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Silent, Dark, and Deep

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It was the 1920s and there wasn't much for a 12-year-old boy to do in the small town of Fairfield except go swimming and diving at the old water-filled rock quarry known locally as "The Crusher." Every scorching summer, kids from miles around risked it all to dive and dunk in its deep waters. But what those kids didn't know was that if one thing went wrong and your life was plucked out there in those waters, you'd be stolen away, and you would become another midnight swimmer - not under heaven, not under hell, not even in purgatory, but somewhere in between. And if you were alone, and stood still enough, and listened closely, you may just hear those taken whispering to you, and beckoning you to join them in the Silent, Dark, and Deep.

442 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2024

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About the author

Rod Labbe

4 books5 followers
I was born waaaay back in 1952 and had a very lucky "Baby Boomer" childhood. That meant I got to see all those great Hammer films at the cinema, I watched The Mickey Mouse Club and Disneyland on TV (not to mention Batman; The Wild, Wild West; Dark Shadows; Star Trek; Lost in Space and so many more cultural touchstones), and I knew and loved Vincent Price, Walt Disney, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. I was 16 when Woodstock "happened" and man walked on the moon. I not only remember where I was when JFK was assassinated, I watched Nixon give his resignation speech. I saw The Exorcist first-run, did the Twist and the Frug, survived Viet-Nam, Civil Rights, disco, grunge and rap (barely). Somewhere in between all that, I became a writer. I started writing short stories as a child--inspired by Hammer's "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" and "The Gorgon." At college, I began working for the campus newspaper, and that led to my becoming a freelance writer after graduation. Since 1984, I've been contributing to several magazines, but my longest affiliation has been with Fangoria. The Blue Classroom is my first attempt at novel-length fiction. Hope it's more interesting than this essay!

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5 stars
19 (37%)
4 stars
12 (23%)
3 stars
13 (25%)
2 stars
5 (9%)
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2 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Mickey.
511 reviews317 followers
May 9, 2024
I really struggled with this one. It was a fairly long book, which usually doesn't bother me, but it was one of those where you feel like you've been reading forever and don't seem to be getting further into the book. I'm not going to lie, I was considering giving up a few times, but I didn't want to miss anything if it started to get good (it didn’t). I also struggled a little with the language used, and I think that's part of why I just really couldn't get into this one. I felt like there was a whole lot of buildup, but the story just didn't feel like it went anywhere. This one just wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,055 reviews76 followers
May 10, 2024
I felt (though I may be wrong in this) this is another Wicked House Publishing book unfairly marketed as horror, in fact, it's coming-of-age dark fantasy, with small doses of the paranormal I'd easily give it another star if it were marketed correctly. I loved the writing style, the atmosphere, the setting, and the characters. The author is obviously very talented and it's a pity the book is adressed to horror fans instead of its proper audience, who'd certainly appreciate it more for what it is: a terrific coming-of-age story of 1930s Americana with a few tiny uncomfortable bits of horror, though nothing to write home about. Some reviewers consider it as a YA book, but it's a real slow-burn novel, and I mean REALLY slow-burn, so no teenager would be focused enough to enjoy it properly. It's also not the kind of book you want to read again in the future: the author manages to cover all the bases and leaves nothing much to the imagination, though there were certain details that did surprise me in the end.
Profile Image for Kay Oliver.
Author 11 books186 followers
July 3, 2024
"Truth is, I miss innocence the most. It got wrung out of me like juice from an orange . . ."

This wasn't quite what I was expecting. Mostly a tale of boyhood and growing up with the faintest bit of paranormal. It's certainly not a horror story. It's slow and very long--could have been cut down by about 20 percent. The writing--the voice, twang, point of view--was what made this story readable. That aspect was downright superb.
Profile Image for Cat M.
84 reviews5 followers
July 6, 2024
1930s Maine: in a rural town there isn’t much to keep young teenage boys entertained over the summer. Except for The Crusher: a rock quarry on the edge of town overlooking a pool of water. But sometimes people who swim there don’t come back.
Where do you go when you aren’t in Heaven, Hell or Purgatory, but somewhere else?

