The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora | review!

First of all, I’d like to give a massive thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this wonderful piece of art in exchange for an honest review, without you guys I may not have ever had the pleasure of reading Brynn’s story, so thank you.

The Immeasurable Depth of You is a queer, coming of age literary masterpiece centred around our main character Brynn. After her mum interprets one of Brynn’s blog posts to be a suicide note, Brynn- a lost, anxious, struggling teenager- is banished to the depths of the Floridian mangroves, to melt away in the blistering summer heat with nothing but her dad’s houseboat to reside in. Feeling lost and isolated without the comfort of the internet, Brynn decides to face a fear (and her ever-present thoughts of death), get a paddle board, and go explore. It is here that she meets Skylar- an athletic, confident, and absolutely beautiful girl who is everything Brynn isn’t. Skylar is trapped to the confines of the bayou though, and Brynn is determined to find out why.

This book had the perfect touch of supernatural elements without it being overwhelming, and had me fully convinced that I wasn’t just reading about Brynn, I was there standing beside her in Florida. Each character was so fully fleshed out and developed so thoroughly that it allows for a beautiful interconnectedness between the reader and the characters, something that is not easily found in books nowadays. The relationships between the characters progressed brilliantly throughout the novel, particularly between Brynn and her dad and had me in chuckling (or crying) along with the two of them. As for Brynn herself she had her fair share of struggles that she had to face as the plot progressed, but it was wonderful to see her begin to heal and grow more confident as the story draws to a close.

I at times found the plot to be quite weak, which has impacted my rating a little, but I was expecting it to be more of a character-driven book in the first place (which it definitely is!! it also gives off a sense of ‘no plot just vibes’ so if that’s your kind of thing, you will love this!!!). But I have little to complain about- the writing was beautiful and told so elegantly I travelled halfway across the globe in reading this, and the characters and their relationships were very strong. It is overall, a very good read and I loved every moment of it!

Rating- 3.75/5 (rounded up to a 4 stars visually).

Review written with love, by Ella, and from Brynn’s tide ;)

I think that this is a good book for the younger generation. This book helps promote mental health and shows the effects of suicide. It also shows how parents can be understanding more towards sexuality’s and gender/pronouns, especially if you help teach them more about it like Brynn did with her mother.

Thank you to Peachtree/ Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this YA coming of age gem! The book follows Brynn, a young teen struggling with severe anxiety, as she's forced to spend her summer vacation away from her home in Cincinnati, Ohio to instead live with her father on his houseboat in Florida. Brynn's mother sends her to Florida for a technology free retreat, following an alarming post made by her daughter online. While in Florida, Brynn meets a beautiful and mysterious girl named Skylar in the bayou near her father's boat. Skylar shares that she's trapped in the bayou, and Brynn makes it her mission to help Skylar escape.

I originally thought this book was a queer romance, but that's my mistake for failing to properly read the synopsis. Brynn's queerness is explored as she makes new connections during her time in Florida, but primarily focuses on her personal growth rather than any single romance. It largely centers Brynn grappling with her mental health and the ways in which various situations may exacerbate her already challenging symptoms. This was depicted thoughtfully and sensitively, and succeeded in showcasing the debilitating impact anxiety/OCD/ADHD/Etc. can have on one's daily life. (I would encourage readers to check content warnings, because there were several heavy topics addressed throughout the novel including (but not limited to): death, grief, suicide, etc.)

Despite the heaviness, the novel remained hopeful and at times, funny. Brynn was a complex (and young) protagonist, witty while insecure, introspective and angsty. Her interactions with her parents were reminiscent of conversations I had with my parents at her age. The author wrote with voice and intention, which is impressive when attempting to depict someone of a different age.

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the atmosphere Maria Ingrande Mora (author) constructed. The Florida bayou wasn't simply background fluff; the descriptions were alive and easy to visualize, and it contributed GREATLY to my overall enjoyment of this story. (Plus, I read this book and wrote this review while in Florida. As if the atmosphere wasn't already vivid enough!!!)

My main critique is that I wish Brynn's relationship with Skylar was a bit more fleshed out, because it's integral to the story Mora tells. However, Brynn's relationship arc with each of her parents was well done.

Overall, this was a positive reading experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this author writes next!

The immeasurable depth of you isn’t really a mystery or thriller. I think it says a lot of important things about anxiety and OCD and intrusive thoughts.
In general the MC of Brynn is very annoying but she’s also a 15 year old girl who is going through a lot and feels that life is unfair.
Should be categorized as general fiction.

