The Vicious Deep

I loved Disney's The Little Mermaid, but I'll admit that I've avoided reading YA mermaid books until now. Mostly because the idea of the sweet, sing-a-long tale was so entrenched in my head, I wasn't sure the idea of a mermaid story could translate well outside the realm of a story for young children.

I was wrong.

THE VICIOUS DEEP is a captivating book from the first page, and it left me desperately wanting the sequel. The writing is lovely--the way Tristan notices little details about other characters (especially about Layla) reminds me of Stephanie Perkins' writing, and that's high praise indeed. I was instantly in love with Tristan's voice, which is refreshingly, hilariously alllllll boy. And I found the entire world fascinating.

There were a few places where I felt we didn't quite get a transition where we needed one, or where the plot took a little bit of a leap and left us to connect the dots ourselves, but none of that took away from how fast I consumed this book. I absolutely loved it. Ms. Cordova is a fresh, strong new voice in YA fiction, and I will read anything she writes next.

After Tristan is almost killed during a freak riptide he finds out he's not like other teens. What happens next takes him on an adventure not for the faint of heart.

I have to admit this story kind of took me off guard. For one it's different than the usual mermaid YA stories out there right now. It's told through the POV of a guy, which gives this story an unique twist. The author nails the voice so it's believable and not forced.

I liked Tristan. His humor was refreshing. I did buy the whole clueless thing when he was around girls. Tristan kind of reminded me of that guy in high school I knew that hid his insecurities behind humor and off the wall comments. It was fun to see what really goes on behind that kind of behavior.

The dialogue is snappy and fast-paced. Another plus to this story has to be the world Zoraida Cordova created. It's very vivid with details of the mermaid's world to how they can shape shift around humans. Also we learn more about merman which hasn't really been addressed in recent mermaid stories.

Layla, Tristan's friend, at times is over the top strong willed but I think she does that to hide how she really feels around Tristan.

I did feel some of the plotting was a tad bit slow especially right after he finds himself in the hospital after his near death experience in the riptide. Also the story at times feel a little disjointed at times. Later, though the author weaves in more action that helps even that out.

Engaging, vivid tale that shows the mermaid world in a whole different light told through the eyes of a guy.

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova is an enticing new look at the myth of merfolk. I overall enjoyed the story, but I hit a few bumps along the way.

First off, the characters – I LOVED THEM. They were hands down my favorite part of the book. Layla was so spunky and awesome and rad. Thalia was pretty awesome as well. All the characters were basically just so charming. I am quite curious to see where some of the characters allegiances will lie in the next book.

I had a bit of trouble getting into The Vicious Deep as it started off. The story felt a bit disjointed, and I wasn’t really connecting with it. As the story built and more things were explained, I definitely got more into the story. I loved Zoraida Cordova‘s take on the mythology of mermaids, as it was very different from other tales I have read.

The Vicious Deep didn’t feel quite complete to me. A lot happened throughout the book, but I didn’t quite get the impression the characters had accomplished that much. I just wanted more to happen. I am very curious to see where the story will go from here, as I can only imagine it will pick up and get more awesome from here.

The Vicious Deep was a book that I did quite like. I had a few issues with the plot, but that didn’t make the story any less addicting. I could scarcely put it down. I can’t wait to follow up with this stellar cast of characters in The Savage Blue!