I’m not sure that question is fully answered by this book. It is very much a coming of age period tale rather than a horror or thriller book. It is beautifully written, and if you are anything like me the voice narrating in your head will be either Morgan Freeman or Tom Hanks.
I got very classic American literature vibes from this book: the Mark Twain and Harper Lee vibes were strong. It felt a little long winded in places and is a very slow burn novel, but if you are looking for a classic American coming of age tale with some dark fantasy elements this may be for you.
I don’t think it was for me personally, I was constantly waiting for action to start and it just never did, but it cannot be denied that it is a great book for anyone that wants to read it. But be prepared to feel very uncomfortable about 1930s society…
Trigger warnings:
-racism including use of the ‘N’ word and references to slavery
-abduction/missing children
-Homophobia
Profile Image for Josette Thomas.
988 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2024
After reading this book, I looked back on my own childhood days. I, like Jerry, had a horrible home life yet no one around our small town had any idea. I was able to relate in so many ways with this book. Small towns are notorious for bad things happening with no one putting to much time into looking into rumors. The author wove such an incredible story. I had a friend like Billy that had my back no matter what. I spent many a night at her house trying to keep away from my mother. As long as I was out of sight, nothing I did could make her mad. We did not have a quarry but we did have a forest where we were told to stay out of. Did we? No way! We went there as much as possible. We had forts, a campfire and a stream to get water. I had many a great summer there in those woods. I liked how the author used the grammar of the locals. The fact that Jerry had so much knowledge than Billy was so sad. He was learning things he should not have at such a young age. The loss of so many people in Billy’s life definitely had an impact on him, right up until death. A very emotional book.
Profile Image for Kiirstyannee.reads.
335 reviews13 followers
May 1, 2024
Thank you Wicked House Publishing & Rob Labbe for the ARC of this book.

I was completely captivated from the very first chapter of this emotional coming of age book. Part horror, part ghost story, this book is heavy on the journey of our characters. There are heart breaking moments, some horrible events and a great character driven story.

I enjoyed the multiple timelines and the ending that wrapped everything up - i felt myself getting teary in a few moments, which is a testament to the author who was able to evoke those emotions.

This book is a slow burn but I was totally up for that and feel that while it's not as heavy on typical horror elements, there were so many moments full of dread and some real life horror.

Look forward to reading more from this author who has won me over!
Profile Image for Indiana Knight.
82 reviews3 followers
May 15, 2024
Thank you to Wicked House Publishing and Rod Labbe for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book was so immersive! The narration really puts you in the main character's shoes, though it might take a bit of getting used to at first. Once you've adjusted, however, it's hard to step away from the story. The characters are loveable and authentic. And the story is very much reminiscent of the era in which it takes place.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining coming-of-age horror novel and Labbe's writing talents are very apparent. I greatly look forward to what the author has in store for us next.
Profile Image for Krystle Rouse.
132 reviews104 followers
April 20, 2024
I just had a really hard time with this book. It was sooo long to get to anything that actually happened. I felt like I was walking in sand trying to get through the book. Just didn’t like it.
9 reviews
August 20, 2024
Incredible

What an unexpected gem, l loved this book it was so thought provoking and well written, this should be a movie
18 reviews
May 12, 2024
I loved this book so much! Over all this book is a very slow burn, but that doesnt take away from the story at all. I really enjoyed the way it was written and cared for the characters in the book. I wouldn't really call the book a horror book but it did have mild scary parts throughout. I was very into the book from the very beginning and would read it more than once. I love coming of age stories and this one is in my top 5. I look forward to reading more from this author.
88 reviews
April 28, 2024
This is more coming of age and less horror. The writing style didn’t work for me. I do recommend as a coming of age for that time period. Thanks for netgalley for the arc!
Profile Image for S.L. Flynn.
Author 2 books5 followers
Read
May 18, 2024
Silent, Dark, and Deep is a story you’ll find off in the direction of The Fisherman and Summer of Night. Like The Fisherman, SD&D is told in the first person. Fisherman Abe and Billy Wiley are both lifelong, small-town Yankees with distinctive voices. They won’t be rushed because they want to relate more than the events of their tale. They want you to feel and taste their worlds, to know the beauties, legends, rituals, and dark secrets. Like Summer of Night, SD&D celebrates childhood adventure and friendships, even as it threatens them with evil forces.
The locus of the supernatural threat is the Crusher. Years before the story begins, it was a quarry. It has since flooded. Local lore hints that men died as the water rushed in. Parents forbid their children from going from there. For Billy and the other kids, that makes the Crusher sweet, forbidden fruit. Diving from the high granite walls into the cool, dark waters is a summertime delight. The Crusher is patient, but it hungers for spirits to swim in its depths. It calls to its victims in subtle, irresistible ways. Billy hears the call. Can he resist it?
The Crusher’s depths aren’t the only darkness haunting Fairfield, Maine. For all the bright days, summer fairs, and hard-won harvest festivals, Billy’s hometown knows poverty, ignorance, prejudice, and depravity that will prove every bit as dangerous as that which lurks in the silent, dark depths of the Crusher.
Silent, Dark, and Deep is literary horror. It offers chills, dread, and shocks, but it is suffused with a love of storytelling and a deep affection for its characters and their world. It feels like the work of an open heart.
Profile Image for Jim Nemeth.
Author 6 books58 followers
July 21, 2024
Silent tells the story of Billy Wiley, a twelve-year-old boy growing up in rural Fairfield, Maine, during the Depression-hit 1930s. There isn’t much to do for boys of Billy’s age in Fairfield, and so he and his friends do what boys do—chores for their folks, wrastlin’, planning months in advance for Halloween, and…spending much of their summertime at “The Crusher,” an old, water-filled rock quarry. But Fairfield residents’ relationship with said quarry is an uneasy one.

