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quartzmaya's review against another edition
4.0
" ... There was another, darker fear - that maybe she didn’t want to see clearly. That maybe there was something about the hallway that was hiding just outside of their lights, and she was better off not knowing it was there...”
Wow—this book gave me chills. If you’re into atmospheric horror, this is definitely worth a read. The claustrophobic tension Coates creates is unparalleled- the icy water pressing in, the groaning hull, the murky dark. The descriptions were extremely vivid and I could picture every detail. I was delighted to find my stomach clenching from the sense of creeping dread.
The premise hooked me immediately: a dive team exploring a sunken ship that mysteriously vanished decades ago. But it is not just another ghost story—it’s a descent into darkness and madness. Coates absolutely nails the ambient sense of isolation and the ever-present immediate danger of being hundreds of feet below the surface, where any wrong move could mean death.
However, I have to admit the characters were not up to snuff in comparison to the setting. While the crew had distinct roles and voices, most felt a little flat. I didn’t connect deeply with any of them. Aiden in particular drove me up the wall. His decision to go back to the wreck? Beyond frustrating—it felt like a forced way to keep the story going. It is really annoying when a story relies on someone being DUMB to advance the plot. That said, the dialogue between the team was fine, and the dynamics did not feel too stiff or over the top.
The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed. After such a slow and suspenseful, truly delicious buildup... I wanted more time to unpack what happened and sit with the resolution. It wasn’t the worst ending, but it didn’t quite live up to the terrifying journey that preceded it.
Despite these flaws, I still really enjoyed From Below. The moments of sheer horror and the haunting, oppressive atmosphere far outweighed my issues with the characters and pacing. It is hard for me to knock a horror novel that really had my physically cringing and grimacing from dread. If you are like me and you love stories where the setting itself feels as alive and threatening as the monsters within, this is probably a great pick for you, too.
Wow—this book gave me chills. If you’re into atmospheric horror, this is definitely worth a read. The claustrophobic tension Coates creates is unparalleled- the icy water pressing in, the groaning hull, the murky dark. The descriptions were extremely vivid and I could picture every detail. I was delighted to find my stomach clenching from the sense of creeping dread.
The premise hooked me immediately: a dive team exploring a sunken ship that mysteriously vanished decades ago. But it is not just another ghost story—it’s a descent into darkness and madness. Coates absolutely nails the ambient sense of isolation and the ever-present immediate danger of being hundreds of feet below the surface, where any wrong move could mean death.
However, I have to admit the characters were not up to snuff in comparison to the setting. While the crew had distinct roles and voices, most felt a little flat. I didn’t connect deeply with any of them. Aiden in particular drove me up the wall. His decision to go back to the wreck? Beyond frustrating—it felt like a forced way to keep the story going. It is really annoying when a story relies on someone being DUMB to advance the plot. That said, the dialogue between the team was fine, and the dynamics did not feel too stiff or over the top.
The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed. After such a slow and suspenseful, truly delicious buildup... I wanted more time to unpack what happened and sit with the resolution. It wasn’t the worst ending, but it didn’t quite live up to the terrifying journey that preceded it.
Despite these flaws, I still really enjoyed From Below. The moments of sheer horror and the haunting, oppressive atmosphere far outweighed my issues with the characters and pacing. It is hard for me to knock a horror novel that really had my physically cringing and grimacing from dread. If you are like me and you love stories where the setting itself feels as alive and threatening as the monsters within, this is probably a great pick for you, too.
_desireeceleste_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Another creepy keeper from Darcy Coates! Is this my new fave author? The concept of a sunken ship exploration really hit me in the scaries since I’m also reading Into The Planet by Jill Heinerth right now, which is a memoir about a woman cave diver. So the very real terrors of cave diving are already in my bones but then let’s add the mysteries of this ship. The story has two plot lines, one follows the crew in our time and their dives into this ship where the subtle scares gradually become less subtle. And the other storyline is of the original crew that sailed the ship and the weird AF ongoing that lead to it sinking. I liked how it was written, I liked the characters relationships, I liked how the scenery was presented. The ending threw me a bit but maybe not all endings need to reveal all the answers.
whatssarahreading's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
paolarc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jlatino's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mondays's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.5
darriananders's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
An eerie, spooky tale of a haunted shipwreck. There are still unanswered questions, but most of the mysteries were explained.
vtspurs's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Probably my favorite Darcy Coates book to date. It's tense and does an incredible job making you feel claustrophobic as the characters navigate a sunken ship. With limited oxygen supply and stringent rules to follow for their safety, it adds a real sense of danger especially when things take a more supernatural turn.
sweetsandhorror's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic horror. For such a long book, it was incredibly well-paced. I’ll be trying more from this author.
playswithstring's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
This book was SO good!
I had never read a horror story about the ocean and it did not disappoint. The dread just kept building up and I could feel the anxiety. The end is wrapped up into a nice package.
I also enjoyed the dual timeline of the days before the ships demise.
I had never read a horror story about the ocean and it did not disappoint. The dread just kept building up and I could feel the anxiety. The end is wrapped up into a nice package.
I also enjoyed the dual timeline of the days before the ships demise.