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London Deep
Part graphic novel and part adventure tale, this fantasy that takes place in the near future follows a spunky heroine living in a flooded London where rival police forces compete to keep the peace. Jemima Mallard doesn't have time to worry about the fact that the city has been sinking ever since the climate upgradeshe's having a bad day. Her boyfriend knocks her off a pier, some hooded youths scuttle her houseboat, and she loses two tanks of precious air that were gifts from her father. Even worse, the Youth Police accuse her of being mixed up with a criminal named Father Thames and her fatherthe Chief Inspector of the Adult Policecan't seem to fix the error. Ideal for manga fans and reluctant readers, this copiously illustrated story explores environmental themes in an accessible and exciting manor.
- GenresGraphic NovelsFantasy
155 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2010
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20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 26, 2020
So I was given a signed copy by my aunt who had a little chat with the author which I was really excited about at the time. I really don't remember much about this story other than that at a certain point I got really confused and stopped reading thinking I might start over again at some point. apparently I stopped reading like two pages from the end of the book. I never noticed! obviously I did notice at some point
So I never finished it but I know it was super confusing and not interesting enough for me to try and finish reading.
So I never finished it but I know it was super confusing and not interesting enough for me to try and finish reading.
September 6, 2012
Some likeable characters but a difficult-to-follow storyline and far too many errors with words being misprinted/duplicated/lines missing etc.
January 16, 2022
I tried very hard to like this. I got this signed when visiting Greenwich Market during the Christmas period that's just gone. I got two of them just in case I enjoyed the series (thankfully didn't buy the whole set).
For a children's book, it was very difficult for me to keep on reading. The story bored me and I didn't even know what it was about.
Good points (at least). It was a dual prose / graphic novel, which, I guess would interest younger reluctant readers. Also the fact that it was set in a futuristic flooded London. The main character Jem was so sarcastic for her age.
However the story was so bland, the characters were unlikeable and the plot was very thin and not thought out properly. I agree with another reviewer about some typos and a line that wasn't printed properly (you cannot make out what the rest of the sentence says). It wasn't very realistic either, about the adult vs kids police departments or whatever it was. There was adventure but it wasn't a very engaging one. I like stories about rivers/water bodies but this one was so tedious. I'm not even sure if I would have enjoyed reading this at the appropriate target age this was written for.
So I am a bit disappointed having read this. I would read the sequel 'Father Thames' just to see if it is any better, but my expectations aren't very high right now.
For a children's book, it was very difficult for me to keep on reading. The story bored me and I didn't even know what it was about.
Good points (at least). It was a dual prose / graphic novel, which, I guess would interest younger reluctant readers. Also the fact that it was set in a futuristic flooded London. The main character Jem was so sarcastic for her age.
However the story was so bland, the characters were unlikeable and the plot was very thin and not thought out properly. I agree with another reviewer about some typos and a line that wasn't printed properly (you cannot make out what the rest of the sentence says). It wasn't very realistic either, about the adult vs kids police departments or whatever it was. There was adventure but it wasn't a very engaging one. I like stories about rivers/water bodies but this one was so tedious. I'm not even sure if I would have enjoyed reading this at the appropriate target age this was written for.
So I am a bit disappointed having read this. I would read the sequel 'Father Thames' just to see if it is any better, but my expectations aren't very high right now.
July 23, 2019
I was excited to read this and was majorly let down. I liked the art segments - it probably would have worked better as a graphic novel. However, the story and plot was jumbled. Scenes didn't seem to link up and information was dumped into the story without being fully explained. Things were repeated which didn't need to be and the plot was murky. I couldn't tell who the 'bad' people were and the end was just confusing.
January 4, 2020
Cute tale, it is a middle grade book, don't go into it expecting more than a bit of fun.
December 22, 2010
3.5
London Deep is a futuristic story set in London, England. London is flooded and the city is divided by youth and adults. Each group has their own law enforcement, YPD and APD. Jem's father works for the APD, her mother is missing and someone just blew up her house boat. While in search of answers, Jem is arrested by a YPD officer named Nick and accused of working with the criminal "Father Thames". Jem and Nick soon find themselves face to face with "Father Thames" and realize there's a lot more at stake under the waters of the sinking city.
London Deep is a fun, unique read as it's a graphic novel, and novella mix. I really liked the graphics as they are both catchy and a little edgy, fitting in perfectly with the books feel. What makes this book stand out from other graphic novels is that London Deep's graphics are actually part of the story, which I think this is what will make the book appealing to both tween and YA readers.
London Deep is a great mix of story telling and graphics, it's clean style make it one readers as young as 8-9 can read. While it's marketed for YA, I would recommend this to middle graders as well, as I think the writing style would be more appealing to them. The characters are great, the story is fast paced and I'm looking forward to reading the second books in the series.
London Deep is a futuristic story set in London, England. London is flooded and the city is divided by youth and adults. Each group has their own law enforcement, YPD and APD. Jem's father works for the APD, her mother is missing and someone just blew up her house boat. While in search of answers, Jem is arrested by a YPD officer named Nick and accused of working with the criminal "Father Thames". Jem and Nick soon find themselves face to face with "Father Thames" and realize there's a lot more at stake under the waters of the sinking city.
London Deep is a fun, unique read as it's a graphic novel, and novella mix. I really liked the graphics as they are both catchy and a little edgy, fitting in perfectly with the books feel. What makes this book stand out from other graphic novels is that London Deep's graphics are actually part of the story, which I think this is what will make the book appealing to both tween and YA readers.
London Deep is a great mix of story telling and graphics, it's clean style make it one readers as young as 8-9 can read. While it's marketed for YA, I would recommend this to middle graders as well, as I think the writing style would be more appealing to them. The characters are great, the story is fast paced and I'm looking forward to reading the second books in the series.
December 22, 2010
3.5 stars
London Deep is a futuristic story set in London, England. London is flooded and the city is divided by youth and adults. Each group has their own law enforcement, YPD and APD. Jem's father works for the APD, her mother is missing and someone just blew up her house boat. While in search of answers, Jem is arrested by a YPD officer named Nick and accused of working with the criminal "Father Thames". Jem and Nick soon find themselves face to face with "Father Thames" and realize there's a lot more at stake under the waters of the sinking city.
London Deep is a fun, unique read as it's a graphic novel, and novella mix. I really liked the graphics as they are both catchy and a little edgy, fitting in perfectly with the books feel. What makes this book stand out from other graphic novels is that London Deep's graphics are actually part of the story, which I think this is what will make the book appealing to both tween and YA readers.
London Deep is a great mix of story telling and graphics, it's clean style make it one readers as young as 8-9 can read. While it's marketed for YA, I would recommend this to middle graders as well, as I think the writing style would be more appealing to them. The characters are great, the story is fast paced and I'm looking forward to reading the second books in the series.
London Deep is a futuristic story set in London, England. London is flooded and the city is divided by youth and adults. Each group has their own law enforcement, YPD and APD. Jem's father works for the APD, her mother is missing and someone just blew up her house boat. While in search of answers, Jem is arrested by a YPD officer named Nick and accused of working with the criminal "Father Thames". Jem and Nick soon find themselves face to face with "Father Thames" and realize there's a lot more at stake under the waters of the sinking city.
London Deep is a fun, unique read as it's a graphic novel, and novella mix. I really liked the graphics as they are both catchy and a little edgy, fitting in perfectly with the books feel. What makes this book stand out from other graphic novels is that London Deep's graphics are actually part of the story, which I think this is what will make the book appealing to both tween and YA readers.
London Deep is a great mix of story telling and graphics, it's clean style make it one readers as young as 8-9 can read. While it's marketed for YA, I would recommend this to middle graders as well, as I think the writing style would be more appealing to them. The characters are great, the story is fast paced and I'm looking forward to reading the second books in the series.
December 11, 2010
London Deep is half-novella, half-graphic novel. Unlike some illustrated novels, the graphic illustrations (which are edgy and cool) in London Deep are integral to the story. Rather than enhancing the story, they are part of the story - if you skip them, you will miss out on a scene in the novel.
This is intriguing as a way to draw in reluctant readers, without going to an all-picture format like a graphic novel. There are plenty of words in this book, and they tell most of the story.
This was a cute story, with colorful characters and a rich future-world. Jemima Mallard, daughter of the Chief Inspector of the Adult Police, has a day that goes from bad (her houseboat sinks) to worse (losing precious tanks of air) to sunk (captured by the Youth Police, and then underwater terrorists). I'm still not quite sure how the YPD and APD came into existence, but perhaps that will be explained in the sequel Father Thames. The action is fast-paced, but the violence kept to a minimum, making London Deep an excellent read for reluctant readers ages 8+. There's not a reading level designation on the book yet, but I would place it somewhere around RL4-5.
This is intriguing as a way to draw in reluctant readers, without going to an all-picture format like a graphic novel. There are plenty of words in this book, and they tell most of the story.
This was a cute story, with colorful characters and a rich future-world. Jemima Mallard, daughter of the Chief Inspector of the Adult Police, has a day that goes from bad (her houseboat sinks) to worse (losing precious tanks of air) to sunk (captured by the Youth Police, and then underwater terrorists). I'm still not quite sure how the YPD and APD came into existence, but perhaps that will be explained in the sequel Father Thames. The action is fast-paced, but the violence kept to a minimum, making London Deep an excellent read for reluctant readers ages 8+. There's not a reading level designation on the book yet, but I would place it somewhere around RL4-5.
September 21, 2010
Disappointing. It's sort of taking an idea that appeared just last year in Raiders' Ransome (note the sunken Big Ben on both covers) but without the flair. In this tale it is the future and Jemima Mallard is the daughter of a cop. The only thing is, in this future the adults have an adult police force and the kids have a kid police force. Jemima soon has to tangle with the child police force and she doesn't like what she sees. There's an underground group working to upset the order of things, and Jemima needs to figure out where her loyalties lie. The story is fine but the interstitial comic art is poorly done. There's no natural flow between the two, as you might find in something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. On the whole, distracting. Seriously so. B
December 27, 2012
I would have enjoyed this a lot more as a graphic novel. The art works well with the idea and the setting and I especially like the manga-style eyes. It's gritty, noir and a bit rough. Very good.
However, I wasn't massively enamoured by the obvious storyline and flat characters.
Hmmm.... :(
However, I wasn't massively enamoured by the obvious storyline and flat characters.
Hmmm.... :(
September 2, 2010
One Sentence Review: Some very cool (if overdone) dystopian concepts are buried here in the midst of the simply awful art and the fact that the story meanders about and never really goes anywhere.
February 15, 2013
This is a really good book for most people and SoMe adults could read it. (I've re-read it :) )
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October 26, 2014good
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews