Book Review: The Deep by Alma Katsu

By georgelthomas on 9 Feb 2024 • ( 2 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. It’s Friday today, which means it’s time for another review. Today, I am reviewing The Deep by Alma Katsu.

The Deep by Alma Katsu was initially published in 2020 by Bantam Press and is 432 pages long.

The Plot
The book follows the story of a young woman named Annie Hebbley, a stewardess aboard the Titanic and, later, a nurse aboard the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, as she struggles with a supernatural mystery.

Characters
Annie Hebbley
Annie begins the story in an asylum in 1916, having been sent there after being found unconscious with barely any memory, which has slowly come back, at least mostly.

Having miraculously survived the sinking of the Titanic four years previously, her friend Violet, who also survived, writes and invites her to join her in working on the Titanic’s sister ship, the Brittanic, aiding the war effort.

Since she’s not really in any need of the asylum’s services, her doctor suggests she take the offer and give up her bed to someone in need, and so she does.

Whilst working aboard the Britannic, Annie recognises one of the patients brought aboard as Mark Fletcher, a man she met aboard the Titanic, and in flashbacks, we learn about their relationship and a mysterious presence that seems to be causing havoc for the Titanic’s passengers.

I won’t say much more about Annie because it would give away too much of the story, and I wouldn’t want to spoil the book. Suffice it to say, though, that Annie has quite the journey.

Violet Jessup
Violet is Annie’s friend and former colleague; they were both stewardesses aboard the Titanic. She writes to Annie asking her to return to service, this time aboard the Titanic’s sister Ship, the Brittanic and this time as a nurse and not a stewardess.

Mark and Caroline Fletcher
Mark and Caroline arrive aboard the Titanic with their baby, Ondine, where they initially meet Annie, who is immediately drawn to the family. As the plot unfolds, we learn that Caroline and Mark are hiding things from one another, which puts strain on their relationship.

David (Dai) John Bowen and Lesley (Les) Williams
Welsh passengers David and his boxing (and romantic) partner joined the Titanic after they missed their earlier ship. They are conmen who fix their boxing matches, fleecing the Titanic’s rich. They also become embroiled in some other scams that end up getting them in some hot water.

Teddy
Teddy is the servant boy of John Jacob and Madeline Astor. His mother died some time ago and left him in their care. Near the start of the book, he is somewhat bewitched by a strange woman’s voice, singing, seemingly coming from the sea, compelling him to climb the railings to get closer. Later, tragedy strikes when the boy has a seizure.

There are plenty of other characters who, for the most part, are based on real people, such as John Jacob Astor and his wife Madeline, Benjamine Guggenheim and W.T. Stead. Although they interact with Annie, they don’t impact the plot too much.

Writing Style
The story switches back and forth between 1912 and 1916 and takes place aboard the Titanic and Britannic, respectively. It’s very nicely paced, and the time switching makes sure the story doesn’t get monotonous. In fact, as a Titanic enthusiast, I found myself on the edge of my seat most of the way through the book simply because I knew the fate of the ship and some of the story’s characters and wanted to see how Katsu would write it.

Something else I enjoyed was that little bits of the story are told through letters, which I thought was a terrific way for the author to relay certain bits of information, such as when she uses a letter to let us know Annie is friends with Violet Jessup.

The writing is engaging, and Katsu offers lovely descriptions of each ship, allowing the story’s dual settings to come alive in your mind. She creates a gripping narrative that draws the reader in from page one and holds you engaged until the end. The story is full of twists and turns, and readers will be constantly on the edge of their seats as they follow the characters’ journey through the ship’s dark and foreboding corridors.

One of the most impressive aspects of The Deep is the amount of research that Katsu has clearly conducted. The historical details are many and precise, and all the characters feel like authentic products of their time. The descriptions of life aboard the Titanic are wonderfully evocative, from the grandeur of the first-class cabins to the cramped and squalid conditions in steerage.

Another thing I liked about this book was that there were a few subplots involving other characters running concurrently with the main plot line, giving the story a bit of heft. I very much enjoyed reading about their interactions and exploits. However, in my view, it is almost certain that some real-life characters in the story are exaggerated, embellished and heavily dramatised. I mean, it’s a supernatural story involving the sinking of two ships, so there’s a ton of drama going, so much that a bit of fleshing out of the characters for dramatic effect felt natural.

Final Thoughts
Overall, The Deep conveys the best elements of historical fiction and suspense, and I enjoyed it. However, I have to say that the horror and supernatural events are very minimal. Having said that, though, The Deep was still a captivating and immersive read. I even think it may have been a better story if the supernatural elements had been omitted, but that’s just my opinion. Whether you’re a fan of the history and story of the Titanic or merely enjoy a good drama, I think you’ll enjoy this.

While I would undoubtedly recommend the book, I would advise approaching the story more as a historical drama than horror.

I am giving The Deep a 5/10.

Have you read The Deep? What did you think?

Thank you, as ever, for reading my review. It really means the world!

Until next time,

George