I knew this was a vibes book going into it, and I actually DNFed it on a first attempt. I don’t regret finishing it this time, but I had hoped for something more.

I liked the weird, unsettling mood throughout the story. I don’t mind the ambiguity at all, if anything I wanted more ambiguity at the end. But it felt so, so samey through the whole book. It didn’t feel like it built toward the climax that we got, it was just suddenly there.

The writing style also leans lyrical, full of a metaphors. I think that’s why I DNFed it the first time, but this time I read it via audiobook so it was easier to get through. Still not my preference.

It was short so it felt serviceable, but it’s a literary author taking genre elements (deep sea creepiness and sketchy science organizations), and not doing anything especially interesting or new with them.