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily, but in that respect, it has her fingerprints all over it.
September 12, 2025
The Deep Well takes place twelve years after a massacre at a mine took the life of April’s father and several other workers. April lived on the property with her family, and on that day, she heard a voice that told her to fly. As the years have gone by, urban legends have formed, and a movie was made that sensationalized her supposed abilities. A cult believes when April turns seventeen, she will be able to open a portal at the mine to another dimension. April also starts to believe this may be true, and the prospect of seeing her dad starts to tempt her to return to the mine.
I genuinely enjoyed this book. The writing was concise and not flowery, which I like. I feel the language was appropriate for the age group, YA teen, with no spice.
The truly scary aspect of this book was the plausibility. An idea can be spun into an obsession. Internet sleuths, stalkers, and internet-born cults are all true dangers teens are facing now. This book showed how people can be fanaticized by an urban legend and pose a danger to others.
This book was great, and I gave it 4 stars. I would recommend this book to middle grades and teens. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC copy.
I genuinely enjoyed this book. The writing was concise and not flowery, which I like. I feel the language was appropriate for the age group, YA teen, with no spice.
The truly scary aspect of this book was the plausibility. An idea can be spun into an obsession. Internet sleuths, stalkers, and internet-born cults are all true dangers teens are facing now. This book showed how people can be fanaticized by an urban legend and pose a danger to others.
This book was great, and I gave it 4 stars. I would recommend this book to middle grades and teens. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC copy.
December 21, 2025
70/100 or 3.5 stars
I did have a good time with this horror mystery/thriller. There are some aspects to the story that don't really work well (no pun intended), but there are some highlights too. The writing/writing style worked for the story and helped keep up the pace. I won't give spoilers, but usually the way this story ends would not work for me, but somehow it worked out for this one. I am uncertain whether it was ended that way for funsies or if it was an easy way to set up a second book if Creedle wanted to write a sequel or a prequel. Honestly, either way is fine by me. I do think there could have been some more world building and more work on builidng the relationships within the story, but I liked this for what it is.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I did have a good time with this horror mystery/thriller. There are some aspects to the story that don't really work well (no pun intended), but there are some highlights too. The writing/writing style worked for the story and helped keep up the pace. I won't give spoilers, but usually the way this story ends would not work for me, but somehow it worked out for this one. I am uncertain whether it was ended that way for funsies or if it was an easy way to set up a second book if Creedle wanted to write a sequel or a prequel. Honestly, either way is fine by me. I do think there could have been some more world building and more work on builidng the relationships within the story, but I liked this for what it is.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2025
The Deep Well leads off with a delightfully terrifying episode of childhood trauma, then skips to twelve years later when Anna, the protagonist, is approaching her seventeenth birthday. I love how the focus of the book isn't on how the trauma damaged Anna, but on how the rest of the world made a kind of satanic cult figure out of her and how she coped with THAT. The story has great thriller pacing, which pissed me off because I couldn't put it down and go to sleep. There's a wonderful mixture of the mundane life of an overburdened teenager and some very creepy stuff, with adventure and a romantic subplot thrown in. Great book!
November 24, 2025
I have to say I am absolutely obsessed with The Deep Well. It was such a compulsive read that I couldn’t put it down. I loved April and Jules and all the other characters but more than that I adored the idea that there is something supernatural happening, was it all coincidence or something more. I loved the writing and pacing of the novel and particularly injured how it was firmly set in the real world with references to wikipedia pages, creepypasta and the like. If you enjoy mysterious reads this is one for you.
As always thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
As always thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
January 25, 2026
This book was great for YA fiction! It was really heavy on loss and grief and the teen love was adorable, safe, and appropriate. I'm gonna post major spoilers below bc I am a person who needs to know the end before I begin a story and the Google had none.
Aunt Sylvia dies.
No, Zach does NOT betray April.
No, April's sister does not die and is not harmed in any way.
The father is not alive and there's no portal.
Uncle Dave is not found outright ... he might be one of the cultists. We never find out.
We DO NOT find out about the voice, where it comes from, what it is.
The ending is kind of ambiguous.
April finds a sort of peace within and with her grief and trauma.
Aunt Sylvia dies.
