Eerie setting and fascinating characters, this book had me pulled in from the first page. Cant wait to read more from this author!

The Deep Well was a promising read. I loved the idea of a mine filled with a past of horrors and urban legends as well as the idea of a portal. April was a strong female lead and I enjoyed her relationship with her sister Jude. Ultimately this one just didn't deliver for me. The idea of a cult surrounding The Deep Well mine wad fascinating but the story just kept getting weirder and for me not in a good way. There was a lot of good things about this book, the weird mine, the cultists, the urban legend aspect. I just think it could have been delivered in a different way.

1.4 stars

When April Fischer was five years old there was a huge disaster at the Copperton mine in New Mexico where her father worked as foreman, an explosion then a gun battle. Her mother told her her father was killed that day, along with eighteen others but April isn’t so sure. Somehow (and this is not clear to me, either it’s not said or I somehow missed it) there has always been this story that April, “the Bicycle Girl” found a portal that day at the time of the explosion and was told to fly?!?! And April may have some memory of being told to fly?!? This became an Internet rumor, then a horror movie, so April has always been a pariah in town, and only has one friend, Grace. But at one point had other friends. All of this is a muddled mess and makes no sense.

And now (or for a long time, I don’t know) there’s a cult built up around this belief in the portal and the cult also believes that on April’s 17th birthday she will obtain some unknown power (from whom and why is not clear at all. This is a terrible cult.). In advance of her 17th, April’s Aunt Silvia gives her some documents that she tells April will help her find her father. Will they? Is he still alive? And what will happen on April’s birthday?

So, as you might have gleaned, this is a mess. And it would have been worse, except about 3/4 of the way through there’s a section that sort of explains a bit of the above…otherwise I don’t think I would even know as much as I do. And then, who is parenting April and her younger sister? Her mother is sick a lot with fibromyalgia, but, lady, listen, YOUR SIXTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS THE BAIT FOR AN ACTUAL CULT. Imma need you to get outta the bed and, I don’t know, maybe do something? Like, for starters, MOVE AWAY?!?! April would be better off being raised by the actual Bigfoot than you.

I know this is YA, but young adults deserve an actual story that makes sense and explains things, not just something where a bunch of ideas are thrown out there with no real attempt to link them into a story. The author has the tense, moody feel down, but, ugh. Im sorry to report it’s not recommended for anyone. There are the makings of a decent story somewhere in here, it just needed to be written.

I am a huge fan of mines, caves, and pits of any kind in books, especially if they lean towards horror! This book does that aspect spectacularly well, I just found that overall, it wasn't completely for me!

Thank you Netgalley and Quill Tree Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A haunting combination of psychological suspense, supernatural mystery, and creeping paranoia, “The Deep Well” by Laura Creedle is a fast-paced, atmospheric story that keeps you questioning what is real and what is imagined. With an unreliable narrator at its core, the story discusses themes of trauma, belief, and the human need for answers—no matter how terrifying they may be.

At the center of the novel is April Fischer, the lone survivor of a brutal massacre at the Copperton mine twelve years ago. Ever since that fateful day, she has been a subject of internet urban legends, horror movie inspirations, and, most disturbingly, the obsession of a cult that believes she holds the key to opening a portal to another dimension. With her seventeenth birthday approaching—a date the cult believes is vital to their prophecy—April is forced to confront the truth about the massacre, her father’s mysterious disappearance, and the voices that may or may not be real.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is its tense, eerie atmosphere. From the desolate drill site to the unsettling cult presence, every page is filled with an underlying sense of dread. As April digs deeper into the mystery of what happened at the mine, the lines between reality and delusion blur, making her an unreliable but deeply compelling narrator. You will find yourself questioning whether the supernatural elements are real or if April is succumbing to paranoia, especially as the tension continues to build as it gets closer to April’s birthday, and she learns more about what happened during the massacre and if there really is a portal to another dimension that requires human sacrifice.

Though there is some romance, the primary focus remains on the mystery and the psychological tension surrounding April’s unraveling grip on reality. Her relationship with her sister, Jules, is a highlight, adding a grounding emotional connection amidst the chaos. The pacing is brisk, making this a quick and engaging read, though some aspects—such as the details of the initial massacre—remain ambiguous even by the story’s end.

Creedle masterfully balances closure with an open-ended supernatural element, leaving you unsettled and pondering the events long after turning the final page. The book’s final moments suggest that the darkness of Copperton and the voices from the well may never truly leave April behind. Overall, this is a gripping and eerie thriller that lingers in the mind. “The Deep Well” is a must-read for fans of psychological horror and supernatural suspense.