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The Vanishing Deep
Bestselling author Astrid Scholte, returns with a thrilling adventure in which the dead can be revived...for a price.
Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.
But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.
Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.
But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2020
124 people are currently reading
14282 people want to read
About the author
Astrid Scholte
6 books1,792 followersAstrid Scholte is the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of fantasy novels including Four Dead Queens , The Vanishing Deep and the League of Liars duology. Fallen Beauty is next! When she's not writing, she works in film and animation production on such movies as James Cameron’s Avatar, Lilo & Stitch and Wicked. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two cats and an ever-growing mountain of Disney merchandise.
You can find Astrid posting about books, cats and Disney on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @AstridScholte
You can find Astrid posting about books, cats and Disney on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @AstridScholte
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March 9, 2020Okay, this is so strange. Four Dead Queens was everywhere months before the book was published. There was so much hype!
And this just somehow sneaked into bookshops without anyone (or was it just me?) noticing.
And this just somehow sneaked into bookshops without anyone (or was it just me?) noticing.
Read
March 24, 2020Update 24th of March:
Thank you for all your support during these trying times. If you're looking for a signed copy of The Vanishing Deep, please try:
- Barnes and Noble Union Square, 5th Avenue and Fullerton.
- Mysterious Galaxy
- Books of Wonder
- Half Price Books
- The Tattered Cover
I hope the book helps take you on a thrilling journey!
Stay safe!
Update 8th of February:
Penguin Teen's preorder campaign is up! If you preorder before the 3/3/20, you can enter your receipt and recieve an exclusive waterproof phone pouch! (US only)
Check out the details here.
Update 15th of December:
Pre-order campaign with Good Choice Reading is live! You can order a signed US hardcover and receive four character cards painted by me! More info here.
The first spark of inspiration for The Vanishing Deep was back in 2015, before I wrote Four Dead Queens, when I was watching an episode of the Real Housewives of NYC and one of the housewives said she wished she could have just one more day with her late husband. The idea stuck in my mind. What if it was possible to have one more day with a deceased loved one?
Fast forward to early 2017, when I sold my debut Four Dead Queens to Penguin Random House (USA) and my editor asked if I had any other book ideas. I suggested three and the one my editor picked became The Vanishing Deep!
The main character, Tempest Alerin, is a tough, unapologetic girl who would never smile if you asked her to or sensor her thoughts. She's been scavenging the sunken ruins of the Old World for the past two years to fund the revival of her sister, Elysea. But Tempest doesn't want some kind of meaningful final goodbye with her sister, she wants the truth to their parents' deaths and the secret Elysea took to her grave about that fateful night.
The Vanishing Deep is a story of sisterhood, love and loss, and the lengths we will go to for the people we care about. It's also a fantasy/sci fi thriller which takes place in a world that's 99% water where the ocean is as deadly as it is beautiful.
I hope you enjoy the journey!
Thank you for all your support during these trying times. If you're looking for a signed copy of The Vanishing Deep, please try:
- Barnes and Noble Union Square, 5th Avenue and Fullerton.
- Mysterious Galaxy
- Books of Wonder
- Half Price Books
- The Tattered Cover
I hope the book helps take you on a thrilling journey!
Stay safe!
Update 8th of February:
Penguin Teen's preorder campaign is up! If you preorder before the 3/3/20, you can enter your receipt and recieve an exclusive waterproof phone pouch! (US only)
Check out the details here.
Update 15th of December:
Pre-order campaign with Good Choice Reading is live! You can order a signed US hardcover and receive four character cards painted by me! More info here.
The first spark of inspiration for The Vanishing Deep was back in 2015, before I wrote Four Dead Queens, when I was watching an episode of the Real Housewives of NYC and one of the housewives said she wished she could have just one more day with her late husband. The idea stuck in my mind. What if it was possible to have one more day with a deceased loved one?
Fast forward to early 2017, when I sold my debut Four Dead Queens to Penguin Random House (USA) and my editor asked if I had any other book ideas. I suggested three and the one my editor picked became The Vanishing Deep!
The main character, Tempest Alerin, is a tough, unapologetic girl who would never smile if you asked her to or sensor her thoughts. She's been scavenging the sunken ruins of the Old World for the past two years to fund the revival of her sister, Elysea. But Tempest doesn't want some kind of meaningful final goodbye with her sister, she wants the truth to their parents' deaths and the secret Elysea took to her grave about that fateful night.
The Vanishing Deep is a story of sisterhood, love and loss, and the lengths we will go to for the people we care about. It's also a fantasy/sci fi thriller which takes place in a world that's 99% water where the ocean is as deadly as it is beautiful.
I hope you enjoy the journey!
March 2, 2020
Hooboy *takes deep breath* This is not going to be pretty. Honestly, I should have just DNFed this book. The only reason I didn't is because the world was intriguing and in the beginning I was really interested. But sadly, the farther I read, the worse it got.
I'll start with the positive: The concept was FANTASTIC. In the beginning, I was so onboard! It felt so much like Waterworld, which I love. The idea of a post-apocalyptic world of water is amazing! However, that was where the enjoyment ends. The world building was shoddy. There's no nice way to put it. I still don't even know if this was supposed to be a high fantasy or a sci-fi dystopia. It seemed like a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world - basically, the government used technology to melt the ice caps that were encasing a large portion of land because overpopulation was an issue and they needed more space. But they screwed up and melted too much, raising the sea level too high and burying all the land under water. Okay...far-fetched, but okay. I can roll with that. But it's never mentioned if it's actually Earth or not, even though everything seems to go by Earth's rules and there's nothing other-worldly about it to make it a High Fantasy world.
Then we have Palindromena, a high-tech island facility that brings loved ones back for 24 hours for an exorbitant price. Also a cool concept, but I don't think the post-apocalyptic water world and the high tech facility really fit together. If they have access to that kind of technology, why is the rest of the world living in the dark ages? It seemed far-fetched to me (I know I keep using that word but it describes the whole book, sorry). Anyway, let's suspend belief that this facility would exist in a world without land that otherwise lacks any technology. The way the tethering process works is also a reach. I mean, the concept was cool. If you could have closure - the chance to say goodbye and see your loved ones one last time - would you? Interesting.
In addition to the terrible world building, this book also lacked any logic whatsoever. There were SO many things that were completely nonsensical, and the more I read the more they bugged the shit out of me.
First - There was a disease called Crystal Lung, which was a byproduct of living on the salt water. Salt coated everything (this part did make sense and was brilliantly done - people had to flip their cups upside down to avoid them getting coated in a layer of salt, which does happen when you live close/on the ocean), and people would literally get a disease from breathing in the salt water so much that it formed crystals in your lungs. Um, what?? People who live on the ocean in real life never have that problem. If this book had been about a different species, it would have been fine. But the subjects are human. According to The Lung Institute, breathing in ocean air actually improves lung function and reduces coughing.
Second - It was repeated multiple times that the Sunrise, the vessel the girls owned, only held 3 people. Any more, and it would sink. When I say repeated, it was beaten into your head and used as an excuse any time it would have made more sense for an extra person to join the group. This is not how boats work. A boat would have to be incredibly tiny to sink if a 4th person boarded. According to the Coast Guard, the general formula for maximum occupancy is L x W of the boat divided by 15. Now, for only 3 people, L x W would have to be 45. Assuming the boat is about 5 feet across, that makes it only 9 feet long. However, the way the boat is described makes it sound much larger than that. It even has a cabin below deck. This lack of logic bugged the ever loving shit out of me!! It was more like an excuse and a plot device than actual logic. Just because you have a pseudo-fantasy world (that feels more like futuristic Earth than any made up planet) doesn't mean you get to break the laws of physics.
The whole plot was frankly frustrating. There was a countdown to create tension, but no real action or conflict. Or any kind of real stakes or danger.
No, no, NO. There's nothing that pisses me off more than when a book breaks its own rules. Don't make the rules in the first place if you're going to change them later on down the road when it's convenient.
There was talk throughout the beginning of how dangerous the Untied Sea was to sail through, because the Remoran (aka pirates) dwelled there. When they said they were sailing into the Untied Sea, I got excited - pirates! Swashbuckling! Danger!! However, I was seriously disappointed. There was only one tiny blip and wham bam done they were out of the Untied Sea and I was left thinking, That's it??
In addition the all of that frustration, I also didn't like any of the characters and couldn't connect to them at all, so I felt absolutely nothing while reading. They didn't have any real depth to them, and despite the two main girls' motivation being love, I couldn't find anything worth rooting for in them. In fact, I outright hated Tempest. Literally her only personality trait was being angry and standoffish and overall a horrible person to anyone except her sister (who she was also horrible to sometime). At one point Lor even said "she was angry - but then again, Tempest's default setting was angry." Yeah, because that's her entire personality, bro. Even when her sister was revived she was still angry and horrible.
The farther I went and the more I thought about it, the more frustrated this story made me. I seriously should have just DNFed this when I realized I was no longer enjoying it. But because of the strong start, I held out hope that it would get better. Spoiler alert: It didn't.
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
March 26, 2020
The Vanishing Deep is a truly awesome book with great characters, and an incredibly action-packed plot with numerous twists and turns that constantly left me feeling genuinely surprised when it came to trying to predict what was going to happen! I definitely recommend reading this book! :)
My rating/score: 5 out of 5 Stars on the Goodreads rating system, and 10 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.
My rating/score: 5 out of 5 Stars on the Goodreads rating system, and 10 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.
November 3, 2020
"A TALE OF TWO SISTERS IN A WATER-WORLD DYSTOPIAN SET FUTURE"
"The Vanishing Deep" is a fast paced action packed YA dystopian sci-fi thriller. Even though I enjoyed more Scholte's debut novel "Four Dead Queens" which I gave 5 stars, I really enjoyed this one too and would read future books from this author. The difference in rating may be just of personal taste. I felt "The Vanishing Deep" main plot execution was not as intriguing as in "Four Dead Queens" and it had some more common tropes found in YA literature that at least for me, did not totally won me over. I'm giving this one 4 stars because I really enjoyed the reading experience but I find myself feeling now that I wouldn't re-read this one BUT I would re-read "For Dead Queens" in the future. These are my feelings at this moment, things change...
In a world widely submerged underwater after a natural disaster called The Great Waves occurred long time ago, 17-year old Tempe spends her days diving, searching for items she could sell in order to gather enough money to pay for the services provided by company located on the island of Palindromena. On that island, there's a private security facility that provides a peculiar service to its clients: resurrect their loved ones for a day (23 hours to be exact), so they have a chance to say their proper goodbyes to their dearly departed and move on with their lives with their minds at ease.
Tempe's sister Elysea drowned tragically two years before and her body has been in a tank in this facility waiting for her next of kin to come pay the price and resurrect her for one day only. Tempe gathers the money she needs and goes to the island. She has questions for her sister, questions about why their parents supposedly fake their deaths and Elysea was keeping that secret from her when she died. In a way, Tempe blames her sister for keeping information that would send her on the path to find their parents. But once Elysea is revived, she quickly realizes she's dead and in Palindromena, has her own agenda for the day that includes finding a map that would lead them to their parents whereabouts but she refuses to pass the information to Tempe. Elysea wants to live her last day on this planet away from Palindromena. The two sisters break out from the facility and embark on their adventure. Not alone though, they are being followed by Lor, the 19-year old warden who was supposed to monitor all day the revival process and the sisters interactions.
The chapters headings show a clock with a countdown since the time of Elysea's revival. They only have less than a day to discover what happened to their parents, try to reunite with them so Elysea can see her parents one last time and then go back to the facility. In theory of course, twists take place and secrets surface in this running out of time story.
The ending dragged a bit long. The love sub-plot (always present in YA literature) was secondary since this book is more about family issues and the consequences of making certain decisions.
I really liked it and would recommend Astrid Scholte as a YA promising new author.
"The Vanishing Deep" is a fast paced action packed YA dystopian sci-fi thriller. Even though I enjoyed more Scholte's debut novel "Four Dead Queens" which I gave 5 stars, I really enjoyed this one too and would read future books from this author. The difference in rating may be just of personal taste. I felt "The Vanishing Deep" main plot execution was not as intriguing as in "Four Dead Queens" and it had some more common tropes found in YA literature that at least for me, did not totally won me over. I'm giving this one 4 stars because I really enjoyed the reading experience but I find myself feeling now that I wouldn't re-read this one BUT I would re-read "For Dead Queens" in the future. These are my feelings at this moment, things change...
In a world widely submerged underwater after a natural disaster called The Great Waves occurred long time ago, 17-year old Tempe spends her days diving, searching for items she could sell in order to gather enough money to pay for the services provided by company located on the island of Palindromena. On that island, there's a private security facility that provides a peculiar service to its clients: resurrect their loved ones for a day (23 hours to be exact), so they have a chance to say their proper goodbyes to their dearly departed and move on with their lives with their minds at ease.
Tempe's sister Elysea drowned tragically two years before and her body has been in a tank in this facility waiting for her next of kin to come pay the price and resurrect her for one day only. Tempe gathers the money she needs and goes to the island. She has questions for her sister, questions about why their parents supposedly fake their deaths and Elysea was keeping that secret from her when she died. In a way, Tempe blames her sister for keeping information that would send her on the path to find their parents. But once Elysea is revived, she quickly realizes she's dead and in Palindromena, has her own agenda for the day that includes finding a map that would lead them to their parents whereabouts but she refuses to pass the information to Tempe. Elysea wants to live her last day on this planet away from Palindromena. The two sisters break out from the facility and embark on their adventure. Not alone though, they are being followed by Lor, the 19-year old warden who was supposed to monitor all day the revival process and the sisters interactions.
The chapters headings show a clock with a countdown since the time of Elysea's revival. They only have less than a day to discover what happened to their parents, try to reunite with them so Elysea can see her parents one last time and then go back to the facility. In theory of course, twists take place and secrets surface in this running out of time story.
The ending dragged a bit long. The love sub-plot (always present in YA literature) was secondary since this book is more about family issues and the consequences of making certain decisions.
I really liked it and would recommend Astrid Scholte as a YA promising new author.
March 31, 2020
The worldbuilding concept behind this book surely grabs attention: it's not often I see a book based in a sci-fi/futuristic fantasy watery world where sea levels have risen (it doesn't seem far-fetched to say it has real-world parallels) and the heroine is a diver.
I wanted a quick, easily-read standalone and THE VANISHING DEEP delivered. It definitely reads and feels like a YA novel (obviously because it is a YA novel), with tight pacing that keeps the narrative flowing. It's not as developed as it could be (centrally in worldbuilding and characterisation), but it works well enough. I liked the cast of characters, and surprisingly I liked the ending, which I thought was rather unconventional - especially for a YA novel where a "happy ending" means romance. The ending was also rather open-ended and future events were open to interpretation.
Thinking on it more, although THE VANISHING DEEP is good, I definitely think it had the potential to be excellent if more time was given to building characters and character relationships (Lor and Nessandra, for one), and if it leaned more heavily in the ethics of reviving people. It could probably go pretty deep, if it wanted to. You could also shove some nifty parables about global warming in there . . . but perhaps I'm getting away from myself here.
Also kudos for the absolutely unexpected a-spec rep in Elysea; although specific terms are not used, I think the words "she didn't feel that way about him [...] and wouldn't feel that way about anyone" plus context is enough to confirm it.
TL;DR: An easy-read YA novel that's sure to capture interest due to its unique watery setting whilst providing a fun few hours of reading.
I was provided with a copy by the publishers in exchange for an honest review
I wanted a quick, easily-read standalone and THE VANISHING DEEP delivered. It definitely reads and feels like a YA novel (obviously because it is a YA novel), with tight pacing that keeps the narrative flowing. It's not as developed as it could be (centrally in worldbuilding and characterisation), but it works well enough. I liked the cast of characters, and surprisingly I liked the ending, which I thought was rather unconventional - especially for a YA novel where a "happy ending" means romance. The ending was also rather open-ended and future events were open to interpretation.
Thinking on it more, although THE VANISHING DEEP is good, I definitely think it had the potential to be excellent if more time was given to building characters and character relationships (Lor and Nessandra, for one), and if it leaned more heavily in the ethics of reviving people. It could probably go pretty deep, if it wanted to. You could also shove some nifty parables about global warming in there . . . but perhaps I'm getting away from myself here.
Also kudos for the absolutely unexpected a-spec rep in Elysea; although specific terms are not used, I think the words "she didn't feel that way about him [...] and wouldn't feel that way about anyone" plus context is enough to confirm it.
TL;DR: An easy-read YA novel that's sure to capture interest due to its unique watery setting whilst providing a fun few hours of reading.
I was provided with a copy by the publishers in exchange for an honest review
July 19, 2020
⭐⭐.5
Summary
Tempe has spent the last 2 years diving and saving money to resurrect her sister, Elysea. After her sister's death, Tempe learned that her sister withheld secrets about her role in their parents death. So Tempe is determine to spend their last 24 hours together learning the truth. But when Elysea tells Tempe what she knows, they must escape the facility and start down a dangerous journey to learn the truth and possible save their family.
Overview
➸ POV: 1st Person from Tempe's & Lor's POVs
➸ Tempest (Tempe): 19, Angry, Younger sister, Attempting to resurrect her sister
➸ Elysea: Older sister, Died/Drowned at 19, Resurrected
➸ Lor: 19, Lost his best friend while rock climbing, Works/lives in the basement of Palindromena
➸ Content Warnings: Death, Grief, Drowning, Climate Change
My Thoughts
Ohhh where to start... I had so many problems with this book. But lets start with the good -
This premise was so unique and intriguing! I absolutely loved the idea of a post-apocalyptic, water covered world. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the first half of the year because this concept was so compelling.
However that's about where my enjoyment ended.... Because overall this book felt completely aimless and underdeveloped.
Where was the world building?? At one point I actually paused the audiobook to check the genre on Goodreads because I could never tell if this was intended to be a post-apocalyptic Earth or some sort of fantasy world. Everyone appeared to be human, but the world didn't follow any sort of Earthly logic. Like boats having a limit of 3 people (how?), Crystal lung because of over-exposure to sea salt (there are millions of people who live on or around the Dead Sea - the most salt heavy sea in the world and this problem doesn't exist...), there is extremely advanced technology to preserve and resurrect bodies, but the other islands live like they're in 1800s....
Everything just felt so inconsistent. How has this world cured death but not disease? If there is this much technology, why isn't it being used for other things like depleting resources? How/who created this technology? But worse than any of that, there were times this story didn't follow it's own rules -
It felt like this book was unsure of what it wanted it's plot to be. Was it a pirate story? A journey? A familial mystery? Hard-hitting? Post-apocalyptic? And instead it attempted and fell short on all of these. The pirates, despite being the main "villains" were wholly undeveloped or explained, the journey was somehow both extremely drawn out yet uneventful, the family mystery was so illogical and unbelievable, and the characters were too underdeveloped for the ever qualify as hard-hitting.
A plotless story can still work for me as long as the characters and their arcs are strong. But these characters were so flat that I never cared about a single one of them. Tempest is angry - that is her entire personality. Elysea is a dancer. And Lor is self-punishing. That's it. There was no depth to anyone. No one really grew as a person. And the "romance" was atrocious and felt like it was just thrown in because "YA fantasy has romance".
Honestly, by the end I was ready to throw the book against the wall if I had to hear about how Elysea was an amazing dancer or more damn time.
And that final showdown... gah! It managed to both predictable and wholly frustrating. I won't lie, as I'm writing this review I'm realizing that 2.5 stars is probably a generous rating considering my level of annoyance with this book.
Overall this book was a massive let down. I was expecting a really fun, unique YA fantasy. But instead I got an underdeveloped and aimless story. While this book has a fascinating premise, it never seemed to settle on what exactly it wanted to be and ended up failing all around in my opinion.
Summary
Tempe has spent the last 2 years diving and saving money to resurrect her sister, Elysea. After her sister's death, Tempe learned that her sister withheld secrets about her role in their parents death. So Tempe is determine to spend their last 24 hours together learning the truth. But when Elysea tells Tempe what she knows, they must escape the facility and start down a dangerous journey to learn the truth and possible save their family.
Overview
➸ POV: 1st Person from Tempe's & Lor's POVs
➸ Tempest (Tempe): 19, Angry, Younger sister, Attempting to resurrect her sister
➸ Elysea: Older sister, Died/Drowned at 19, Resurrected
➸ Lor: 19, Lost his best friend while rock climbing, Works/lives in the basement of Palindromena
➸ Content Warnings: Death, Grief, Drowning, Climate Change
My Thoughts
Ohhh where to start... I had so many problems with this book. But lets start with the good -
This premise was so unique and intriguing! I absolutely loved the idea of a post-apocalyptic, water covered world. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the first half of the year because this concept was so compelling.
However that's about where my enjoyment ended.... Because overall this book felt completely aimless and underdeveloped.
Where was the world building?? At one point I actually paused the audiobook to check the genre on Goodreads because I could never tell if this was intended to be a post-apocalyptic Earth or some sort of fantasy world. Everyone appeared to be human, but the world didn't follow any sort of Earthly logic. Like boats having a limit of 3 people (how?), Crystal lung because of over-exposure to sea salt (there are millions of people who live on or around the Dead Sea - the most salt heavy sea in the world and this problem doesn't exist...), there is extremely advanced technology to preserve and resurrect bodies, but the other islands live like they're in 1800s....
Everything just felt so inconsistent. How has this world cured death but not disease? If there is this much technology, why isn't it being used for other things like depleting resources? How/who created this technology? But worse than any of that, there were times this story didn't follow it's own rules -
It felt like this book was unsure of what it wanted it's plot to be. Was it a pirate story? A journey? A familial mystery? Hard-hitting? Post-apocalyptic? And instead it attempted and fell short on all of these. The pirates, despite being the main "villains" were wholly undeveloped or explained, the journey was somehow both extremely drawn out yet uneventful, the family mystery was so illogical and unbelievable, and the characters were too underdeveloped for the ever qualify as hard-hitting.
A plotless story can still work for me as long as the characters and their arcs are strong. But these characters were so flat that I never cared about a single one of them. Tempest is angry - that is her entire personality. Elysea is a dancer. And Lor is self-punishing. That's it. There was no depth to anyone. No one really grew as a person. And the "romance" was atrocious and felt like it was just thrown in because "YA fantasy has romance".
Honestly, by the end I was ready to throw the book against the wall if I had to hear about how Elysea was an amazing dancer or more damn time.
And that final showdown... gah! It managed to both predictable and wholly frustrating. I won't lie, as I'm writing this review I'm realizing that 2.5 stars is probably a generous rating considering my level of annoyance with this book.
Overall this book was a massive let down. I was expecting a really fun, unique YA fantasy. But instead I got an underdeveloped and aimless story. While this book has a fascinating premise, it never seemed to settle on what exactly it wanted to be and ended up failing all around in my opinion.
July 7, 2020
Okay, so Goodreads just freaked out, crashed, and deleted half of my review. So here is my review from January:
“Twenty-four hours with your loved one didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye, no mater what Palindromena promised. There was no closure. There never would be.”
The Vanishing Deep has to be one of the most unique worlds I have ever read. Scholte really knows how to have spectacular world building and such an amazing plot. The book takes place literally on the ocean, the “Old World” which is our world today sank underwater. The entire world went underwater and so now these people survive on reefs and metal buildings that they have built by diving under and collecting the Old-World wreckage. I really love how in depth the descriptions got, I think it made it much more realistic, and I could picture this world and it was really astounding to even think about.
We follow two characters, Tempe and Lor. Tempe lives day by day just trying to get by because her whole family is dead. Her goal is to get enough Notes to have her sister come back to life for 24 hours so she can ask her about what happened the night she died. Palindromena is an island where they have figured out how to raise people from the dead for 24 hours, but it is costly. Lor our other main character lives on this island, but he doesn’t work there. He is struggling with some grief of his own and hides in the basement away from everyone. When Tempe finally gets enough Notes to have her sister come back, she makes her way to Palindromena and that’s when Lor and Tempe’s lives intertwine.
I really love how fast paced this was and how it takes place within 24 hours, not to mention it’s a countdown. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen next. While I completely loved everything about this book, I really didn’t like the ending. A part of the ending was incredible, but I just felt let down. I was blown away with the plot twists that happened at the end, but I finished going, “Wait WHAT that’s it???”. I really did enjoy this book and now I’m really looking forward to reading Four Dead Queens.
“Twenty-four hours with your loved one didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye, no mater what Palindromena promised. There was no closure. There never would be.”
The Vanishing Deep has to be one of the most unique worlds I have ever read. Scholte really knows how to have spectacular world building and such an amazing plot. The book takes place literally on the ocean, the “Old World” which is our world today sank underwater. The entire world went underwater and so now these people survive on reefs and metal buildings that they have built by diving under and collecting the Old-World wreckage. I really love how in depth the descriptions got, I think it made it much more realistic, and I could picture this world and it was really astounding to even think about.
We follow two characters, Tempe and Lor. Tempe lives day by day just trying to get by because her whole family is dead. Her goal is to get enough Notes to have her sister come back to life for 24 hours so she can ask her about what happened the night she died. Palindromena is an island where they have figured out how to raise people from the dead for 24 hours, but it is costly. Lor our other main character lives on this island, but he doesn’t work there. He is struggling with some grief of his own and hides in the basement away from everyone. When Tempe finally gets enough Notes to have her sister come back, she makes her way to Palindromena and that’s when Lor and Tempe’s lives intertwine.
I really love how fast paced this was and how it takes place within 24 hours, not to mention it’s a countdown. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen next. While I completely loved everything about this book, I really didn’t like the ending. A part of the ending was incredible, but I just felt let down. I was blown away with the plot twists that happened at the end, but I finished going, “Wait WHAT that’s it???”. I really did enjoy this book and now I’m really looking forward to reading Four Dead Queens.
February 24, 2020
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Ellie King
“Twenty-four hours with your loved one didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye, no matter what Palindromena promised. There was no closure. There never would be.”
What would you do if you could spend 24 hours with a lost loved one? The Vanishing Deep by bestselling author, Astrid Scholte, asks that question and then takes the reader on a whirlwind adventure as we explore the possibilities. A standalone novel, it is the story of Tempest Alerin. Tempest, or Tempe, is a seventeen-year-old girl living alone on a reef known as the Equinox. She spends her days diving the ocean dwelling wrecks of the old world looking for items to sell in an attempt to save enough money to allow her one last chance to speak to her sister Elysea who tragically died two years ago. On the island of Palindromena, there is a research facility that, for a hefty price, will grant you the chance to revive your loved one for 24 hours to allow you to say your final goodbyes. Tempe, however, has something else in mind. She isn’t looking for a family reunion, she wants answers that only Elysea can give her.
The Vanishing Deep is set in a scarily prophetic world where society as we know it has been destroyed and consumed by the Great Waves. This has created a dystopian water world where the remaining population lives on islands or strongly regulated reefs. The population on the reefs are monitored closely as life is now a temperamental balancing act. They have to deal with weight limits, overpopulation, and the related health issues of living with so much salt in the air. Tempe and her sister Elysea grew up on Equinox reef with their parents until their tragic death in a boating accident. With no adult care, the girls were forced to dive the sunken wrecks of the old world in an attempt to find a source of income. After her sister’s death, Tempe is left alone to dive the seas in an attempt to survive, but also to search for the answers she desperately needs as Tempe’s sister died with a terrible secret and she needs to know the answer.
The old world wrecks are the remnants of our current world as we know it and while Scholte doesn’t explain exactly how the Great Waves came to be, there is an overwhelming hint throughout the plot about the importance of sustainability and the need to care for our environment. The worldbuilding in this story is deep and effortless and the detailed description of the ocean, the wrecks and general life transports the reader into this water world. This is an ocean book like none other before it.
After Tempe finds a lucrative treasure, she finally has enough notes to buy her sisters temporary revival. The research facility on the nearby island of Palindromena is one of marvel and mystery. This is a facility with the technology to revive your loved one for 24 hours for a high cost, three thousand notes to be exact. The Vanishing Deep is told from dual point of views, which follows Tempe but are also introduced to Lor, a hermitted “employee” of Palindromena. Lor is an unlikely main character and is drawn into the action somewhat by accident. Lor doesn’t believe in the value of the revival process the facility provides and he knows this because he has experienced it first hand. Filled with grief for the death of his friend and his memory of the revival process, Lor knows how devastating the experience can be. When Tempe arrives on Palindromena ready to interrogate her sister, their paths cross and the adventure begins.
The two main characters are wonderfully crafted and compliment each other. Tempe is confident, fierce, and stubborn. She shares her feelings freely and is passionate about her beliefs. Lor on the other hand is the complete opposite. Shy, quiet, and hiding many secrets, Lor is the yin to Tempe’s yang. The addition of the secondary characters Elysea, Tempe’s sister, and Raylan, Lor’s only friend is used to balance the extreme personality traits of the main characters.
This adventure takes the characters on a fast-paced chase running against the clock. The 24 hour countdown is a thrilling plot point that keeps the story moving and the characters on their toes. Through this race against the clock, we learn some very important things about the characters: their passions, loves, compassion, and moral compass. Each chapter begins with a countdown clock and this makes the book a race for the reader as well. This book is a total page turner. In true Astrid Scholte fashion, this book is also filled with perfectly timed, multi-layered plot twists that are as gut wrenching as they are clever. The only downside of having a countdown clock built into a story’s plot is that there is the pressure that events must end. The Vanishing Deep races to its conclusion and then ends somewhat abruptly and unexpectedly with a moderately happy ending.
The Vanishing Deep is an emotional rollercoaster dealing with death, sacrifice, and love. The theme of love is multifaceted and explored in so many different ways. Scholte’s writing style is beautiful and the story flows easily, taking the reader along for the ride rather than being simply an observer. The environmental theme resonates subtly throughout and the entire premise has left me wondering if I had the opportunity to speak to a lost loved one, would I take it?
“Twenty-four hours with your loved one didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye, no matter what Palindromena promised. There was no closure. There never would be.”
What would you do if you could spend 24 hours with a lost loved one? The Vanishing Deep by bestselling author, Astrid Scholte, asks that question and then takes the reader on a whirlwind adventure as we explore the possibilities. A standalone novel, it is the story of Tempest Alerin. Tempest, or Tempe, is a seventeen-year-old girl living alone on a reef known as the Equinox. She spends her days diving the ocean dwelling wrecks of the old world looking for items to sell in an attempt to save enough money to allow her one last chance to speak to her sister Elysea who tragically died two years ago. On the island of Palindromena, there is a research facility that, for a hefty price, will grant you the chance to revive your loved one for 24 hours to allow you to say your final goodbyes. Tempe, however, has something else in mind. She isn’t looking for a family reunion, she wants answers that only Elysea can give her.
The Vanishing Deep is set in a scarily prophetic world where society as we know it has been destroyed and consumed by the Great Waves. This has created a dystopian water world where the remaining population lives on islands or strongly regulated reefs. The population on the reefs are monitored closely as life is now a temperamental balancing act. They have to deal with weight limits, overpopulation, and the related health issues of living with so much salt in the air. Tempe and her sister Elysea grew up on Equinox reef with their parents until their tragic death in a boating accident. With no adult care, the girls were forced to dive the sunken wrecks of the old world in an attempt to find a source of income. After her sister’s death, Tempe is left alone to dive the seas in an attempt to survive, but also to search for the answers she desperately needs as Tempe’s sister died with a terrible secret and she needs to know the answer.
The old world wrecks are the remnants of our current world as we know it and while Scholte doesn’t explain exactly how the Great Waves came to be, there is an overwhelming hint throughout the plot about the importance of sustainability and the need to care for our environment. The worldbuilding in this story is deep and effortless and the detailed description of the ocean, the wrecks and general life transports the reader into this water world. This is an ocean book like none other before it.
After Tempe finds a lucrative treasure, she finally has enough notes to buy her sisters temporary revival. The research facility on the nearby island of Palindromena is one of marvel and mystery. This is a facility with the technology to revive your loved one for 24 hours for a high cost, three thousand notes to be exact. The Vanishing Deep is told from dual point of views, which follows Tempe but are also introduced to Lor, a hermitted “employee” of Palindromena. Lor is an unlikely main character and is drawn into the action somewhat by accident. Lor doesn’t believe in the value of the revival process the facility provides and he knows this because he has experienced it first hand. Filled with grief for the death of his friend and his memory of the revival process, Lor knows how devastating the experience can be. When Tempe arrives on Palindromena ready to interrogate her sister, their paths cross and the adventure begins.
The two main characters are wonderfully crafted and compliment each other. Tempe is confident, fierce, and stubborn. She shares her feelings freely and is passionate about her beliefs. Lor on the other hand is the complete opposite. Shy, quiet, and hiding many secrets, Lor is the yin to Tempe’s yang. The addition of the secondary characters Elysea, Tempe’s sister, and Raylan, Lor’s only friend is used to balance the extreme personality traits of the main characters.
This adventure takes the characters on a fast-paced chase running against the clock. The 24 hour countdown is a thrilling plot point that keeps the story moving and the characters on their toes. Through this race against the clock, we learn some very important things about the characters: their passions, loves, compassion, and moral compass. Each chapter begins with a countdown clock and this makes the book a race for the reader as well. This book is a total page turner. In true Astrid Scholte fashion, this book is also filled with perfectly timed, multi-layered plot twists that are as gut wrenching as they are clever. The only downside of having a countdown clock built into a story’s plot is that there is the pressure that events must end. The Vanishing Deep races to its conclusion and then ends somewhat abruptly and unexpectedly with a moderately happy ending.
The Vanishing Deep is an emotional rollercoaster dealing with death, sacrifice, and love. The theme of love is multifaceted and explored in so many different ways. Scholte’s writing style is beautiful and the story flows easily, taking the reader along for the ride rather than being simply an observer. The environmental theme resonates subtly throughout and the entire premise has left me wondering if I had the opportunity to speak to a lost loved one, would I take it?
July 24, 2021
I enjoyed this book but did i love it? NO i struggled to build a strong enough connection with the characters. I love books that play with my emotions and this book just didnt do it for me.
March 4, 2023
Gratamente sorprendida con la trama y con cómo se ha terminado desarrollando todo, dando un giro bastante inesperado, a pesar de que también he sentido que no se explotaba lo suficiente el worldbuilding, con la de potencial que tenía.
November 27, 2019
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
RTC closer to publication (March 2019)
I liked Four Dead Queens, so I'm pretty excited for this one!
3.5/5 stars
RTC closer to publication (March 2019)
I liked Four Dead Queens, so I'm pretty excited for this one!
December 9, 2022
A ver, la culpa es exclusivamente mía. Escojo mis lecturas de una forma errática y desordenada, sin informarme realmente de lo que voy a leer, en parte por desidia, pero también para evitar prejuicios e ideas preconcebidas.
En este caso vi una portada muy chula (ultimamente me da por fijarme en las portadas) y una breve sinopsis que parecía atractiva: Un mundo futuro estilo Waterworld y una empresa que resucitaba ahogados durante 24 horas. Pues parece prometedor, me dije, vamos a probar.
Empiezo a leer, y me aparece una protagonista de 17 primaveras que arrastra un trauma de su pasado (reciente porque con 17 años todo es reciente) pero que es valiente, autónoma, decidida, fuerte y empoderada. Sigo leyendo, mira, otro protagonista, también jovencito, con su trauma incorporado. Ummmm...
Sigo leyendo. Cada página los jóvenes protagonistas insisten, una y otra vez, en contarnos lo triste de su traumática (y de momento breve) vida mientras inician un intento de romance (inverosimil dadas las circunstancias, por cierto). A todo esto el argumento empieza a hacer aguas. La autora se saca unas justificaciones cada vez más raras para hacernos tragar lo que va pasando.
Vale, un momento. Me voy a la ficha de Goodreads, que es lo primero que debía haber hecho, y allí está la etiqueta:
YOUNG ADULT
Me cago en mi calavera. Ahora todo encaja. A estas alturas a Scholte ya se la suda todo, se saca unos giros de guión que dan algo entre risa y miedo (miedo de que una escritora profesional no tenga más recursos). Al final la narración se le va de las manos y hay cosas que ya ni intenta justificar, en plan telenovela loca.
En fin, lo de siempre. Que este tipo de libros no son para lectores como su humilde servidor, provectos, descreídos y bastante resabiados, ni los autores está pensando en nosotros cuando escriben este tipo de obras. Sigo sin entender porque tienen que ser todos exactamante iguales, con los mismos jóvenes protagonistas y sus castos romances. Ni porque el carácter de YA les sirve de excusa para argumentos tan endebles e inconsistentes, pero dado que yo no soy su target, tampoco tiene mucha importancia.
En fin, si les gusta este género no me hagan ni caso. Y si no les gusta habrán tenido el buen sentido de evitar este libro. Así que esta reseña no tendrá utilidad ni para unos ni para otros, pero aquí queda como recordatorio de mis tonterías.
En este caso vi una portada muy chula (ultimamente me da por fijarme en las portadas) y una breve sinopsis que parecía atractiva: Un mundo futuro estilo Waterworld y una empresa que resucitaba ahogados durante 24 horas. Pues parece prometedor, me dije, vamos a probar.
Empiezo a leer, y me aparece una protagonista de 17 primaveras que arrastra un trauma de su pasado (reciente porque con 17 años todo es reciente) pero que es valiente, autónoma, decidida, fuerte y empoderada. Sigo leyendo, mira, otro protagonista, también jovencito, con su trauma incorporado. Ummmm...
Sigo leyendo. Cada página los jóvenes protagonistas insisten, una y otra vez, en contarnos lo triste de su traumática (y de momento breve) vida mientras inician un intento de romance (inverosimil dadas las circunstancias, por cierto). A todo esto el argumento empieza a hacer aguas. La autora se saca unas justificaciones cada vez más raras para hacernos tragar lo que va pasando.
Vale, un momento. Me voy a la ficha de Goodreads, que es lo primero que debía haber hecho, y allí está la etiqueta:
YOUNG ADULT
Me cago en mi calavera. Ahora todo encaja. A estas alturas a Scholte ya se la suda todo, se saca unos giros de guión que dan algo entre risa y miedo (miedo de que una escritora profesional no tenga más recursos). Al final la narración se le va de las manos y hay cosas que ya ni intenta justificar, en plan telenovela loca.
En fin, lo de siempre. Que este tipo de libros no son para lectores como su humilde servidor, provectos, descreídos y bastante resabiados, ni los autores está pensando en nosotros cuando escriben este tipo de obras. Sigo sin entender porque tienen que ser todos exactamante iguales, con los mismos jóvenes protagonistas y sus castos romances. Ni porque el carácter de YA les sirve de excusa para argumentos tan endebles e inconsistentes, pero dado que yo no soy su target, tampoco tiene mucha importancia.
En fin, si les gusta este género no me hagan ni caso. Y si no les gusta habrán tenido el buen sentido de evitar este libro. Así que esta reseña no tendrá utilidad ni para unos ni para otros, pero aquí queda como recordatorio de mis tonterías.
January 19, 2020
I.... am genuinely at a loss to come up with a constructive review. I would ordinarily couch my criticisms in between some compliments but I can’t do that here, mainly because I just don’t have much to say that is positive.
The concept has potential. The world in which “The Vanishing Deep” takes place is some kind of dystopia created when a giant continent of ice melted and caused the oceans to rise and cover the land. The people now live on loosely joined man-made floating “cities” that are located near whatever land still exists. In this world there are few ways to make money, and on the island of Palindromena scientists have discovered a way to bring the dead back to life, but only for 24 hours. It costs an outrageous amount of money, and Tempest spends the two years following her sister’s death saving every note she can just to bring her sister, Elysea, back in the hopes she will learn what happened to their parents years before.
And that’s it. That’s the premise. That’s where my (admittedly very weak) compliments end. Because the characters, aside from Tempest, were one-dimensional and had no real motivations. The book relies on the countdown clock to create tension, but it’s hard to stay engaged in a story with no real antagonist or motivation beyond a simple 24 hour timer. There’s a villain, but they’re not introduced until more than halfway through the 420 page book, and even then they don’t stand up to scrutiny. There’s one moment of “danger” and it passes almost instantly. The book relies on the end to satisfy the reader, but there’s no real conflict. I kept reading because I was hoping there would be a twist, even if it was predictable, and when it finally came, I was bored out of my mind.
I feel terrible writing this review. I want so badly to have something positive to say. I also seem to be the only person who feels this way, so it’s entirely possible I am an outlier and most other people will find this book exciting, or at the very least, entertaining.
The concept has potential. The world in which “The Vanishing Deep” takes place is some kind of dystopia created when a giant continent of ice melted and caused the oceans to rise and cover the land. The people now live on loosely joined man-made floating “cities” that are located near whatever land still exists. In this world there are few ways to make money, and on the island of Palindromena scientists have discovered a way to bring the dead back to life, but only for 24 hours. It costs an outrageous amount of money, and Tempest spends the two years following her sister’s death saving every note she can just to bring her sister, Elysea, back in the hopes she will learn what happened to their parents years before.
And that’s it. That’s the premise. That’s where my (admittedly very weak) compliments end. Because the characters, aside from Tempest, were one-dimensional and had no real motivations. The book relies on the countdown clock to create tension, but it’s hard to stay engaged in a story with no real antagonist or motivation beyond a simple 24 hour timer. There’s a villain, but they’re not introduced until more than halfway through the 420 page book, and even then they don’t stand up to scrutiny. There’s one moment of “danger” and it passes almost instantly. The book relies on the end to satisfy the reader, but there’s no real conflict. I kept reading because I was hoping there would be a twist, even if it was predictable, and when it finally came, I was bored out of my mind.
I feel terrible writing this review. I want so badly to have something positive to say. I also seem to be the only person who feels this way, so it’s entirely possible I am an outlier and most other people will find this book exciting, or at the very least, entertaining.
April 16, 2020
*3.5
4/16/20:
The more I think about this book, the more I like it, honestly. I feel like a major part of the ending was messily done, but it was compelling and went out with a bang. It was enjoyable.
I am so excited for Astrid Scholte's third book, too!
This one gets 3.5/5 stars.
original review:
This wasn't bad, it was just okay. I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped to. Also, wow, that ending. That felt kind of like I was cheated. Also, that ending still felt pretty open.
I guess I had fun, but this just wasn't the type of thing I normally go for. I just liked this author.
3/5 stars.
9/3/19:
Oh YES!
I really liked Four Dead Queens. I have an ARC but I also bought the Barnes and Noble exclusive hardcover when it came out because I wanted to be an official FDQ superfan. I'm so excited to follow Scholte through her writing career.
Also, this synopsis sounds AMAZING. Is this the final cover? I actually kinda like it.
Crossing my fingers for an ARC. Wish me luck...
4/16/20:
The more I think about this book, the more I like it, honestly. I feel like a major part of the ending was messily done, but it was compelling and went out with a bang. It was enjoyable.
I am so excited for Astrid Scholte's third book, too!
This one gets 3.5/5 stars.
original review:
This wasn't bad, it was just okay. I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped to. Also, wow, that ending. That felt kind of like I was cheated. Also, that ending still felt pretty open.
I guess I had fun, but this just wasn't the type of thing I normally go for. I just liked this author.
3/5 stars.
9/3/19:
Oh YES!
I really liked Four Dead Queens. I have an ARC but I also bought the Barnes and Noble exclusive hardcover when it came out because I wanted to be an official FDQ superfan. I'm so excited to follow Scholte through her writing career.
Also, this synopsis sounds AMAZING. Is this the final cover? I actually kinda like it.
Crossing my fingers for an ARC. Wish me luck...
October 2, 2019
Prepare to be swept away by this thrilling new story from Astrid! This book has it all: a countdown, adventure on the sea, cool creatures, and one of my favorite sister relationships I've ever read. I LOVED it!
February 29, 2020
I had a really fun time with this one! I chose it to try and read it in one day, and I did it! I had such a good time with it ☺️. Our main characters are great, I love that while there was some angst, it wasn't over the top blown out of proportion drama. The story took some twists and turns and I thought the ending was great! I also loved the commentary on grief, a lot of this book centers around feeling grief and how it can cripple you and keep you from really enjoying life and it was so relateable if you've ever gone through something like losing a family member or someone extremely close to you.
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That being said, the reason for a four star instead of a five was that our two main perspectives had VERY similar voices. If the chapters didn't tell you there was a perspective change it would take a minute to figure out who was speaking, but overall it didn't pull me out of the story, just something I noticed.
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Definitely recommend!
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That being said, the reason for a four star instead of a five was that our two main perspectives had VERY similar voices. If the chapters didn't tell you there was a perspective change it would take a minute to figure out who was speaking, but overall it didn't pull me out of the story, just something I noticed.
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Definitely recommend!
May 8, 2020
"She spun her hands above her head before shifting her shoulders, rolling her limbs as though she were submerged in water. Was it my imagination, or did she appear more fluid than before? Had the ocean become a part of her when it had taken her final breath?"
Summary
Tempest Alerin spends her days diving to earn enough Notes to revive her sister from the dead for 24 hours at the Palindroma research facility. But what she wants isn't a tear-stained happy reunion - she wants answers for why Elysea would murder their parents. Elysea, alive for only one last day, doesn't want to spend it confined in a research facility being accused of a crime she attests she didn't commit. Elysea convinces Tempe to break her out and they embark on the journey of a life time to get the answers they seek. But Palindroma won't let the secrets of the revival escape.