No, Zach does NOT betray April.
No, April's sister does not die and is not harmed in any way.
The father is not alive and there's no portal.
Uncle Dave is not found outright ... he might be one of the cultists. We never find out.
We DO NOT find out about the voice, where it comes from, what it is.
The ending is kind of ambiguous.
April finds a sort of peace within and with her grief and trauma.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2025
if you've already read Creedle's other book, "The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily", then you are aware of the fact that she has a unique understanding of and ability to communicate the mental processes of the modern-day adolescent. Her writing is nuanced, witty and beautiful. This plot also shows her comfort with and complete familiarity with the horror genre as well as giving me eerie recollections of the massive copper mine I visited in Bisbee Arizona. This book is replete with awesome lines and great quotes...a must read.
October 15, 2025
If you have a YA reader looking for sci-fi with some horror this is a great start! I was gifted this books as and ARC!
It’s a great mystery about a mine that keeps having major death events every 12 years! April is bicycle girl as the cult of the deep well calls her. Because she said she heard a voice in the mine before the massacre.
The real question is what happened to her dad? Did he go through a portal or did he die that day? April and her friends try and figure that out!
Alsooo set up for a second one!?
It’s a great mystery about a mine that keeps having major death events every 12 years! April is bicycle girl as the cult of the deep well calls her. Because she said she heard a voice in the mine before the massacre.
The real question is what happened to her dad? Did he go through a portal or did he die that day? April and her friends try and figure that out!
Alsooo set up for a second one!?
September 26, 2025
UNDER-Hyped
Would I recommend - MAYBE
Overall -4.⭐️
Character - 3⭐️
Setting - 4⭐️
Plot - 4⭐️
Themes - 5⭐️
Writing - 4⭐️
Emotions - 4⭐️
Enjoyment - 4⭐️
An interesting premise of being the inspiration for a horror film. Some of the parts were too drawn out. Some of the parts made my heart pound. It's a slightly mixed bag. However, when I started to feel the story drag on, it picked up again. A quick, not-so-scary read for the Halloween season.
Would I recommend - MAYBE
Overall -4.⭐️
Character - 3⭐️
Setting - 4⭐️
Plot - 4⭐️
Themes - 5⭐️
Writing - 4⭐️
Emotions - 4⭐️
Enjoyment - 4⭐️
An interesting premise of being the inspiration for a horror film. Some of the parts were too drawn out. Some of the parts made my heart pound. It's a slightly mixed bag. However, when I started to feel the story drag on, it picked up again. A quick, not-so-scary read for the Halloween season.
October 31, 2025
I agree with a lot of the reviews here. This book has an interesting premise, and I like the author’s writing style. The cover art is good, and there is some real tension towards the end that had me on the edge of my seat.
BUT
The novel felt half-baked. I think this could have been a 5 star book if it had been fleshed out and explored more. It needed about 200 more pages and it would have been great. But it felt like a rough draft.
BUT
The novel felt half-baked. I think this could have been a 5 star book if it had been fleshed out and explored more. It needed about 200 more pages and it would have been great. But it felt like a rough draft.
June 1, 2025
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book in one weekend. I sighed every time I was pulled away from it. April, our protagonist, hooked me from the first page. I loved the mystery aspect of it, the search for her father and uncle, the cultish vibes, the eerie setting, and the propulsive plot.
Overall, a solid 5/5 stars.
I read this book in one weekend. I sighed every time I was pulled away from it. April, our protagonist, hooked me from the first page. I loved the mystery aspect of it, the search for her father and uncle, the cultish vibes, the eerie setting, and the propulsive plot.
Overall, a solid 5/5 stars.
February 23, 2026
Is it real or imaginary or something else? A few plot holes for me, but overall it was a nice read. Well, not NICE but cozy ... okay not cozy, I mean... Okay, just read it and you'll know what I mean. Triggers include, but are not limited to: death, violence, cults, bullying, assault, gun violence, stalking, suggested assault of a minor.
June 1, 2025
This Deep Well is a YA horror filled with mystery and intrigue surrounding April and the murders at the Copperton mine. It’s a creepy, complex, and layered story that comes together with a thrilling ending!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews