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A review by mcpl
In at the Deep End by Kate Davies
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was a tough read. I picked this book up because it was pitched as a fun Fleabag-y lesbian read, and I was super into this concept (and I still am! Please someone write something like Fleabag but queerer!!). It starts out in a fun and cutesy way when Julia joins a LGBTQ+ swing dance club and explores the queer scene in London. This however is completely wiped out by the second part of the novel, when Julia meets Sam and embarks in a polyamory relationship, that turns out to be very much unhealthy and abusive! Don’t get me wrong, it is crucial to talk about abuse in queer partnerships, since it is more frequent than we think and nobody really talks about it — still, the book was marketed much differently from what you actually get as a reader.
So if you’re in for pretty heavy content, go ahead! (be mindful of CW/TW: heavy gaslighting, sexual assault, rape, self harm, mention of suicide, death)
One more thing, I didn’t like how the author talked about polyamory relationships (I am not polyamory myself, so take this with a grain of salt): Julia is clearly monogamous, and isn’t okay with having multiple partners, so of course she is suffering by being with Sam. Sam (and her partners), on the other hand, ends up being our only example of polyamory in this novel. Considering how problematic Sam’s character is, I think it could further stereotypes on polyamory being weird, sensationalised and even non-consensual. I was hoping the author would have balanced it out by including secondary characters in non-monogamous relationships living “normal” and happy lives; or that she would have addressed more directly the toxicity of Sam and Julia’s. It frankly felt judgemental of alternative lifestyles from the author’s part. Ugh. Too bad. I really wanted to like this book.
So if you’re in for pretty heavy content, go ahead! (be mindful of CW/TW: heavy gaslighting, sexual assault, rape, self harm, mention of suicide, death)
One more thing, I didn’t like how the author talked about polyamory relationships (I am not polyamory myself, so take this with a grain of salt): Julia is clearly monogamous, and isn’t okay with having multiple partners, so of course she is suffering by being with Sam. Sam (and her partners), on the other hand, ends up being our only example of polyamory in this novel. Considering how problematic Sam’s character is, I think it could further stereotypes on polyamory being weird, sensationalised and even non-consensual. I was hoping the author would have balanced it out by including secondary characters in non-monogamous relationships living “normal” and happy lives; or that she would have addressed more directly the toxicity of Sam and Julia’s. It frankly felt judgemental of alternative lifestyles from the author’s part. Ugh. Too bad. I really wanted to like this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death and Self harm
Minor: Biphobia