Review
I really enjoyed how The Vanishing Deep is able to combine both mystery and dystopia in to one heart pounding novel. It is set in a post-apocolyptic world where the melted ice caps have flooded the planet and only scraps of land and make-shift metal islands are left for the human population to cling to. But at its core, it is a thriller novel about the mystery of this research facility and just what happens when a revived corpse escapes. The intertwining of these two genres leads to a novel that is fresh and exciting.
My favorite part is, hands down, the relationship between Tempest and Elysea. Tempe was left all on her own after Elysea's death and harbors a lot of resentment and loneliness towards her when she is revived, being driven on by the fact that she believes Elysea is responsible for their parents deaths. Elysea quickly realizes that she only has 24 hours left to live, and has to deal with the fact that her little sister is now the same age as her, and has been hardened by the world. There is so much that they have to work through in the little time that they have, and their relationship was so heart-breaking at times.
We also follow Lor, who works at the research facility. He is living a life of seclusion after the tragic passing of a childhood friend, but gets involved in Elysea's revival after granting a favor to a Warden. Lor has a lot of his own pain and grief to work through as well, and meeting the Alerin sisters is just what he needs to move forward with his life.
This novel was very fast paced and I never felt like there were any lags or drags. Every chapter begins with a countdown clock of how much time Elysea has left, and it kept me engaged and wanting to know just how the story would end. The Vanishing Deep came to a heart-stopping conclusion, and I walked away from the book a little heart broken but overall content with how it ended.
Summary
Tempest Alerin spends her days diving to earn enough Notes to revive her sister from the dead for 24 hours at the Palindroma research facility. But what she wants isn't a tear-stained happy reunion - she wants answers for why Elysea would murder their parents. Elysea, alive for only one last day, doesn't want to spend it confined in a research facility being accused of a crime she attests she didn't commit. Elysea convinces Tempe to break her out and they embark on the journey of a life time to get the answers they seek. But Palindroma won't let the secrets of the revival escape.
Review
I really enjoyed how The Vanishing Deep is able to combine both mystery and dystopia in to one heart pounding novel. It is set in a post-apocolyptic world where the melted ice caps have flooded the planet and only scraps of land and make-shift metal islands are left for the human population to cling to. But at its core, it is a thriller novel about the mystery of this research facility and just what happens when a revived corpse escapes. The intertwining of these two genres leads to a novel that is fresh and exciting.
My favorite part is, hands down, the relationship between Tempest and Elysea. Tempe was left all on her own after Elysea's death and harbors a lot of resentment and loneliness towards her when she is revived, being driven on by the fact that she believes Elysea is responsible for their parents deaths. Elysea quickly realizes that she only has 24 hours left to live, and has to deal with the fact that her little sister is now the same age as her, and has been hardened by the world. There is so much that they have to work through in the little time that they have, and their relationship was so heart-breaking at times.
We also follow Lor, who works at the research facility. He is living a life of seclusion after the tragic passing of a childhood friend, but gets involved in Elysea's revival after granting a favor to a Warden. Lor has a lot of his own pain and grief to work through as well, and meeting the Alerin sisters is just what he needs to move forward with his life.
This novel was very fast paced and I never felt like there were any lags or drags. Every chapter begins with a countdown clock of how much time Elysea has left, and it kept me engaged and wanting to know just how the story would end. The Vanishing Deep came to a heart-stopping conclusion, and I walked away from the book a little heart broken but overall content with how it ended.
March 3, 2020
I’ll be honest, when I read the premise for this one and saw the cover, I couldn’t get my hands on this one fast enough. Luckily, I was able to win this one on BookishFirst.
Tempest has spent the last two years diving for anything that she can sell for notes. With enough money, Tempest can go to a research facility called Palindromena, which specializes in resurrecting the dead for 24 hours. Tempest plans to resurrect her sister Elysea in order to finally get her sister to confess to the the death of their parents.
Everything about the resurrection process is wrong. The warden who resurrects Elysea is not exactly who he says he is. Tempest is supposed to convince Elysea that she’s been in a medically induced coma, but of course, Elysea quickly catches on to her untimely surmise. Elysea knows how to get answers surrounding their parents, but it entails the two of them breaking her out of the facility and embarking on a dangerous mission.
I admired the depths of sisterhood between Tempest and Elysea. Even though so much pain exists between them, neither one is willing to give up on the other. We alternate POVs between Tempest and Lor (the lying Warden), but I would’ve much preferred alternating POVs between Tempest and Elysea. I am also still on the fence with Lor, but I will let you decide that for yourselves.
I am also still very confused about how the whole magic behind the resurrection happens. The research facility developed this technology to resurrect someone for 24 hours without any memory of harm or showing any signs of injury, and their lives are tied to that of the Warden who resurrects them. The big picture behind this sort of makes sense, but the rules behind this magic system are never properly explained or flushed out.
I would also classify this book as a book that definitely feels very YA. Since the crux of this story deals with death and resurrection, I was expecting something much darker akin to blood magic, but I felt that this story just skimmed the surface. The author could’ve taken the opportunity to delve into something much darker and complex, but I felt that she was a bit safe in that regard.
Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Teen for my giveaway win. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Tempest has spent the last two years diving for anything that she can sell for notes. With enough money, Tempest can go to a research facility called Palindromena, which specializes in resurrecting the dead for 24 hours. Tempest plans to resurrect her sister Elysea in order to finally get her sister to confess to the the death of their parents.
Everything about the resurrection process is wrong. The warden who resurrects Elysea is not exactly who he says he is. Tempest is supposed to convince Elysea that she’s been in a medically induced coma, but of course, Elysea quickly catches on to her untimely surmise. Elysea knows how to get answers surrounding their parents, but it entails the two of them breaking her out of the facility and embarking on a dangerous mission.
I admired the depths of sisterhood between Tempest and Elysea. Even though so much pain exists between them, neither one is willing to give up on the other. We alternate POVs between Tempest and Lor (the lying Warden), but I would’ve much preferred alternating POVs between Tempest and Elysea. I am also still on the fence with Lor, but I will let you decide that for yourselves.
I am also still very confused about how the whole magic behind the resurrection happens. The research facility developed this technology to resurrect someone for 24 hours without any memory of harm or showing any signs of injury, and their lives are tied to that of the Warden who resurrects them. The big picture behind this sort of makes sense, but the rules behind this magic system are never properly explained or flushed out.
I would also classify this book as a book that definitely feels very YA. Since the crux of this story deals with death and resurrection, I was expecting something much darker akin to blood magic, but I felt that this story just skimmed the surface. The author could’ve taken the opportunity to delve into something much darker and complex, but I felt that she was a bit safe in that regard.
Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Teen for my giveaway win. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
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April 26, 2025Set in a dystopian future where water has overtaken nearly all land and technology allows the wealthy to bring back their loved ones for 24 hours to say goodbye, The Vanishing Deep is a sci-fi suspense blend with a fascinating premise and a mixed execution. Interestingly, my feelings on this were quite similar to my feelings on this author's debut. I love the concept, world, and setup but felt the middle and end were underdeveloped with some plot holes, and the romance perfunctory and ultimately unnecessary. So I kind of liked it, but it was also kind of disappointing. That said, I think some readers will love this and be able to lose themselves in the story enough that these issues won't bother them.
Tempe was born into a world of water and survives by diving and scavenging in ruins. She has been saving for two years to bring her sister back to life for 24 hours so she can demand answers about the death of their parents. But things do not go as planned and there are surprising secrets leading to a race against time.
There's a lot I can't say here without spoiling things, but I will say that the central relationship is the complicated one between these two sisters. That was often interesting, but I wanted more from the development of Elysea because she often felts a little emotionally flat. In theory it's cool that we get asexual representation with her character, but it ended up feeling kind of bland. Perhaps if we had her as a perspective character I might have felt differently.
Without spoiling things, I felt like the final part of the book wrapped up a little too neatly with a lot of very convenient occurrences. The ending didn't feel earned and that was a letdown. There was also an underwater location that somehow didn't have water in it in a way that didn't make much sense, among other little plot and world-building holes. On the other hand, the ideas behind the world, economy, culture, and technology were very cool. Ultimately this had a lot of potential, but the execution could have been better. I think the way this author plays with genre is interesting, but her endings feel messy. Perhaps that will improve with time. I received a copy of this book for review from Penguin Teen. All opinions are my own.
Tempe was born into a world of water and survives by diving and scavenging in ruins. She has been saving for two years to bring her sister back to life for 24 hours so she can demand answers about the death of their parents. But things do not go as planned and there are surprising secrets leading to a race against time.
There's a lot I can't say here without spoiling things, but I will say that the central relationship is the complicated one between these two sisters. That was often interesting, but I wanted more from the development of Elysea because she often felts a little emotionally flat. In theory it's cool that we get asexual representation with her character, but it ended up feeling kind of bland. Perhaps if we had her as a perspective character I might have felt differently.
Without spoiling things, I felt like the final part of the book wrapped up a little too neatly with a lot of very convenient occurrences. The ending didn't feel earned and that was a letdown. There was also an underwater location that somehow didn't have water in it in a way that didn't make much sense, among other little plot and world-building holes. On the other hand, the ideas behind the world, economy, culture, and technology were very cool. Ultimately this had a lot of potential, but the execution could have been better. I think the way this author plays with genre is interesting, but her endings feel messy. Perhaps that will improve with time. I received a copy of this book for review from Penguin Teen. All opinions are my own.
