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A review by agiecummings
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Let me start by saying, as I always do. If Ali Hazelwood has no stans left, I am dead. And I think the way she pushes herself and her audience to engage with new and boundary-pushing tropes and plot lines every time she writes a new book is so special. And one of the reasons I will always be Team Ali.
That being said, this one was so hard to rate for me. I’m going to be honest with you, I went back and forth a lot on how to quantify my enjoyment of this book. Because there was a lot to enjoy and also a lot that I was a bit taken aback by.
Let’s start with the good. Scarlett and Lukas. I actually loved the “I’ll put you back together” aspect of their relationship and how their relationship seemed to develop quite naturally. And the romantic parts of it were *chef’s kiss*. I also loved the nods to Olive and Adam, I ate that shit up. And, I love that Ali continued to incorporate STEM into this book without it being the main plot point. AND and I *loved* that it was set in a high pressure sports/academics environment and we got to see Scarlett grapple with that in real time, with the support of a trained professional (a therapist).
Now let me switch to the “bad.” And I use air quotes because it wasn’t bad or wrong, just different. And I deeply appreciated that Ali started the book with a content warning because the first few chapters would have been very jarring if I had walked in blind to kink/BDSM as the manner by which these two characters have sex. I think Ali clearly did research on how to approach this topic in a steamy yet honest way and I appreciated how she handled it, I just don’t necessarily think that’s what I want to read all the time.
That being said, I’m rooting for Scarlett and Lukas. He’s not going on my list of book boyfriends, mostly cause I think he’s too perfect for Scarlett and I love that. In the end, heed the content warning, and if that sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend.
P.S. I also didn’t *love* that Penelope acted a bit shady near the end. Girls gotta have each other’s backs and I know she apologizes and actions later back up her being sorry, I still was kinda side-eyeing her cause I don’t love that I can’t trust her (and neither can Scarlett maybe).
That being said, this one was so hard to rate for me. I’m going to be honest with you, I went back and forth a lot on how to quantify my enjoyment of this book. Because there was a lot to enjoy and also a lot that I was a bit taken aback by.
Let’s start with the good. Scarlett and Lukas. I actually loved the “I’ll put you back together” aspect of their relationship and how their relationship seemed to develop quite naturally. And the romantic parts of it were *chef’s kiss*. I also loved the nods to Olive and Adam, I ate that shit up. And, I love that Ali continued to incorporate STEM into this book without it being the main plot point. AND and I *loved* that it was set in a high pressure sports/academics environment and we got to see Scarlett grapple with that in real time, with the support of a trained professional (a therapist).
Now let me switch to the “bad.” And I use air quotes because it wasn’t bad or wrong, just different. And I deeply appreciated that Ali started the book with a content warning because the first few chapters would have been very jarring if I had walked in blind to kink/BDSM as the manner by which these two characters have sex. I think Ali clearly did research on how to approach this topic in a steamy yet honest way and I appreciated how she handled it, I just don’t necessarily think that’s what I want to read all the time.
That being said, I’m rooting for Scarlett and Lukas. He’s not going on my list of book boyfriends, mostly cause I think he’s too perfect for Scarlett and I love that. In the end, heed the content warning, and if that sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend.
P.S. I also didn’t *love* that Penelope acted a bit shady near the end. Girls gotta have each other’s backs and I know she apologizes and actions later back up her being sorry, I still was kinda side-eyeing her cause I don’t love that I can’t trust her (and neither can Scarlett maybe).