Addie was dead for eight and a half minutes. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that she had to be rescued from drowning while free-diving. She is supposed to know her limits and be on her way to setting world records. Now, the damage done to her lungs makes it difficult to know if she'll ever recover enough to return to the sport she loves. So the last thing she wants to do is spend the summer on a tropical island, surrounded by beautiful ocean she's not allowed to dive in. But it's her mom's honeymoon, and she refused to let Addie stay at home alone, so it's a family vacation to Eulalie Island. The remote island is privately owned, and rarely visited, and the only other people there, the family who run the lighthouse, keep telling Addie that the island is special. That's why the flowers change color every day, and the wind seems to whisper Addie's name. But maybe what makes the island special is also why the family doesn't go outside at night, and why they tell Addie not to either.

I saw this book described as a gothic horror set on a tropical island, and I knew I was going to love it. The island is beautiful and bizarre and creepy, and such a refreshing change from the typical gothic horror settings, while still keeping all the feelings of dread and mystery. The plot was engrossing and moved at a good pace. The characters Addie meets on the island are interesting and easy to love (or hate, or fear, or want to know more about), and Addie was an interesting and multi-faceted main character. I enjoyed all my time spent on Eulalie Island, watching Addie uncover its mysteries and fight to save herself and others from its horrors.

*Thank you Penguin Teen for this ARC!

What I liked about this book:
-THE DEPTHS was soooo atmospheric I loved the setting. The island was lush, eerie, and was written so well. Especially reading this in the summer it felt like I was on a tropical adventure and I loved that.
-The thriller/ horror elements to this book, I really enjoyed the twists and I felt like the narrative kept me on my toes.
-The pacing was well done, and I flew through this one in about two days.

Overall thoughts: I think this was a well executed YA thriller/ horror novel. I don't really have strong opinions about it, and it was a middle of the road read for me!

eerie and haunting, this was an incredible little fantasy horror set in bloody, tropical island that will leave you with chills down your arms and have you questioning everything and everyone.

the writing and imagery really just made this book oh my god it was absolutely stunning. i swear it was like you were right there alongside addie, with the thick, sweltering heat weighing you down, the sickly sweet smell of rotting flowers, the creepy, taunting songs echoing in your ears, the shivering goosebumps as a cold finger drags down your throat- JUST INSANE

it was such an immersive read, and although it started off a little slow, things picked up so much after the 40% mark and it was impossible to put down. i read the second 60% of it all in one sitting- i literally could not tear my eyes away.

i absolutely loved our victorian, ghostly sisters. they were definitely nightmarish enough, with their rotting, gray skin, unnatural flexibility, and creepy little games. but i loved how they both still had so much personality, and they were honestly so entertaining- especially victoria.

with vibrant imagery, sinister secrets, angsty romantic tension and betrayals, and well-developed characters, this hair-chilling horror is one i 100% recommend, especially to fans of 'house of hollow'.

Eerie, magical, and GORGEOUSLY written. Perfect for fans of Wilder Girls.

I became an instant fan of Nicole Lesperance’s writing after last year’s THE WIDE STARLIGHT, and her storytelling talent is on full display with her second YA novel.

Addie is one of the world’s best freedivers - she can sink to a depth equivalent of a 19-story-building without an oxygen tank - but after an accident where she drowned and was clinically dead for eight and a half minutes, she has to take a break from her beloved sport. She’s unmoored; questioning where she went for those minutes. Who is she if she can’t ever freedive again?

Addie’s mother and new stepfather whisk her to the remote Eulalie Island for a tropical vacation. It’s immediately apparent that there is some weird and deliciously creepy shit going on on this island. When Addie coughs up blood, the ground drinks it up and a flower sprouts from the stained spot. Faint harp music drifts through the air at night - but the only harp on the island has no strings. Addie sleepwalks and wakes in the dense, flower-packed jungle - and meets a mysterious boy who lives in the lighthouse with the only other family on the island. From there, the mystery of the island and its inhabitants - both dead and alive - just keeps getting darker and more gripping. The thread of romance that emerges is addictive and just as creepy as the island.

THE DEPTHS is so luscious and gently surreal and tautly plotted - I couldn’t believe how beautifully all the pieces of the puzzle fit together at the story’s climax. With just a few sentences, Nicole Lesperance can create literary magic. I love sinking into her words the way Addie sinks into the pristine blue cenotes (sinkholes) she finds on Eulalie Island. Reading this book was like being under a spell.

Lesperance an auto-buy author for me, and I’m honestly shocked that readers haven’t really discovered her yet in the big way that she deserves to be discovered. Don’t miss this one!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5

This was such an enjoyable spooky read and I couldn’t put it down. The mystery surrounding the island was intoxicating I felt like I could smell the pungent flowers and feel the sweltering heat. The cramped peculiar island was the perfect setting for an eerie summer vacation story.

I absolutely loved characters Addie was really relatable. I really appreciated her realness. I always appreciate when authors don’t shy away from writing characters who aren’t always perfect and happy and have grief and grow throughout the story. I won’t spoil anything but the other characters and island inhabitants really gave this book great complexity. I loved the mystery and slowing trying to piece together the information as Addie experienced things and dug into the eerie nature of the island. I didn’t find this book to be scary per say but it was creepy and the descriptions were chilling.

The only thing I wish had been a little different was the ending. I thought it was good overall and appreciated the epilogue but I’m a sucker for “the bad guy”. This is just a personal preference but I would have liked to have seen maybe a redemption arc or just more intense repercussions and a possibly spookier outcome.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it almost gave me Crimson Peak meets Moana vibes. I think it’s perfect for fans of House of Hollow. I’m also obsessed with the cover and it fits perfectly with the story.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group/ Razorbill for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This horror story on a tropical island was atmospheric and mysterious with an underlying current of dread flowing through every page. I could not put this down. It is a mystery and a thriller and a romance all rolled up into one. And it will keep you up at night.

I was gifted this ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Is this perhaps the best book I’ve read this year? Maybe. Everything was so intricate and well written. The story wasn’t out right scary, but left you feeling unsettled.

I loved the imagery and the description that was used in the books. It started off making me feel like if I was in vacation and ended with me wanting nothing more than to avoid islands until the end of my life. Even the villain was interesting and well written. He had valid reasons for his actions and was understandable even if not very likable .

Everybody should preorder this right now, I know I will.

I absolutely adored The Depths. This was such a unique and lush read and I love the imagination the author has! Victorian ghosts and tropical islands don't usually go hand in hand, so this was a really cool read for me. I loved the main character and her passion for free diving and how much it was incorporated into the story. I loved the history of the island and the eerie ghosts that were made of strange and earthy things. I loved the descriptions of all the natural elements of the island and I think it really brought the story to life. This book played out like a movie in my head since the author was so descriptive about everything. I was always kept on my toes as there was always something going on! So the pacing also helped keep the story interesting. Overall this was such a cool read and I think readers are going to love it!