Into the Drowning Deep (Rolling in the Deep, #1)

by Mira Grant

“Studying the ocean forces you to be poetic, because we haven’t worn all those ideas and concepts soft around the edges yet,” said Luis. “The language is still mired in the maritime, and I don’t know that it’s going to catch up anytime soon.” “Water sings,” said Tory.

Mermaids were one thing. Norovirus was something entirely different, and far more believably dangerous.

Children of islands and the coast went one of two ways: they learned to fear and respect the water, or they learned to live for it.

The ocean isn’t going anywhere.” “Truer words,” muttered Tory, and kept typing. Luis frowned. “Except it is. The ocean we have today isn’t the ocean we had ten years ago, and it’s definitely not the ocean we’re going to have ten years from now. Pollution, global climate change, nuclear runoff …”

Humanity had chosen the land over the sea millennia ago, and sometimes—when she was letting her mind wander, when she was romanticizing what she did and how she did it—she thought the sea still held a grudge. Breakups were never easy, and while humanity was hot and fast and had had plenty of time to get over it, the oceans were deep and slow, and for them all change had happened only yesterday. The seas did not forgive, and they did not welcome their wayward children home.

Nature is bigger and weirder than anyone ever wants to think it is.

The standards for being considered a mammal are narrow, and very specific: lactation, hair, and three bones in the inner ear. Nothing else is required.”

you flirt like it’s a form of espionage and you’ll be executed if you get caught.

we protect them because it’s our job. We don’t just conserve the things we like, or the things we find adorable. We conserve everything. We take care of the planet.

people who would have screamed the heavens down if they’d felt judged were judging them and their choices every minute of the day.

Daniel glared at her. “I have a PhD.” “That’s nice. So do I.” “I also have two master’s degrees, and I’ve addressed the United Nations.” “I can run in four-inch heels. Are we done playing ‘who has the bigger dick’? Because I have things to accomplish,

(The thought that something could have happened to Hallie didn’t cross her mind. Hallie was the big sister, the mountain that protected them from the ravages of the world. If Hallie had been in that submersible with Heather, Heather would have survived. If Hallie were here, she’d know exactly what to do. Hallie could be bossy and annoying and I-know-best in the way of big sisters and hearing people combined, but she was also a superhero, and superheroes always knew what to do.)

“Then look for a glass slide over a black button.” “Black? Not red?” “People push red buttons. It’s best if no one is tempted to push the distress system controls to see what will happen.”