I've been seeing this one around a lot but when I first went to read it, I wasn't a hundred percent sure what I should be expecting. The cover and synopsis kind of hand me believing that there would be a heist of sorts (just look at that expensive-looking painting in the background), and of course it sounded like main character Frances would have a bit of trouble deciding between her heist and her old lover. I guess I was kind of right, but let's be real: I was barely even there. This book turned out to be so much better than I had believed it could be, and for that, I'm glad. I actually started reading this as an audiobook, but it turned out to be so good that I whipped out my Kindle and read it on there instead since I needed more, faster.
The book starts out with Frances and her friend Libby being rescued from the Persephone. Readers immediately find out that while Frances lives to tell the tale, Libby doesn't. Soon enough, Frances finds that the only other survivors besides her and herself are the senator and his son, Grey, the boy she fell head over heels for while on the ship. However, while Frances distinctly remembers the murders who killed everyone aboard the Persephone including her and Libby's parents, Grey and his father are telling the world that it was but an accident caused by a rogue wave. Orphaned and friendless, Frances takes Libby's place in the world, finding no meaning in life other than to prove to the world that there is more to the senator's story than meets the eye.
Frances is a very interesting character to get to know. Her story is told in the present and aided with several flashbacks from her time on the Persephone. She had planned out her revenge well, and she would have made a great spy in any other book. The only thing that bothered me just the teensiest bit about her as a person was how much she loved Grey, even now, and how much she was willing to give up for him. True, she wouldn't just give up her four-year long goal of making the public realize how the Persephone had actually sunk, how everyone's families had actually been killed. Nevertheless, there were several moments when she considered just giving up and starting a life of her own instead of living Libby's. I suppose there's nothing wrong with this if you're not considering the plot development, but it annoyed me that all these thoughts were brought about by Grey's re-entrance into her life. I always get a bit eye-roll-y when girls start losing their heads over guys. Just please no.
Another very possible reason I didn't like how Grey impacted her life/ideals/etc. was because after a certain point in the novel, I started liking another guy better. I won't tell you who, but by the end I totally shipped them. Both of them were slightly lost in the world, and I can tell you for a fact that this guy was about a thousand times better than Grey. On his own there's nothing wrong with Grey, really, but I just started falling for the wrong guy. He was noble and didn't really trust Frances and this is either in the book or in my head but I believe he has deep, soulful eyes. With all this potential drama in hand, I'm glad the author didn't spend too much of the plot on any possible romances that may or may not take place after the end of the novel.
While I believe this story is first and foremost sold as a mystery, I feel that it's just Frances discovering who she is and what she wants in life now that circumstances have been so greatly changed. I think the way the story ends is an ode to that, and the way it's left open-ended gives me the sense that Frances has a whole lot of her life left to live - I just wish there was another book coming out so I could live it with her. I also liked how well-detailed and planned Frances's revenge was. It made for a very interesting read; it made everything more plausible. At the same time, it revealed how little Frances could cope with her new status with the world, and her coming to terms with it and the people around her was honestly, quite heartache-inducing. Her life was unbelievably sad.
Daughter of Deep Silence is a great read if you're a fan of those books that surprise you with their intensity. The novel isn't exactly fast-paced, but even so, you just can't stop turning the pages. This book exceeded my expectations in all aspects, especially considering I DNFed one of her older books, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I'd recommend this book to readers of mystery and espionage.
The book starts out with Frances and her friend Libby being rescued from the Persephone. Readers immediately find out that while Frances lives to tell the tale, Libby doesn't. Soon enough, Frances finds that the only other survivors besides her and herself are the senator and his son, Grey, the boy she fell head over heels for while on the ship. However, while Frances distinctly remembers the murders who killed everyone aboard the Persephone including her and Libby's parents, Grey and his father are telling the world that it was but an accident caused by a rogue wave. Orphaned and friendless, Frances takes Libby's place in the world, finding no meaning in life other than to prove to the world that there is more to the senator's story than meets the eye.
Frances is a very interesting character to get to know. Her story is told in the present and aided with several flashbacks from her time on the Persephone. She had planned out her revenge well, and she would have made a great spy in any other book. The only thing that bothered me just the teensiest bit about her as a person was how much she loved Grey, even now, and how much she was willing to give up for him. True, she wouldn't just give up her four-year long goal of making the public realize how the Persephone had actually sunk, how everyone's families had actually been killed. Nevertheless, there were several moments when she considered just giving up and starting a life of her own instead of living Libby's. I suppose there's nothing wrong with this if you're not considering the plot development, but it annoyed me that all these thoughts were brought about by Grey's re-entrance into her life. I always get a bit eye-roll-y when girls start losing their heads over guys. Just please no.
Another very possible reason I didn't like how Grey impacted her life/ideals/etc. was because after a certain point in the novel, I started liking another guy better. I won't tell you who, but by the end I totally shipped them. Both of them were slightly lost in the world, and I can tell you for a fact that this guy was about a thousand times better than Grey. On his own there's nothing wrong with Grey, really, but I just started falling for the wrong guy. He was noble and didn't really trust Frances and this is either in the book or in my head but I believe he has deep, soulful eyes. With all this potential drama in hand, I'm glad the author didn't spend too much of the plot on any possible romances that may or may not take place after the end of the novel.
While I believe this story is first and foremost sold as a mystery, I feel that it's just Frances discovering who she is and what she wants in life now that circumstances have been so greatly changed. I think the way the story ends is an ode to that, and the way it's left open-ended gives me the sense that Frances has a whole lot of her life left to live - I just wish there was another book coming out so I could live it with her. I also liked how well-detailed and planned Frances's revenge was. It made for a very interesting read; it made everything more plausible. At the same time, it revealed how little Frances could cope with her new status with the world, and her coming to terms with it and the people around her was honestly, quite heartache-inducing. Her life was unbelievably sad.
Daughter of Deep Silence is a great read if you're a fan of those books that surprise you with their intensity. The novel isn't exactly fast-paced, but even so, you just can't stop turning the pages. This book exceeded my expectations in all aspects, especially considering I DNFed one of her older books, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I'd recommend this book to readers of mystery and espionage.
Book Synopsis:
I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
I’m the friend of a dead girl.
I’m the lover of my enemy.
And I will have my revenge.
In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.
Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.
Source: A copy was purchased for my Kindle.
Title: Daughter of Deep Silence
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Genre: Mystery, Romance, YA
Pages: 375 pages
