February 3, 2020
Five years before the start of this fast-paced ecological thriller, 17-year-old Tempest “Tempe” Alerin’s scientist parents were lost in a storm, and her beloved older sister, Elysea, drowned three years later. Tempe, who has survived by diving, scavenging her planet’s now-underwater Old World cities for goods to sell, believes that Elysea knew what really happened to their parents and may even have been responsible. After a lucky break, she can finally pay Palindromena scientists to resurrect Elysea for 24 hours. Doing a favor for a friend, Lor, 19, supervises Elysea during her revival, giving chase when Tempe smuggles Elysea off the island after revelations suggest that their parents might be alive. Though Lor races to catch them before the breach is discovered, he finds himself sympathizing with their plight. Scholte (Four Dead Queens) builds palpable suspense through Lor and Tempe’s alternating narratives while offering timely commentary on sustainability and responsible stewardship of land and sea. The sisters’ connection, especially with the shadow of Elysea’s impending second death hanging over them, adds a poignant urgency. Ages 12–up. Agent: Hillary Jacobson, ICM Partners.
February 6, 2020
Tempest ekes out a living scavenging the sunken cities of a future flooded world, alone now after the death of her sister Elysea. But death is no longer the end. The Palindromena facility can restore the dead to life, though only for 24 hours and only once. Tempest wants to get Elysea restored, not for the ‘closure’ that Palindromena offers but because only Elysea has the answers to the mystery of their parents’ disappearance and her own unexplained death. Lor, a quiet boy who lives inside Palindromena, is tasked with supervising Elysea’s revival. When Tempest snatches Elysea and escapes, all three of them end up in a desperate and dangerous race against the clock to uncover a terrible secret. The age recommendation for this book is 13–18, but it is probably best for the lower end of that range. Told in alternating first-person chapters by Tempest and Lor—Tempest is impulsive, Lor is introspective—the book moves smoothly between action-filled escape and chase scenes to more meditative reflections on death, loss and finally hope, all while keeping the reader emotionally invested. There are a couple of nice reveals in the last third and the novel ends on an appropriately bittersweet note. The Vanishing Deep is a solid treatment of some serious ideas that stays interesting and fun throughout.
Stefen Brazulaitis is the owner of Stefen’s Books in Perth