Review: The Deep

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Nick Cutter
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback (provided by Simon & Schuster for a fair and honest review)
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Expected Publication: January 13th, 2015

Summary (thanks Goodreads): A strange plague called the ’Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily…and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.

My Thoughts: So, have you ever read anything that's so horrifying that you actually just cannot for the LIFE of you put down? Because, yeah, this is totally one of those books. This is a classic horror novel; a straight up keep-you-awake-all-hours-of-the-night, looking in dark corners, genius of a horror novel. Because seriously, the last, oh, quarter of this novel, I stayed up reading because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It was crazy; my heart was pounding and I was straight up nervous about how things would end.   After having read both The Troop and now The Deep, I think it suffices to say that Nick Cutter knows just what fears to play on - fears the plague almost every body - and, almost subtly, reminds you  how scared of the dark you actually are. At least, that's what this did for me. The story follows Luke, whose crazy smart brother has asked him to join him in the search for a cure for the 'Gets. And, because the thought of a crazy plague like illness isn't horrifying enough, 'Gets attacks people's memories. The disease literally attacks what makes us fundamental humans, and from there, we see the often grotesque - but not too grotesque... it's done with... class? It's not unnecessary, I guess is what I'm trying and failing to say - side effects, and the descent into madness. Nick Cutter does a phenomenal job at twisting reality into something straight from a childhood nightmare - that one nightmare that stuck with you, and that you still constantly think about. If you're a fan of horror, you're going to love it. Even if you're not a fan of horror, pick this up and try it out. The writing is something spectacular and you should not miss out on it. 

Final Thoughts: If you read The Troop, you know that Nick Cutter has a special kind of writing magic that manages to terrify you and make you crave more at the same time. The Deep exceeded every expectation that I had, and you'll definitely want to make sure this is on your 2015 to-read list!