Book Review: One Would Think The Deep by Claire Zorn

Happy UK publication day to One Would Think The Deep by Claire Zorn!

I was lucky enough to be sent a copy by the publishers which I am very grateful for. I didn't know much about this book before picking it up, only what I'd read of the synopsis, but I was interested in giving it a go.

Read on for my review...

First of all, I love the cover. The colours and just the aesthetic of it as a whole made me want to read it even more. I know they say to never judge a book by its cover, but it helps if it's as lovely as this one.

Here is the synopsis:

It's 1997 and Sam is supposed to be going into Year Twelve, listening to Jeff Buckley far too loud and staying out skating with his friends until late. But instead, after the death of his mother, he finds himself moving from Sydney to the coast to live with estranged cousins Minty and Shane. Confused, alone and grieving, Sam starts surfing with Minty to ease the static in his head. But out of the water he finds hostility and suspicion practically vibrating from every corner. What exactly happened seven years ago that tore such a rift in the family? In the face of hostility and loss, Sam is able to escape in the water - and even in love. Will he find a way through? Will he sink or swim?

This book is very much driven by character rather than plot, which isn't my usual choice as I tend to like an eventful plot with a lot going on. However, this was a welcome change because the focal character of Sam is so well-presented and has so much going on that it still works.

Sam's character is a troubled one, who is trying to cope with a lot all at once. His mother has died suddenly, he deals with all of this on his own and then has to uproot and move in with family he hasn't seen in years, and he has no idea why. I liked reading about the other characters too, such as his Nana and aunt Lorraine, who always seemed to bring the drama and arguments, and Minty and Gretchen, who were just characters I was generally interested in and enjoyed reading about.

The writing flowed well and it was easy to get into straight away because it goes right into the drama of the story, with Sam making the call to his aunt to say his mother has died. I will say that there is a lot of dialogue. A lot. The plot is very much moved forward through these vocal interactions and they take up a lot of the story. If you're not a fan of books that run heavily on dialogue then you might not get on with this one, but I found the conversational aspect of it manageable. I do like a good, in-depth conversation every now and then.

I also really liked the reveal towards the end of the book. I spent a lot of time thinking about why the family may have drifted apart or fallen out whilst reading. I was kind of impressed with myself because I did actually come up with the correct reason, but it wasn't my first thought at all. I do wish the reveal had come a bit sooner though because I'd have like to have read more about what happened after it was announced and I'd like to have seen other characters reacting to it too.

Overall, I liked the book. The characters were the highlight for me. As I said, the plot doesn't move too far but it's an interesting look at grief, family and relationships. I'm glad that I read this and got the chance to discover something new. Also, I don't believe I've ever read a book set in Australia before, so that's another first for me with this.

Thank you again to Ransom Publishing for introducing me to this book and the author, and for sending me a copy. It truly is much appreciated. 

Also, in other news, I have a giveaway coming up! This is the first giveaway I've ever done too, so I'm pretty excited for this. More details will be coming soon but the best place to find out more about it is over on my Twitter. I'll be sharing more about the giveaway very soon!