Overall, this was a very interesting, fast-moving book. The author does an excellent job of getting into the main character's head and giving us a lot of detail about her experiences. Quite honestly, I had assumed this book was written by a woman because the author did such a great job of capturing her voice. Having had panic attacks before, I also thought he totally captured what those are like and how challenging they are to control.

For me, the characters in this story, the beautifully written descriptions, and the opening and closing of this book (which follows a truly WTF? twist that totally caught me by surprise--and I mean that in the best possible way) are the strongest sections of this book. Unfortunately, for me, things lagged a bit in the middle. The multiple trips to shore felt a bit repetitive (too many descriptions of of counting in her head, banging her head, feeling hot, and panicking.)

A few other things I was less than in love with were our hero's truly epic knowledge all animal species-both underwater and on land (Really? Are there no animals she does not know the name for on this deserted island?) the book's title and cover (which seemed to not ultimately match the story I read) and our hero's actions at the end of the book (she makes a decision--and later reverses it-- which seemed really out of character to me.) But these are ultimately small quibbles that are a matter of preference than skill.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to the main character, Marah, from the very first page. She is written beautifully and in a very real way. Marah and her husband head out on a much needed vacation but soon get taken hostage. The pace of the book is nice and quick. I didn't get bored and wanted to see what happened next. The ending of the book was a little too predictable to me. I wish that the author had thrown a few more twists in there but the writing was wonderful. The Depths is a good fun read.

I was sooo bored! I couldn't care less about any of them. The story was slow, repetitive and uninteresting for me so I did not finish it.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.

A very scary short novel, about the worst kind of monster: human beings. After suffering yet another miscarriage, Marah lets her husband Eden whisk her away to go diving in Malaysia. She is not convinced but, as usual, she gives in. Just as she's starting to relax, they get kidnapped by pirates and taken to a deserted island. This is a story we've heard before, usually from the point of view of the people trying to rescue the hostages. This time, we are seeing everything just as Marah does. She is a hostage. She knows nothing: not where she is, not what the bad guys are saying in their native language, not when she will be shot, get to eat, drink water or go to the bathroom. She thinks of her life, which now seems ridiculous. Before, she practiced Hot Yoga to lose her swollen belly. Now, she eats rotten fruit and drinks dirty water that she knows will make her sick. If this makes the plot sound slow, it isn't. There is psychological horror, torture and a few twists that made me gasp. But it's Marah's transformation from insecure, needy wife into a jungle version of Ellen Ripley that kept my pulse raising.

This was an enjoyable story. American-born Marah and her Belgian husband Eden had been living in various eastern Asian countries for years as Eden pursued his career in international finance. However, their relationship had been struggling due to a combination of Marah's depression due to multiple miscarriages and the stalling of Eden's career. In order to escape their troubles temporarily, Eden, ever the adventurer, had arranged a diving adventure in Malaysia. With Eden's prodding and encouragement, Marah was able to fight through her fears and enjoy the wonders underneath the ocean's surface. However, when they surfaced after their second diving trip, they found that they were not alone and that their company was not friendly. Marah and Eden are kidnapped and held for ransom -- her stepfather is quite wealthy. Most of the story focuses on their captivity -- the behavior of their captors, the abuse and discomfort they face, the trips were the lead captor (Abu Tuan) takes Marah by boat and then by car to various other islands to place calls to her mother and stepfather to try to arrange for a ransom, etc. The author does a good job of painting a picture for the reader of the experience that Marah and Eden are going through. Marah is a well-developed and complex character, with lots of anxiety/fear/self-doubt, but also a hidden strength that intermittently emerges and slowly builds as the captivity progresses. The climax comes when Marah realizes that the kidnapping was not as random as it seemed and she is forced to rely on herself to a degree that has been not necessary in years.

The author almost ruined the story with the ending, but the final sentence suggests that Marah makes the difficult but morally correct decision.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a pre publication copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.
This is exactly the type of book that I frequently read and although I enjoyed it, I must confess to having been able to foresee the twist in the tale that happens at about the two thirds point of reading.
A decent effort, one that I enjoyed without finding that I couldn't put it down.
A solid 4/5 stars..

I've read "The Land of the Hidden Fires" and now "The Depths" and seem to like the style that Kirk writes in. He makes it seem so easy and delightful even though Marah went through 3 miscarriages and her husband Eden seemed to be at ease also with their lives prior to being kidnapped. Then after they are kidnapped they are treated similarly by being beat up. We are brought into Marah's mind with her trying to figure out whats happening to them. On a trip back from another island Marah see's Eden come out of a hut drinking water with no guards around him. You keep rooting for Marah not to give in and die to take the easy way out.

I think Kirk all along planned that Marah would survive and conquer her fears. Plus, there was a special ending that was why they decided they needed a vacation. I would recommend this book to be read by everyone. Kirk is an author who has lived in the U.S.A., and lives in Germany with his wife and children. He put this to good use.

Once again, author Kirk Kjeldsen takes an ordinary person, thrusts her into an incredibly stressful situation, and then allows us to experience what happens next. In “The Depths,” Marah and her husband Eden are kidnapped during their vacation. Readers are along for the ride as Marah relates her fears, struggles, and regrets. Mr. Kjeldsen burrows deep into Marah’s thoughts, granting an intimate review of her past life as well as her perceptions of what is occurring, meshing everything with the anxiety that has become a constant companion.

The story begins on an idyllic note, burdened only by the bothersome thoughts that Marah insists on carrying. The author artfully foreshadows the future in the early chapters before the surprise and horror of the kidnapping envelopes Eden and Marah. The nightmare worsens as the story progresses, and the possibility of surviving their ordeal becomes more remote. While it is a challenge to show deep characterizations in a first-person novel, there are enough differences to enable each of their captors to have separate personalities.

Overall, this is a quick, enveloping read that pulls you into the story and never allows you to stop reading (I finished it in a single sitting). Five stars.

My thanks to Grenzland Press, NetGalley, and the author for a complimentary copy of this book.

A really interesting read. I was looking forward to this after reading the authors last book.
A completely compelling short story

Entertaining story of piracy/hostage situation. Not the strongest in character development, but certainly tense and action-packed.

I wanted to like this book. It started off with such promise. Marah and her husband Eden are going on a diving trip. To supppsedly heal after all her latest miscarriage. I enjoyed that the story was written in this part of the world and the one dive they went on before all hell breaks loose. After that it’s like, the author asked his child to finish the writing the story. So predictable and so thin. So very repetitive. And the ending? Of course.... I hate to leave bad reviews but this was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Grenzland Press for the eARC.
Marah and Eden Lenaerts are on vacation in Malaysia. Marah has just suffered her third miscarriage and is inconsolable and Eden felt the trip might assuage her grief a little. She is suffering from panic attacks as well; her emotions are shattered.
While on a deep-sea dive, they are kidnapped and life turns into a nightmare.
I read and enjoyed Kirk Jeldsen's Hidden Fires, he's a terrific writer so I was looking forward to reading The Depths. To my disappointment I couldn't get invested in the story and flipped through the pages to the end. The story didn't appeal to me and neither did the characters.