Review: Deep Water by Sarah Epstein
Deep Water is Sarah Epstein's latest mystery thriller book, which focuses on a boy, Henry Weaver, who goes missing in a small town in New South Wales, Australia. This gripping tale is full of secrets and makes for an entertaining read!
The question ‘Where is Henry Weaver?’ was always on my mind when I read this book. It was gripping and I wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to Henry so quickly that I may have given myself book whiplash! The descriptions of the town, The Shallow, made the feel of the book seem extremely moody- something that is mirrored in some of the characters, something I really liked about this one.
The characters were all morally grey and not at all fluffy (and sunshine and rainbows), which made me understand and empathise with them. Chloe Baxter, one of our main characters, was portrayed as often bossy and rather inquisitive- something I sometimes find in myself. I loved that Chloe attempts to do the right thing and find out what happened to her friend, even though the way she goes about it isn’t morally right. We also have Raf and Sabeen, who are the best friends of Chloe, and try to help her- even though they try to hide some knowledge from her, in case she goes and jumps down that rabbit hole. Mason set the grimness of the book, showing how glum life could be- especially dealing with a mother who was often abusive, alongside being a raging alcoholic, which can be confrontational for some. In contrast, Tom, Mason’s best friend, consistently tries to assure Chloe that all is a-okay, even though he has his own problems and secrets. I also enjoyed seeing the hate-hate relationship between Chloe and Sargeant Doherty, as the story progresses.
I also enjoyed the dual perspectives that were presented, and I found that there was little mass info-dumping in the flashbacks, which made it easier to follow and read. The insights that these flashbacks gave definitely helped build up the story and allowed me to piece together what had happened- even though I couldn’t guess where Henry Weaver was until the end! I also loved how Chloe’s overpowering, hopefully personality was portrayed in her perspective, which contrasts Mason’s gloomy and rather realistic views. This contrast was interesting to note about, and it gave me a more rounded view of what had happened in the past, and was happening in the present. The cast of other characters also supported this via descriptions and dialogue, which provided a rich base for drawing clues and information for this mystery.
I truly felt like I was there with Chloe, Mason and the others trying to dig out what had happened to Henry Weaver. The world building, character development, and the execution of the story were done so well, and it was super satisfying to see the mystery get solved. I also really enjoyed the secrets that the group withheld from each other out of fear. I also like that the setting (The Shallows, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales) really complemented the mood of the story, as I pictured the bush and town to be as moody as I interpreted in the book!
Overall, I found this a truly compelling and enthralling read with a great plot, with twists and new information around every corner. I recommend this to anyone who like gritty small town mysteries, and those who are looking for a young adult mystery fix!
Rating: 4/5
Note: This review is also on The Nerd Daily (link here)
The question ‘Where is Henry Weaver?’ was always on my mind when I read this book. It was gripping and I wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to Henry so quickly that I may have given myself book whiplash! The descriptions of the town, The Shallow, made the feel of the book seem extremely moody- something that is mirrored in some of the characters, something I really liked about this one.
The characters were all morally grey and not at all fluffy (and sunshine and rainbows), which made me understand and empathise with them. Chloe Baxter, one of our main characters, was portrayed as often bossy and rather inquisitive- something I sometimes find in myself. I loved that Chloe attempts to do the right thing and find out what happened to her friend, even though the way she goes about it isn’t morally right. We also have Raf and Sabeen, who are the best friends of Chloe, and try to help her- even though they try to hide some knowledge from her, in case she goes and jumps down that rabbit hole. Mason set the grimness of the book, showing how glum life could be- especially dealing with a mother who was often abusive, alongside being a raging alcoholic, which can be confrontational for some. In contrast, Tom, Mason’s best friend, consistently tries to assure Chloe that all is a-okay, even though he has his own problems and secrets. I also enjoyed seeing the hate-hate relationship between Chloe and Sargeant Doherty, as the story progresses.
I also enjoyed the dual perspectives that were presented, and I found that there was little mass info-dumping in the flashbacks, which made it easier to follow and read. The insights that these flashbacks gave definitely helped build up the story and allowed me to piece together what had happened- even though I couldn’t guess where Henry Weaver was until the end! I also loved how Chloe’s overpowering, hopefully personality was portrayed in her perspective, which contrasts Mason’s gloomy and rather realistic views. This contrast was interesting to note about, and it gave me a more rounded view of what had happened in the past, and was happening in the present. The cast of other characters also supported this via descriptions and dialogue, which provided a rich base for drawing clues and information for this mystery.
I truly felt like I was there with Chloe, Mason and the others trying to dig out what had happened to Henry Weaver. The world building, character development, and the execution of the story were done so well, and it was super satisfying to see the mystery get solved. I also really enjoyed the secrets that the group withheld from each other out of fear. I also like that the setting (The Shallows, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales) really complemented the mood of the story, as I pictured the bush and town to be as moody as I interpreted in the book!
Overall, I found this a truly compelling and enthralling read with a great plot, with twists and new information around every corner. I recommend this to anyone who like gritty small town mysteries, and those who are looking for a young adult mystery fix!
Rating: 4/5
Note: This review is also on The Nerd Daily (link here)
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