I’ve had this book on my radar for a while. Something about adding a horror twist to the sinking of the Titanic and Britannic is so genius to me. The idea fell on the right hands with Alma Katsu.

Bram Stoker-nominated The Deep follows a slew of characters, initially to its detriment. The juggle between the individual plots is something the reader gets used to, though, especially as the book weaves together its ensemble to form a compelling whole.

The timelines alternate between the two sinkings of the Titanic and the Britannic. The contrast between the conditions inside each of the ships, that is, the Titanic’s luxe passenger ferry, versus the Britannic’s wartime hospital ship always in the avenue of death, keeps the story dynamic and alive, especially armed with the knowledge of the fates these ships are headed to in the end.

Alma Katsu is very clearly a gifted writer, and this book showcases her prose well. The stunning visuals fit the book’s heavy, almost tangible atmosphere, and the plot does not succumb to its scale.

Someone once told her that the stars were merely sewing pins, holding the black sky up so that it did not come down on the world and suffocate it.

The Deep is a perfect gateway into horror literature—it is quiet in its dread, but aptly so. The genre's more intense offerings are often susceptible to using their high-pitch extravagance as a crutch. The Deep is more so a steady hum in comparison.