Although I did struggle with Zorn’s debut, [b:The Sky So Heavy|18169279|The Sky So Heavy|Claire Zorn|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1373873118s/18169279.jpg|25537291], earlier this year and the mixed reviews were a little bit intimidating, I knew that I would have to give this story a chance… and I’m so glad I did! One Would Think the Deep was such an unexpectedly complex and gritty story which reduced me to a sobbing wreck. Narrated by the blessed little tragic cinnamon roll that is Sam, I loved how Zorn explored so many important themes within in such an engaging storyline. There is no doubt in my heart that this book is going to worm its way into Australian classic literature in the future.

What really made me adore this story was Zorn’s writing style. It was just so goddamn beautiful! I don’t know how she managed to weave her gorgeous prose into a story with such a bogan setting but somehow, the contrast just worked. I loved how her descriptives brought the town to life and also managed to capture the characters perfectly. It was so rich and emotive, bringing the grief and sadness of Sam’s story to the forefront of the reader’s minds without making the overarching plot seem bleak. I cannot believe this is the same author who penned The Sky So Heavy!

I also adored how Zorn made this story so goddamn Aussie. For non-Australians readers, I have a feeling the language - particularly Minty’s dialogue - is going to to be a bit challenging. It holds literally nothing back and references so many Australians things. It was just fantastic. I guess it has gotten to the point where I am so used to not knowing what American (or occasionally British) words mean - and having to Google them - that it was nice to sit back and revel in the extreme Aussie-ness of the story. Minty honestly made me laugh so many times because I know a couple of mates that talk just like that and I couldn’t help but think of them the whole time. I just really appreciate how authentic it was.

The characterisation was also on point. I adored Sam from the very depths of my soul. He was troubled and chaotic but also strangely relatable? You could tell that he had was just a genuinely good person going through a rough patch and I just wanted to reach into the pages and give him a big bear hug… or slap a little of sense into him so he’d stop underestimating himself and realise that he was brilliant and kind-hearted. His grief was so accurate and touching that I honestly lost wept a few times. The way Zorn created a flawed but redeemable protagonist and allowed us to delve into his development across the story was simply brilliant. I could have asked for a more well-written character!

However, Sam was not the only well-written character. All of the secondary characters were complex and gritty with the perfect amount of attention spent on developing them as well. Ruby was probably my favourite character. She was so feisty and spirited! I loved that she held back no punches and didn’t let anyone else tell her what do or how to act. The fact that Minty and Shane, Aunt Lorraine, and Nana were all simultaneously unlikable, realistic and redeemable made me so happy. I love that Zorn made sure her supposed ‘antagonists’ - even Shane - had complex motivations and backstories so we were able to understand and even empathise with their situation. Getting to see the characters’ relationships with Sam foster really made the story shine.

Something else that will please a lot of readers is that the minor romance which takes place is barely even a romance. It was more of an exploration of Sam’s growing relationship with Gretchen if that makes sense. I loved, loved, loved that it was not in the slightest bit sappy or over-the-top. It was more about how these two characters formed this supportive friendship and let it help each of them grow as individuals.

The feminist themes and discussions that were intertwined within the story were brilliant. How they made my heart sing with joy! This story truly revolves around Sam’s grief and there are multiple discussions/presentations of how society pressured him to respond to this tragedy in specifics ways. I loved that it touched on the idea that crying was considered an effeminate trait and how Sam really struggled with this. Ruby’s characters also brought attention to the sexism present in the surfing industry during the 90s. I loved that none of it was glossed over. We got to see Shane and Minty with their obvious misogynistic viewpoint presents their side of the issue and we also saw how it affected the female surfers like Ruby. It was cleverly and seamlessly woven into the story without seeming at all preachy.

The thing which let this story down - and you could probably tell that this was heading towards a five-star read for me - was the ending. Oh God, it was awful! I love a good open ending. When most of the story is wrapped up or there is heavy indication of how the story will end past the final page, then an open ending is great for leaving readers with a bit of hope. However, this story did not wrap anything up. It just… ended. It was so abrupt! I hated being left in the dark and not knowing exactly what was going to happened to my beautiful little Sam. I am still so furious about this and it really brought my overall enjoyment down a notch.

Overall?

This was such a beautifully written story. If you couldn’t tell already, I adored it a whole lot. I thought Sam was an incredibly complex and well-written protagonist. I loved seeing his development across the story and the writing style truly captured his grief without making the story too depressing as a whole. The secondary characters, the setting, the themes - they were all done so well. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy Australian contemporaries and you aren’t afraid of a few tears.