For, while it’s the place to go for a much-needed respite during brutal summer heat, ghosts of those who lost their lives to the quarry are rumored to reach out to the living. Over the span of two years, Billy’s idyllic life is rocked by the deaths of three youth, all friends of Billy’s—two attributable to The Crusher and one…to an at-large serial killer.

Labbe, much like Ray Bradbury, has an enviable ability to capture on page his affectionate nostalgia for things of childhood and transfer that same feeling to his readers. This, I feel, is Silent’s greatest strength. Reading the novel rekindled similar memories of my own youth, such as swimming with pals at local pools and the yearly anticipation of the approaching Halloween holiday. How many novels can you say that about?

The only “nit:” I confess that I initially struggled mightily with the characters’ slang, but that passed with time as pages progressed.

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Krystelle Fitzpatrick.
744 reviews40 followers
June 10, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book is wonderfully written, and reads like a dream. I was so happy to meander my way through this - I barely noticed how many pages it was. The narrative voice is so distinct, and I feel like it was just written to be read, which is a delight in terms of a book that I haven't felt in a while!

It is not strictly horror, however, no matter which way you cut it. I didn't find that it held the scares that I was perhaps promised, and I think that it could have been a little more fleshed out in relation to the quarry and what it held.

It did have some fantastic twists and turns, however, and definitely kept me guessing - just when I thought I knew exactly what was going on and who was responsible for something, it pulled me back to the ground and told me I was wrong. I really enjoyed where this one took me, and it was definitely laden with nostalgia, for an era that I didn't live through but quite enjoyed reading about.

This book could have quite happily been redefined as a teen boy coming of age piece with different marketing - although I will say that I was quite pleased my constant horror reading led me to this little gem!
Profile Image for Alison Faichney.
217 reviews4 followers
April 22, 2024
I’ve been vibing with most of Wicked House’s other books and hoped this would fit that same standard. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I only skimmed the blurb going in but honestly thought the story would feature those liminal spaces between life and death. Instead, this is more of a Great Depression era coming of age story, with just a hint of horror. The quarry was definitely interesting but never really led anywhere significant.

I know a few other reviewers have mentioned spelling/grammar issues, but the vast majority of the ones I noticed seemed intentional to really place the setting in the 30’s in small time Americana. As a big King fan, I must say I was a touch disappointed there wasn’t even a single “ayuh” in a book set in Maine. I felt the dialect was a bit abrupt at first but after the story got going I had zero issues with the colloquialisms affecting my attention with the story.

Overall, I’d be open to reading more from this author, but coming of age has never been a favorite subset of mine.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Fauwxx.
64 reviews3 followers
April 28, 2024
Thank you to Wicked House Publishing for this ARC in return for my honest review.

This book was marketed as horror, but it's more of a coming of age/paranormal ghost story type of book. I really did enjoy the author's writing style, however, coming of age stories aren't really my favorite thing. I've abandoned the book about halfway through because there is little to no horror involved, and the book is just too slow for me.

The story is written so that an elderly man is telling a story about his youth - but most of the chapters are children from his stories interacting. It seems that there are a lot of misspellings/grammar issues, but that is just the author trying to write the story in slang. I didn't find it hard to read, but I could see how it would bother some.

I am open to reading more from this author in the future as I found his writing style very intriguing and nostalgic.
Profile Image for C.I.I. Jones.
Author 8 books37 followers
May 25, 2024
Rod Labbe has done incredible job here, giving a nostalgic look at long ago period of America. There are definitely some forebears of the genre that have influenced this work, and I believe that writing bares those influences - King and Bradbury come to mind - quite proudly.

This is definitely more in "The Body" spectrum of King's work and less "It". That's not to say there aren't scares - the last fifty pages of this book go pretty pitch black. The focus is just more human horror as opposed to the supernatural threads that sort of tie all of the story together.