May 6, 2020
This book messed with my head.
Tempest was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed the planet, people had to learn to survive on water. Tempe spends her days diving into the deep in order to scavenge anything worth Notes. She needs as many Notes as possible so she can revive her sister from death. The research facility, Palindromena, has perfected the art of reanimating people from death but only for 24 hours. When Tempe and Elysea finally reunite, Tempe is determined to finally get answers about her parents' death five years ago. But Elysea doesn't plan to spend her last hours in an awful facility, if Tempe wants answers she's going to have to break her out.
This was such a cool story. I'm pretty sure my brain is still scrambled from everything that happened because holy cake do I have whiplash from the ending! I loved the relationship between Tempe and Elysea. Tempe harbors a lot of grief, survivor's guilt and anger from her sister's death two years ago. But we get to see some of that resentment and anger dissolve as the two work on their relationship.
As the sisters rehash old events, they realize there's a chance that their parents are alive. But every minute is a countdown until Elysea will die again. The two immediately set out to figure out where their parents could be, but two employees from Palindromena are hot on their tail.
This book is full of heartbreak, grief and how its dealt with and an amazing asexual rep. There's also a dash of romance, but it is far from the main focus.
Tempest was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed the planet, people had to learn to survive on water. Tempe spends her days diving into the deep in order to scavenge anything worth Notes. She needs as many Notes as possible so she can revive her sister from death. The research facility, Palindromena, has perfected the art of reanimating people from death but only for 24 hours. When Tempe and Elysea finally reunite, Tempe is determined to finally get answers about her parents' death five years ago. But Elysea doesn't plan to spend her last hours in an awful facility, if Tempe wants answers she's going to have to break her out.
This was such a cool story. I'm pretty sure my brain is still scrambled from everything that happened because holy cake do I have whiplash from the ending! I loved the relationship between Tempe and Elysea. Tempe harbors a lot of grief, survivor's guilt and anger from her sister's death two years ago. But we get to see some of that resentment and anger dissolve as the two work on their relationship.
As the sisters rehash old events, they realize there's a chance that their parents are alive. But every minute is a countdown until Elysea will die again. The two immediately set out to figure out where their parents could be, but two employees from Palindromena are hot on their tail.
This book is full of heartbreak, grief and how its dealt with and an amazing asexual rep. There's also a dash of romance, but it is far from the main focus.
April 1, 2023
Tempe nació en un mundo prácticamente sumergido, en el que solo quedan unas pocas islas tras las Grandes Olas, la catástrofe que ocurrió hace siglos. Ahora, busca entre las ruinas cualquier cosa de valor para comprar 24 horas de vida para su hermana, resucitarla durante un día para enfrentarse a Elysea y averiguar el secreto que se llevó consigo.
Pero, una vez revivida, Elysea tiene otros planes: convence a Tempe de que la saque de las instalaciones para embarcarse en un peligroso viaje para descubrir la verdad de su pasado y reparar su vínculo roto. Sin embargo, Palindrómena no se detendrá ante nada para traerlas de vuelta antes de que se revele la verdad sobre el proceso de reanimación.
Lo dicho: la idea de la reanimación, el worldbuilding con el mundo inundado... lo cierto es que esta novela tenía un potencial de la leche, y me habría encantado que se centrara mucho más en el worldbuilding de lo que lo hace, en esa ambientación, la historia, y la forma de vida, pero lo central es el misterio sobre "devolver la vida", y esa carrera contrarreloj que hacen las hermanas, seguidas de Lor, el trabajador del laboratorio.
La relación entre las hermanas Tempe y Elysea es otro de los puntos principales de la novela: la lucha por salvar a Elysea, el dolor por tener que despedirse de nuevo, las traiciones, los secretos...
Reseña:http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...
Pero, una vez revivida, Elysea tiene otros planes: convence a Tempe de que la saque de las instalaciones para embarcarse en un peligroso viaje para descubrir la verdad de su pasado y reparar su vínculo roto. Sin embargo, Palindrómena no se detendrá ante nada para traerlas de vuelta antes de que se revele la verdad sobre el proceso de reanimación.
Lo dicho: la idea de la reanimación, el worldbuilding con el mundo inundado... lo cierto es que esta novela tenía un potencial de la leche, y me habría encantado que se centrara mucho más en el worldbuilding de lo que lo hace, en esa ambientación, la historia, y la forma de vida, pero lo central es el misterio sobre "devolver la vida", y esa carrera contrarreloj que hacen las hermanas, seguidas de Lor, el trabajador del laboratorio.
La relación entre las hermanas Tempe y Elysea es otro de los puntos principales de la novela: la lucha por salvar a Elysea, el dolor por tener que despedirse de nuevo, las traiciones, los secretos...
Reseña:http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...
February 27, 2023
What the heck?
Conceptually and world-building-wise the book was really good. It was frustrating having so little information to go off of at first, but as we got more details, I liked how slowly we got them. The setting of the character is a post-apocalyptic world where most things are submerged and diving was an interesting setting.
Plot-wise it was really interesting, although a little simple in my opinion (tbf it's standalone so that might be why).
Character-wise, I feel like I didn't get a lot. The characters seemed like they had a cut-out that they had to fit - Elyse especially. Same thing development-wise. I think my fav character Lor had some decent growth, but not so much Tempest or the rest of the cast Tempest really had so little growth, I kind of felt like I missed her character. I think if the plot were a little bulkier, I wouldn't have minded the lack of development, but there was a lot of ship-sailing instead. I will say it's also kind of frustrating how black-and-white everything was taken. It would have been more interesting if the characters were a little more morally grey.
Overall, it's an interesting concept, but something about the book kinda drives me nuts
Conceptually and world-building-wise the book was really good. It was frustrating having so little information to go off of at first, but as we got more details, I liked how slowly we got them. The setting of the character is a post-apocalyptic world where most things are submerged and diving was an interesting setting.
Plot-wise it was really interesting, although a little simple in my opinion (tbf it's standalone so that might be why).
Character-wise, I feel like I didn't get a lot. The characters seemed like they had a cut-out that they had to fit - Elyse especially. Same thing development-wise. I think my fav character Lor had some decent growth, but not so much Tempest or the rest of the cast Tempest really had so little growth, I kind of felt like I missed her character. I think if the plot were a little bulkier, I wouldn't have minded the lack of development, but there was a lot of ship-sailing instead. I will say it's also kind of frustrating how black-and-white everything was taken. It would have been more interesting if the characters were a little more morally grey.
Overall, it's an interesting concept, but something about the book kinda drives me nuts
September 14, 2020
"Was it easier for death to strike you down without warning? Or was it better to know when death would strike, so you could use your last hours, months, years, to be with the people you cared about?"
I'll take death without warning, thank you very much.
One thing I will give Astrid Scholte, she is a really good story teller. The Vanishing Deep reminded me of The Bone Houses; not because of the story itself, but because of how readable it is. You go from page to page without noticing the time passing by, unlike our characters who notice every single second that ticks down. It is exciting reading a story that centers around a count down, specially if you are emotionally invested (which I totally was!).
"You have to hold on to every moment. Breathe every breath. For you never know when it will be your last."
I also appreciated that what very little romance there was in the book wasn't forced or rushed. It suited the story, specially the thought that each character was in a different head space when it came to the other--he was really into her, she had a passing attraction but was more focused on her sister and solving the overall mystery of her missing parents. Kudos!! Also, if I read correctly (which, please correct me if I am wrong) but there is some asexual representation as well!
There is tons of adventure, and an unexpected ending. While I could guess some of the secrets a mile away, the ending itself took me by surprised cause it wasn't a pretty bow tied just so. It is bitter sweet, which is kind of one of my favorite ways to end stand alones?
I enjoyed this book so much I am going back for seconds... which by that I mean I am picking up Four Dead Queens as soon as my wallet allows.
PS; I am not a fan of the cover--it doesn't really represent the story that well? It looks like every other cover with a pretty girl's face. Pretty, but eh.
PPS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!
I'll take death without warning, thank you very much.
One thing I will give Astrid Scholte, she is a really good story teller. The Vanishing Deep reminded me of The Bone Houses; not because of the story itself, but because of how readable it is. You go from page to page without noticing the time passing by, unlike our characters who notice every single second that ticks down. It is exciting reading a story that centers around a count down, specially if you are emotionally invested (which I totally was!).
"You have to hold on to every moment. Breathe every breath. For you never know when it will be your last."
I also appreciated that what very little romance there was in the book wasn't forced or rushed. It suited the story, specially the thought that each character was in a different head space when it came to the other--he was really into her, she had a passing attraction but was more focused on her sister and solving the overall mystery of her missing parents. Kudos!! Also, if I read correctly (which, please correct me if I am wrong) but there is some asexual representation as well!
There is tons of adventure, and an unexpected ending. While I could guess some of the secrets a mile away, the ending itself took me by surprised cause it wasn't a pretty bow tied just so. It is bitter sweet, which is kind of one of my favorite ways to end stand alones?
I enjoyed this book so much I am going back for seconds... which by that I mean I am picking up Four Dead Queens as soon as my wallet allows.
PS; I am not a fan of the cover--it doesn't really represent the story that well? It looks like every other cover with a pretty girl's face. Pretty, but eh.
PPS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!
