Peter's Reviews > From the Deep

I don't quite know where to start with this one. Nothing clicked for me and things went from bad to worse at a pretty consistent rate.

There were just so many weird writing choices.
The odd characterisations and setting were the most obvious early on. The story was initially set up as a mystery with some potential thriller elements, but that didn't pan out at all. Instead, we got a weird family drama combined with heavy-handed eco-activism undertones and a ridiculous mythological bend. Then halfway in, a random evil businessman appeared to take up the mantle of a moustache-twirling villain.

The protagonist was bizarre. He lacked a distinct sense of personality, existing more as a caricature of a single dad who's somehow never come across the concept of video calls despite existing in a world with cell phones. He made logical leaps out of nowhere and insulted others by using their lack of a wife and kids to imply that they have less value than him.

I could probably go on, but I think you get the picture. I'm astonished this was ever published because the writing was worse than most of the self-published books I've read. How a professional editor didn't pick up on the baffling plot points and story beats is beyond me as well.