I wamted to love this but unfortunately this didn't work for me. The mental health rep, family relationships, atmosphere and descriptions of the bayou were really well done, but the pacing was too slow and the plot was thin. It would have worked as a quiet speculative coming of age, but the red herring mystery/thriller element both elevated pacing/plot expectations it didn't fulfil and didn't provide enough depth/nuance to make the fakeout ending meaningful. I also struggled to reconcile or personally relate to Brynn being 15, frequently sexual and also coming off very young in every other aspect; it also made me slightly uncomfortable that she kissed Skylar even after being told she was straight.

I’m sorry. I really wanted to like this story and the themes explored are awesome. Sadly, I couldn’t get into this story and after trying multiple times I decided to DNF. I’ve seen raving reviews so it’s probably a me thing.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book grew on me when the pace picked up and the stakes became higher, however I agree with some other readers who said that the “mystery” aspect of the story didn’t feel very satisfying to resolve. I understand why it had to be this way, but once we got hooked into this mystery I expected some bigger revelations.

The writing was really vivid. I loved the descriptions of the scenery, the animals, and the weather. The brilliant descriptions of nature and life contrasted well with Brynn’s intrusive thoughts.

Brynn was an interesting character because I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything else where the main character has this many intrusive thoughts and we get to see their anxieties so clearly. She made a bunch of rash decisions and disregarded her safety and the sanity of the people who cared about her, and this happens so often in the story that it even becomes funny. I would have died of a heart attack already if I were her dad, but this did make the story way more interesting because it made Brynn pretty unpredictable.

I enjoyed this novel more than I initially expected to. The focus on mental health was good and Brynn’s dad ended up being a really good example of a supportive parent.

This was heartwrenching but thouroughly enjoyable. I loved the main character, and how she developed as a character, something that me in her situation at that age would’ve found it hard to do. Definitely a book to read only if you’re in the right headspace.

I'm not sure when I became the sort of person who identifies with the parents in YA novels more than their main characters, but here we are.

First of all, I very much appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. They did not deter me from reading, but rather I felt like I had an easy out if things got too heavy.

As a person with anxiety, I could relate to Brynn's intrusive thoughts, but as a parent of teenagers, I could relate to her parents feelings of helplessness, of their willingness to try anything, even things that would make Brynn angry, to "help" her.

I hadn't read the book synopsis for a while prior to reading, so I had forgotten that this book had a supernatural element until I was presented with it. I thought it was handle gracefully and I appreciated the resolution to that storyline.

I have read some criticism about this book not having a clear ending. I am the first to take issue with that sort of ending, but here I disagree. Brynn is 15. Her life isn't wrapped up with a bow, but I feel like the loose ends have enough direction to be satisfying.

All in all this is a solid YA read. Once I started, I didn't want to put this down.

rep: bisexual mc

This is a tough one to rate. It's so deep but shallow at the same time. Deep in the mental health aspect but shallow everywhere else.

There are content warnings at the beginning of the book that I HIGHLY recommend checking before reading. I honestly wish I had listened, but curiosity got the best of me. Brynn has loads of intrusive thoughts stemming from her OCD. I loved the rep, but sometimes compounding someone else's intrusive thoughts on to your own is too much.

That being said, I still flew through this! The writing flowed so well, and oftentimes, I found myself lost in the story. It felt like I was watching a movie about angsty teens instead of reading.

Teenagers are complicated. Brynn is complicated. Brynn is spoiled and flawed, but still a good main character. She really did irk me a lot, but then again, she is 15. As in the "I am the center of the universe" kind of 15. She's impulsive and doesn't think about the consequences of her action. But that is the main focus of the book. Brynn grows in that aspect throughout the book.

What really tripped me up was the ending. I finished the book and said, "That's it?" The whole mystery plot wasn't even a mystery. The romance wasn't even a romance. This book never intended on being a romance, but still! If any of you have read "Wilder Girls," the ending of this gives you that same unsatisfied feeling.

Overall, this book is very enjoyable! Like I said before, read content warnings! They are there for a reason :)

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

When Brynn made that post, she was joking. Or at least that’s her story- which doesn't stop her mom from panicking and sending her away. An internet-free and phone-less summer on a houseboat with her distant dad is the last thing Brynn wants. When she meets a girl in the bayou named Skylar, she starts to think things might not be so bad. But Skylar has been keeping dark secrets. Brynn must learn to balance her anxiety and face her fears in order to find the real reason Skylar needs help.

The Immeasurable Depth of You is poignant, filled with a version of deep melancholiness that is unique to young adults. Brynn feels trapped by her parents, by her diagnoses, and struggles to see a way forward. Meanwhile, Skylar is mysterious and ethereal. I appreciated how far Brynn was willing to go to help Skylar, including conquering very real fears and panic attacks.

