Book Review - The Deep by Nick Cutter

Title: The Deep
Series: -
Author: Nick Cutter
 
Description: 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 unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths… and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.
 
Review: “The Deep”, part horror, part psychological nightmare, is a novel that fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker don’t wan to miss. This book will definitely freak you out of you either have a fear of the dark or the deep.
 
The story is reminiscent of movies like “The Abyss” and “Alien”. And these were definitely influences for this story. Just like author Nick Cutter is influenced by the aforementioned King and Barker.
 
Luke is the main character, through him we follow the story. His brother Clayton is a scientist, on board of the Trieste. Clayton might have found a cure for the global plague. Luke is sent down to talk to him, since all communication with this deep sea lab has been lost.
 
“The Troop” was my introduction with author Nick Cutter. It blew my mind, left me speechless and really messed me up. I loved it. A lot of the elements that shocked me and kept my attention for that book, were also present in “The Deep”. Cutter knows how to build a chilling atmosphere and writes the most gruesome scenes. Again, not very kind to animals. So I had to put it down several times because of this.
 
Where “The Troop” became a favorite of mine, “The Deep” never reached that level. It focuses a lot on the past of the main character, which makes it a bit more of a character study as well. “The Troop” also had this, but these characters and their lives were more interesting. “The Deep” had some uninteresting moments. Some even a bit dull. The book is a lot creepier then “The Troop” though, especially if you have thalassophobia.
 
Overall I enjoyed the reading experience, but “The Deep” didn’t capture me from start to finish.
 
Rating: 3, 5/ 5