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The Vicious Deep (The Vicious Deep #1)

by Zoraida Córdova (Goodreads Author)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 1,088 ratings · 250 reviews

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.
He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.
His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion l...more

Hardcover, 372 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

61st out of 799 books — 4,582 voters

2012 YA & MG Debut Authors: The Apocalypsies!

34th out of 256 books — 934 voters

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Community Reviews

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May 18, 2012 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-pnr, young-adult, keeper

This was fun, fun, FUN! I couldn't get enough of Zoraida Córdova debut novel, from the whole summer feel to *GASP* mermen! Yup! Cordova gave us something totally new with a male lead that is a merman- let the mayhem begin!

Tristan Hart is just your normal ~~horn dog/manslut~~ sixteen year old teen. His love for the water just seems to stem from being a great swimmer, and living around Coney Island, New York. Until one day a freak storm appears and Tristan is dragged into the sea, missing for three...more

17 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, fantasy-or-paranormal, fantasy

2.5 stars

With an interesting premise and intriguing title, The Vicious Deep had a lot of potential. Although for me it didn’t quite reach this potential, I can see many people still enjoying this light, almost summery read. It’s a story that fans of mermaid books will appreciate for its memorable male point of view and somewhat interesting main character. What’s important though is not to expect something completely different, as I did, as that will lead to disappointment.

The Vicious Deep, razor...more

26 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Garrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mermaids-sirens-selkies, cover-love, impatiently-waiting-for-release-day, urban-fantasy

The cover of The Vicious Deep tells you not to let it pull you under. Well, you'll want to do the opposite. Because I'm warning you: this book's just like the whirlpool Tristan encounters in the beginning; it sucks you right in and refuses to let go.
The Vicious Deep is something I never expected to find: a guys' mermaid book. Well, maybe not exactly, more unisex, if anything. There's plenty of kisses and romance for the ladies, but there's also plenty of thrills, action, and fighting for the guy...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2012 Kristalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kristalia by: Jet

Shelves: reviewed, 3-to-4-stars, young-adult, recommended-to-me, review-which-needs-rewriting, trilogy

Final rating: ★★★☆/★★★★★

vicious deep

I have never read anything related to mermaids, and it was quite refreshing to find a book with male (first person)pov instead of female. In young adult world 99% of the books are from female pov and in first person.
I think i kinda felt like this:
description

Except you must imagine a male "Merman" doing it. No wait, imagine Prince Eric doing it and having fins. And wait, he is not Ariel in personality, because he was born and raised as human.

Tristan was interesting character, i love...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 29, 2012 Scott Pilgrim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mermaids

Find this review at Scott Reads It
Check out my interview with Zoraida Córdova!
“He was claimed by the sea...and now it wants him back.”
Thank you to Goodreads which helped me find the Vicious Deep! I found it on a listopia for YA Mermaid books and I was so excited to find a book from the point of view of a merman. I also met Zoraida Cordóva at an annual book festival and she was very kind and friendly! Also my Goodreads friend Dr. Bob recommended it to me which made me want to read it even more!

...more
Find this review at Scott Reads It
Check out my interview with Zoraida Córdova!
“He was claimed by the sea...and now it wants him back.”
Thank you to Goodreads which helped me find the Vicious Deep! I found it on a listopia for YA Mermaid books and I was so excited to find a book from the point of view of a merman. I also met Zoraida Cordóva at an annual book festival and she was very kind and friendly! Also my Goodreads friend Dr. Bob recommended it to me which made me want to read it even more!

I really loved the Vicious Deep! It was told from the point of view of Tristan Hart who at first seemed like a bit of a jerk but he really proved himself to be a true hero and just an awesome character. Tristan was a realistic teenage boy that I felt like I could really relate to! Tristan was out at sea missing for 3 days and he keeps having visions of a mermaid with sharp teeth. Tristan can tell no one not even his best friend Layla about what he is going through. Tristan must travel to the Sea Court to meet the merfolk and he is truly in for the adventure of his life!

The Vicious Deep was such a fast and fun read! I loved how funny Tristan was and I couldn't stop laughing while I was reading. Seriously my family members probably thought I had something wrong with me because I was laughing so much! The action scenes were so exciting to read and I couldn't stop reading! This was my reaction to my family members while reading!

Nothing else mattered while I read The Vicious Deep because I was too busy in the world of merfolk.

Seriously next time I go swimming I really hope I grow a merman tail. A guy can hope right? Okay now I'm just getting way off topic. The Vicious Deep was seriously the epitome of awesomeness. I am not exaggerating at all. The Vicious Deep had awesome sea monster battles, mermen, and lots of humor.What else could you ask for?? I really loved how it was told from a male pov and how fast paced it was. It was amazing how realistic the POV was in this book and I seriously wish it was longer :) I was not bored at all while reading Córdova's debut and I really really really x1000 want an ARC of the Savage Blue! Pretty Please Sourcebooks, how could you resist Agnes?

If you haven't read the Vicious Deep yet and you are still questioning whether you should read it. You must read it because I know you'll just love it. Why are you still reading this? Go read the Vicious Deep already and you won't be disappointed! (less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars - I'm not sure what to make of this book.

On one hand, I REALLY liked this book. It was quite entertaining, and I thought the writing was witty and pretty awesome. I really liked Tristan's sense of humor and how he was well... such a guy. You may say, "Well, DUH, he IS a guy." But not very many people can write guy characters in a way and not make them either too sappy or too much of a jerk. Don't get me wrong, Tristan did have his jerk moments, but it was with that guy cluelessness how...more 3.5 stars - I'm not sure what to make of this book.

On one hand, I REALLY liked this book. It was quite entertaining, and I thought the writing was witty and pretty awesome. I really liked Tristan's sense of humor and how he was well... such a guy. You may say, "Well, DUH, he IS a guy." But not very many people can write guy characters in a way and not make them either too sappy or too much of a jerk. Don't get me wrong, Tristan did have his jerk moments, but it was with that guy cluelessness how guys tend to do things and don't realize they're doing it because they don't know what you're thinking. There were just some things he said, things he did and situations that he reacted to that were just downright funny.

I was disappointed to see the strength in the writing drop off not long after Part 2 started, but by then, the book was filled with action, so I guess you can say Cordova found another way to entertain me.

I also liked that this wasn't your typical halfbreed merfolk book. First, it's with a guy and not a girl. And Tristan probably will eventually have to figure out where he belongs. But this goes WAY beyond that. You find out there is a lot of politics involved in his world, and there's this whole game of champions. Go a little further and you have the evil sea witch and other various creatures. This book was also packed with action as Tristan and his friends go on their little adventures.

HOWEVER, I have a very hard time seeing how this all their little adventures tie in together. While the story was great, I don't see what's the point of the book. I can't see what direction Cordova is trying to take us. I understand the little episodes as they are taking place. But I feel they're kind of disconnected, and I don't see how they fit in the bigger picture - which I'm guess is this "quest."

And I felt a lot of the relationships were left in the air - both romantic and platonic. You don't have any closure with Layla - not even really something to look forward to. And I also felt for parents who knew what was going on from the beginning and was there for him to explain everything when he turned, they weren't there for most of the book. They played such an important role at the beginning, but they disappear until the end of the book. I don't know. It's all kind of weird.

But since it looks like this is going to be a start of a new series, I am definitely going to be look into reading more in the future. Like I said, I like that Cordova thought outside the box. I would like to see where their adventures take them and ultimately how everything will end.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Ornella rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars Rounding down.

This book started out great, lots of humor, dirty jokes, and it was written in a guy's POV which just made it that much more funny. I am still not sure what to make of Tristan, sometimes I liked him others not so much, but by the end of the book I still feel undecided...There is just something about him that is missing. It almost feels like when you are in shock, you can see everything that's going on but you don't truly feel anything, and that's what it felt like at some...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Meet Tristan - man-slut, popular, life-guard, ultra-pretty-boy, average intelligence.

Tristan's life, up until the beginning of the book, is pretty straightforward. In fact his life is easy.

But all that's about to change because...HE'S A MERMAID! Wait, they prefer the term Merman. Cause that's 10,000 times more manly.

So, Merman Tristan discovers that he is, in fact, related to the Sea King, the ruler of all merpeople, his mother being a princess. Turns out, his grandfather is nearing the end of h...more Meet Tristan - man-slut, popular, life-guard, ultra-pretty-boy, average intelligence.

Tristan's life, up until the beginning of the book, is pretty straightforward. In fact his life is easy.

But all that's about to change because...HE'S A MERMAID! Wait, they prefer the term Merman. Cause that's 10,000 times more manly.

So, Merman Tristan discovers that he is, in fact, related to the Sea King, the ruler of all merpeople, his mother being a princess. Turns out, his grandfather is nearing the end of his reign, and needs a heir, and soon. Naturally, Tristan is a viable candidate.

I liked this, for the most part. The main issue I had is that I never connected with anyone in the story. Tristan in particular. He, as we're constantly reminded, is a popular guy/man-slut (since he constantly reminds us that he is the Panty Charmer), but we never see that side of him. Technically, he's in love with one girl in particular during the story, which might be why we never see his previous-to-book-beginning version (it's suppressed?). Basically, Tristan doesn't match the image his background description paints, or his stereotype. He also has no defining characteristics that set him apart. I didn't really root for him, either.

Also, Tristan adapts far too quickly to being a Mermaid, the entire supernatural world, actually. He gets angry for like a second (with his parents) then it's ♫ Mermaids ain't shit and they ain't sayin' nothin', a hundred vampires can't tell me nothin' ♫.

The plot pacing is also off a wee bit. I didn't notice it enough to go into it, so I won't. The plot itself could use some better direction, it didn't develop very naturally, or interestingly to maintain reader interest. At least mine, until the 2/3 of the way in when it picked up.

That's really it. Mostly worth a read, if there's nothing more pressing on your plate. Nothing really new, no genre-busting stuff. Probably reading the sequel.

P.S.: All Mermaids are super-beautiful, scantily clad vixens. Just tossing that out there. Ariel was one of the uglier ones, she's generally frowned upon by the mermaid community.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2012 Kelly Leigh marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, young-adult

My first mermaid or merman or merfolk (?) book and I wasn't left with a good impression. Didn't even reach my 100 page marker where I decide if I'll continue reading a book I'm feeling iffy about. 81 pages in and I threw in the towel. Story started out just fine, but then. But then, it just got all shades of huh? What? Why are you, Tristan (MC), continually talking about your dick, your junk? And when the main character went all Splash, you know, the bathtub scene where Daryl Hannah's character...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-love-my-library

So super excited to read this! I hope I get approved on Net Galley!

Update Ok ok... Netgalley didn't dig me but that's ok. First in line at library!! Woo woo!!!

Update My library system has it and it is now in transit to me!! YAYS!! Super excited!

The Review!

Tristan is a lifeguard for Coney Island.

Sounds awesome, right?

Well, it sounds awesome to me! I've always wanted to go to Coney Island and Tristan works there... in an orange SPEEDO!!!

I'm not quite sure how old Tristan is. I'm guessing 16 but I...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, favorites, favourite-series, best-series-ever, gods-and-godesses, must-haves, immortals, magic, vamps, worth-a-look, werewolves, witches, worst-cliffhangers

Loved this book! So action-packed- had me sitting on the edge of my seat for the whole 3 hours I read it!!
Praise to the author for writing a new amazing series! Hope you don't take too long writing the sequel I don't think I can wait!

5 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Experiment BL626 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, reviewed

CAUTION: Long Review.

The Vicious Deep begins with Tristan on lifeguard duty at the beach when suddenly a freak wave hits. While everyone runs for their lives, Tristan races to rescue a drowning victim thinking he could make it. Alas, he didn't. Soon, Tristan washes up on shore and taken to the hospital.

People say a near-death experience can be life changing, but with Tristan it reached to a whole new level.

Tristan learned he was lost for three days at sea and was the only survivor of the freak...more

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Sanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-reads, water-creatures, ya-romance, male-pov

What an absolutely fantastic adventure. I love when authors write from a guys POV and Cordova nailed it. Laugh out loud funny with a great cast of characters, a crush worthy MC, a magical underwater world and an exciting competition for the throne of the sea, this book was exactly what I needed.

Tirstan Hart has always been a super star swimmer, awesome lifegaurd and quite the ladies man. So when a freak wave takes him out to sea for three days before dumping him back on the Coney Island beach w...more What an absolutely fantastic adventure. I love when authors write from a guys POV and Cordova nailed it. Laugh out loud funny with a great cast of characters, a crush worthy MC, a magical underwater world and an exciting competition for the throne of the sea, this book was exactly what I needed.

Tirstan Hart has always been a super star swimmer, awesome lifegaurd and quite the ladies man. So when a freak wave takes him out to sea for three days before dumping him back on the Coney Island beach with no memory of what happened, life starts getting a little weird. As he begins to dream about a frightening silver mermaid and his hearing and eyesight are heightened, not to mention he can taste people's emotions, he finally learns, in a hilarious bathtub scene, his heritage and where his mother really came from.

Now with his protector, Kurt, Kurt's sister Thalia and his lifetime best friend (who he's realizing he has strong feelings for) Layla, Tristan must embark on a journey to a world he never knew existed to meet his Grandfather, the king of the sea, and fight for his right to ascend to the throne.

This book was fantastic for many reasons. First off, Cordova's writing was excellent. She really brought the world of Toliss and the beautiful Merfolk to life. I also liked how it was not just Merfolk that existed but all supernatural creatures from vampires, witches, werewolves and shape shifters to oracles, seers and weird in between creatures. Cordova really built a fantastic mythical world. It definitely added to the adventures in the book and I'm excited to see how these creatures continue to come into play in the next two books.

The cast of characters was hands down awesome. I loved Kurt's uptightness and Layla's fire and Thalia's adorable optimism and ability to love everyone (view spoiler). But Tristan was by far my favorite character and I found myself laughing out loud at his internal dialog as well as the funny way he handled any situation. While I loved Layla and I was totally hoping she and Tristan would get together because he's in love with her, I found myself also really liking Gwen and I'm excited she joined the group and I kind of really want her and Tristan together rather than him and Layla. I'm glad in this book Cordova began to build the foundation for several possible relationships but that nothing actually happened. It's going to be exciting to see where all these characters end up by the third book. And that was really the best part of this story, for while Tristan was by far my favorite, all the other characters were so well developed and strong and unique that you found yourself really invested in all of them and not just Tristan.

This was a light fun read that really left me in a great mood. I was so upbeat and happy when I finished this book. It was such a good easy read, I finished it in one day. I just couldn't put it down till the very last page and I can't believe I have to wait till 2013 for the second book. Zoraida Cordova is a fresh new voice in YA today and I cannot wait to see what else she produces. She definitely has a fan in me!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 25, 2012 Trisha Wolfe rated it 5 of 5 stars

You’ll see me mention voice in a lot of reviews. Some might understand what I mean by it, others might not, but if you want to read something that is a perfect example of “voice”, and how it can transform a character into a three-dimensional, real live person on the page, and suck you so far into a story you feel you’re there, too, then you must read The Vicious Deep. Told from super smokin’ hottie Tristan Hart, TVD grabs you from the first page. With non-stop action, hilarious dialogue, and sin...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 25, 2012 Bookish♥Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: z-2012-dac, series-read, read-in-2012, under-the-sea

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

- - -

The Vicious Deep is the story of Tristan Hart - New Yorker, high school student, beach goer, best friend of Layla (who Tristan just so happens to be madly in love with), jerk-ish at times, but sweet & caring at others.

On a seemingly regular day, Tristan and Layla are out to the beach with friends when, all of a sudden, dark storm clouds rumble in. As the sky continues to darken and the clouds open up, Tristan spots someone struggli...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Amber (The Musings of ALMYBNENR) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-150-reading-challenge, 2012-ebook-challenge, 2012-merbooks-mermaid-book-reading, arcs, ya_fantasy, ya_paranormal

Rating: 4.5 stars

Tristan Hart enjoys his typical teenage life on Coney Island: he has his best friend Layla (who he is starting to look twice at), he is one of the best swimmers on his swim team, he is a lifeguard at the beach, and girls think he is hot - at least until he screws up big time.

But when a freak move wave sweeps him out to the ocean and relinquishes its hold on him three days later, Tristan’s life becomes weird. He keeps dreaming of a beautiful silver mermaid with shark teeth and he...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 20, 2012 Misty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-ya, 2012-debuts__apocalypsies, mermaids, review-copy-solicited, sci_fi-fantasy, read-in-2012, series

The Vicious Depp dammit every time Deep popped up on my radar when this happened, and from that point, I knew I hadto read it. And by the time that un-happened and a new cover was born, it was so firmly planted in my to-read wishlist that I found myself becoming a member of the Bloggers of the Deep street team.
And for that, I am glad.

The Vicious Deep is a very engaging, somewhat unusual take on mermaids. Riding the crest of the wave of what looks to be a pretty good mermaid craze, TVD forgoes t...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2013 Khanh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, romance, paranormal, mythology, high-school, fishy-creatures, b-word-heroine

I love mermaids, I really do. Fishy folks just capture my attention, but so far I have been so let down by their depiction in fiction and film. From The Little Mermaid to the Vicious Deep series to the Lullaby series...it seems that the main similarities between fictional merfolk and sirens and other water-dwelling creatures in fiction is not their fins nor their affinity to water, but rather, their absolute stupidity and inability to think like a rational person (not person person, but you get...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Lindie rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, Tristan Hart. Boy with the ridiculously pretty turquoise eyes. Swim team star. Lifeguard. Kind of adorable, kind of an ass. Tristan has a reputation with the ladies, and because of this, the one girl he actually wants, doesn’t want to take a chance on him. I really liked the way the romance is handled in this book. Falling for the best friend is one of my favourite tropes, after all.

It’s a pretty light read. There are amusing moments. I kind of wanted the story to be darker. I wanted more of...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Irina Gebhardt rated it 1 of 5 stars

TO BE HONEST, I COULD NOT EVEN FINSIH THIS BOOK. What caught my eye was the title of the book and also the cover was pretty cool. I read a few pages at B&N and it looked good so I purchased it in hard cover. As I continued to read The Vicious Deep it got pretty lame. I noticed a lot of bad sentence structure and bad use of grammar almost in every chapter. Kinda made me wonder if the author of The Vicious Deep dose not know how to write or if her book editor dose not know how to edit the book...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Bridget rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great mermaid book but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Tristan Hart is a totally normal good looking guy until one day he almost drowns at sea. He is a lifeguard and a horrible storm hits as he is trying to save someone he is pulled out to sea and lost for 3 days. He wakes up on the beach with no memory of what happened to him. Then a few days later he ends up sprouting a fin. Turns out that Tristan is actually a mermaid and his grandfather happens to be the king, but his grand...more Great mermaid book but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Tristan Hart is a totally normal good looking guy until one day he almost drowns at sea. He is a lifeguard and a horrible storm hits as he is trying to save someone he is pulled out to sea and lost for 3 days. He wakes up on the beach with no memory of what happened to him. Then a few days later he ends up sprouting a fin. Turns out that Tristan is actually a mermaid and his grandfather happens to be the king, but his grandfather is coming to a point where he knows that it is time for him to step down and he wants Tristan to take his place. Tristan would have to give up the life he has always known. There is a quest to find the pieces of the Trident before anyone else does, and Tristan will have to rely on old and new friends to fulfill the quest.

Tristan is our main character in this story and I have to be honest I was not a huge fan of him. Now he is this killer looking guy who all the girls are madly in love with. So of course he is cocky, but I feel at times it was just a little over done and it made it hard for me to like him. His best friend from all growing up is a girl named Layla. For a little while now Tristan has been totally crushing on her but he feels that its awkward and unfair to tell her how he feels about her. So instead he is a total player and treats every other girl like dirt. Now he does have some redeemable qualities like how sweet he his to Layla and how vulnerable he can be around her at times. He also is very loyal and I fell like he wants to do whats right, but just doesn't always know how. So overall he did have some good things about him, but the bad overpowered those for me a little bit to much. I loved his relationship with Layla and I can't wait to see how it develops in the next book. I have hope that I will actually like him better in book 2 because by the end of this book I did start to connect better to him and I started to feel like he was less of a jerk :)!

The plot in this book was great. I actually read this book pretty fast and it kept me interested the whole way through. The writing was good and the flow of the book was perfect. I wouldn't say that the story was the most original but it was fun and easy to get into. I actually really liked most of the other characters in the book, and I feel that Tristan by the end was a better person than the start so I feel like there is hope for me to like him more in the next book. I do plan on reading the rest of the series, there isn't a cliffhanger at the end which I really liked. I felt that it wrapped up nicely but there is still defiantly more to learn and explore in this world that the author created. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves mermaids or just fun YA paranormal books. (less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Howard Parsons rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tristan Hart has a problem. Several problems, actually. Tristan is a relatively normal adolescent boy; Awkward at times,tongue-tied when he really needs to not be. His troubles include problems with girls in general, an ex-mermaid for a mother and the fact that his grandfather has decided that Tristan should inherit his throne as Sea King. There are more problems as the book progresses but this short list will do for starters.

This reviewer decided thatThe Vicious Deep would be a great "beach-rea...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Bibliojunkies added it

From Sourcebooks Fire:

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a...more From Sourcebooks Fire:

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

The Bad:
The beginning of Vicious Deep is a little difficult and confusing. Tristan is completely confused in the beginning, so I suppose it was only fitting that I was too, but it made getting into the beginning difficult. The book picks up after the first few chapters though, so do not despair. I also wish there had been some additional character development. Even Tristan feels a little one dimensional at times.

The Good:
Given that English was not the authors first language, I'm fairly impressed with the writing. Vicious Deep is a unique and intriguing take on mermaid lore. The mermaids and mermen are portrayed as beautiful, of course, but also as terrifying in that beauty. This world co-exists with the human world, but is hidden from view by the Sea King. Cordova's world also includes other mythological creatures that help or hinder Tristan in his quest, opening up a ton of possibilities for the series. The ending of Vicious Deep sets up the next adventure for Tristan and his gang of merry mermaids and men as they set sail on the high seas.

If you are a fan of mermaid stories - Tempest Rising, Forgive My Fins, etc., pick up Vicious Deep. It is definitely worth the read. Check out our guest post by Zoraida Cordova, as she dishes on the 10 books she would want if she were stranded on a desert island. Also, make sure you enter to win your very own copy of Vicious Deep!

~Shel(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Booked/Bound rated it 3 of 5 stars

I actually quite enjoyed the Vicious Deep. I was just disappointed because I felt like it had a lot of potential and fell short of being really good, or even great. That being said, it had a lot going for it.

I really liked that the narrator wasn’t just a guy, but a popular guy. It’ s not often we get to see their side of things in YA books. Usually we’re coming at it from the side of the weirdo, aloof girls who love them. So Tristan, especially in the beginning, was an arrogant treat.

Then there...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This great, debut voice takes the readers under the sea with a refreshing male perspective, action and romance. But once you dive into this novel, you won’t want to put it down!

Opening Sentence: I hear the first wave before I see it–

The Review:

Tristan thinks his love for the ocean comes from being an excellent swimmer. Or, maybe, because his mother always told him he was born on the ocean. But that’s before a freak tidal wave sucks him out t...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Rae rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fish-people, urban-fantasy-with-male-lead, worth-the-cash

This book was light and entertaining. Not deep reading by any means but after the parade of romance that seems to be choking YA, a decent journey of the hero was a welcome change. There's some plot holes, but nothing too unforgivable. The main character, Tristan, has some major flaws, especially in regards to women (he's a man-slut), but he makes attempts at improving and he's doesn't seem deliberately malicious about it. Fortunately female characters seem to be decently good at not letting him...more

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May 04, 2012 Mitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Really liked how this book started, but also felt it kind of runs out of steam and collapses towards the end. The beginning though, is absolutely hilarious. Normally books by female authors from male points of view are hit or miss for me, because, no offense, but a lot of female authors write guys like how girls expect guys to behave, not how we actually behave, but I had a stupid grin on my face through most of Part One because Tristan just spouts guy humor. Really, while I was reading this at...more Really liked how this book started, but also felt it kind of runs out of steam and collapses towards the end. The beginning though, is absolutely hilarious. Normally books by female authors from male points of view are hit or miss for me, because, no offense, but a lot of female authors write guys like how girls expect guys to behave, not how we actually behave, but I had a stupid grin on my face through most of Part One because Tristan just spouts guy humor. Really, while I was reading this at first, I kept thinking The Vicious Deep was a complete misnomer because everything was just so ridiculously funny.

I'd probably quote every other line of Part One if I could, but it'd take too long cause I'd be busy laughing, so I'm just going to have to settle for a couple of choice quotes *still laughing while typing, and I assure you all of these are even funnier in context*. (view spoiler)(view spoiler)(view spoiler)(view spoiler) The number of Disney references and mildly dirty jokes Cordova has managed to cram into this thing is astounding, and even though it's an hour of my life I'll never get back, I don't regret it one bit. Good times, Part One.

Part Two, not so much. Cordova does humor really well, but serious is sadly not her forte. Maybe it's because Tristan's narration is really dry, and his dry humor is excellent, but just plain dry narration doesn't work that well - it gets kind of boring. As long as the jokes kept coming, I kept laughing along, but once it was time to get serious, get into the quest portion of the book, basically latter half of Part Two and Part Three, I wasn't really feeling it. Didn't really feel Layla's or Marty's role either, she felt more like a friend who happens to be a girl and he felt like comic relief that just didn't work. Add in alot of the explanations for the mythology that Part One glossed over also falling into here, like a catch all, and basically, while nothing in this part's boring, it wasn't the same or as good either.

And then Part Three was a complete let down. Part One excelled at being simple, Part Three was just too convoluted for its own good. The plot itself was fine, searching for pieces of a trident that'll help Tristan lead the merfolk while fending off an evil greataunt, and everything connected together logically, but it just felt that too much was happening, that they'd spend five pages in this scene doing this and then run off into that scene to fight those for five more pages. I really wished this part was simplified, with fewer scenes overall and more time spent on each, because there were some great action scenes that I just felt could've used at least a few more paragraphs and a couple of filler scenes I felt could've been left out. Also think hard breaks were overused here, a couple more smooth transitions could've evened things out. Oh, and there are a few character deaths towards the end too, and none of them, no matter how much they're supposed to affect Tristan, had much of an effect in reality because we stay on each scene so briefly. Add in the jokes here being hit or miss, and the entire effect is that as I feel like I'm meandering along, following a trail of breadcrumbs in all these random directions, and I end up getting only the murkiest sense of how all these scenes are contributing to Tristan's overall quest.

