The Vanishing Deep

by Astrid Scholte

Bestselling author Astrid Scholte, returns with a thrilling adventure in which the dead can be revived...for a price.

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

• ISBN10: 0525513957
• ISBN13: 9780525513957
• Publish Date: 3 March 2020
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 25 June 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: G.P.Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers'
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 448
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525513957

Reviews

[Kelly]

The Great Waves decimated the planet, creating underwater graves as the cities were submerged. Tempest lives in a towering building upon the waves, exploring the ruins below the water to survive. It's been five years since her parents passed away, shortly before her sister Elysea drowned, grieving for the loss of her family.

Those who have drowned upon the water are retrieved, their bodies placed in a cryogenic state until their loved ones pay handsomely for one last day. The dead are awoken for twenty four hours and then put to rest once more. Tempe plans to revive her sister, believing Elysea is responsible for the death of their parents. Palindromena promises the lasting memory of a reunion with your loved one, a final goodbye for those who have been left behind. While the communities of the Equinox Reef live in apartments above the waves, Palindromena monopolises the small island upon the reef and for Lor, the facility provides a sense of solace and isolation. Hiding among the tanks that hold the deceased until they are revived by their families or discarded, Lor retreats into his own thoughts, of the friend he once lost and the survivor guilt he endures each day.

Tempe and Lor are both wonderful characters and not too dissimilar, both share a strong moral compass and analytical view of their world. Lor resides within the substructure of the Palindromena facility, the basement his respite from the unethical procedure of restoring lives. Lor is a gentle character, emotional and wears his heart on his sleeve. His thoughts are consumed of the guilt of losing his friend in a rock climbing accident, Lor survived and the guilt has caused him to live his life hidden among the dead, isolated and secluded from the world.

Tempe and Elysea are contrasting characters and although Tempe is angry a deeply feels what she believes is her sister's betrayal, the two siblings care for one another. Elysea is spirited and carefree and despite her current circumstances, wants to spend her final day experiencing the yearly Equinox festival, dancing and enjoying what little of her life remains. Through Elysea's experience, Tempe realises that she wasn't living but simply surviving and although Lor provides an attractive distraction, Tempe continues to place her sister's well being first and foremost.

The Earth flooded in a historical disaster known as the Great Waves, land disappearing beneath the ocean and those who survived now live in salt laden highrise towers jutting from the sea. Relics from the Old World are now hidden below the waves, treasures looted by divers brave enough to endure the waves that decimated their world. The ocean has become a source to sustain communities, providing a livelihood for those living above the watery graveyards. The world building is eerily beautiful and one of my favourite aspects of The Vanishing Deep.

The world flooded and valuable land and resources disappearing beneath the sea. A frightfully prophetic world that raises discussion of environmental impact and global warming, issues rarely mentioned in young adult literature. At the centre of the narrative is the moral dilemma of life and playing God. Resurrection, only to spend the next twenty four hours isolated in a concrete room within the Palindromena facility. You can't leave and you need to lie your way through every conversation because they can't discover they've died. What isn't clear to the grieving loved ones, is how the process works. Without giving too much away, the how provided an intense urgency throughout the storyline which blended beautifully with the emotional impact of Tempe and Elysea's reunion, the secret surrounding the death of their parents and coming to terms with losing your sister all over again.

Lovingly imagined, atmospheric and beautifully portrayed, The Vanishing Deep is exquisite.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Vanishing Deep through BookishFirst in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Vanishing Deep is Astrid Scholte’s second novel, and it is another standalone novel. Though it will surprise fans, for it is quite different from Four Dead Queens. This is a tale of the dead, and how family can get their loved ones back – but only for 24 hours.

This is a world of water. The Great Waves came long ago, and they destroyed nearly everything. Now humanity survives on man-made structures, and the few small islands that are still available to them. All while diving and living off of what survived.

This is the only world that Tempe has ever known. She loves the water, and she loves to dive. But she can’t deny that the water has also taken much from her. Including her parents. Including her sister.

Now she’s going to make use of the technology that is available to her. She’s going to bring her sister back from the dead – a feat that will only last a day. She has only 24 hours to get the truth from Elysea, and with it, a sense of peace and understanding.

“Twenty-four hours with your loved one didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye, no matter what Palindromena promised. There was no closure. There never would be.”

Warnings: The Vanishing Deep contains several darker subjects which are worth warning about. Though some of them will be easy to guess, if you’ve read the description. This novel contains subjects of drowning and sibling death. There are also descriptions of bodies and preservation techniques.

The Vanishing Deep was a truly enchanting read. It was intense and emotional, with Tempe’s pain and determination dominating the pages. The events that unfolded were impossible to look away from, and I found myself reading this entire book in one sitting.

