The Darkdeep runs from the first page and doesn’t stop

It’s a great thing when books run. This is that sensation you get when there is no introduction to the character or their story, yet, from the instant you read the first sentence it gets your imagination running. The Darkdeep runs like no other book we’ve read in the past couple of years.

The ground leapt up to smack Nico in the face.

That’s the first line from the book. I knew nothing about Nico, nor the plot of The Darkdeep. However, that sentence almost felt like a question, followed by a series of challenges or dares. From that opening sentence it only gets better with readers seeing Nico, Tyler and Emma-three typical pre-teenagers playing on a foggy day in the Pacific Northwest. The basic personality elements are established, the town bully comes over the horizon and the catalyst for The Darkdeep is put into play.

It’s rare that we write a spoiler-free book review. Normally a spoiler-free review is reserved for movies due to the fact that the films in the cinema move so quickly and are so action packed. That rationale is the same reason why this is a spoiler-free review of The Darkdeep.  This book is so good that you- as a reader, don’t want to know what’s coming next. Simply let it be a surprise and you’ll be rewarded with an incredibly solid book from start to finish.

Some of the pull quotes from reviewers are making similarities to Stranger Things. It’s also logical to compare The Dark Deep to The Goonies, except slightly more sinister. In this case the big bad is much bigger and badder than what The Goonies faced. It’s more in line with Demorgorgon, except The Darkdeep is more mysterious and allows itself open to direct confrontation with our tween and teen heroes.

By the 25^th page readers know exactly who….or what the main heel of the book is. The fact that we meet the big bad so early in the book was a bit disbelieving and initially concerning. My main concern was that any tension or surprises wouldn’t materialize since we encounter the big bad so early in the book.  The quicker in the book any heel is discovered simply allows more time for the story to fall apart.

When I binge watched Breaking Bad I had the same feeling. It was with relief and frustration that I had seen Walter White’s Cancer and then his traveling meth lab so early on in the show. But at the same time I was wondering and hoping that this wasn’t it. I wanted tension, a quality product and the smart product that I had heard so much about.

In both instances the fact that a main plot device is revealed so early is not an issue to be concerned. The Darkdeep manages to explore the precarious nature of a town’s secret past, its possible monsters, teen friendships and crushes brilliantly. The book pits the teen relationships against the monster that nobody is talking about with deft aplomb and keeps you glued until the very last page.

The Darkdeep runs. I gave it to my wife immediately after I read it and she loved it also. The text in The Darkdeep is such that a third grader should be able to read it and thoroughly enjoy it. The scares and tension are there, but it’s not too much for that age to tolerate. Middle school readers will devour The Deepdark and be waiting for the next installment in 2019.