Welcome to the first day of our book club readalong for OwlCrate's September book, The Depths by Nicole Lesterance!
Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for Chapters 1-7 of The Depths, so make sure you read are finished this section before continuing.
Discussion questions are listed below, and anyone who participates in the comments will be entered to win a free OwlCrate box! Don't forget, you can also post about the readalong on Instagram with the hashtag #OCTheDepths for another chance to win!
The story begins...
Chapter 1:
Addie died for 8 and a half minutes in a free diving accident, but she doesn’t remember where she was during that time.
Chapter 2:
Addie arrives with her mom and new step dad to Eulalie Island where she is the third wheel on their honeymoon, her mom not wanting to leave her alone with the injuries she suffered from the accident. As they are shown towards the house by the island’s caretaker, Ken, Addie takes a moment to get her breath back and resist the urge to cough on the cloying scent of the island’s white flowers. Everything goes silent and she hears what is definitely a human child laugh, but no one responds when she calls out to them.
Chapter 3:
The caretaker’s wife, Melinda, shows Addie to her bungalow, separate from her parents. There’s no internet on the island, and it’s just Melinda, Ben and their two sons who inhabit it. One of the sons, Billy, drops off her suitcase full of activities that are supposed to be good for her healing process. A postcard from her two best friends, and two best competitors, has arrived for her. They are free dive training in Egypt, and with Addie unable to dive until her lungs fully heal, she feels like she is falling behind.
That night Addie goes to bed early after dinner, imagining again the moments before her death. Addie wakes to her mother sitting on the edge of her bed, but when she opens her eyes it’s a terrifying looking woman. Addie gasps, and the woman disappears.
Chapter 4:
Deciding it was a dream Addie walks down to the beach and lets the ocean take her, floating along the shore. She looks up to see a boy crying, and joining him she introduces herself to Sean, Melinda and Ken’s eldest son. She soon hears her mom and David calling for her, and as she leaves Sean asks her not to tell anyone he was there.
Chapter 5:
In the morning all the white flowers appear pink. Addie takes herself outside to do some yoga, soon joined by her mom. Billy catches her coughing blood - they are going on a tour of the island with Ben, and as they set to leave Addie hears the island’s birds singing her name.
Chapter 6:
Ken tells them the history of the island, and how it got its name from a lone girl once discovered stranded there, and takes them up to the ruins of an old house that was lived in by the Wells family, who died of botulism while waiting for a ship to return with provisions. As they explore the house they find an old harp that one of the daughters used to play, and Billy claims that sometimes at night you can hear it. Addie touches the remaining string, which disintegrates, and the island goes still and silent. A moment later - torrential rainfall.
Chapter 7:
Back at the villa a little girl touches Addie as she’s trying to read in a hammock. She wants to play tag. When Addie tries to follow her she runs into Billy who explains that she has seen the ghost of Violet Wells. He offers to give her a tour of the island.
Questions:
- Why do you think it used to be difficult to find the island, but it isn’t anymore?
- Why do you think the flowers changed color, and why do you think the Carpenters don’t find it odd?
- Why do you think only Addie and Billy can see Violet? Do you think she’s really a ghost?
- Did you enjoy the first section of the book?
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