by Barbara V.
Touching upon many themes like grief, loss, and moving on, Into the Deep Blue by Jennifer E. Archer is an emotional tale that will show you the intricate beauty of human relationships.
It’s been almost a year since her mom passed, and yet Fiona still can’t seem to go back to who she was before. Grieving over the ever-present loss, ‘ok-ness’ feels as far as the moon for Fiona, except for when she is with Nick. After bonding over the loss of both their mothers, Nick and Fiona instantly become best friends. When they are together, everything seems ok enough. Sure the grief is still there, but the fact that they have someone to lean on makes everything slightly more bearable. As each day goes by, their relationship continues to grow and blossom into something new, threatening the careful balance of their established friendship.
When I first picked up the book, I didn’t really know what I was in for. Not bothering to read the back blurb, I jumped right in and was pleasantly surprised to be immediately hooked by Nick and Fiona. Unlike many other romance novels, Nick and Fiona’s relationship does not feel forced at all. From the way Fiona describes Nick’s music choices, to the easy comfortableness of being with each other, it feels as if you’re getting a glimpse of someone’s real life.
Furthermore, whenever they fight you can truly tell how Nick and Fiona are just hurt teenagers and not 2D versions of what is supposed to be a person. Their fights are ugly, messy, complex, and at the same time so incredibly human. Unlike many romance novels that mostly focus on the good parts of relationships, Into the Deep Blue is not scared to make you uncomfortable with how humanly real Nick and Fiona’s fights are. Sure, you will want to throw the book to the wall and scream “COMMUNICATE”, but that is the frustrating reality of people: they never solve their problems in a single chapter. In all honesty, it’s truly amazing how Archer manages to effortlessly capture the fickle beauty of relationships.
Losing someone important to you is no easy thing, especially if that person was a key figure in your life. Throughout the book, Fiona and Nick’s loss isn’t swept aside like an excuse for bringing them together. Instead, you can see how it lingers in their lives, from the vivid descriptions of Nick’s house, to Fiona’s interactions with her father. Nevertheless, there is also a time when you start to adapt to life without what you lost. Into the Deep Blue somehow manages to showcase this transition in a way that seems natural instead of forced.
All in all, if you’re the type of person who LOVES emotion packed reads, Into the Blue Deep was made for you. But a quick warning before you read: this is a slow romance, so beware if you’re not into that (though I assure you it is 100% worth it!).
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