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jordane91's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
From Below by Darcy Coates is a thrilling and captivating read that had me hooked from start to finish. At nearly 500 pages, it’s one of Coates’ longer books, and while some parts felt like they dragged on a bit, the overall experience was still fantastic! The characters are well-developed, with intriguing backstories that made them feel real and relatable.
The central mystery surrounding the Arcadia’s mysterious sinking in 1928 immediately drew me in, and Coates masterfully weaves suspense and eerie tension throughout the story. It’s a perfect blend of mystery, horror, and character-driven storytelling that kept me turning pages late into the night.
If you enjoy a slow-building but deeply immersive horror story with a strong sense of atmosphere and a gripping mystery, From Below is a must-read. I’m so glad I picked this one up!
The central mystery surrounding the Arcadia’s mysterious sinking in 1928 immediately drew me in, and Coates masterfully weaves suspense and eerie tension throughout the story. It’s a perfect blend of mystery, horror, and character-driven storytelling that kept me turning pages late into the night.
If you enjoy a slow-building but deeply immersive horror story with a strong sense of atmosphere and a gripping mystery, From Below is a must-read. I’m so glad I picked this one up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
spaghettii's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I like horror set in confined spaces and expeditions, so that part was fun. I do have a few things that pissed me off:
1.why the actual fuck did Aidan go back for the ring?? And lie about his oxygen every dive?? Mans should not have been there. I think I might have preferred if he died, actually.
2. A lot of coincidental things saved a lot of people a lot of times,,,
3.I don't love the cloth explanation, but I don't really know of one that I would have liked. I was wondering if they were hallucinating during the last couple dives or something like that.
1.
2. A lot of coincidental things saved a lot of people a lot of times,,,
3.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
gilexia's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Here we go with another highlight of 2024! I've already read Voices in the Snow by her and loved it. And yes, this book was that good too! I loved every page of it. The characters were so loveable and I really empathized with Aidan. He was my favorite character because I connected with him more than any other character in ALL the books I've read this year.
Also, the story was really cool. Great ideas, well executed. Compared to Voices in the Snow, it was a little quieter, less surprising twists, but it had such a creepy atmosphere the whole time. Also the narrative with the past and the present was really cool. Both timelines were special on their own, but they also worked really well together. Plus the ending was quite emotional for me. Really good ending.
Honestly, it's now one of my favorite books and it was just fun to read this book. Anytime again.
Also, the story was really cool. Great ideas, well executed. Compared to Voices in the Snow, it was a little quieter, less surprising twists, but it had such a creepy atmosphere the whole time. Also the narrative with the past and the present was really cool. Both timelines were special on their own, but they also worked really well together. Plus the ending was quite emotional for me. Really good ending.
Honestly, it's now one of my favorite books and it was just fun to read this book. Anytime again.
The moment Cove entered the water, the storm's lashing rain vanished as though someone had put it on mute. Bubbles raced past her as they fought to escape the folds of her suit and return to the surface. Her throat closed over, unwilling to let her breathe when the ocean flooded over her face, and her first breath of oxygen whistled as she forced it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Body horror and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
Corpseskaneebli's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Confinement and Murder
Minor: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
sleepye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Vomit
zandria's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Also submachanaphobia, open water, corpses, drowning suffocationyvo_about_books's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Finished reading: June 7th 2024
“In the brief moment he'd touched the metal, he'd felt the danger of the place. This ship wasn't a gem on the ocean floor, waiting to be found. It was a trap.”
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
beepsies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
harpoonholly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
There might be more horror/gothic ambience in reading the text directly, letting the readers' imaginations to get away with them. The audiobook was enjoyable, but had a kimd of impersonal, voyeuristic vibe. Of course, I couldn't stop listening till I was through, so maybe not...aas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail