Katsu’s decision to interweave the stories of the Titanic and Britannic – tying them more closely together than they already were in different ways – makes for a compelling, mirrored story that interrogates the restrictions of time itself.

The flow of the story remained clear and compelling, transitions between times and ships made clear. These same moments also provide genuine pause, prompting reflection on what we are believing and consuming now that might be seen as equally horrific within the next century. These cultural and historic factors touch the lives of several of the characters, even while out at sea. Without going into spoiler territory, there are also a number of character-specific romantic details that make this a delightfully inclusive read.Īdditionally, the author’s focus on historic detail highlights the eerie intersection of burgeoning industry with spiritualism and the prescription of cocaine as a medical treatment. Katsu’s talent for writing page-turning horror, along with her attention to historic detail, shines in The Deep, with a strong cast of characters, including the incredibly wealthy Astors and Benjamin Guggenheim, each individual embroiled in their own personal and spiritual drama. But even when she thinks she is free, the past refuses to stay buried. Annie, a survivor by nature, lives beyond the sinking of the Titanic, later serving as a nurse tending to wounded soldiers from World War I on board the Britannic.

Annie is assigned to serve the Fletcher family, an experience that becomes emotionally fraught as her own emotional involvement with Mark unfolds. Rumours begin to fly: the ship must be haunted. Annie Hebbley, an Irishwoman with a troubling, uncertain past, serves as a maid on board the Titanic tending to the wealthy and is soon caught up in a whirlwind of increasingly alarming circumstances. Narratively bridging the gap in time between the Titanic and its sister ship, the Britannic, The Deep shifts focus from the fateful days on-board the former ship, while visiting troubled times on-board the latter a handful of years later. With The Deep, acclaimed author of 2018’s The Hunger, Alma Katsu, rises to and surpasses the challenge, weaving a page-turning, haunting tale that breathes fresh life into a tragic moment in time.

The sinking of the Titanic remains a fixture of horror in cultural memory, and as such, finding new ways to tell that story is a growing challenge.

The hunger alma katsu review