The Vanishing Deep
Author: Astrid Scholte
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Five hundred years ago, the Great Waves destroyed the cities and submerged them beneath the ocean. The inhabitants of the world have learned to live on water. On Palindromena, one of the few islands that exists, the dead can be resurrected for only twenty-four hours. Tempe is desperate to bring her sister Elysea back to life, but her reasons have nothing to do with love or affection. She wants answers surrounding the death of her parents that she can only get from her sister - secrets Elysea took with her to a watery grave.
Lor lives at the Palindromena facility. He is riddled with guilt for believing he caused the death of his best friend and has firsthand knowledge of the emotional toll bringing back the deceased has on loved ones. Lor secludes himself away in the Aquarium, the facility’s basement where the bodies of the dead are stored awaiting resurrection. When Tempe arrives at the island their lives intersect and the story really begins. After Elysea is revived, she convinces Tempe to help her escape and together they try to discover what really happened to their parents. But a lot is at stake and Lor, along with Raylan, an employee of Palindromena, need to find them and bring them back before Elysea’s 24 hours are up.
The author brings her characters to life utilizing Tempe’s memories to enhance her sorrow for the past and for the sisterly bond she and Elysea once shared. Tempe is relatable not through her experiences, but by the emotions she conveys and her motivations are understandable. Lor is very different in disposition to Tempe, but equally strong and determined.
Astrid Scholte is a wonderfully descriptive writer. She constructs a fantastical world that is both immersive and believable. Each chapter is introduced with a countdown clock, increasing the tension and suspense. The Vanishing Deep is a thrilling adventure with twists galore in a uniquely dystopian setting.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy provided for review.
From the publisher:
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.
You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Vanishing Deep here.
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