Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

It’s time again to dive into a novel about the deep and the creatures that come from it. We’re talking, of course, about mermaids. However, several factors make The Deep a unique reading experience.

This isn’t your ordinary mermaid novel, however. The Deep is beautiful and powerful, being vastly moving. It’s not a tale for the faint of heart, either. These mermaids have a unique origin story. They came from the pregnant slaves thrown overboard and have since evolved their own culture about these horrible memories.

The other unique factor? The Deep was a joint project written by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutston, and Jonathan Snipes. It isn’t every day you get to see a novel or novella written by so many authors. And that speaks volumes (no pun intended) about this piece of work.

Writing

The Deep was a novella written to create a massive emotional impact, and that much is apparent right from the start. These mermaids have a conflicted and complex relationship with their memories. And that makes for a powerful read and an even stronger message.

This novella reads like prose at some points and a childhood tale in other parts. Not because it was infantile but rather because of the crucial lessons and weight it carried with it. This was reminiscent of how a parent would warn a child through stories.

Yetu’s character is fascinating, as is her purpose among her people. The authors created a scenario in which feeling anything other than complete empathy for Yetu’s situation was impossible. The amount of pain and emotion all written into one character…it’s intense.

As is the core of the plot itself when you get right down to it, this is not what I would define as a light read. Yet, it’s still an essential read in many regards.

Development

The Deep may be a long novella, but it never rushed through any part of the plot. While Yetu’s plight is clear from the start, the subtlety of the rest of the story requires a bit more time. That path twisted and bent, and the truth of their past came out with each revelation.

It was captivating the way information was revealed in this story. It was simultaneously organic and full of history. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and it made for such a unique and thrilling reading experience – even at the heaviest of times.

There were some surprising elements woven into The Deep. Ironically, they made the characters feel more human, allowing readers to connect to their plight and ache. Saying it was beautiful wouldn’t give it the proper gravity it deserves.

Conclusion

The Deep was a powerful and moving novella. In a short amount of time, it made us feel genuinely empathic for the leading character, all while introducing us to a magical world full of lore, legend, pain, and acceptance.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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