One Would Think The Deep

One Would Think The Deep
Written by Claire Zorn
Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, #LoveOzYA
Published June 30th 2016
320 Pages
Thank you to UQP
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
Sam stared at the picture of the boy about to be tipped off the edge of the world, the crushing weight of water about to pummel him. Sam knew that moment exactly, the disbelief that what was about to happen could even be possible. The intake of breath before the flood.

Sam has always had things going on in his head that no one else understands, even his mum. And now she’s dead, it’s worse than ever.

With nothing but his skateboard and a few belongings in a garbage bag, Sam goes to live with the strangers his mum cut ties with seven years ago: Aunty Lorraine and his cousins Shane and Minty.

Despite the suspicion and hostility emanating from their fibro shack, Sam reverts to his childhood habit of following Minty around and is soon surfing with Minty to cut through the static fuzz in his head. But as the days slowly meld into one another, and ghosts from the past reappear, Sam has to make the ultimate decision... Will he sink or will he swim.
Seventeen year old Sam is waiting at the hospital for his new life to arrive, packing up his meager belongings and leaving Sydney for the surf coast after his mother passed away unexpectedly. His only known relative is his estranged aunt Lorraine and her two boys, having never known his father, his mother adamant until the very end. Now Sam finds himself on a folding camp bed in Lorraine's spare room, much to the disgust of cousin Shane who has made it clear Sam isn't welcome. It's Shane's younger brother Minty who takes Sam under his wing, once firm friends and a support for one another as children.

Minty is a local hero, on the verge of a professional surfing career in a town where surf culture flows through their veins. Sam has never surfed before, but is a passionate amateur meteorologist who can see patterns in weather and waves. Sam begins to use the water as an escape, from his sense of abandonment and the burden his new home until he comes of age. It's there where he meets new resident Gretchen, now a local girl from an affluent family who deserves far more than Sam has of himself to give.

Sam's life plunges into darkness, struggling with his grief and resorting to physical violence. His once bright future his mother had envisioned, having slipped through his fingers the moment his mother died in his arms.

My Thoughts

One Would Think The Deep is an honest and unflinching account of Australia and it's often backwater culture. Sam is an intelligent young man whose passion for music is only surpassed by his love of meteorology. Until his mother dies suddenly and leaves Sam stranded with his estranged aunt. Sam is a multilayered and complex young man, he feels the loss of his mother so deeply but rather than grieve, he uses the water as an escape. My heart ached for Sam. Losing his only parent and now having moved into a testosterone filled home with virtual strangers. Sam is from an era where boys are seen as effeminate and their sexualty challenged when showing emotional weakness, it's the harden up mentality that is still instilled in young men around the country today.

As children, Sam and Minty were inseparable and although seven years has passed, their friendship remains effortless and steadfast. Minty is a character that on the surface, is jovial and carefree but feels the pressure of entering the professional surfing circuit and the expectations placed upon him by older brother Shane. Minty spends his days looking for the next big wave, while spending his nights in the company of local girls often at the expensive of best friend Ruby's feelings. As much as I enjoyed Minty's character, he and Shane's attitude towards females was often deplorable.
'That her? Shit. Let me know when you're finished,'
The guys talked about every girl that walked past. Whether they'd do her with the lights on or off, that kind of thing. Minty wouldn't join in exactly, but he'd laugh. He'd call Shane a dirty bastard as if it were endearing to reduce girls you'd been with to bits of meat.
Sadly the male pack mentality also extended to Sam, who may not have engaged in crude comments but enabled those around him by staying silent. Sadly it reminded me of my own experiences as a teen, where casual sexism and misogyny were applauded by teens males.

I adored Ruby's character. Adopted by a local family, she's Minty's best friend who pines for more but refuses to become just another sexual devotee. Ruby is also struggling with her sense of self, feeling as she doesn't quite belong. She's a strong and determined young woman who wants to make something of her life beyond the sleepy coastal town.

Sam's love interest Gretchen was lovely. It's clear that she and Sam are attracted to one another, but Sam is struggling with his grief and is heading down the path of self destruction, refusing to hurt Gretchen in the process. He begins to find fulfillment in violence, the one condition that his aunt Lorraine will not stand for and has places boundaries upon his stay.

Not being a fan of the surf culture, I could still relate to Sam's struggle and how he depended on the water as a means of escape. I loved the musical references, especially being a long time fan of the late Jeff Buckley and remembering his death during the nineties when One Would Think The Deep takes place. His crooning often soothed the restless souls of teens all over the world with his poignant lyrics, myself included. I could vividly imagine Sam laying on his camp bed in Lorraine's spare room. Through music, it allowed me to connect with Sam's character on a deeper level.

Claire Zorn is an incredible author who isn't afraid delve into the Australian cultural landscape, creating realistic and remarkable characters. One Would Think The Deep will provide readers with a sense of nostalgia of a nonchalant era that was often brutal and politically incorrect. Sam's story is heartbreaking and incredibly poignant, ensuring a beautiful and introspective read.