I fell in love with Scholte’s writing from the moment I picked up Four Dead Queens. So I knew that I was going to enjoy The Vanishing Deep. But I don’t think I was quite prepared for what was in store for me here.

You see, The Vanishing Deep is well and truly its own monster. It is raw and emotional, and is utterly unafraid to be itself. The fact that is has more of a science fiction leaning is more evidence for how different these two novels are.

The world created here is both similar and new, all in one. We’ve all seen stories involved a water world – a world where Earth (or a planet like Earth) has been flooded. Yet Scholte made the concept feel new and alive, adding her own twists as she went.

I should probably mention that this novel is actually told through two perspectives. One I already mentioned up above, Tempe. And the other, Lor. Through them we are allowed to see two totally different sides of the same situation, using their experiences from the past to filter in new information about the world – and the risks for what they are trying to do. It was an ideal way of unfolding this story, for more than one reason.

Tempe’s story was a fascinating one. She was so driven and determined, yet so wounded and emotional. I love that she was able to be all of these things, while feeling free to speak her mind. It made her feel more human, even as she dealt with the strangest things we can imagine (like talking to her dead sister).

Lor’s story was a bit more complex, in many ways. Yes, Tempe had to go through hurdles, and dig through many layers of truth to find what was real. But Lor…he himself was a mystery. One that took the entirety of the novel to solve.

The ending was unexpected…and if I’m being honest, I’m still processing a lot of what happened. I’ll probably be processing that for quite some time. I know the odds are good that this is a standalone novel, but part of me almost wishes that there would be another book or two. Ironically, given some of the themes in this novel, I almost feel like I need an opportunity for closure.

I really did enjoy The Vanishing Deep. So much so that it surprised me. You can officially consider me a fan of Astrid Scholte, as she’s proven she can write complex novels that are dramatically different in subject and theme. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[alisoninbookland]

Thank you to PenguinTeen for a review copy.

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I went into The Vanishing Deep expecting a fun journey/adventure with maybe a few mysterious elements thrown in. I was not expecting my heart to be broken. Astrid, you are cruel.

The Vanish Deep does present an adventure. Slowly over the course of the story, the world building it put into place. It was an interesting blend of a harsh & unforgiving world since much of the world is underwater and shiny, new technology on Palindromena. It was like the best of both worlds.

Loved the countdown. The story itself was exciting enough and moved along at a great pace. Having that count at the start of each chapter really adds to the tension.

Hurray for there really not being a love story. Sure, the story takes place over roughly 24 hours so there’s not that much time for things to happen. Our characters do (eventually) grow fond of each other and something may eventually have happened but romantic love isn’t the focus here.

I loved the twist of medical ethics thrown in. No spoilers but it presents some tough questions. It really makes the reader think about what they’d do in the situation. It reminded me of Unwind and the question of how far you’d go to save someone.

I should have known there be some twists in there but man, they were PACKED at the end. As the story starts winding down, you think there can’t be another wrench thrown in but they just keep coming. I did appreciate that this story is a stand alone though. No need to keep stringing things along.

Another stellar book from Scholte.

[readingwithwrin]

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you to Bookishfirst for the free copy in exchange for my review.

The Vanish Deep is set in a world where everyone now lives on the water and very little real land is available for use. What is available for use is controlled by a company that has made it possible for you to revive your loved one for 24 hours to see them again.
We get to see this world from multiple different points-of-view, but our main character is Tempe who is now an orphan and is trying to get her sister back for the 24 hours to know what happened to there parents.
We also get to see things from Lor and Ray’s point-of-view and their view of things is just as interesting and I loved seeing how they saw things happening. Tempe is a character I loved she was truly willing to do anything to protect her sister and get answers to her questions. Elsyea, Tempe’s sister is a character I found myself getting frustrated with at times, because of how she was handling everything. But at the same time, she has a short amount of time left and wants to do a few things she used to love as well as getting Tempe her answers.
Lor was a character I unexpectedly started liking after a while, he truly did care, he had just been misled for so long and had gotten closed off because of it.
Ray was a character I wished we had gotten to spend more time with and see what his life was like after everything had happened in this book. His part of the story was small but showed how the things that were happening on this floating island connected to the mainland affected everyone and how people had very few choices for jobs. The main focus though is Tempe and her sister and them finding out what happened and why all before time runs out.

Overall I loved this book! I loved the world and the world-building, and the way that family was the main focus of the book was nice as well. Learning the history of Palindrome while everything was happening helped the story keep a breakneck speed. So many unexpected things happened throughout this book and made me love it even more. I can’t say too much more without giving it away, because of how everything goes together to get Tempe’s answers.

The ending of this book killed me and made me happy at the same time. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to go back and read the authors first book.