Review of The Deep

[Chinaza Nnabuenyi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Deep" by Mariam Sheriff.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Jason, an engineer, and the only son of Mrs. Anderson, slowly began to estrange himself from his mother. She complained to Stanley, his friend, who initially considered it a trivia issue. This continued till one evening when Stanley witnessed the kidnap of Jason. His curiosity led him to follow the kidnappers, and he became a captive. Unknown to Stanley, Jason had gotten into a mess with some bad guys, and now, he had to pay for it by drowning in the deep. Would Stanley survive this death sentence? More secrets loom in the dark waters, an unending abyss.

The Deep: A tale beyond the wave by Mariam Sheriff is a thrilling tale about the world away from land, deep in the ocean, a world surrounded by a vast expanse of water. It is a whole new civilization. The bizarre environment stirred the sophisticated Stanley to turn into a naive novice. The empire in the ocean, run by humans who could, strangely, breathe underwater, caught my fancy. The story tells of the relationship between humans and aquatic species without eliminating any factor that constitutes marine life. This was well depicted with vivid images of every aquatic wildlife mentioned in the book. The descriptive writing style suited the images, giving the reader a maximum graphic of the story while reading. This is one of the features I liked in the book.

In terms of relationship and co-existence, I liked how Stanley was able to warm up to Lythea, producing a beautiful friendship. His persistence in finding Jason was a heartwarming bliss. I believe that this friendship provided the basis for the plot of this story. Also, in terms of parental relationships, I liked that the writer was able to cite the two categories of parenting, the good and the bad. Mrs. Anderson, on the one hand, displayed a warm and affectionate parenting style, while Jonah, on the other hand, was nothing to write home about.

Regarding children, Avlian's obstinate character also stained his father's reputation. The distinct personalities of each character add humor to the story. I liked this about the book.

The Siren's involvement in the story was an astonishing thrill as well. The narrative was wrapped around a great mystery, revealed in a very unexpected way. The suspense, hunt, and struggle for survival made the story an enthralling one. Hence, I rate this book four out of four stars. The story was beautifully written and well edited. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mystery stories. I found nothing negative about the book.

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The Deep
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[Amy Luman]

It’s a good thing to have a friendship that can withstand travel to a different world. Stanley was no doubt troubled by all of the changes he faced, but It doesn’t sound like he ever gave up on Jason.

[Bri Denzel]

Mystery stories of this nature will appeal to lovers of such genres. I will pass on this one though.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a fascinating novel that explores an underwater world, a fronter that's often overlooked even if it can inspire engaging stories in an evocative setting. Thank you for your great review!