22 comments

  1. Oh wow, this sounds fantastic! Gotta love the Australian setting. Adding it now ..

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    1. It truly was Christy. I think when it comes to Aussie contemporaries, they've got such a rawness and realism throughout the storyline that it's almost impossible not to become emotionally invested. I love Claire Zorn, amazing author!

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  2. Sounds like a really lovely story. I hate that whole male mentality, but it still happens. That's cool the book has some great musical references though - always a positive for me! :)

    -Lauren

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    1. Me too Lauren. It highlights that male group mentality but thankfully that's only a very small part of the storyline. It's such a wonderfully poignant read Lauren, I'd love to see what you think of it.

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  3. Eeep, I NEED TO READ THIS. Like I needed to read it yesterday but shh *ahem* I'll read it this weekend. 😂 I'm kind of scared/excited because I've seen a lot of negative reviews for it? But I LOVE surfy books (I can't surf; I'd like drown probably if a wave even looked at me, which is absolutely shameful for someone who's lived at the coast for like most of their life, ahem) but Sam sounds really reeeeeal and I like real characters. AND I LIKE THE NAME SAM FOR NO REASON SO THERE'S ALSO THAT GOING FOR ME. And Claire Zorn is such a good writer. <333 EEEEP. I hope I like it as much as you, Kelly! :D

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    1. I can't either, but thankfully it doesn't go into all the technical elements of surfing and it's more so used as an escape for Sam. I love the water, but I was stung by a jellyfish as a teen and now avoid the beach like the plague. Pain and I don't mix well. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

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  4. Ack. I don't know about this one. I feel like there's heartbreak at every corner waiting to whack me in the face. I don't do well with angst so I might skip this one. Sorry!

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    1. There's barely any typical teen angst, but a lot of anger on Sam's part. Being a teen and male at that, he just doesn't know what to do with his hurt and grief. It's sad how realistic that is though, that boys can be raised as showing emotion is a weakness, so it can make for very angry young men. I love Claire Zorn, I'd read her shopping list.

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  5. Another book for me to add to my Aussie YA pile! This sounds raw and really emotional. I think I'd be bothered by the way that the guys view the girls, but it's also so realistic. Sam's story sounds heartbreaking though so I'm going to need some chocolate when I read this.
    Lovely review, Kelly. Thanks for feeding Aussie YA obsession at the moment! ;)

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    1. I think you'd really enjoy this one Nick, it's got such depth and heart. Sam's journey was really emotional, but I feel as though we needed more from Ruby's character. She had a really interesting storyline, so much so that she deserves her own book. Such a wonderful Aussie read.

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  6. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this one Kelly! I really struggled with the surfing and the very dude bro part of the book. Sam was dealing with an immense amount of pain but it was just kind of subtle you know? Anyway, I'll be talking about this one for ozyay this week. Lovely review!

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    1. I think it reads as very backwater bogan Australia, which was a big part of the areas I grew up in so I could relate to that aspect. It took me back to when I was a teen, incidentally I was the exact same age as Sam at that point too and if you replaced surfing with footy, this could have taken place in my neighbourhood. I think teens will be able to relate to Sam's struggle, but unless you grew up during that era, sadly I think a lot of teens and twenties may struggle with the cultural references.

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  7. Oh, I was enjoying that until you talked about some of the sexist conversations and that underlying tone.

    Still sounds like an okay read though.

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    1. It's such a small part of the overall storyline Deb, only a few small incidences but thought it was worthy of a mention. I loved the realism of it all and felt nostalgic reading it. Definately give it a try Deb, I think you'll really enjoy this one being set in the nineties and on the coast as well.

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  8. This one sounds beautiful (apart from the sexist stuff of course) - and that cover *Gasp*
    I am always rendered completely nostalgic when reading anything set in the 1990's, and especially when it's set in Australia. I might add this one to my list.

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    1. Me too! The nineties were when I was a teen and it always takes me back to that time where you struggled with confidence and finding your place within the world. It was incredibly poignant and so beautifully written, would love to see what you think of it!

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  9. This books sounds fantastic. A book which is set in Australia and gives an honest portrayal of a period warts and all. I can see there being a strong sense of nostalgia reading this book and I think it sounds great. I definitely want to get reading it when I have a chance.

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    1. It was incredible Becky, I love that brutally honest portrayal of Aussies and Claire Zorn is a remarkable author who isn't afraid to push those boundaries.

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  10. I have actually NEVER heard of this. I don't know how I would feel about their attitudes (I would probably rage and throw the book somewhere), this still sounds like a really important read. I'm really glad you enjoyed this Kelly!

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    1. I dare say, it's probably only just been listed for purchase on The Book Depository, where you can find most #LoveOzYA reads. It was such a wonderful and poignant read, the sexist attitudes were only a small part of the storyline thankfully. It's so quintessentially Australian, I loved it.

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  11. Yessss I love all of Claire Zorn's books. They're always so complex and multi-layered and beautiful. Though I couldn't relate so much to the 90s references, I still loved it <3

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    1. Sadly I think those retro references can tend to alienate some younger readers, unless they have much older siblings or parents who grew up in the era. I loved that part being a teen in the nineties myself. So wonderfully written.

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