Parents' Guide to

Deeplight

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Undersea fantasy delivers gallons of reading pleasure.

Book Frances Hardinge Fantasy 2020
Deeplight Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Goodforumkvies
Goodforumkvies Parent of 12-year-old
February 17, 2023
age 9+

fun, scary, and entertaining fine for 10 and up; minimum age 9 and up

This undersea adventure is entertaining and exciting with not much blood/or gore. But there is a scary sea monster that can cause nightmares to young kids, as well as lots of fast paced suspense and one stabbing (with a little blood/pain described) which (apparently) heals very quickly like it never happened. Everyone is all ok in the end, but the sea monster and the faced paced suspense make it better for readers aged 10 and up.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
RobertDudley
RobertDudley Adult
June 9, 2020
age 14+

Read Them All

Every published title by Ms. Hardinge is a must read. She won the Costa Literary Award a few years ago for ALL fiction although she had been nominated in the young adult category ... that’s a mind blowing story in itself and a kind of a typical Hardinge twist, if you will.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DEEPLIGHT opens half a century after the undersea Elder Gods turned on each other to the point of extinction. Fifteen-year-old scavenger Hark is sold into indentured servitude to a mysterious scientist who studies the remnants of the beasts. He and his friend Jelt find the heart of a terrifying leviathan, and its ancient healing powers begin to change both boys. How can Hark save himself, rescue his best friend, and prevent the return of the monsters that could destroy civilization? The answer lies at the bottom of the ocean, where danger lurks and secrets are hid.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

The call of the ocean animates only a few fantasy novels, but this lively undersea fantasy delivers gallons of reading pleasure. In Deeplight, author Frances Hardinge builds a captivating world of maritime magic and peoples it with vivid characters who don't shy from conflict. Hardinge's earlier novel, The Lie Tree, won the Costa Book of the Year prize (for English-language writers based in Britain and Ireland), and it's easy to see why. Her prose is fluid, her ideas novel and well executed, her characters unpredictable. Readers with a taste for steampunk will especially enjoy this atmospheric sea tale with echoes of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Frankenstein.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Deeplight portrays a toxic friendship. Why does Hark end up doing dangerous tasks for Jelt, even though he knows how risky they are? Have you had any experience with unhealthy friendships?

  • Why do some religions wish for the end of the world? What are the dangers of cult-like behavior?

  • Why is storytelling important? How does fiction lead to a better understanding of the world and other people?

  • Why do you think sea monster stories remain so popular? What others have your read or seen?

Book Details

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