Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Lu Hersey - Deep Water - Book Review

As you plunge deep into the blue cover, it will set you off on a journey of discovery. This is a debut novel that will tantalise you with a story primarily set in a tiny Cornish fishing village. You will take a slow stroll into the history of the characters and be thrust into a spectacular mystery that has a dark feeling of foreboding. All in all this is a brilliant read full of twists, turns and a hatful of discoveries. 

Danni comes home one day to find that her mum has vanished and there appears to be a strange feeling in the house. No one has any idea what has happened to her; this leaves a mystery that will need unravelling. Danni soon finds herself living with her dad in a strange and remote village with a dark and disturbing past. Some of the locals treat Danni like a monster. However, she soon discovers a family past that will have the reader breathing in the salty air of the briny sea. 

I was fully immersed in the plot; a beautiful tale of the sea where the hidden dangerous depths of the ocean are fully explored through some wondrous encounters. The writing will make you feel like you are seeing it and experiencing it first-hand, through the eyes of nature itself, leading the reader to an exciting and imaginative place. 

The only way for Danni to save her family from the bitter curse is to embrace her incredible new gift. With the help of her best friend Levi, who is undeniably a character that has been written really well, she embarks on a journey of discovery. Levi's personality intensifies the feelings in the story and draws the plot together like a magnet. He makes this story work for me. 

I also liked Danni's new age hippy dad, who is brought to life through his interesting taste in t-shirts. In our first encounter with him, he is wearing a ripped Sex Pistols t-shirt. He is not your typical character in a book, but he works really well and adds an element of cool.  

The author has really stamped this book with her own personality and interests. The charm of Celtic myth and folklore is wrapped up tightly in the narrative through Lu's take on the ancient Celtic selkie myth, which has been inspired by belief and tradition for many generations. This to me gives the story an air of magic and surrealness that is enchanting.

This is a story of family secrets and teenage life, with a slight romantic angle running through the plot, which is subtle and not off putting for male readers. It is a great young adult experience which is reminiscent of Helen Dunmore's Ingo adventure books. Lu is a great new voice - I will be looking forward to reading more stories. 

Don’t judge too quickly or fear something just because you don’t understand it.

Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (1st July 2015)