Into the Drowning Deep

Into the Drowning Deep

By: Mira Grant

Grade: C

Well, my holiday reading turned out to be about killer mermaids/sirens. When I first heard about this book I just had to read it. A group of scientists head out into the depths to try to prove that it was the mythological creatures that killed everyone on a previous crew years before including the sister of one of them.

Mira Grant is the pen name of Seanan McGuire who writes the Every Heart a Doorway series that I’m really enjoying. So it kind of hurt this one was a disappointment.

The strange thing about this one was it was really easy to put down. I literally stopped for a couple of days when the holidays got crazy and that was right as the final attack (finally) began. I think my basic problem with this wasn’t the story or the science but I just didn’t connect with any of the characters. And they felt really obvious.

I didn’t really like any of them. I mean Tory, Olivia and Luis were definitely the most likable but even their story had a lot of obvious factors about it.

It was also really obvious who was going to die and they did. Overly ambitious person going outside their bounds? Check. Rotten ex? Check. Oh my Gosh the two hunters were so over the top I didn’t even know what to make of them for most of the book! I also wasn’t big on Jillian Toth, the resident expert and voice of reason. I may have been okay if the mermaids had killed everyone.

I think maybe the characters could have gone a lot deeper. They don’t have to be likable but they should be more than cardboard cutouts of the usual horror characters.

Still despite my problems with the characters it was an interesting idea that I don’t get a chance to see executed a lot and all the science and mythology were definite points of interest I just wish the characters had been stronger.

Recommend: Eh. If you like horror and sea mythology and lure go for it. If not you might want to check out some of McGuire’s other series first. Especially Every Heart a Doorway.