The Secret Deep is Lindsay Galvin’s debut teen novel, and, it’s a thrilling one! It tells a story of two sisters who move to New Zealand to live with their aunt after their mother passes away from cancer. But the story is quick to take a dark turn when Aster wakes up to find herself stranded on a tropical island, with no idea how she got there or where her younger sister Poppy is. The truth of the disappearance and suspicious happenings begin to unravel through a clever dual narrative between Aster, and Sam, a teen New Zealander the sisters met on the plane. But the answers to these mysteries lie in the secret underwater world where the beautiful and the impossible collide...
The Secret Deep is an intelligent, compelling page-turner and I can wholeheartedly say that I’ve never read a book just like this. Galvin effortlessly weaves together science and magic and has created a truly original and bold thriller. Galvin confidently tackles a lot of key issues of our time, including medical research, evolution, diversity, anxiety and consent and brings them together to make a surprising and magical end.
For a debut novel Galvin’s language was enchanting. I was completely absorbed by her vivid and evoking descriptions of the ocean and it’s marine life. The ocean became a place that was both inviting but unsettling. Galvin has a brilliant power of creating suspense and tension and carefully used her settings of a remote tropical island to create an imminent sense of danger.
I put my hands up to say that I went into this book not really knowing what to expect but being so enchanted and drawn to the cover. But I was beyond impressed. The twists and turns kept me on my toes, the character development left me not knowing who and what to trust, and the strong sisterly bond made me feel empowered. A remarkable, gripping debut. I cannot wait to see what else Lindsay Galvin has up her sleeve.