A job well done and definitely worth the read, especially as we enter these hot, summer months.
Profile Image for Sacha Chevalier.
15 reviews
May 31, 2024
Just a good story

Reminded me of “A Boy’s Life” by Robert McCammon. At first the narrator’s New England accent seemed forced to me, but either I got used to it or it smoothed out after awhile. The story itself was very engrossing, with wonderful descriptions of what life was like growing up on a New England farm during the Depression. There were definitely some scary parts but I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a horror novel, at least not what one would normally think of as horror. I really fell in love with the characters, and wanted to read it again when it was finished. Well done!
Profile Image for Cody.
158 reviews
May 15, 2024
ARC

“Silent, Dark, and Deep” is a wildly entertaining coming-of-age tale, filled either the musings of a young man coming into adulthood in a time of desperation and change. I found this to be an extremely well-written story, with detailed and layered characters, which felt like you were reading a memoir, rather than a horror novel. This is a highly atmospheric read, which would fit into anyone’s October to-read list. It’s a slow-burning novel, but has a payoff that I think is worth the effort.
Profile Image for Kymber Jones.
311 reviews4 followers
June 28, 2024
Silent, Dark, and Deep: A Novel by Rod Labbe is quite literally, one of the best horror stories I've read in a very long time! This book book all the more scarier because it deals with children, and no one wants anything bad to happen to children. The writing is so detailed, you feel as if you are watching a movie play out before your eyes. I could easily see Mr. Labbe being being compared to the horror masters like Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and his son Jonah Hill if he keeps up the horror aspect of his writing like he did for this book.
21 reviews
April 28, 2024
This book was a very good coming of age story telling, with a creepy vibe.  Overall, I really liked this book. During the summer, these kids would swim at an old rock quarry that was deep, dark, and supernatural, they named "The Crusher."  Very good story, the thought of swimming in deep water, and can't see the bottom scares me. Add supernatural beings in that deep water, and I would be terrified.  Great read from author Rod Labbe and Wicked House Publis
Profile Image for Malinda McKinnon.
42 reviews1 follower
May 12, 2024
Thanks for the book hangover

This book sucked me in and was finished in about 48 hours. Overall I loved the main character and seeing the world though the eyes of a young teen was interesting and heartbreaking. In the end it's not quite what I thought and I had some unanswered questions but I still enjoyed it a lot. If you are looking for a book filled with scary horror this isn't it, but it is one with some horrifying elements and a lot of heart.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,213 reviews37 followers
August 13, 2024
I dnf-ed this one quite early at 11%. The writing style wasn't working for me, it was like I was reading someone telling me a story that was like Leave it to Beaver or the Andy Griffith Show, but with more not great/offensive language. Including the N-word which is a no for me. I wasn't jelling with it anyways, seemed more like a coming of age story, but maybe it gets spookier as you go along.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book
Profile Image for Jennifer Hewett.
17 reviews
April 26, 2024
I tried to like this book but it just did not keep my attention at all. Usually one character will suck me in but it didn’t happen with this one. If your into to slow burns you may like it though. I will say it reminded me of my great grandparents and grandparents with the way it was written because I can hear them telling me stories from back in the day.
April 29, 2024
This came as quite a surprise. It isn't "in your face" horror, though there are many disquieting scenes throughout. I've heard it referred to as a "slow burn," and I must agree. That's not a bad thing, quite the contrary. It allowed me to really get to know the characters. My favorite is Jerry, a damaged boy who shows his mettle when the chips are down. This reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird and even the film, "Lady in White." Highly recommended, and I plan to follow this author.
11 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2024
Super good coming of age novel with just a touch of paranormal activity that keeps the reader wondering. Keeps you interested with its themes of friendship and childhood's end. Reminded me of McCammon's Boys Life in a way. The Maine dialect its written in adds charm to an already charming and nostalgic story. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Cindy Stacy.
3 reviews
May 4, 2024
I really enjoyed the chance to advance read this novel. As others have pointed out, it is a coming of age story with some scattered in horror. It seemed to start slow but then really caught fire. I finished the last 200 pages in one day. I enjoyed the conversations and banter between Billy Wiley and his friends. Overall I found it an enjoyable read and would recommend it.
Profile Image for Renee.
339 reviews1 follower
April 12, 2024
Interesting start to the story but got really slowed down and my interested fizzled. My teacher brain could not handle all the spelling errors and inconsistencies in how the author wanted to spell things.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC e-book!
Profile Image for Jenny  Elliott .
125 reviews1 follower
May 10, 2024
I could feel Billy's different emotions. I understood him a lot, having been in some of the samesituations. (Being called names that ! didn't understand or being dared to stupid things.) This book even made me cook.

I appreciate having been able to ARC read this book.
Profile Image for Jess Twibey.
201 reviews24 followers
May 11, 2024
More of a coming of age with some spooky vibes story than anything horror related. It was a slow burn and took awhile for much to happen but gave you just enough to keep reading, between the emotions and the timelines it was a decent read but maybe not particularly my style
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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