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alobearThe Deep by Rivers Solomon is about a society of merfolk living in the deep of the ocean, who choose a historian to hold their ancestral memories for them. Yetu, the current historian, is struggling to maintain her own identity under the weight of the memories, so she gives them all back to the other merfolk and runs away. Her actions have far-reaching consequences that force her to confront her purpose, her place in the world, and prompt her to find a better way for her people to live.
The book has several narrative threads, and my engagement with each of them ebbed and flowed somewhat (see what I did there?) throughout the story. I struggled with the deeper meaning of some aspects of the story, while others felt a bit too bluntly stated. But it went to some interesting places and I liked how Yetu's thread developed in the latter stages. I really wanted to be able to just accept the ultimate conclusion as really heartfelt and beautiful but it didn't quite land for me, which was a shame. But there was a lot of profound beauty in this novella, even though I didn't connect to it as much as I wanted to.
The book has several narrative threads, and my engagement with each of them ebbed and flowed somewhat (see what I did there?) throughout the story. I struggled with the deeper meaning of some aspects of the story, while others felt a bit too bluntly stated. But it went to some interesting places and I liked how Yetu's thread developed in the latter stages. I really wanted to be able to just accept the ultimate conclusion as really heartfelt and beautiful but it didn't quite land for me, which was a shame. But there was a lot of profound beauty in this novella, even though I didn't connect to it as much as I wanted to.
