This book has some brilliant character development, solid atmosphere and a cool premise. But it has a lot of flaws and I feel it holds itself back in many ways.

The biggest example of this is the side plot/backstory that is in between just about every other chapter. This backstory contains no interesting/sympathetic characters, breaks up the pacing and tension, and just feels rather boring to read. I get why the backstory was there, but I honestly just found it took me out of the story a lot.

My second major criticism is that a lot of the plot is driven forward by the characters doing stupid things. I don't want to get into spoilers, but there's so many ways the characters could have avoided dangerous situation easily. This is especially frustrating as otherwise, I quite enjoyed the characters.

I think this books biggest strength is it's character development moments. They felt interesting and impactful, while making you care more about what they are going through. Sadly, there are not a ton of these moments, and instead you get the annoying stuff I mentioned earlier. The entire spooky ship plotline felt way less interesting then the characters personal stories.

Overall, if you can get through the kind of boring backstory sections and dumb character decisions I think it's worth a read. I think conclusion was done well and felt satisfying. Once you get past the backstory sections every other chapter, the book really picks up some steam.

I had a fantastic first experience with Darcy Coates' writing last year, and I've been meaning to read more of her books ever since. I was fascinated by the claustrophobic vibe of the blurb of From Below with the mysterious ship wreck, the dive angle and the promise of something dark lurking within... And I have to say that this story definitely delivered for me. While a tad overlong, the ominous and claustrophobic vibe of this paranormal horror slash locked room thriller made it impossible to stop turning those pages. From Below actually uses a dual timeline structure, where we switch between the present with the dive team and 1928 on board of the SS Arcadia in the days leading up to its disappearance. I wasn't expecting the historical POV, but I understand why it was added as it gave the story so much more dept as well as adding to that ominous atmosphere. The fact that you, like the characters in both timelines, don't have a clear idea what is happening added a hint of urgency, and while certain parts did feel a bit repetitive, it wasn't enough to prevent me from wanting to know more. From Below definitely classifies as paranormal/supernatural horror, so make sure you are prepared for things to get proper creepy along the way... Especially in the second half of the story where things become more intense. Honestly, I'm not sure why the dive team even returns to the Arcadia after the second dive! I would have run away screaming instead... If you are looking for a properly frightening and tense paranormal horror read with a locked room vibe and a truly claustrophobic feel with the majority of the present timeline set 300 feet under water, From Below without doubt fits the bill. It's true that the story is a bit overlong and the pace isn't always consistent, but the plot itself is intriguing enough to keep you fully on board anyway. 

Audiobook read by Abby Craden. She's a fine reader, though sometimes her pacing took away from the story rather than added to it. But, she handled each character's personalities well and their individual moments of fear, anxiety, despair, and joy.

I've been looking for a deep sea horror that is both "deep sea" and "horror" and From Below nails it. It's atmospheric in its description of the SS Arcadia, it is the sublime underneath, making the wider ocean seem like a safe haven in comparison. Coates takes what is often thought of as a Lovecraftian subgenre (to both horror and the gothic) and deviates from the weirdist (weirdism sub-subgenre) norm. 

So I realized claustrophobic horror is defintly something that scares me silly. Not the fear of being in enclosed places but more the idea of being trapped somewhere. Unable to escape. 
300 feet under the surface with your oxygen strapped to your back INSIDE something you might not be able to get put of, ya that is terrifing. Throw in a haunted ship and you get a very atmospheric spooky ride. 

It flashes between past (the week up to the Ships sinking) and present (the crew diving the wreckage). This makes sense because seeing what the Arcadia crew went through is necessary for understanding the ship, but it made the book pretty long. It felt a little too long for me as well as not a satisfying ending (at least not satisfying for me).