I still like the book, I think it's rather unique, even among mermaid books which seem to be popular right now and one of the few I've felt was written with guys at least in mind, great humor, lots of action. But the plotting could've been tighter, especially in Part Three, and the humor a little more consistent, so it's 3.5 stars rounded down from me.(less)

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May 01, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: 3.5/5

Despite a title that has our minds conjuring up images of demonic sea creatures who live to drag unsuspecting humans underwater and subject them to any number of cruelties the blue depths are capable of inflicting, the story itself is lighter in tone thanks to a funny and often completely oblivious male protagonist. It’s clear though that while we’re laughing and rolling our eyes at Tristan an unseen darkness moves ever closer, hovering on the periphery and waiting for the ideal mom...more Rating: 3.5/5

Despite a title that has our minds conjuring up images of demonic sea creatures who live to drag unsuspecting humans underwater and subject them to any number of cruelties the blue depths are capable of inflicting, the story itself is lighter in tone thanks to a funny and often completely oblivious male protagonist. It’s clear though that while we’re laughing and rolling our eyes at Tristan an unseen darkness moves ever closer, hovering on the periphery and waiting for the ideal moment to strike, erasing the levity and replacing it with a certain amount of gravity as the stakes of Tristan’s quest continue to rise higher and higher. Ms. Cordova blends her humorous moments and her somber ones beautifully, our hearts turning into an emotional kaleidoscopes awash with a myriad of vibrant colors representing our various highs and lows as we witness Tristan’s life get turned completely on its head.

Tristan is a fun protagonist, utterly clueless at times as to how his actions and his habit of not thinking prior to speaking affect those around him (namely his best friend Layla), but luckily as the story progresses it slowly begins to dawn on him just how much of an idiot he’s really capable of being. We can’t help but snort at some of the random things that pop into his head—like what happens to his junk when he has a tail—and it’s his voice that truly keeps us entertained throughout. His newly-realized love for Layla adds a fine layer of tension to this tale, a cloud of awkwardness that’s never been there for the two of them previously suddenly looming over them heavy with things left unsaid, and we continually bite our lips in nervous anticipation as to whether they’ll be able to move past a long-standing friendship and into something more.

While Tristan is an enjoyably flawed hero and his relationship with Layla ripe with romantic potential, the story itself has a tendency to jump around and shift focus quickly, some of the transitions leaving us flipping back a page or two to see if we’ve missed something. Reading can at times leave us feeling like the little silver ball in a pinball machine, pinging back and forth between the discovery that merfolk exist, the friendship/relationship with Layla, the competition for the Sea King’s trident, and a number of other smaller plot elements that continuously vie for our attention throughout. By the end things so seem to smooth out a bit, Tristan’s journey toward earning what is his by birth acting as a compass pointing us in a definitive direction moving forward. Despite the bumpy ride in this first installment, the characters keep us thoroughly amused, kindly paving over some of the potholes that would have been far more noticeable without their charm easing the way.
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Sep 07, 2012 Mel P rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the history of the Merpeople and the landlocked. I loved the way that a tournament/race/quest will determine the fate and kingdom of the last surviving Mer-kingdom. The story was amazing and grabbed me and wouldn't let go. What I didn't like - Tristan was a tad shallow - again he's 16 so that's to be expected. But I love that we are beginning to see growth and maturity in him. Kurt and Thalia are funny and interesting. I love that they are trying to teach Tris...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think THE VICIOUS DEEP might be my favorite of this year's mermaid books that I've read. Tristan Hart is a lifeguard who gets sucked into an epic wave when trying to save someone. When he's found alive and well three days later, he can't remember anything except a silver mermaid and he's a little . . . different.

Zoraida Córdova may be a debut author, but she already knows how to write an absorbing story. I cannot wait to read THE SAVAGE BLUE and find out what happens next to Tristan, his best...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Crazy for Young A...: Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova → Start Date: June 21st, 2013	6	11	May 23, 2013 04:57pm
What's The Name o...: Underwater city, mermen, claimed by the sea [s]	5	41	Apr 15, 2013 01:49pm
Erudite Readers: Interview with Zoraida Cordova- Author of the Vicious Deep	3	14	Oct 20, 2012 06:38pm

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About Zoraida Córdova

In the 3rd person:

Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She made her way up north and now works in the glittering New York City nightlife. She likes shiny things like Christmas, merdudes, and the skyline at night. She's currently working on book #2.

In the 1st person:

Hello there! This is my shameless first person behest to add my novel to your TO READ list.

It is also where I tell you t...more

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