April 25, 2020
BOOK TAGS⇣
⇢ 4.25 ✰STARS✰
⤏ DYSTOPIAN/FUTURISTIC TECHY
⤏ WATERWORLD-ESQUE
⤏ LIFE & DEATH DEALERS
⤏ DEALING WITH GRIEF
⤏ AN INTRIGUING SLIGHTLY FANTASTICAL WORLD
MY THOUGHTS⇣
There were a lot of things that could have been done with this incredible world that the author has created...and we only got a glimpse of what it could embody. With a Water World-Esque-ness that is less rapey, and more techy or techier as Grammarly wants me to call it. You know, sometimes Grammarly, I just want to make up my own words. Shockingly, I wanted this to be longer, with more illumination on this futuristic, dystopian-ish world, and actually, a tad more character development wouldn't hurt, either. Feeling that way is weird for me because I usually complain that I want books to be shorter with less inane chatter which blessedly, this doesn't have, at least.
An exciting world combined with characters that while I did want to know them a little better, at least I thought it would be worthwhile to know them better. Plus the ramifications and moral dilemmas arising from the restoring the dead back to an alive state all added up to almost four stars for me...which I bumped up for the awesome narration. Will Damron is one of my favorite male voices for narration...he is always exceptional, and Karissa Vacker has never disappointed me yet, either. Together they kept the story moving along really well.
BOOK DETAILS⇣
AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ KARISSA VACKER & WILL DAMRON
SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 10 HOURS, 59 MINUTES
BREAKDOWN⇣
Plot⇢ 4.3/5
Characters⇢ 4/5
The Feels⇢ 4.3/5
Pacing⇢ 4/5
Addictiveness⇢ 4.3/5
Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 4.2/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5
World-Building⇢ 3/5
Originality/Believability⇢ 4.3/5
Ending⇢ 4.3/5
⇢ 4.25 ✰STARS✰
⤏ DYSTOPIAN/FUTURISTIC TECHY
⤏ WATERWORLD-ESQUE
⤏ LIFE & DEATH DEALERS
⤏ DEALING WITH GRIEF
⤏ AN INTRIGUING SLIGHTLY FANTASTICAL WORLD
MY THOUGHTS⇣
There were a lot of things that could have been done with this incredible world that the author has created...and we only got a glimpse of what it could embody. With a Water World-Esque-ness that is less rapey, and more techy or techier as Grammarly wants me to call it. You know, sometimes Grammarly, I just want to make up my own words. Shockingly, I wanted this to be longer, with more illumination on this futuristic, dystopian-ish world, and actually, a tad more character development wouldn't hurt, either. Feeling that way is weird for me because I usually complain that I want books to be shorter with less inane chatter which blessedly, this doesn't have, at least.
An exciting world combined with characters that while I did want to know them a little better, at least I thought it would be worthwhile to know them better. Plus the ramifications and moral dilemmas arising from the restoring the dead back to an alive state all added up to almost four stars for me...which I bumped up for the awesome narration. Will Damron is one of my favorite male voices for narration...he is always exceptional, and Karissa Vacker has never disappointed me yet, either. Together they kept the story moving along really well.
BOOK DETAILS⇣
AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ KARISSA VACKER & WILL DAMRON
SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 10 HOURS, 59 MINUTES
BREAKDOWN⇣
Plot⇢ 4.3/5
Characters⇢ 4/5
The Feels⇢ 4.3/5
Pacing⇢ 4/5
Addictiveness⇢ 4.3/5
Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 4.2/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5
World-Building⇢ 3/5
Originality/Believability⇢ 4.3/5
Ending⇢ 4.3/5
October 12, 2019
"My mother used to say that change happened. For everyone. People changed, people could enact change. But that was bullshit. Change happened to you. Life, and death, they happened to you. And there was nothing you could do about it. You either held on for the ride or got swept away in the storm. " - Astrid Scholte
4.5 STARS
SIDENOTE to the publisher and author: PLEASE give this book a map to match this wonderful world building! sort of like Pangea or Atlantis feel! Four Dead Queens had really great artwork and I expect the same for this book!
I really enjoyed this book and it will give you all the feels! family, friendship, and love. The ending was unexpected and felt a little rush but it was better then I expected. Someone obviously has to die! I thought it would end up a happy ending and Astrid Scholte DID NOT disappoint. If you loved Four Dead Queens, I definitely recommend this stand-alone for 2020!
4.5 STARS
SIDENOTE to the publisher and author: PLEASE give this book a map to match this wonderful world building! sort of like Pangea or Atlantis feel! Four Dead Queens had really great artwork and I expect the same for this book!
I really enjoyed this book and it will give you all the feels! family, friendship, and love. The ending was unexpected and felt a little rush but it was better then I expected. Someone obviously has to die! I thought it would end up a happy ending and Astrid Scholte DID NOT disappoint. If you loved Four Dead Queens, I definitely recommend this stand-alone for 2020!
August 20, 2019
WOW!!! Beautifully written and just simply amazing.
Dear Booklovers: 👇🏼
Add this book to your TBR
Preorder this book.
Purchase this book.
You are WELCOME 😉🧡🌷
Dear Booklovers: 👇🏼
Add this book to your TBR
Preorder this book.
Purchase this book.
You are WELCOME 😉🧡🌷
March 12, 2020
Vid review will be available 12 march 2020 here https://youtu.be/sIch5k5a02M
October 11, 2019
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a chance to review this book.
First off, kudos to the author for creating a unique setting for THE VANISHING DEEP. I was swept away (pun intended) from the first chapter. It was Astrid's way of giving us these deep, realistic characters that drew me in. She has a way of writing protagonists with such emotion, and I loved that.
The world was incredibly different than anything I've ever read. Tempest lives on one of the few reefs that survived after an ice cap melted and flooded the world. They live off of fishing and foraging the world before with diving expeditions. The life the author gave to this scenario was impeccable from the way they dressed to the small things like how people earn their keep.
It was because of all this that the idea of having a place that brings pretty much brings the dead back to life for 24 hours seems very fa fetched. One one side we have these simple people trying to survive after a world catastrophe and then we have an institute where technology is so advanced, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I loved the idea that Tempest revived her sister so she could find out the real cause of their parent's death and how they had to escape the institute to uncover the secrets that ultimately lead them to a bigger conspiracy. Believe me, and I loved all that. But there were some things that had me scratching my head that I never got answers to, and it felt as though I was being glossed over because there was no explanation, and they all hoped us readers wouldn't notice.
All in all, solid ideas, too many unanswered questions, and mild confusion.
First off, kudos to the author for creating a unique setting for THE VANISHING DEEP. I was swept away (pun intended) from the first chapter. It was Astrid's way of giving us these deep, realistic characters that drew me in. She has a way of writing protagonists with such emotion, and I loved that.
The world was incredibly different than anything I've ever read. Tempest lives on one of the few reefs that survived after an ice cap melted and flooded the world. They live off of fishing and foraging the world before with diving expeditions. The life the author gave to this scenario was impeccable from the way they dressed to the small things like how people earn their keep.
It was because of all this that the idea of having a place that brings pretty much brings the dead back to life for 24 hours seems very fa fetched. One one side we have these simple people trying to survive after a world catastrophe and then we have an institute where technology is so advanced, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I loved the idea that Tempest revived her sister so she could find out the real cause of their parent's death and how they had to escape the institute to uncover the secrets that ultimately lead them to a bigger conspiracy. Believe me, and I loved all that. But there were some things that had me scratching my head that I never got answers to, and it felt as though I was being glossed over because there was no explanation, and they all hoped us readers wouldn't notice.
All in all, solid ideas, too many unanswered questions, and mild confusion.
August 23, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
I absolutely had a great time reading this. It was fast paced, the dystopian/sci-fi elements immediately sucked me in! The themes of environmental destruction & grief were very pertinent to the story & had my attention! It gives us a look at what the world might look like if we continue on like we are, the fighting over land, resources & each other? We essentially follow the journey of Tempest, reviving her dead sister, and has 24hrs with her, but they escape the organisation and go on a quest to find answers. However, for me, there was a major plot hole... after being deceased for 2 years, submerged in water, surely your organs are not fully intact? Do your lungs expel all the water after drowning? Would you not be full of decay? That left me with so many questions. Unless you got some organs transplanted, there is no way you could return to your original state... also, you'd look like an actual prune? The final obstacle/conflict made me so frustrated. It didn't need to happen to move the plot in the direction it needed to move, but ultimately, I had a great time reading this book.
I absolutely had a great time reading this. It was fast paced, the dystopian/sci-fi elements immediately sucked me in! The themes of environmental destruction & grief were very pertinent to the story & had my attention! It gives us a look at what the world might look like if we continue on like we are, the fighting over land, resources & each other? We essentially follow the journey of Tempest, reviving her dead sister, and has 24hrs with her, but they escape the organisation and go on a quest to find answers. However, for me, there was a major plot hole... after being deceased for 2 years, submerged in water, surely your organs are not fully intact? Do your lungs expel all the water after drowning? Would you not be full of decay? That left me with so many questions. Unless you got some organs transplanted, there is no way you could return to your original state... also, you'd look like an actual prune? The final obstacle/conflict made me so frustrated. It didn't need to happen to move the plot in the direction it needed to move, but ultimately, I had a great time reading this book.
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