From Below

“They’re in the walls.”

Darcy Coates has done it again! This slow burn horror really grabbed my attention (no pun intended) and I was intrigued as to how it would all end. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with the ocean. It’s always frightened me a bit, from drowning, to being eaten by sea creatures, to being trapped underwater. So, “From Below” had all the makings of a great scary read for me.

The story takes place off the coast of Sweden in two different time periods. In modern times, a documentary film crew is dispatched to the site of the newly discovered final resting place of the SS Arcadia. No one knows why the ship drifted so far off course or what caused it to sink. Cove and her team will be the first show more humans to see the ship since 1928. Juxtaposed with the modern story is the story of the SS Arcadia and the final days leading up to its sinking.

If you suffer from claustrophobia, this book will terrorize you. Those little ROV’s which are normally used to explore the ocean floor are inexplicably not working and so a team of divers, mostly inexperienced with only one true expert, are sent down to explore what remains of the SS Arcadia. While exploring, they discover they aren’t alone and that’s when the true terror begins.

Honestly, this book really creeped me out. I loved the way the author juxtaposed the two time periods. When something happened on the ship in 1928, the modern story would have the divers in that same location and seeing the aftermath. While suspicions run high on the 1928 ship, there’s also concerning things happening in the present which makes the reader question the motivations of the members of the crew. It’s a psychological thriller that slowly builds and builds until the last few pages.

There were a few questions I had at the end that I felt were still unanswered, but this didn’t distract me from throughly enjoying it. As far as content, I loved the fact that there were only a few mild swear words. While there are some gross elements with decaying bodies, it wasn’t too gruesome or gory, but those who are sensitive to this should beware. Someone described the author’s writing as Goosebumps for adults, and I would heartily agree. It’s a “clean” horror read with psychologically terrifying situations. Don’t read it late at night in the dark! Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an advanced complimentary copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. show less

I don't think even Stephen King, (who I love), can equal Darcy Coates when she is in her grove when it comes to writing the perfect story dripping with suspense and horror. I have only read one book by her that I gave less than 5 stars. The very idea that anyone would want to deliberately and willing go 300 feet down in the ocean was almost horror enough for me. But what they encountered there only added to it. The time periods switched from 100 years ago when the Arcadia went down to modern time when the diving team found more than they bargained for and encountered something that should only have inhabited their nightmares. This is truly a scary, edge of your seat nightmare. Are you brave enough to take a trip on the SS Arcadia?

A very slow burn supernatural thriller. Kinda hard to stick with in the beginning, but eventually had me gripped. Descriptions and style of writing made me feel like I was diving with the characters.

Ok, here is the thing. I loved this book, I really did. I thought the concept was great, the switch between the historical account and the account of the divers headed to the Arcadia- all of it was great.

And there was even a really good twist at the end! I loved the characters, I liked the plot, I liked the horror aspects- but there is ONE part of the book, one MAJOR aspect of the book that was never explained or revealed and that is why I didn't give it high marks.

SPOILER WARNING!!!!

Ok, so the crux of the book is zombies- plain and simple. And it's cool! But it's never explained WHY or HOW or WHAT caused the zombies to come to life with the dive team there. There are a few ideas given- like it was a curse + oxygen? Or something like show more that and I just feel like- if I'm going to give the book my time and stick with it for nearly 500 pages, then I need to at least figure out why the zombies are the way they are. I liked the book, I really did. I think the undeveloped plot of the zombies was just- not it for me. I just want more explanation.

tldr: I want less silt and more explanation. show less

Excellent depiction of deep diving and the creepy supernatural as a documentary team search for a mysterious wreck, and a slow build as the haunted nature of the wreck becomes increasingly apparent, interspersed with flashbacks to the increasingly horrifying last days of the ship's final doomed voyage.

i feel like this would've done so much better as a fun little horror movie on the syfy channel that you happen upon while flipping channels and give it a shot and end up having a good time. but as a book it was just soooo much longer than necessary. also re: vanna's backstory reveal/the explanation of what was found in her journal...i see what was trying to be done, i appreciate the tragedy of it all, but it just fell flat for me. it didn't really hold interest as a reader and wasn't something i was DYING to find out the truth about because of how little it's brought up throughout the dives.

Diving to a sunken ship that mysteriously disappeared? Count me in! Mysterious messages found throughout the sunken ship from the crew? Yes, please.

Because of the intrigue of the ship and disappearing crew, From Below was interesting to me from the start. Looking back, there are a few headscratchers regarding some aspects of the plot, but it didn't bother me while reading. I wish the characters were flushed out a little more and felt a little less one-dimensional. Overall, From Below was an entertaining suspenseful read.

If you have yet to pick up a book by Darcy Coates' (you should), her work is more light-hearted horror ((with loads of suspense)) than you may be used to or expecting. Her unique style is what I found most enjoyable show more about her books. Highly recommend for anyone looking for some chills.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC to read and review. show less