I loved Brynn’s relationship with her dad (and mom)- even when it was imperfect, the love between them was always evident. There is a wistful quality to the writing, soaked with grief and cautious hope. Yet, I also felt there was a strong sense of realism that grounds readers even as Skylar’s tragic story unfolds. There is positive LGBTQ+ (specifically bisexual) representation, but I wouldn’t say there is romance. I would recommend this for readers who enjoyed You’ve Reached Sam and 13 Reasons Why.

The Immeasurable Depth of You releases March 7, 2023. Thank you to Maria Ingrande Mora, Peachtree Teen, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Do check the content warnings at the beginning of this book or message me with any concerns, as this is a heavy (and important) story that deals with suicide, suicide ideation, anxiety, death etc. To me, these all felt very sensitively approached by the author and treated with thoughtfulness. *

The Immeasurable Depth of You is a poignant quick read that follows a queer teenager coming to terms with herself, her mental illness, and how her illness affects those around her. The way Mora writes Brynn is so relatable that I was instantly taken back to being an anxious 15 year old again. This book is definitely geared for teenagers, and I just wish I'd had a book like this when I was a teen and feeling like I was alone in my day to day living with my own mental illnesses. My biggest drawback is probably the marketing, though. The blurb really makes it seem like the novel is going to be a queer romance, and it's not in the slightest. And that's fine! I just don't feel wild about how I went into it thinking I was getting a queer teen romance only for it to be not happen. (I love that Brynn is queer, though, and how the novel isn't about her agonizing over her sexuality. As a queer girl myself, I really enjoyed seeing that!) I also think the big reveal is a bit anti-climactic and feels more like the book isn't sure what direction it wants to go in. Is it a romance like the blurb indicates? Is it a murder mystery the way the middle part indicates? What is it? I felt a little tugged around by all the different directions the book's plot was trying to take, but I can see how people would enjoy it and like that it dabbles around.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more from this author!

3 ⭑
“The longer I went without seeing her, the more I worried I’d had a serious mental break.”
Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange in exchange for an honest review.
first of all i sadly didn’t liked it as much as i thought i’m gonna be because i couldn’t really connect with the characters but i really liked the representation of depression,anxiety,suicide,homophobia & panic attacks. also people who except a mystery book with romance as a sub plot are gonna be disappointed.

The Immeasurable Depth of You is thoughtful, haunting, and accessible prose — what is more, the characters and story have a powerful sense of relatability. This is the kind of book to help young readers know they are not alone.

If you want to read a book about a bisexual, with ADHD, Anxiety, and has Ghost Whisperer vibes, then this book is for you.

Maria writes this book with so much depth and compassion, that you know that this book is based on real-life feelings and diagnoses. It's beautiful.

Brynn is literally afraid of everything. She overthinks, goes to worse-case scenarios, gets to the point of throwing up, needs to use the toilet and passes out when she has an anxiety attack. She complains about it all on Tumblr and her mother, seeing it as a suicidal cry for help, sends her to her absent father's boathouse in Florida. There she meets Skylah, who is more than what she seems. Brynn goes through a spiral of trying to figure out what happened to Skylah, trying to set her free, while at the same time trying to get through her own things.

This story is about learning and healing. Learning how to cope with your own internal brain, but also at the same time, learning how others feel about what is happening. It is about compassion, understanding, and realising that even though you are hurting, and you think everything is bad and everyone is out to get you or hates you because of what you put them through, you are loved no matter what.

This book is a great book if you can get past the triggers. It is a book I probably couldn't have read a few years ago, because it hits too close to home, but now, I loved it. And it helped me learn too.

I really liked this book.
The representation was extremely well done and I liked the heavy topics shown. I like how the author provided content warnings.
The writing was also beautiful.
Overal, I'd definitely recommend this book.

First off, content warnings, because I almost DNF'd based on these: anxiety, depression, internalized ableism, grief, suicidal ideation, suicide, panic attacks, homophobia.

That said, I did finish the book and have mixed feelings. The author portrays an all-too-real picture of generalized anxiety disorder and depression in teens and how it colors (or saps the color from) their world. Brynn is a character I can fully empathize with and yet want to push away or shake some sense into. The plot had more mystery or creepiness than I had expected, and while Brynn identifies as bisexual, this isn't really a sapphic romance because the other girl (Skylar) doesn't identify as LGBTQIA+. Where the story shines is in the growth of understanding between daughter and long-absent father, which then helps Brynn understand and help herself more.

Tough read but not a bad one. 3 stars.

Thank you, Peachtree Books and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Unfortunately I could not really connect to the characters and therefore it was hard for me to get into the story.

Thank you net galley for allowing me to read this it was great rep and a refresh from my normal reads