Fear the drowning deep (English)

*English is not my first language. I´m sorry if there are any mistakes

Fear the Drowning Deep

by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Release Date: October 4th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

  

Witch’s apprentice Bridey Corkill has hated the ocean ever since she watched her granddad dive in and drown with a smile on his face. So when a dead girl rolls in with the tide in the summer of 1913, sixteen-year-old Bridey suspects that whatever compelled her granddad to leap into the sea has made its return to the Isle of Man.

Soon, villagers are vanishing in the night, but no one shares Bridey’s suspicions about the sea. No one but the island’s witch, who isn’t as frightening as she first appears, and the handsome dark-haired lad Bridey rescues from a grim and watery fate. The cause of the deep gashes in Fynn’s stomach and his lost memories are, like the recent disappearances, a mystery well-guarded by the sea. In exchange for saving his life, Fynn teaches Bridey to master her fear of the water — stealing her heart in the process.

Now, Bridey must work with the Isle’s eccentric witch and the boy she isn’t sure she can trust — because if she can’t uncover the truth about the ancient evil in the water, everyone she loves will walk into the sea, never to return.

First of all, I have to admit that I didn´t know what the Isle of Man was, not even if it existed in reality or not, before reading this book. I also thought that Bridey was some kind of witch, when in reality she´s just a human girl. So, as you can see, I didn´t know what I was going to read, the only thing I knew was that it sounded interesting.

The story starts with a mysterious dead girl appearing on the shore of the island. Following this event, girls start disappearing in the night. As Bridey is the only one that saw the strange figure the day is grandfather jumped to the sea, she is the only one that starts suspecting that something strange is happening in the sea.

But, unfortunately, no one believes her. Not her parents, not her friends, not even her sisters. And to make everything worse, she gets a job helping the local "witch", so now, she is the crazy girl and the witch of the town.

But everything changes when she rescues an almost dead and badly hurt guy, who has lost his memories. This guy is the only one that seems to understand and respect her fear of water and is the only one that has her same suspiciones about the sea.

So, obviously, they start their own investigation.

The idea of using supernatural sea creatures of the Isle of Man mythology has been a really great idea. I didn´t know any of the creatures, so I was learning as much as Bridey.

All this is happening on a small island on 1913 so the story is surronded by a magical, antique and dark atmosphere, that complements the plot perfectly. And not knowing who the next victim of the sea is going to be just makes you want to finish the book as soon as possible.

The only downside is the ending. The last chapters are the perfect ending for the story and how it was going, but I think that the ending is too open for a solo book. If we had a second book, I would say that the ending is perfect, because it leaves you wanting more; but we don´t have a second book, and my hopes of having a closed ending haven´t happened, so I´ve been left feeling a little bit dissatisfied.

All in all, ¿would I recommend this book? Without a doubt. You will love it if you like supernatural beings and a little bit dark and mysterious place.

4,5/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Glenn Marsh writes young adult novels and children’s picture books. An avid fantasy reader from the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life, she’s been making up words and worlds ever since.

When she’s not writing, Sarah enjoys watercolor painting, ghost hunting, and pursuits of the nerd variety, from video games to tabletop adventures. She’s never met an animal or a doughnut she didn’t like.

Sarah lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and their tiny zoo of four rescued greyhounds, a bird, and many fish. She is the author of Fear the Drowning Deep, the Reign of the Fallenduology, and several picture books.